cIRT
A choice-based IRT model published once in 2019 and kept compiling ever since
Comparison · Analytics
dcurves vs MultiSpline
A side-by-side editorial comparison of dcurves and MultiSpline — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:r-package
dcurves vs MultiSpline: at a glance
What is dcurves?
Decision curve analysis, settled since 2022 and now moving only when its neighbours do
dcurves implements decision curve analysis — evaluating a prediction model or diagnostic test by net benefit across the range of thresholds a clinician might plausibly use, rather than by a single discrimination statistic. Its API stabilised in 2022 around dca() and test_consequences(). The two releases since exist because gtsummary and CRAN documentation rules changed, not because the method did.
What is MultiSpline?
MultiSpline went from five functions to a full multilevel spline framework in seven weeks.
MultiSpline fits spline-based nonlinear models to multilevel and longitudinal data in R. The package reached CRAN in February 2026 with five functions covering fitting, summary, prediction, plotting and intraclass correlations. Version 0.2.0, seven weeks later, adds cross-classified and nested random-effect structures, automatic knot selection, a multilevel R-squared variance partition, derivative-based interpretation with turning points, model comparison against polynomials, and cluster heterogeneity analysis, while keeping every 0.1.0 call valid.
dcurves vs MultiSpline: editorial side-by-side
dcurves
0.0ANALYTICS
Decision curve analysis, settled since 2022 and now moving only when its neighbours do
◆ Current state
dcurves implements decision curve analysis — evaluating a prediction model or diagnostic test by net benefit across the range of thresholds a clinician might plausibly use, rather than by a single discrimination statistic. Its API stabilised in 2022 around dca() and test_consequences(). The two releases since exist because gtsummary and CRAN documentation rules changed, not because the method did.
◆ Where it's heading
The package reached its intended scope quickly and then stopped. Its 2022 releases did the substantive work: adding threshold-level diagnostic accuracy, tightening argument validation, and taking one breaking change to make net-interventions-avoided plots show the treat-all and treat-none reference lines by default. Since then it has moved only as a dependent of the wider tidy-modelling documentation ecosystem it plugs into.
◆ Prediction
Nothing in these entries points to method or API work; expect the next release to be another compatibility or CRAN documentation patch.
MultiSpline
0.0ANALYTICS
MultiSpline went from five functions to a full multilevel spline framework in seven weeks.
◆ Current state
MultiSpline fits spline-based nonlinear models to multilevel and longitudinal data in R. The package reached CRAN in February 2026 with five functions covering fitting, summary, prediction, plotting and intraclass correlations. Version 0.2.0, seven weeks later, adds cross-classified and nested random-effect structures, automatic knot selection, a multilevel R-squared variance partition, derivative-based interpretation with turning points, model comparison against polynomials, and cluster heterogeneity analysis, while keeping every 0.1.0 call valid.
◆ Where it's heading
The arc is a research package being built out into a workflow at speed: 0.1.0 could fit a curve, 0.2.0 can tell you where the curve turns, how much variance each level explains, and whether a spline beats a polynomial at all. Backward compatibility was preserved across that expansion, which suggests the author is building for outside users rather than a single paper. The JOSS submission referenced in 0.1.1 points at academic distribution as the intended channel.
◆ Prediction
With the interpretation and diagnostics layers now in place, the next release will most likely extend the supported model families beyond the current lmer and glmer backends.
Alternatives to dcurves and MultiSpline
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 dcurves or MultiSpline.
MetaboAnalystR
The R engine behind MetaboAnalyst closes the gap from raw spectra to biological interpretation
fmtr
Rebuilding SAS's formatting layer in R, one format specification at a time
betaselectr
Standardised coefficients for models where standardising everything is wrong — but the feed only links out
SSN2
Stream-network spatial models learning to run on data that no longer fits in memory
BiocManager
Bioconductor's installer, frozen at 1.30.x and tuned almost entirely through environment variables
See all dcurves alternatives → · See all MultiSpline alternatives →
Recent activity from dcurves and MultiSpline
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 4mo agoMultiSplineCross-classified and nested structures turn MultiSpline into a framework ⚡
- 5mo agoMultiSplineMultiSpline v0.1.1
- 5mo agoMultiSplineMultiSpline v0.1.0 - Initial Release
- 5mo agoMultiSplinev0.1.0.1
- 9mo agodcurvesHTML5 documentation rebuild for CRAN
- 2y agodcurvesbroom.helpers added to Suggests for gtsummary 2.0
- 3y agodcurvesNet interventions plots now show treat-all and treat-none by default
- 4y agodcurvestest_consequences() reports accuracy across thresholds
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between dcurves and MultiSpline?
Both compete on the same themes — r-package — within Analytics. dcurves and MultiSpline 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 dcurves better than MultiSpline?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. dcurves and MultiSpline 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 Analytics products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to dcurves?
Top dcurves alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "dcurves alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/dcurves for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to MultiSpline?
Top MultiSpline alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "MultiSpline alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/multispline for the full list with editorial commentary on each.