Origin

Features

An « all-in-one » solution

Origin brings together the main stages of your data workflow:

• Import your experimental data in numerous formats: .csv, .dat, .xls, .spc, and many others.
• Prepare and manipulate your data to make it easy to use.
• Perform your analyses, calculations, and statistical processing.
• Create 2D or 3D graphs.
• Edit your analysis reports and final test reports, then customize them with HTML, CSS, or Python.

Perform all these operations through an intuitive graphical interface with just a few clicks and without any programming!

A customizable and easy-to-use interface

Origin offers an intuitive interface enhanced by the Learning Center, accessible from the Help menu or by pressing F11. Numerous tutorials, sample projects, and learning resources are available to optimize your productivity. The interface includes dark mode, customizable themes, and context-sensitive mini toolbars that make it easier to customize your graphs. In addition, floating windows enable optimal workspace management, especially when using multiple monitors.

A wide range of data analysis tools

Origin offers a wide range of data analysis tools, including curve and surface fitting, peak analysis, interpolation, signal processing, and derivative calculations.

It also provides many statistical tools: descriptive statistics, ANOVA, parametric and nonparametric tests, multivariate analysis, power and sample size calculations, survival analysis, and ROC curves. Each analysis is accompanied by a report that summarizes the parameters used and organizes your results. For more advanced work, Origin also lets you develop custom routines with Origin C, LabTalk, Python, or R.

A wide selection of publication-quality graphs

With more than 100 built-in graph types, Origin lets you quickly create and customize your visualizations while producing publication-quality graphs.

These include histograms, pie charts, waterfall charts, radar charts, parametric or polar graphs, surface or profile graphs, contour maps, heatmaps, vector plots, Pareto charts, and graphs with multiple vertical axes or multiple panels.

These graphs are available in 2D and 3D, as well as in various statistical formats.

Automation of repetitive tasks with scripts

With or without programming, Origin lets you create import filters, import multiple files simultaneously, and add scripts after import, which can be saved and reused. The same applies to analysis, data processing, and graphs, whose styles and properties can be saved and reused as needed.

To go further, Origin includes two integrated programming languages: Origin C, a C-compatible programming language, and LabTalk, an interpreted programming language. It also provides a full development environment, Code Builder, for coding and debugging your scripts.

An extensive, evolving Apps library

Origin provides an Apps exchange platform populated by users and the OriginLab team, making tools developed around Origin available to the wider community.

Available directly from Origin, these Apps can be installed and tested to enrich your work environment as your needs evolve. By listening to users, OriginLab regularly offers new Apps to support changing scientific and technical workflows.

Connect Origin to your professional tools

Origin can connect to many tools, including MATLAB, LabVIEW, Microsoft Excel, Python, and R. Integrate Origin into your work environment to take advantage of each tool’s capabilities.

You can also develop your own data-processing routines with Origin C or LabTalk, and integrate your Python or R scripts into your workflows.

Work with large datasets

Connect Origin to your databases through ODBC or ADO connectors, or import large experimental datasets.

Once imported, your data can be visualized, explored, and analyzed using interactive tools designed to handle large datasets.

What’s new in Origin 2026b

Origin 2026b introduces many new features and enhancements, as well as a series of new Apps that extend Origin’s graphing and analysis capabilities:

