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ggraph vs silx

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

ggraph vs silx: at a glance

Featureggraphsilx
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesnetwork-visualization, ggplot2, r-stats, maintenancescientific-computing, data-visualization, synchrotron, qt
Last editorial update5d ago2h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is ggraph?

ggraph has settled into ggplot2 compatibility duty

ggraph provides the grammar of graphics for network and tree data. Its recent releases are compatibility and bug-fix work — a collapse fix in get_edges() alongside ggplot2 v4.0.0 upkeep, and before that a pipe rollback. The last release with real content was 2.2.0, a long list of layout and edge-geom corrections.

Read the full ggraph trajectory →

What is silx?

silx settles into maintenance a release after its PySide6 migration

silx is in the quiet phase after a generational release. 3.1.1 is a single fix to FitWidget loading a fit function from file. The release before it, 3.1.0, was the first real feature work since the migration - asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, and dark-theme icons - and 3.0.1 was similarly small. The 3.0.0 cut that reset the Qt binding and Python floor still defines what the line is doing.

Read the full silx trajectory →

ggraph vs silx: editorial side-by-side

G
ggraph
ANALYTICS
0.0

ggraph has settled into ggplot2 compatibility duty

◆ Current state

ggraph provides the grammar of graphics for network and tree data. Its recent releases are compatibility and bug-fix work — a collapse fix in get_edges() alongside ggplot2 v4.0.0 upkeep, and before that a pipe rollback. The last release with real content was 2.2.0, a long list of layout and edge-geom corrections.

◆ Where it's heading

The feature surface looks finished and the maintenance is about keeping it working under a moving ggplot2. The one architectural move in this window — pushing dendrogram layout into compiled code to escape R's recursion limits, back in 2.1.0 — was about scaling existing features, not adding new ones.

◆ Prediction

Expect the next release to follow ggplot2 4.0.0 rather than introduce layouts or edge geoms.

S
silx
ANALYTICS
5.0

silx settles into maintenance a release after its PySide6 migration

◆ Current state

silx is in the quiet phase after a generational release. 3.1.1 is a single fix to FitWidget loading a fit function from file. The release before it, 3.1.0, was the first real feature work since the migration - asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, and dark-theme icons - and 3.0.1 was similarly small. The 3.0.0 cut that reset the Qt binding and Python floor still defines what the line is doing.

◆ Where it's heading

The cadence has slowed markedly since April, and the content has shifted from structural change to plotting and colormap refinement. That is the expected shape after a binding migration: downstream beamline code needs a stable target, so the project trades feature velocity for a quiet surface. The gap between 3.0.1 in May and 3.1.0 in August is the clearest signal of the deliberate slowdown.

◆ Prediction

Expect further point releases servicing the plotting and fitting widgets rather than another structural change, with feature work continuing to arrive in the 3.1.x minors rather than patches.

Alternatives to ggraph 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 ggraph or silx.

See all ggraph alternatives → · See all silx alternatives →

Recent activity from ggraph and silx

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

  1. 5h agosilxFitWidget fix for loading a fit function from file
  2. 9d agosilx3.1.0: asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, dark-theme icons
  3. 3mo agosilx3.0.1: silx view fails to disable HDF5 file locking
  4. 3mo agosilx3.0.0: PySide6 becomes the default Qt binding, Python 3.10 required
  5. 3mo agosilx3.0.0rc1: release candidate for the PySide6 migration
  6. 11mo agoggraphget_edges() collapse fix and ggplot2 v4 upkeep
  7. 1y agosilx2.2.2: plot axes limits, OpenGL axes and libhdf5 1.14 fixes
  8. 2y agoggraphNative pipe usage rolled back
  9. 2y agoggraphLayout precision and edge geom fixes across the package
  10. 3y agoggraphBinned edge scales and compiled dendrogram layouts
  11. 5y agoggraphC++11 pinned to fix std::random_shuffle deprecation
  12. 5y agoggraphFaceting and edge geom bug fixes

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ggraph and silx?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. silx 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 ggraph better than silx?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. silx 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 ggraph?

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