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Comparison · Analytics
epiparameter vs Holistics
A side-by-side editorial comparison of epiparameter and Holistics — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
epiparameter vs Holistics: at a glance
What is epiparameter?
epiparameter split its parameter library out of the package — and relicensed what remained.
epiparameter provides classes and methods for working with epidemiological parameter distributions — delays, offspring distributions, incubation periods — drawn from the published literature. As of 0.4.0 the library itself no longer lives here: the parameters moved to {epiparameterDB}, taken on as a dependency, leaving {epiparameter} as the code layer alone. The most recent release is a CRAN-driven patch.
What is Holistics?
Holistics is adding governance to the AI layer it spent the summer building.
Holistics ships small, frequent notes - often one or two sentences - covering three strands at once: AI features in Explore and Chat, as-code control over presentation through AML, and workspace hygiene like file history and dark mode. The August entries turn to the AI layer's edges rather than its capabilities, with an AI user attribute for restricting what the assistant can reach. Several entries are barely a line long, so scope frequently has to be read from the headline.
epiparameter vs Holistics: editorial side-by-side
epiparameter
0.0ANALYTICS
epiparameter split its parameter library out of the package — and relicensed what remained.
◆ Current state
epiparameter provides classes and methods for working with epidemiological parameter distributions — delays, offspring distributions, incubation periods — drawn from the published literature. As of 0.4.0 the library itself no longer lives here: the parameters moved to {epiparameterDB}, taken on as a dependency, leaving {epiparameter} as the code layer alone. The most recent release is a CRAN-driven patch.
◆ Where it's heading
Each release has clarified the boundary between the data and the tools that operate on it. 0.2.0 added coercion from {epireview} tables, 0.3.0 rewrote the classes and renamed much of the API, and 0.4.0 completed the separation while adding caching so loading the library stays cheap. Breaking changes have been frequent and deliberate rather than incidental.
◆ Prediction
With code and data separated, the two can version independently — expect parameter additions to appear in {epiparameterDB} releases while this package's changes stay focused on classes and methods.
Holistics
5.0ANALYTICS
Holistics is adding governance to the AI layer it spent the summer building.
◆ Current state
Holistics ships small, frequent notes - often one or two sentences - covering three strands at once: AI features in Explore and Chat, as-code control over presentation through AML, and workspace hygiene like file history and dark mode. The August entries turn to the AI layer's edges rather than its capabilities, with an AI user attribute for restricting what the assistant can reach. Several entries are barely a line long, so scope frequently has to be read from the headline.
◆ Where it's heading
The AI work has moved through a recognizable sequence: capability first with chart suggestions, then observability with AI Chat Insights for admins, and now access control with an AI-specific user attribute. Alongside it, Holistics keeps pulling presentation into AML - custom charts, theme palettes, currency formats - so the things analysts used to click are versioned as code. File history is the join between the two threads, giving every dashboard, model, and dataset its own restorable timeline.
◆ Prediction
With capability, visibility, and access control now in place for the AI layer, the next step is likely audit or policy depth - logging what the assistant answered against which data - rather than new AI surfaces.
Alternatives to epiparameter and Holistics
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 epiparameter or Holistics.
Omni
Omni ships weekly, and almost every week the headline item is an AI feature.
silx
silx settles into maintenance a release after its PySide6 migration
Plotly
Plotly is turning its cloud into a metered compute platform with an enterprise on-ramp.
aniread
aniread stops asking you to know which tracker wrote the file
Rho
Rho's release machinery finally produced a stable build — and it shipped no new product.
See all epiparameter alternatives → · See all Holistics alternatives →
Recent activity from epiparameter and Holistics
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 2d agoHolisticsAI user attribute restricts AI access to sensitive data
- 16d agoHolisticsCustom currency and unit formats, per field
- 19d agoHolisticsFile history: per-file version timeline and restore
- 22d agoHolisticsCustom charts become AML code with GUI authoring
- 23d agoHolisticsColor palettes can be assigned at the theme level
- 27d agoHolisticsDate-range presets and typed shorthands
- 1y agoepiparameterCRAN check fixes
- 1y agoepiparameterParameter library moves to epiparameterDB; package relicensed to MIT alone ⚡
- 1y agoepiparameterClasses and methods reworked; large-scale renaming
- 2y agoepiparameterInteroperability with epireview via as_epidist()
- 2y agoepiparameterFirst release: 122 parameter sets and the epidist class
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between epiparameter and Holistics?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Holistics is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 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 epiparameter better than Holistics?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Holistics is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 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 epiparameter?
Top epiparameter alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "epiparameter alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/epiparameter for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Holistics?
Top Holistics alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Holistics alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/holistics for the full list with editorial commentary on each.