• Mirror Columns: Reference Data Without Duplication
  Reuse your data anywhere in your project, including entire worksheets across workbooks: copy the source columns, then use Paste as Mirror Columns (Ctrl+Alt+V), and manage all mirror relationships from the Project Browser. Data is stored only once, resulting in significantly smaller project files and faster load times than with copy-paste or column formulas. This keeps projects lightweight, fast, and easier to manage.
• Life Science GUI Mode: Structured Tables for Graphing and Analysis (OriginPro)
  Switch to a dedicated Life Science GUI mode for dose-response studies, grouped replicates, time-course measurements, and multi-factor designs. Choose from five structured table types (XY, Column, Grouped, Contingency, and Survival Data): the table-aware Plot menu and context menus automatically present the appropriate graph types and analysis options, including dose-response curve fitting and heatmap visualization. Drag and drop your GraphPad Prism .pzfx or .prism files into Origin, or copy-paste Prism table data: worksheets automatically convert to the appropriate structured table format. Because each table is optimized for a specific experimental design, you can access the right tools directly.
• Add Columns to Other Sheets: Propagate to Other Sheets
  Add or insert a column, then repeat the same operation on worksheets with a similar data structure or on any worksheet in the current workbook, folder, or project. Where applicable, column formulas are copied and applied automatically. No more making changes one by one in projects containing many similarly structured worksheets.
• Graph Annotation Improvements
  Highlight slopes, data points, and reference values directly on your graphs. Origin 2026b introduces the new Slope Annotation tool, a mini dialog to customize data annotation, reference lines added to all layers or defined from values in a column label row, and more Append modes in the Graph Annotation tool. More annotation tools now support holding the Shift key to snap. Your graphs are clearer, with fewer manipulations.
• Statistics and Quality Control Improvements
  Deepen your analyses with new hypothesis testing tools. ANOVA, Proportion Test, and other tools now include Summary Report, Diagnostic Report, and Power Analysis. Design of Experiments is enhanced with Binary Response Analysis, Variability Analysis, Select Optimal Design, and Overlaid Contour Plot. Reliability Analysis is enhanced with Parametric Distribution Analysis for arbitrary censored data, Distribution Identifier, Distribution Overview, Life Test Plans, and Regression with Life Data. Address more quality and R&D needs without switching tools.
  
  
• New Graph Types:

Cause-and-Effect Diagram

Frequency Chart (Column, Bar, Pie, Doughnut)

Double X

Decision Tree

Grouped Histogram

Grouped Pareto Chart

Grouped Scatter Plot

Improved Grouped Column Chart

Frequency Chart: Pie

Conclusion Charts in
t-test Report Sheets

• New Apps:

Origin 2026b includes new or updated Apps:

• Acceptance Sampling (new) PRO
• Random Forest (new) PRO
• Stability Study (new) PRO
• Predictive Modeling Advisor (new)
• GraphPad Prism Connector (new)
• Reliability and Survival Analysis (updated) PRO
• Statistical Process Control (updated) PRO
• Design of Experiments (updated) PRO
• Decision Tree Analysis (updated) PRO
• Graph Maker (updated)

Learn more about all the new features in Origin 2026b and about Origin 2026.

Documentation

• Case study (Antoine Couturier and Sylvain Dorel, Institut National du Sport, de l’Expertise et de la Performance)
• Keyboard Shortcuts and Toolbars
• Origin / OriginPro 2026b Comparison
• Key Features by Version

Configuration

These system requirements apply to the most recent version of Origin and OriginPro.

Microsoft Windows

• Operating System: 64-bit (x64) Microsoft Windows® 10, Windows® 11
• Processor: 1.6 GHz 64-bit (x64)
• Memory: 8 GB of RAM recommended (16 GB or more is recommended for data with over one million rows)
• Hard Drive Space: 3.0 GB free hard drive space for program installation + help files (does not include data storage)
• Other hardware: USB port or DVD drive (if installing from a USB stick or DVD)
• Browser: Microsoft Edge required on Windows 11

Additional recommendations for large data sets:

For users working with large datasets (for example, importing text files of 10 MB or more in size), OriginLab makes the following additional recommendations:

• Multi-core processor: The more logical processors, the better
• RAM: At least 16 GB; the more memory, the better
• Storage: Solid State Drive (SSD); the faster, the better
• Network: If the data is on a network, 1000 Mb (Gigabit) is preferable

See also the documentation for the system variable @IAS, which controls the minimum file size (in MB) required to enable multi-threading for import.

Dark Mode, Additional Requirements:

• Minimum operating system: Microsoft Windows® 10 (Version 1809 or later)

Mac OS

Mac users can run Origin using Microsoft Windows via Boot Camp or in OS X using third-party virtualization software.

See the system requirements and instructions.