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Fathom Analytics vs silx

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

Fathom Analytics vs silx: at a glance

FeatureFathom Analyticssilx
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score1.32.5
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesprivacy-analytics, performance, search-console, bot-detectionsynchrotron, qt, hdf5, scientific plotting
Last editorial update3mo ago1h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Fathom Analytics?

Fathom rebuilds its query engine and bolts on Search Console, reaching for GA4's lunch.

Fathom shipped a complete analytics-engine rebuild in March 2026, paired with secondary dimensions, faster queries, and more accurate time-on-page measurement. The product is closing the feature gap with mainstream analytics tools while keeping its cookie-free, privacy-first stance. Recent additions — Google Search Console integration, entry/exit pages, dashboard ZIP exports, and a fresh layer of bot detection — directly target reasons users still keep GA4 open in another tab.

Read the full Fathom Analytics trajectory →

What is silx?

silx 3.0 moved its default Qt binding to PySide6 — a migration for everyone embedding it.

silx releases a couple of times a year and reached 3.0.0 in April 2026, which raised the Python floor to 3.10 and switched the default Qt binding to PySide6. The same release reworked the viewer's data views: 3D scatter support, dedicated RGB(A) image views, the composite ImageView split into Plot2dView and ComplexImageView, and NXdata stacks displayed as images. 3.1.0 has since added asinh axis scaling, the twilight colormaps, and dark-theme icons.

Read the full silx trajectory →

Fathom Analytics vs silx: editorial side-by-side

Fathom Analytics logo1.3

Fathom rebuilds its query engine and bolts on Search Console, reaching for GA4's lunch.

◆ Current state

Fathom shipped a complete analytics-engine rebuild in March 2026, paired with secondary dimensions, faster queries, and more accurate time-on-page measurement. The product is closing the feature gap with mainstream analytics tools while keeping its cookie-free, privacy-first stance. Recent additions — Google Search Console integration, entry/exit pages, dashboard ZIP exports, and a fresh layer of bot detection — directly target reasons users still keep GA4 open in another tab.

◆ Where it's heading

The roadmap is clearly aimed at making Fathom a viable single-pane replacement for Google Analytics rather than a privacy-first complement to it. Expect continued investment in detection accuracy, reporting depth (custom exports, secondary dimensions), and Google-side integrations. The new analytics engine is foundational — it is what makes the next layer of features possible.

◆ Prediction

Next likely moves are deeper UTM and campaign analytics, an experimentation or goals-funnel surface, and tighter agency tooling that builds on self-serve site transfer and shared-dashboard exports.

S
silx
ANALYTICS
2.5

silx 3.0 moved its default Qt binding to PySide6 — a migration for everyone embedding it.

◆ Current state

silx releases a couple of times a year and reached 3.0.0 in April 2026, which raised the Python floor to 3.10 and switched the default Qt binding to PySide6. The same release reworked the viewer's data views: 3D scatter support, dedicated RGB(A) image views, the composite ImageView split into Plot2dView and ComplexImageView, and NXdata stacks displayed as images. 3.1.0 has since added asinh axis scaling, the twilight colormaps, and dark-theme icons.

◆ Where it's heading

The project is doing a generational refresh of its GUI layer: modern Qt binding, modules broken out of the composite widgets that had accumulated responsibilities, and the theming work that a desktop application needs to look current. Underneath, the recurring fixes are about HDF5 behavior in real facility environments — file locking, NFS refresh, Windows display paths — which is where a synchrotron toolkit actually gets stressed. Feature growth is concentrated in silx view rather than the library API.

◆ Prediction

Expect the 3.1.x line to keep filling in plotting options and theming, with the PySide6 default flushing out binding-specific bugs from downstream applications over the next few releases.

Alternatives to Fathom Analytics and silx

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 Fathom Analytics or silx.

See all Fathom Analytics alternatives → · See all silx alternatives →

Recent activity from Fathom Analytics and silx

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

  1. 2d agosilx3.1.0: asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, dark-theme icons
  2. 3mo agosilx3.0.1: 2026/05/07
  3. 3mo agosilx3.0.0: PySide6 becomes the default Qt binding, Python 3.10 required
  4. 3mo agosilx3.0.0rc1: release candidate for the PySide6 migration
  5. 4mo agoFathom AnalyticsA new layer of bot detection to keep your analytics accurate and free from non-human traffic
  6. 4mo agoFathom AnalyticsTrial signup landing page (not a changelog entry)
  7. 5mo agoFathom AnalyticsSee where visitors land when they arrive at your site and where they leave from — right on your dashboard
  8. 5mo agoFathom AnalyticsWe rebuilt the analytics engine behind your Fathom dashboard from the ground up.
  9. 5mo agoFathom AnalyticsSee which search terms people use to find your site in search results, right inside your Fathom dashboard
  10. 5mo agoFathom AnalyticsUpdates and improvements to Fathom Analytics for February 2026
  11. 1y agosilx2.2.2: 2025/04/07
  12. 1y agosilx2.2.0b0: HSDS URL support and a multi-curve comparison window

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Fathom Analytics and silx?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. silx is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 vs 1.3), 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 Fathom Analytics better than silx?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. silx is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 vs 1.3), 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 Fathom Analytics?

Top Fathom Analytics alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Fathom Analytics alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/fathom-analytics for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to silx?

Top silx alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "silx alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/silx for the full list with editorial commentary on each.