“Keeps evolving”

Pros

I appreciate that it keeps evolving to meet user needs. The software lets me handle everything I need to do, including multilevel modeling, latent class analysis and survey data analysis. I see SAS as a valuable tool for anyone working with large datasets and needing to perform complex data analysis.

Cons

The part I don't enjoy is working with macros. They're very complex especially when it comes to debugging.

“Excellent for data quality checks”

Pros

It works really well when pulling data from multiple sources and it's also very capable for data quality checks and statistical analysis. On top of that, it handles large, complex datasets without much trouble.

Cons

The biggest downside is the price especially if your needs are fairly limited compared to other tools out there. That said, if your requirements are more advanced and the budget isn't an issue, it's absolutely worth the cost.

“Delivers accurate results”

Pros

It comes with the latest analytical packages and delivers very accurate results along with detailed analysis. It's also fast when it comes to manipulating and extracting data and it can handle larger datasets than most other statistical tools.

Cons

SAS language is noticeably harder to learn than what you get with other platforms. You really need to master it before you can take full advantage of the software so beginners probably won't be able to jump in and use it right away.

“Essential for us”

Pros

This has become an essential tool for our institute especially when it comes to organizing and managing large datasets.

Cons

Even with all the strong features it offers, it still costs quite a bit more than other comparable software options.

“Offers advanced functionality”

Pros

One of the biggest strengths is the advanced functionality especially SQL, macro programming and graphics which make it possible to handle more complex epidemiologic analyses. The language is structured in a way that helps a lot too, once you understand the basics, it becomes much easier to build on that foundation and start reading, practicing and interpreting more advanced code. Another really useful feature is being able to set up code to run overnight which saves a lot of time on longer jobs. There are also active online forums that do a pretty solid job of answering coding error questions when you search for them. On top of that, the program can recover unsaved code from your C drive which is incredibly helpful. SAS support has also been fantastic and has helped even with very obscure and difficult coding issues.

Cons

the graphics and tables from SAS output are not as presentation-ready or as simple to format as what you get from tools like STATA or Excel. Even though the building-block structure is helpful for learning increasingly complex code, it can still be fairly challenging to pick up at first and is not always as user-friendly as some other programs. SAS also definitely lives up to its name sometimes since even small spelling or punctuation mistakes in the code can trigger frustrating errors. On top of that, both the software itself and SAS training are fairly expensive which creates a real cost barrier for many schools and businesses trying to buy it and train students or staff.

“Powerful for data science work”

Pros

Using it has been simple and it's a very functional tool that's especially useful for statistics and data science work.

Cons

Certain coding tasks can take some time and it does feel like an older product when compared with SPSS and similar tools.

“Approachable interface”

Pros

Handling large volumes of data is much more manageable with this tool especially for companies that work with big data every day. It's very user-friendly and getting useful insights doesn't require being a data scientist. The interface feels approachable and it's nice that you can avoid the coding side altogether if that's not something you're comfortable with.

Cons

The visualization features could definitely be better. Other than that, I haven't really come across any major drawbacks worth mentioning.

“widely used software”

Pros

New users can start with a free trial, even though it only includes limited features. There's also a broad range of subscription plans and software choices so you can pick what fits your specific needs. Another plus is that it's widely recognized and commonly accepted in universities which makes it a solid option for research work.

Cons

free trial is pretty restricted so you don't really get access to all the features. Because of that, it can be hard to fully judge whether the software is the right fit before committing.

“Helpful for handling business data management”

Pros

it has been really useful for handling business data management and forecasting. Even though it's a paid tool compared with free options like R, it still offers a wide range of statistical packages that make it very capable.

Cons

Considering the price, I think it should provide more advanced, cutting-edge features than tools like R, Python and similar alternatives. I'd especially like to see built-in code correction and predictive coding support added.

“Powerful and highly flexible platform”

Pros

This platform is incredibly powerful and flexible. It gives users a huge amount of control to program and guide their own data analysis and it can handle hundreds of variations across both standard and more experimental analytics.

Cons

It's not really a downside but there is definitely a steep learning curve if you don't already have experience with object-based programming. Also, certain features like the graphics packages, come at an extra cost for some users.

“Solid dataset creation tools”

Pros

It handles pretty much everything needed to build datasets for simple SAS analysis.

Cons

Feels a bit complex at first until you get the hang of it.

“Handles big data really well”

Pros

Using the SAS EG package has been a solid experience especially when working with large volumes of data. The coding language is also fairly quick to learn which makes it much easier to get started and be productive.

Cons

The log files can be difficult to troubleshoot at times so clearer and more detailed logs would make it much easier for users to debug their specific code.