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Comparison · Analytics
detectseparation vs forrel
A side-by-side editorial comparison of detectseparation and forrel — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
detectseparation vs forrel: at a glance
What is detectseparation?
A diagnostic package that generalized past its own name, then learned to say which kind of separation it found
detectseparation identifies separation and infinite estimates in binomial-response GLMs — the condition where maximum likelihood estimates diverge and standard software reports large coefficients with enormous standard errors instead of an error. Version 0.3 was the structural turn: detect_infinite_estimates() became the general method covering log, logit, probit and cauchit links, with detect_separation() demoted to a wrapper around it. Version 0.4 in April 2026 adds the ability to distinguish complete from quasi-complete separation via separation_type.
What is forrel?
forrel is getting faster at the simulations forensic kinship work actually spends its time on.
forrel handles forensic pedigree analysis: kinship likelihood ratios, profile simulation, relationship checking, and missing person calculations. Version 1.9.0 synced with pedtools 2.11.0's loop handling, which the release notes credit with enabling complex pedigrees that were previously intractable, and moved profileSim() to mirai for parallelism. It also added fEstimate() for inbreeding coefficients and parentChildLikelihood() as a fast path for the simplest case.
detectseparation vs forrel: editorial side-by-side
detectseparation
0.0ANALYTICS
A diagnostic package that generalized past its own name, then learned to say which kind of separation it found
◆ Current state
detectseparation identifies separation and infinite estimates in binomial-response GLMs — the condition where maximum likelihood estimates diverge and standard software reports large coefficients with enormous standard errors instead of an error. Version 0.3 was the structural turn: detect_infinite_estimates() became the general method covering log, logit, probit and cauchit links, with detect_separation() demoted to a wrapper around it. Version 0.4 in April 2026 adds the ability to distinguish complete from quasi-complete separation via separation_type.
◆ Where it's heading
The package has been generalizing steadily — first past its own framing, since separation is one case of infinite estimates rather than the whole problem, and now toward finer classification of what it detects. The distinction 0.4 adds is practically useful because complete and quasi-complete separation call for different responses. Release intervals are long, roughly two to four years, which fits a diagnostic tool whose underlying theory is settled.
◆ Prediction
With link coverage broad and separation now classified by type, further work is more likely to refine reporting than to extend detection to new model families.
forrel
0.0ANALYTICS
forrel is getting faster at the simulations forensic kinship work actually spends its time on.
◆ Current state
forrel handles forensic pedigree analysis: kinship likelihood ratios, profile simulation, relationship checking, and missing person calculations. Version 1.9.0 synced with pedtools 2.11.0's loop handling, which the release notes credit with enabling complex pedigrees that were previously intractable, and moved profileSim() to mirai for parallelism. It also added fEstimate() for inbreeding coefficients and parentChildLikelihood() as a fast path for the simplest case.
◆ Where it's heading
Two long threads run through the window. One is making the common operations cheap: faster simulations through reorganized likelihood calculations, a dedicated parent-child path, dropped map attribute preservation, log-likelihoods to avoid underflow in kinshipLR(). The other is making relationship checking presentable, with checkPairwise() growing ggplot2 and plotly output, verbal relationship descriptions, and bootstrap p-values. Reference data is maintained alongside both, with the FORCE SNP panel completed and an X-chromosomal counterpart added.
◆ Prediction
With profileSim() on mirai and the loop handling synced, the next likely step is extending mirai parallelism to the other simulation-heavy functions such as exclusionPower() and the bootstrap in checkPairwise().
Alternatives to detectseparation and forrel
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 detectseparation or forrel.
gcube
gcube's recent releases are all packaging metadata, not simulation code
cubist
The R port of Quinlan's Cubist gets reproducibility fixes, not new modelling
ggstats
ggstats keeps widening what a coefficient or Likert plot can be
ecodive
ecodive rebuilt itself into a broad diversity-metric library, breaking as it went
simStateSpace
State-space data simulation for R, filled in one function at a time
See all detectseparation alternatives → · See all forrel alternatives →
Recent activity from detectseparation and forrel
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1mo agoforrelmirai parallelism and faster profile simulation
- 3mo agodetectseparationdetectseparation v0.4
- 1y agoforrelFORCE SNP panel completed and X-chromosomal set added
- 1y agoforrelrankProfiles() and access to special lumping
- 1y agoforrelacrossComps argument and readFam() unexported
- 1y agoforrelcheckPairwise() overhauled with p-values and new plot backends
- 2y agoforrelFamilias interoperability split into pedFamilias
- 3y agodetectseparationdetectseparation v0.3
- 5y agodetectseparationdetectseparation v0.2
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between detectseparation and forrel?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. detectseparation and forrel 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 detectseparation better than forrel?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. detectseparation and forrel 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 detectseparation?
Top detectseparation alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "detectseparation alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/detectseparation for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to forrel?
Top forrel alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "forrel alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/forrel for the full list with editorial commentary on each.