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Comparison · Infra & APIs
cbcTools vs tealeaves
A side-by-side editorial comparison of cbcTools and tealeaves — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
cbcTools vs tealeaves: 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 tealeaves?
A leaf-temperature model that finished its job in 2020 and has stayed finished
tealeaves solves for leaf temperature from an energy balance, using explicit units to keep parameters consistent and modelling lower and upper leaf surfaces separately so sensible and latent heat loss are computed for each. The package reached its current form in 2020 across versions 1.0.2 to 1.0.5, which added direct or functional sky temperature, dplyr 1.0.0 compatibility, and fixes to a parameter-crossing bug that the new sky temperature function had introduced. The only release since, v1.0.6 in July 2022, corrects a name in the citation file, stops parallel evaluation in a vignette and fixes README links.
cbcTools vs tealeaves: 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.
tealeaves
0.0INFRA · APIS
A leaf-temperature model that finished its job in 2020 and has stayed finished
◆ Current state
tealeaves solves for leaf temperature from an energy balance, using explicit units to keep parameters consistent and modelling lower and upper leaf surfaces separately so sensible and latent heat loss are computed for each. The package reached its current form in 2020 across versions 1.0.2 to 1.0.5, which added direct or functional sky temperature, dplyr 1.0.0 compatibility, and fixes to a parameter-crossing bug that the new sky temperature function had introduced. The only release since, v1.0.6 in July 2022, corrects a name in the citation file, stops parallel evaluation in a vignette and fixes README links.
◆ Where it's heading
This is finished scientific software. The arc runs from a 1.0.0 that already described the full model, through a usability decision in 1.0.1 to accept unitless values and assign units rather than demand them, to a 2020 cluster of compatibility and correctness work around publication. Nothing since has touched the model, and the 2022 release is pure paperwork. Its most instructive entry remains 1.0.5, where a new feature silently produced incorrect parameter crossing and the fix arrived with tests to pin the behaviour.
◆ Prediction
Expect nothing unless a dependency or CRAN check forces a release; on this record any such release will be documentation and packaging rather than a change to the energy balance.
Alternatives to cbcTools and tealeaves
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 tealeaves.
Cursor
Cursor's agents stop waiting to be asked - they subscribe, and they hold a goal until it's done.
incident.io
Nexus does the diagnosis; the agent is now reaching into the status page too.
Warp
Warp turned its quarter of software-factory essays into infrastructure you can buy.
Okta
Okta's developer blog is a Cross App Access campaign, now diluted by advocacy-team storytelling.
Infisical
A credential platform assembled two or three pull requests at a time, never a headline
See all cbcTools alternatives → · See all tealeaves alternatives →
Recent activity from cbcTools and tealeaves
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 11mo agocbcToolsImprovements to greedy methods
- 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 ⚡
- 4y agotealeavesCitation file, vignette and README fixes
- 6y agotealeavesParameter-crossing bug fixed with tests; coverage added
- 6y agotealeavesFix for custom sky temperature function being overwritten
- 6y agotealeavesSky temperature as value or function; dplyr 1.0.0 compatibility
- 7y agotealeavesUnitless parameter values now accepted and assigned units
- 7y agotealeavesFirst release: leaf energy balance with per-surface conductances
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between cbcTools and tealeaves?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. cbcTools and tealeaves 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 tealeaves?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. cbcTools and tealeaves 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 tealeaves?
Top tealeaves alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "tealeaves alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/tealeaves for the full list with editorial commentary on each.