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Comparison · Analytics
CMAQ vs Fulcrum
A side-by-side editorial comparison of CMAQ and Fulcrum — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
CMAQ vs Fulcrum: at a glance
| Feature | CMAQ | Fulcrum |
|---|---|---|
| Sector | Analytics | Analytics |
| Velocity score | 0.0 | 6.3 |
| Sparks · 30d | 0 | 0 |
| Top themes | air-quality, atmospheric-modeling, epa, scientific-computing | gis, esri-migration, offline-maps, field-data-capture |
| Last editorial update | 40m ago | 14h ago |
| Website | Visit → | — |
What is CMAQ?
CMAQ went global in v5.5, and has been patching that surface ever since.
CMAQ is the EPA's Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system, used for regulatory and research air quality simulation. Its release rhythm is strictly two-tier: numbered major versions carry new science and fresh benchmark datasets, while the x.y.z.n updates carry bug fixes against documentation and benchmarks that stay pinned to the parent version. The current line is v5.5, which introduced CRACMM2 chemistry and coupling to MPAS-A meteorology, followed by three patch rollups.
What is Fulcrum?
Fulcrum is betting its whole map stack on Esri, with a hard Google Maps cutoff on September 1.
Fulcrum is a field data collection platform, and nearly every entry in the last month touches mapping. The web app ships weekly fix batches for layer rendering (KML/KMZ, MBTiles, ArcGIS Feature Services), while iOS and Android push near-weekly builds against the ArcGIS SDK. Feature work is thin right now; the visible surface is stabilization around a mapping engine migration already in flight.
CMAQ vs Fulcrum: editorial side-by-side
CMAQ
0.0ANALYTICS
CMAQ went global in v5.5, and has been patching that surface ever since.
◆ Current state
CMAQ is the EPA's Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system, used for regulatory and research air quality simulation. Its release rhythm is strictly two-tier: numbered major versions carry new science and fresh benchmark datasets, while the x.y.z.n updates carry bug fixes against documentation and benchmarks that stay pinned to the parent version. The current line is v5.5, which introduced CRACMM2 chemistry and coupling to MPAS-A meteorology, followed by three patch rollups.
◆ Where it's heading
The v5.5 patches cluster around the newest and most sensitive components. ISAM source apportionment and DDM-3D sensitivity analysis account for corrections in every one of the three updates, and CRACMM2 needed fixes within months of release. That is the expected shape after a major version lands: the science is stable, the instrumentation built on top of it is not. Parallel I/O work in the latest patch suggests the global configurations are now being run at scales that expose throughput limits.
◆ Prediction
The next major version will fold these fixes in with new science, documentation and benchmark data — the release notes state this explicitly each time. Until then, expect further ISAM and DDM-3D corrections, which have appeared in every patch so far.
Fulcrum
6.3ANALYTICS
Fulcrum is betting its whole map stack on Esri, with a hard Google Maps cutoff on September 1.
◆ Current state
Fulcrum is a field data collection platform, and nearly every entry in the last month touches mapping. The web app ships weekly fix batches for layer rendering (KML/KMZ, MBTiles, ArcGIS Feature Services), while iOS and Android push near-weekly builds against the ArcGIS SDK. Feature work is thin right now; the visible surface is stabilization around a mapping engine migration already in flight.
◆ Where it's heading
The direction is a full consolidation onto Esri. The legacy Google Maps engine is being retired on September 1 with automatic migration for anyone who hasn't switched, and Esri now carries Google's satellite and street basemaps so the imagery argument is neutralized. Underneath, the mobile SDK moved to ArcGIS 300.0.0 and ONNX on-device inference was dropped for a new INFERENCE format with labels.txt support. Offline is the second thread: downloadable layers can now be updated in place rather than deleted and recreated.
◆ Prediction
Expect the weeks before September 1 to stay dominated by migration-shaped fixes and Esri feature parity work, with the MMPK layer and Photo FastFill early-access programs the most likely to graduate to general availability next.
Alternatives to CMAQ and Fulcrum
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 CMAQ or Fulcrum.
geodist
geodist stays dependency-free and fast, and warns you when 'cheap' distances stop being honest.
errors
errors keeps making uncertainty print the way each scientific field expects.
enpls
enpls has not changed its statistics since 2016 — only its website, twice.
grex
grex is a lookup table with a version number — it ships when the annotation moves.
protr
protr's feature set is finished; the work now is surviving Bioconductor's churn.
See all CMAQ alternatives → · See all Fulcrum alternatives →
Recent activity from CMAQ and Fulcrum
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 23h agoFulcrumWeb fixes: shared-view exports, MBTiles popups, KML and ArcGIS layers
- 3d agoFulcrumAndroid: update offline map layers in place, non-blocking Photo FastFill
- 4d agoFulcrumiOS fix: slow location resolution blocked record saves
- 8d agoFulcrumWeb: SSO email wording and ArcGIS/deck.gl version bumps
- 10d agoFulcrumAndroid fixes: ArcGIS stability, signature button, photo markup
- 10d agoFulcrumiOS fixes: basemap loading and black map screen
- 1y agoCMAQCMAQ 5.5.0.3 enables parallel I/O, fixes DDM-3D control files
- 1y agoCMAQCMAQ 5.5.0.2 corrects ISAM aerosol and cloud processing
- 1y agoCMAQCMAQ 5.5.0.1 fixes SAPRC mechanism runs and NLCD mapping
- 1y agoCMAQCMAQ 5.5 adds global simulation coupled to MPAS-A ⚡
- 1y agoCMAQCMAQ 5.4.0.5: minor ELMO output fixes
- 2y agoCMAQCMAQ 5.4.0.4 fixes RBSTATS under ROS3, corrects a molecular weight
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CMAQ and Fulcrum?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Fulcrum is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 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 CMAQ better than Fulcrum?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Fulcrum is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 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 CMAQ?
Top CMAQ alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "CMAQ alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/cmaq for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Fulcrum?
Top Fulcrum alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Fulcrum alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/fulcrum for the full list with editorial commentary on each.