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Comparison · Analytics

enpls vs Fulcrum

A side-by-side editorial comparison of enpls and Fulcrum — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

enpls vs Fulcrum: at a glance

FeatureenplsFulcrum
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.06.3
Sparks · 30d00
Top themespartial-least-squares, ensemble-learning, chemometrics, maintenance-modegis, esri-migration, offline-maps, field-data-capture
Last editorial update43m ago14h ago
WebsiteVisit →

What is enpls?

enpls has not changed its statistics since 2016 — only its website, twice.

enpls implements ensemble partial least squares regression, with variants for feature selection, outlier detection and model applicability. Across the six most recent releases there is not one change to the modeling code. They cover a documentation website, a website URL change, a font stack, code indentation, a CI service, and most recently a GitHub Actions migration with an R CMD check note fix.

Read the full enpls trajectory →

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.

Read the full Fulcrum trajectory →

enpls vs Fulcrum: editorial side-by-side

E
enpls
ANALYTICS
0.0

enpls has not changed its statistics since 2016 — only its website, twice.

◆ Current state

enpls implements ensemble partial least squares regression, with variants for feature selection, outlier detection and model applicability. Across the six most recent releases there is not one change to the modeling code. They cover a documentation website, a website URL change, a font stack, code indentation, a CI service, and most recently a GitHub Actions migration with an R CMD check note fix.

◆ Where it's heading

The statistical work finished around version 5.6, which added cross-validation fold control and fixed component selection when the maximum was left unspecified. Everything since has kept the package installable and its docs online. The 2025 release arriving the same day as sibling package grex, with the same two fixes, confirms the pattern: these are maintainer sweeps across a portfolio, not attention to enpls specifically.

◆ Prediction

The next release will almost certainly be another CRAN or tooling fix. Six consecutive infrastructure-only releases across nine years give no basis for expecting new methods.

F
Fulcrum
ANALYTICS
6.3

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 enpls 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 enpls or Fulcrum.

See all enpls alternatives → · See all Fulcrum alternatives →

Recent activity from enpls and Fulcrum

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 23h agoFulcrumWeb fixes: shared-view exports, MBTiles popups, KML and ArcGIS layers
  2. 3d agoFulcrumAndroid: update offline map layers in place, non-blocking Photo FastFill
  3. 4d agoFulcrumiOS fix: slow location resolution blocked record saves
  4. 8d agoFulcrumWeb: SSO email wording and ArcGIS/deck.gl version bumps
  5. 10d agoFulcrumAndroid fixes: ArcGIS stability, signature button, photo markup
  6. 10d agoFulcrumiOS fixes: basemap loading and black map screen
  7. 1y agoenplsenpls 6.1.1 moves pkgdown to GitHub Actions
  8. 7y agoenplsenpls 6.1 adopts tidyverse code style
  9. 8y agoenplsenpls 6.0 changes the documentation URL
  10. 8y agoenplsenpls 5.9 drops Google Fonts from vignettes
  11. 9y agoenplsenpls 5.8 updates gallery images, enables HTTPS
  12. 9y agoenplsenpls 5.7 adds a pkgdown site and Windows CI

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between enpls 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 enpls 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 enpls?

Top enpls alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "enpls alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/enpls 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.