SmartPLS 4 vs lavaan (R)
Visual Intelligence Meets Code Flexibility
Overview
lavaan is an excellent open‑source CB‑SEM framework in R.
SmartPLS 4 brings similar analytical rigor to a visual, code‑free environment and adds PLS‑SEM for prediction‑oriented research.
SmartPLS 4 brings similar analytical rigor to a visual, code‑free environment and adds PLS‑SEM for prediction‑oriented research.
Why Institutions Choose SmartPLS
SmartPLS removes the R-coding barrier with a GUI that’s teachable in hours, expanding SEM access to non-programming cohorts.
It unifies CB-SEM and PLS-SEM with standardized exports, creating consistent outputs for classes, theses, and publications.
It unifies CB-SEM and PLS-SEM with standardized exports, creating consistent outputs for classes, theses, and publications.
Key Differences
| Feature | SmartPLS 4 | lavaan (R) |
|---|---|---|
| Method Coverage | CB-SEM and PLS-SEM (incl. PROCESS, GSCA, Regression, NCA) | CB-SEM (R) |
| Interface | GUI based | script based |
| Usability | Modern GUI. Drag-and-drop modeling. | Code-first |
| Learning Curve | Low | Moderate–High |
| Platform & OS Support | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux (via R) |
| Licensing Model | Commercial license (academic/site options) | Open-source (R package) |
Sources (short)
- SmartPLS: https://www.smartpls.com
- Lavaan: https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=lavaan, https://lavaan.ugent.be
Note on comparability and sources
This comparison reflects SmartPLS 4.1.1.5 versus lavaan (R) 0.6-20 (Sep 21, 2025), as of 11 Oct 2025. The information is based on publicly available vendor/user documentation, release notes, and hands‑on use. Please include concrete version numbers and this as‑of date when citing. Product and brand names belong to their respective owners and are used for identification only.
