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Comparison · Infra & APIs
cbcTools vs logbin
A side-by-side editorial comparison of cbcTools and logbin — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
cbcTools vs logbin: at a glance
What is cbcTools?
Two years quiet, then a release that makes its greedy design methods practical
cbcTools generates and evaluates designs for choice-based conjoint experiments, gathering several strategies behind one method argument in cbc_design(): random, orthogonal via DoE.base, D-optimal, Bayesian D-efficient and greedy. That structure was set during 2023 across 0.4.0 and 0.5.0, which introduced the method argument, added strategies and documented in a table which options each one supports. The only release since, in August 2025, removes efficiency limitations from the greedy methods.
What is logbin?
Relative-risk regression that converges where glm fails, under an unreadable tag order
logbin fits log-binomial models to estimate relative risk, a fit standard glm frequently fails to converge on because of the constrained parameter space. Its answer is a choice of algorithms — adaptive barrier, combinatorial EM, and expectation-maximisation on an overparameterised model — selected through a method argument and optionally accelerated with turboEM. The most recent release, in April 2025, replaces the variance-covariance calculation in summary.logbin so it matches summary.glm, and adds a testthat suite.
cbcTools vs logbin: editorial side-by-side
cbcTools
0.0INFRA · APIS
Two years quiet, then a release that makes its greedy design methods practical
◆ Current state
cbcTools generates and evaluates designs for choice-based conjoint experiments, gathering several strategies behind one method argument in cbc_design(): random, orthogonal via DoE.base, D-optimal, Bayesian D-efficient and greedy. That structure was set during 2023 across 0.4.0 and 0.5.0, which introduced the method argument, added strategies and documented in a table which options each one supports. The only release since, in August 2025, removes efficiency limitations from the greedy methods.
◆ Where it's heading
The package was explicitly built for extension — the 0.4.0 notes say the function is now better set up to add methods in future — and the pattern since has been adding or repairing one method at a time behind a stable interface. After a two-year gap the recent work is performance rather than coverage, which suggests the greedy methods were slow enough to be impractical at realistic design sizes. Restrictions have been added deliberately too, such as blocking the label argument for orthogonal designs because it would destroy orthogonality.
◆ Prediction
On the extension pattern the maintainer set up, the next release most likely adds another design method or continues tuning existing ones for speed; the entries do not indicate which.
logbin
0.0INFRA · APIS
Relative-risk regression that converges where glm fails, under an unreadable tag order
◆ Current state
logbin fits log-binomial models to estimate relative risk, a fit standard glm frequently fails to converge on because of the constrained parameter space. Its answer is a choice of algorithms — adaptive barrier, combinatorial EM, and expectation-maximisation on an overparameterised model — selected through a method argument and optionally accelerated with turboEM. The most recent release, in April 2025, replaces the variance-covariance calculation in summary.logbin so it matches summary.glm, and adds a testthat suite.
◆ Where it's heading
The method work concluded in 2021 and the package has since been aligned with base R conventions rather than extended: the vcov calculation now mirrors glm's, and earlier releases added the contrasts, qr, R and effects components so standard glm S3 methods such as influence() and plot() work on logbin objects. Be warned that the feed's tag order is unusable — versions 2.0, 2.0.1, 2.0.2 and 2.0.4 were all pushed within ninety seconds on 23 July 2021 in non-monotonic order, while 2.0.3 carries a 2017 timestamp and restates 2.0.2's notes. Read the bodies, not the sequence.
◆ Prediction
Expect continued alignment with glm conventions and occasional CRAN maintenance; the algorithm set has been stable for four years and nothing in these entries suggests another is planned.
Alternatives to cbcTools and logbin
Other Infra & APIs products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either cbcTools or logbin.
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Okta
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See all cbcTools alternatives → · See all logbin alternatives →
Recent activity from cbcTools and logbin
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 11mo agocbcToolsImprovements to greedy methods
- 1y agologbinvcov in summary.logbin now matches summary.glm
- 3y agocbcToolsrandom and dopt design methods; orthogonality restrictions enforced
- 3y agocbcToolsmethod argument reworked; orthogonal designs via DoE.base
- 3y agocbcToolsBayesian D-efficient designs with restricted profile sets
- 3y agocbcToolsFirst CRAN release ⚡
- 5y agologbinFactor reparameterisation fix and faster parameter expansion
- 5y agologbinVersion bump to satisfy a CRAN check
- 5y agologbinmethod and accelerate options: adaptive barrier, CEM, EM, turboEM
- 5y agologbinglm S3 method support via contrasts, qr, R and effects components
- 5y agologbinJournal of Statistical Software citation added
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between cbcTools and logbin?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. cbcTools and logbin are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is cbcTools better than logbin?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. cbcTools and logbin are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 0.0 vs 0.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Infra & APIs products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to cbcTools?
Top cbcTools alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "cbcTools alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/cbctools for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to logbin?
Top logbin alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "logbin alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/logbin for the full list with editorial commentary on each.