If you are in a strictly academic setting, is often preferred for its reporting style. If you need to run strictly Quality Control (QC) charts (like Six Sigma projects), the learning curve of R is worth the investment, as it has specialized packages ( qcc ) for control charts that rival Minitab’s capabilities.
However, a professional Minitab license is expensive—starting at over US$1,500/year. For students, researchers, or professionals seeking to upskill without a corporate budget, finding a is a common, yet challenging, goal. free version of minitab