STACAS
Single-cell batch correction that learned to use cell labels, then spent three releases chasing Seurat.
Comparison · Analytics
fastrg vs invasimapr
A side-by-side editorial comparison of fastrg and invasimapr — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
fastrg vs invasimapr: at a glance
What is fastrg?
A fast random-graph sampler that spent 0.3.1 fixing what its parameters actually mean.
fastRG samples from generalized random dot product graphs — stochastic blockmodels, degree-corrected and overlapping variants, directed and undirected — in time proportional to the number of edges rather than nodes squared, which is what makes large sparse networks tractable. Since 0.3.1 the model is constructed and parameterised in one object, with sampling methods taking that object rather than re-specifying edge distribution at sample time.
What is invasimapr?
invasimapr halved its install size and became citable; the science stayed put.
invasimapr estimates species invasiveness and site invasibility from trait, environmental and resident-community data, exposing a traits → competition → invasion-fitness pipeline behind seven high-level wrappers. Its three releases are all packaging and standards work: a first citable archive in June 2026, then a maturity release bringing it in line with the B-Cubed software development guide. The one behavioral addition in that release is an opt-in standardise_inputs argument on compute_invasion_fitness(), off by default.
fastrg vs invasimapr: editorial side-by-side
fastrg
0.0ANALYTICS
A fast random-graph sampler that spent 0.3.1 fixing what its parameters actually mean.
◆ Current state
fastRG samples from generalized random dot product graphs — stochastic blockmodels, degree-corrected and overlapping variants, directed and undirected — in time proportional to the number of edges rather than nodes squared, which is what makes large sparse networks tractable. Since 0.3.1 the model is constructed and parameterised in one object, with sampling methods taking that object rather than re-specifying edge distribution at sample time.
◆ Where it's heading
The package's development has been about semantic correctness more than speed. The 0.3.1 release moved edge-distribution arguments to the constructors and reinterpreted the mixing matrix S under Bernoulli parameterisation; 0.3.2 then flipped the meaning of X and Y in directed blockmodels so outgoing and incoming factors match the edge convention, and made block sorting conditional rather than unconditional. Both are corrections to what returned values mean, not to how fast they arrive. The 2025 release is CRAN documentation linking only.
◆ Prediction
With parameterisation settled and only a documentation release since 2023, the package reads as feature-complete for its sampling families. Nothing in the entries points to additional model types being queued.
invasimapr
0.0ANALYTICS
invasimapr halved its install size and became citable; the science stayed put.
◆ Current state
invasimapr estimates species invasiveness and site invasibility from trait, environmental and resident-community data, exposing a traits → competition → invasion-fitness pipeline behind seven high-level wrappers. Its three releases are all packaging and standards work: a first citable archive in June 2026, then a maturity release bringing it in line with the B-Cubed software development guide. The one behavioral addition in that release is an opt-in standardise_inputs argument on compute_invasion_fitness(), off by default.
◆ Where it's heading
The pressure is toward being installable and auditable rather than more capable — install slimmed from roughly 100 MB to 56 MB, R CMD check warnings and notes resolved, sp moved to Suggests, a Darwin Core-aligned data dictionary added, and a Zenodo concept DOI with CITATION.cff, codemeta.json and .zenodo.json. The package moves in lockstep with its B-Cubed sibling dissmapr, tagged within minutes of each other at both 0.1.0 and 0.2.1, which points at project-level standards deadlines rather than independent release decisions. Trait dispersion metrics and scenario exploration remain on the roadmap.
◆ Prediction
Standards compliance is now complete and the roadmap names functional trait dispersion metrics and scenario exploration tools, so the next release is the first that can plausibly be about invasion ecology rather than packaging.
Alternatives to fastrg and invasimapr
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 fastrg or invasimapr.
ggtrace
A debugger for ggplot2's internals, hardening its grip as the internals it traces keep moving.
kde1d
A univariate density estimator that added zero-inflated data and reopened its C++ API to do it.
svines
Stationary vine copulas for time series, released in lockstep with the rest of Nagler's vine stack.
gghighlight
A single-purpose ggplot2 extension that has spent six years tracking ggplot2 instead of growing.
rtrek
A Star Trek data package that became a Memory Alpha web client and has been patching scrapers ever since.
See all fastrg alternatives → · See all invasimapr alternatives →
Recent activity from fastrg and invasimapr
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1mo agoinvasimaprVersion bump; notes identical to 0.2.0
- 1mo agoinvasimaprB-Cubed standards alignment; install slimmed to 56 MB
- 1mo agoinvasimaprinvasimapr v0.1.0: First citable release
- 1y agofastrgDocumentation cross-linking fixes for CRAN
- 2y agofastrgDirected blockmodel X and Y factors swapped to match edge direction
- 4y agofastrgfastRG 0.3.1 ⚡
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between fastrg and invasimapr?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. fastrg and invasimapr 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 fastrg better than invasimapr?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. fastrg and invasimapr 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 fastrg?
Top fastrg alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "fastrg alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/fastrg for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to invasimapr?
Top invasimapr alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "invasimapr alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/invasimapr for the full list with editorial commentary on each.