This post describes how to download and perform a basic local install of R and Rstudio. The instructions should work for both macOS and Windows users. Although not required, installation tends to work best when operating systems are up-to-date. At the time of writing, this means R/Rstudio work best with macOS High Sierra and Windows 10. R vs Rstudio R is a statistical computing language/environment. It is distinct from Rstudio, which is an integrated development environment (IDE) or high- powered graphical user interface (GUI) optimized for working with the R language.