R can perform various data analysis and data science tasks for free through its extensive packages and community support. It is an open-source statistical programming language that is widely used for data manipulation, visualization, and machine learning. Some key features of R include its ability to perform interactive visualization, ensemble learning, text/social media mining, and integration with other languages and technologies like SQL, Python, and Tableau. While powerful, R does have some limitations like a steep learning curve and slower execution compared to other languages.