RMVMR
RMVMR is being tidied in lockstep with MVMR, the package it wraps
Comparison · Analytics
cfrnow vs prism
A side-by-side editorial comparison of cfrnow and prism — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
cfrnow vs prism: at a glance
What is cfrnow?
A Bayesian real-time CFR estimator that now ships stratified fits and posterior-predictive checks
cfrnow estimates case fatality ratios from line-list data while an outbreak is still running, using a Bayesian mixture-cure survival model registered as an `epidist` model type. Three releases in a month took it from first public release to stratified, partially-pooled fits with posterior-predictive checking. It leans on `distspec` for delay parameterisation, which reached CRAN alongside the 0.2.1 patch.
What is prism?
prism rebuilds on Oregon State's new API and starts the move to cloud-optimised GeoTIFF.
prism downloads and handles PRISM climate data in R. Version 0.3.0 rewrites the package against the API Oregon State introduced in September 2025, arriving after a gap the maintainer apologises for. Normals now download as cloud-optimised GeoTIFF rather than .bil, so helper functions such as pd_plot_slice() and pd_image() do not work with them. Archives mixing old and new API data trigger a warning and a recommendation to start fresh.
cfrnow vs prism: editorial side-by-side
cfrnow
5.0ANALYTICS
A Bayesian real-time CFR estimator that now ships stratified fits and posterior-predictive checks
◆ Current state
cfrnow estimates case fatality ratios from line-list data while an outbreak is still running, using a Bayesian mixture-cure survival model registered as an `epidist` model type. Three releases in a month took it from first public release to stratified, partially-pooled fits with posterior-predictive checking. It leans on `distspec` for delay parameterisation, which reached CRAN alongside the 0.2.1 patch.
◆ Where it's heading
The arc runs from producing a single corrected CFR number toward supporting a full model-checking workflow. 0.2.0 added the pieces a modeller needs to defend an estimate: replicate line lists replayed through the real-time truncation, an ascertainment-ratio correction for when fatal and non-fatal cases enter the line list at different rates, and per-group CFRs from `brms` formulas. Delay coverage widened from LogNormal and Gamma to Weibull in the same release.
◆ Prediction
Expect the next release to keep widening covariate and pooling support rather than adding new outcome types, since every 0.2.0 addition extended the existing formula interface instead of replacing it.
prism
0.0ANALYTICS
prism rebuilds on Oregon State's new API and starts the move to cloud-optimised GeoTIFF.
◆ Current state
prism downloads and handles PRISM climate data in R. Version 0.3.0 rewrites the package against the API Oregon State introduced in September 2025, arriving after a gap the maintainer apologises for. Normals now download as cloud-optimised GeoTIFF rather than .bil, so helper functions such as pd_plot_slice() and pd_image() do not work with them. Archives mixing old and new API data trigger a warning and a recommendation to start fresh.
◆ Where it's heading
The package is mid-migration on two axes at once: the API endpoint, which is done, and the file format, where only normals have moved to COG while everything else still fetches .bil. The stated plan is to take the whole package to COG. Until that lands, capability is split — data downloads fine, but the plotting and slicing helpers only cover the old format.
◆ Prediction
The next substantive release should extend COG downloads beyond normals and restore the helper functions against that format, closing the gap this release opened.
Alternatives to cfrnow and prism
Other Analytics 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 cfrnow or prism.
geoarrow-r
geoarrow tracks the GeoArrow spec and otherwise just keeps compiling
n2khab
n2khab keeps retracting interpretations of habitat data it can't actually support
tidypolars
tidypolars is grinding toward complete dplyr coverage, one supported function at a time
OneSampleMR
OneSampleMR found that argument order in a formula was silently changing its estimates
bpbounds
bpbounds found the same swapped-cell bug twice and clamped its bounds back into range
See all cfrnow alternatives → · See all prism alternatives →
Recent activity from cfrnow and prism
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 5d agocfrnowdistspec dependency moves to CRAN
- 5d agocfrnowStratified CFR fits, Weibull delays, posterior-predictive checks
- 1mo agocfrnowFirst release: real-time CFR from a Bayesian mixture-cure model ⚡
- 8mo agoprismRebuilt on the new PRISM API; normals move to COG ⚡
- 2y agoprismSubscription URLs and safer download defaults
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between cfrnow and prism?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. cfrnow is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is cfrnow better than prism?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. cfrnow is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to cfrnow?
Top cfrnow alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "cfrnow alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/cfrnow for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to prism?
Top prism alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "prism alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/prism-r for the full list with editorial commentary on each.