tidyr
tidyr replaced separate() with a family that says what it does.
Comparison · Analytics
performance vs iris
A side-by-side editorial comparison of performance and iris — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
performance vs iris: at a glance
What is performance?
performance keeps adding ways to check a model you have already fitted.
performance is at 0.17.1, which added check_priors() for prior predictive checks on Bayesian models and gave check_overdispersion(), check_model() and check_predictions() arguments to control residual type and plot range. The releases before it are a similar mix: a -2LL criterion column in test_likelihoodratio(), Bayesian predictive checks routed through modelbased, and in 0.16.0 a set of breaking renames including RMSA to the correct RMSR.
What is iris?
Iris ships steadily on a two-a-year cadence, but its feed publishes only pointers.
Iris tags a release candidate roughly every four to five months — 3.13 through 3.16 over the past year — and the cadence is the only thing the feed actually reports. Every entry is the same seven-line template: a line saying this is a release candidate, conda-forge and PyPI install commands, and a link to a 'What's New' page held elsewhere. No release notes reach the feed at all.
performance vs iris: editorial side-by-side
performance
0.0ANALYTICS
performance keeps adding ways to check a model you have already fitted.
◆ Current state
performance is at 0.17.1, which added check_priors() for prior predictive checks on Bayesian models and gave check_overdispersion(), check_model() and check_predictions() arguments to control residual type and plot range. The releases before it are a similar mix: a -2LL criterion column in test_likelihoodratio(), Bayesian predictive checks routed through modelbased, and in 0.16.0 a set of breaking renames including RMSA to the correct RMSR.
◆ Where it's heading
Two consistent habits. Diagnostics keep gaining arguments to narrow what is examined — ppc_range, x_limits, maximum_dots, show_ci — which reads as a package being used on models large and awkward enough that the defaults stopped working. And simulated residuals via DHARMa keep displacing standard ones as the basis for the checks themselves.
◆ Prediction
With check_priors() newly added and Bayesian predictive checks now routed through modelbased, the next release most likely extends the Bayesian diagnostic set rather than reworking the frequentist checks.
iris
2.5ANALYTICS
Iris ships steadily on a two-a-year cadence, but its feed publishes only pointers.
◆ Current state
Iris tags a release candidate roughly every four to five months — 3.13 through 3.16 over the past year — and the cadence is the only thing the feed actually reports. Every entry is the same seven-line template: a line saying this is a release candidate, conda-forge and PyPI install commands, and a link to a 'What's New' page held elsewhere. No release notes reach the feed at all.
◆ Where it's heading
The version numbers say a mature Met Office library is being maintained on a predictable schedule; nothing in the published entries says what is being maintained. Until the project puts release content in the tag body, its public trail will read as cadence without substance, and readers have to leave the feed to learn anything. The pattern has been identical across four consecutive releases, so it is a deliberate publishing choice rather than an oversight.
◆ Prediction
Expect v3.17.0rc0 around late 2026 on the same schedule, carrying the same boilerplate — the notes will again live on the documentation site rather than in the release entry.
Alternatives to performance and iris
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 performance or iris.
modeltime
modeltime built conformal intervals in, then went quiet on features.
cmdstanpy
CmdStanPy is clearing deprecations ahead of a 2.0 it keeps announcing.
dowhy
DoWhy adds one estimation method a year and keeps its identification edge.
OpenHouse
OpenHouse is hardening the seams where table policies and jobs quietly fail.
silx
silx 3.0 moved its default Qt binding to PySide6 — a migration for everyone embedding it.
See all performance alternatives → · See all iris alternatives →
Recent activity from performance and iris
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 13d agoirisv3.16.0rc0
- 1mo agoperformancecheck_priors() added; overdispersion plots use simulated residuals
- 2mo agoperformance-2LL criterion column and unified Bayesian predictive checks
- 4mo agoirisv3.15.0rc0
- 6mo agoperformanceBreaking renames plus point-count and CI controls in check_model()
- 8mo agoperformancecheck_autocorrelation() methods for DHARMa objects
- 9mo agoirisv3.14.0rc0
- 10mo agoperformanceFixes CRAN checks after an rstanarm update
- 11mo agoperformancetinytable output format in display()
- 1y agoirisv3.13.0rc0
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between performance and iris?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. iris is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 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 performance better than iris?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. iris is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 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 performance?
Top performance alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "performance alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/easystats-performance for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to iris?
Top iris alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "iris alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/scitools-iris for the full list with editorial commentary on each.