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Comparison · Analytics

gtsummary vs lineup2

A side-by-side editorial comparison of gtsummary and lineup2 — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Shared themes:r-package

gtsummary vs lineup2: at a glance

Featuregtsummarylineup2
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score0.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesclinical-tables, analysis-results-data, regression-summaries, reproducible-reportingsample-mixups, distance-metrics, r-package, bioinformatics
Last editorial update1h ago1h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is gtsummary?

gtsummary is quietly rebuilding itself around analysis results data, one table verb at a time.

gtsummary builds publication-ready summary, regression and survival tables for clinical and epidemiological work. Across this window it has grown in two directions at once: table composition primitives — splitting tables by rows and columns, stacking with labeled IDs, nested strata stacks, flexible merge columns — and a steadily deepening ARD layer, where tbl_ard_* functions, gather_ard() and the hierarchical table family expose the underlying analysis results data as a first-class object.

Read the full gtsummary trajectory →

What is lineup2?

lineup2 ships once every few years, and 2026's release is a logo and a core-count tweak.

lineup2 provides distance-based tools for detecting sample mix-ups between related datasets — comparing rows and columns of two matrices to find swapped or mislabeled samples. Its visible history is four releases spread across six years, and the capability surface has barely moved since plot_sample() and the propdiff distance arrived in 0.4. Version 0.8 in July 2026 adds a package logo and redefines cores=0 to mean all-but-one core.

Read the full lineup2 trajectory →

gtsummary vs lineup2: editorial side-by-side

G
gtsummary
ANALYTICS
0.0

gtsummary is quietly rebuilding itself around analysis results data, one table verb at a time.

◆ Current state

gtsummary builds publication-ready summary, regression and survival tables for clinical and epidemiological work. Across this window it has grown in two directions at once: table composition primitives — splitting tables by rows and columns, stacking with labeled IDs, nested strata stacks, flexible merge columns — and a steadily deepening ARD layer, where tbl_ard_* functions, gather_ard() and the hierarchical table family expose the underlying analysis results data as a first-class object.

◆ Where it's heading

The ARD work is the through-line. Table IDs exist so gather_ard() can return a named list; hierarchical tables gained per-level sorting and targeted filtering; ARD inputs are pre-processed so sorting applies to non-standard shapes. The package is becoming a structured-results engine that happens to render tables, rather than a renderer alone. Alongside that, 2.2.0 restored data pre-processing that 2.0 had removed after the reduced functionality hurt users — a maintainer willing to reverse a major-version decision.

◆ Prediction

Expect the hierarchical and ARD functions, introduced as a preview without a full deprecation cycle, to keep stabilizing toward a settled API rather than new table types appearing.

L
lineup2
ANALYTICS
0.0

lineup2 ships once every few years, and 2026's release is a logo and a core-count tweak.

◆ Current state

lineup2 provides distance-based tools for detecting sample mix-ups between related datasets — comparing rows and columns of two matrices to find swapped or mislabeled samples. Its visible history is four releases spread across six years, and the capability surface has barely moved since plot_sample() and the propdiff distance arrived in 0.4. Version 0.8 in July 2026 adds a package logo and redefines cores=0 to mean all-but-one core.

◆ Where it's heading

This is a finished, single-purpose package in maintenance. The substantive changes across the whole window are plotting conveniences and one parallelism default; nothing in the entries points at new distance measures, new input formats, or expanded scope. The release cadence — five years between 0.6 and 0.8 — reads as a tool the author considers done.

◆ Prediction

Further releases are likely to stay small: a plotting option, a parallelism detail, or a check-farm fix. The entries give no signal of planned feature work.

Alternatives to gtsummary and lineup2

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 gtsummary or lineup2.

See all gtsummary alternatives → · See all lineup2 alternatives →

Recent activity from gtsummary and lineup2

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

  1. 1mo agolineup2cores=0 now leaves one core free
  2. 2mo agogtsummaryTheme elements no longer evaluated by default
  3. 8mo agogtsummaryARD strata functions and finer theme control
  4. 11mo agogtsummaryPer-level hierarchical sorting and labeled stacking
  5. 1y agogtsummaryTable splitting, ID labeling, and add_difference_row
  6. 1y agogtsummaryData pre-processing restored after the 2.0 removal
  7. 1y agogtsummarytbl_merge gains explicit merge columns
  8. 5y agolineup2plot_sample() gains xlim and ylim control
  9. 5y agolineup2plot_sample() and the propdiff distance added
  10. 5y agolineup2Package description revised for CRAN resubmission

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between gtsummary and lineup2?

Both compete on the same themes — r-package — within Analytics. gtsummary and lineup2 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 gtsummary better than lineup2?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. gtsummary and lineup2 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 gtsummary?

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

What are the best alternatives to lineup2?

Top lineup2 alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "lineup2 alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/lineup2-r for the full list with editorial commentary on each.