Microsoft R Open and R Studio are two different pieces of software that are often confused because they both relate to the R programming language. Microsoft R Open is a free, open-source distribution of the R language itself, while R Studio is a separate integrated development environment (IDE) that provides a graphical interface for writing and running R code. In short, Microsoft R Open is the engine that runs R, and R Studio is the dashboard from which you control that engine.
What Is Microsoft R Open?
Microsoft R Open (MRO) is a free, open-source distribution of the R programming language, maintained by Microsoft. It is based on the standard R from CRAN (Comprehensive R Archive Network) but includes a few enhancements aimed at making R faster and more reproducible. The most notable feature is the use of the Intel Math Kernel Library (MKL), which speeds up many matrix operations and linear algebra calculations—tasks that are common in data science and statistics. MRO also uses a different default random number generator (the Mersenne-Twister with a “Sprague-Grawa” algorithm) to ensure that results are reproducible across sessions and machines, which is important for research.
You can think of MRO as a drop-in replacement for the standard R. If you have scripts that run on CRAN R, they will generally run on MRO without changes. Microsoft stopped actively developing MRO in 2020, but the binaries are still available for download and the software remains functional. The company now recommends using the standard R distribution from CRAN, especially since the performance benefits of MKL have been incorporated into newer versions of standard R via the “R with Intel MKL” builds.
What Is R Studio?
R Studio (officially RStudio, now called Posit) is an integrated development environment (IDE) for R. It is a separate program that provides a user-friendly interface to write, run, and debug R code. R Studio includes a source code editor with syntax highlighting and auto-completion, a console to run commands interactively, a workspace viewer to see your variables, and a plot viewer to display graphs. It also has tools for managing files, packages, and version control (like Git).
R Studio is not a version of R itself—it is a front-end that uses the R engine installed on your system. You can use R Studio with standard R, Microsoft R Open, or any other R distribution. The IDE is available in a free open-source version (R Studio Desktop) and a commercial version (R Studio Pro) with additional features like code security and performance monitoring. There is also R Studio Server, which runs on a remote server and lets you access the IDE through a web browser.
Key Differences at a Glance
To make the distinction clear, here is a table summarizing the main differences:
| Feature | Microsoft R Open | R Studio |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A distribution of the R language | An IDE (interface) for R |
| Purpose | Runs R code and provides the core statistical functions | Provides a graphical environment to write and manage R code |
| Dependency | Standalone—you can run R from the command line | Requires an R installation (e.g., MRO or CRAN R) to work |
| Performance | Optimized with Intel MKL for faster matrix operations | No direct impact on computation speed; it just calls the R engine |
| Reproducibility | Includes a fixed random number generator for reproducible results | No control over R’s random seed; that’s handled by the R engine |
| Cost | Free and open-source | Free (open-source) and paid (Pro) versions |
| Current status | No longer actively developed (as of 2020) | Actively developed under the name Posit |
In practice, many users install both: they install Microsoft R Open (or standard R) as the engine, and then install R Studio to have a pleasant coding environment.
How They Work Together
When you open R Studio, it looks for an R installation on your computer. You can specify which R version to use in the Global Options. If you have Microsoft R Open installed, you can point R Studio to its executable (e.g., C:\Program Files\Microsoft\R Open\R-4.0.2\bin\x64\R.exe). Then, when you run code in R Studio, it sends the code to that R engine, which executes the calculations and returns results to the IDE for display.
This separation means you can switch between different R distributions without changing your workflow. For example, you might use MRO for a project that benefits from MKL speed, and switch to standard R for another project that requires a newer package version. R Studio makes this easy because it lets you change the R version in a few clicks.
Choosing Between Them
If you are new to R, you should install both: start with a standard R distribution (or MRO) and then install R Studio. The IDE will make it much easier to learn, with its visual tools for data and plots. If you are an advanced user who prefers working from the command line, you might not need R Studio at all—you can run R directly from a terminal.
If you are concerned about performance for large datasets or heavy computations, Microsoft R Open (or the CRAN R with MKL) can give you a speed boost. However, since MRO is no longer updated, you may want to check the latest CRAN R builds that include MKL support. For reproducibility in research, MRO’s fixed random seed is a plus, but you can achieve similar results by setting a seed in standard R.
Common Misconceptions
One common misconception is that R Studio is a version of R. It is not—R Studio is just an editor. Another is that Microsoft R Open is required to use R Studio. That is false; R Studio works with any R distribution. Some users also think that MRO is a commercial product, but it is free and open-source. Finally, people sometimes believe that MRO is faster than standard R in all cases. In reality, the speed advantage comes from MKL and is most noticeable in matrix operations; for other tasks, the difference is negligible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use R Studio with Microsoft R Open?
Yes, absolutely. R Studio is designed to work with any R distribution. You just need to tell R Studio where to find the R executable in the Global Options. Once set, R Studio will use MRO as the engine, and you get the best of both worlds: a nice IDE and MRO’s performance enhancements.
Is Microsoft R Open free?
Yes, Microsoft R Open is free and open-source, released under the GPL-2 license. You can download it from the Microsoft website or the CRAN repository. There is no cost for personal or commercial use.
Why did Microsoft stop developing R Open?
Microsoft announced in 2020 that it would no longer provide updates for R Open, focusing instead on the standard R distribution and its Azure services. The company noted that the performance benefits of MKL were being incorporated into the standard R builds, making a separate distribution less necessary.
Which one should I install as a beginner?
Install both. First, download the standard R from CRAN (or MRO if you want the older optimized version), then install R Studio Desktop. This gives you a full-featured environment to learn and work. R Studio’s interface will help you see your data and plots, which is invaluable when you are starting out.
Are there any alternatives to R Studio?
Yes, there are other IDEs for R, such as R Commander (a basic GUI), Jupyter Notebook (via an R kernel), Visual Studio Code with the R extension, and Emacs with ESS. However, R Studio remains the most popular and feature-rich option for most R users.
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