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Comparison · Infra & APIs
hicp vs logbin
A side-by-side editorial comparison of hicp and logbin — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
hicp vs logbin: at a glance
What is hicp?
Eurostat's inflation package moved its whole taxonomy to ECOICOP 2 and broke the old one on purpose.
hicp downloads and computes the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, and it is maintained inside Eurostat rather than around it. Version 1.1.0 switches the package default to ECOICOP version 2 for HICP, converts the spec.aggs and countries datasets into functions that answer per COICOP version, and drops the bundle-code machinery that only the older classification needs.
What is logbin?
Relative-risk regression that converges where glm fails, under an unreadable tag order
logbin fits log-binomial models to estimate relative risk, a fit standard glm frequently fails to converge on because of the constrained parameter space. Its answer is a choice of algorithms — adaptive barrier, combinatorial EM, and expectation-maximisation on an overparameterised model — selected through a method argument and optionally accelerated with turboEM. The most recent release, in April 2025, replaces the variance-covariance calculation in summary.logbin so it matches summary.glm, and adds a testthat suite.
hicp vs logbin: editorial side-by-side
hicp
0.0INFRA · APIS
Eurostat's inflation package moved its whole taxonomy to ECOICOP 2 and broke the old one on purpose.
◆ Current state
hicp downloads and computes the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, and it is maintained inside Eurostat rather than around it. Version 1.1.0 switches the package default to ECOICOP version 2 for HICP, converts the spec.aggs and countries datasets into functions that answer per COICOP version, and drops the bundle-code machinery that only the older classification needs.
◆ Where it's heading
Two breaking releases in seven months, each clearing a different kind of debt. 1.0.0 settled the API: consistent download-function names, aggregation split into tree-following and user-defined halves, a settings object threaded through everything. 1.1.0 then spent that stability on the classification migration. Datasets keep turning into functions, which is the tell that the package expects to serve several COICOP versions at once rather than one at a time.
◆ Prediction
The ecoicop1 compatibility path is defined but no longer the default, so the next question is how long it stays. Expect further helpers in the is.* family and continued movement of static data behind version-aware functions.
logbin
0.0INFRA · APIS
Relative-risk regression that converges where glm fails, under an unreadable tag order
◆ Current state
logbin fits log-binomial models to estimate relative risk, a fit standard glm frequently fails to converge on because of the constrained parameter space. Its answer is a choice of algorithms — adaptive barrier, combinatorial EM, and expectation-maximisation on an overparameterised model — selected through a method argument and optionally accelerated with turboEM. The most recent release, in April 2025, replaces the variance-covariance calculation in summary.logbin so it matches summary.glm, and adds a testthat suite.
◆ Where it's heading
The method work concluded in 2021 and the package has since been aligned with base R conventions rather than extended: the vcov calculation now mirrors glm's, and earlier releases added the contrasts, qr, R and effects components so standard glm S3 methods such as influence() and plot() work on logbin objects. Be warned that the feed's tag order is unusable — versions 2.0, 2.0.1, 2.0.2 and 2.0.4 were all pushed within ninety seconds on 23 July 2021 in non-monotonic order, while 2.0.3 carries a 2017 timestamp and restates 2.0.2's notes. Read the bodies, not the sequence.
◆ Prediction
Expect continued alignment with glm conventions and occasional CRAN maintenance; the algorithm set has been stable for four years and nothing in these entries suggests another is planned.
Alternatives to hicp and logbin
Other Infra & APIs 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 hicp or logbin.
Warp
Warp turned its quarter of software-factory essays into infrastructure you can buy.
Okta
Okta's developer blog is a Cross App Access campaign, now diluted by advocacy-team storytelling.
tealeaves
A leaf-temperature model that finished its job in 2020 and has stayed finished
Infisical
A credential platform assembled two or three pull requests at a time, never a headline
SigNoz
Search without knowing the field — SigNoz keeps lowering the cost of not knowing your schema
Recent activity from hicp and logbin
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 6mo agohicpDefault classification moves to ECOICOP 2, retiring bundle codes ⚡
- 6mo agohicpDownload functions accept all defaults via dots
- 1y agohicp1.0 splits aggregation into tree-following and user-defined halves ⚡
- 1y agologbinvcov in summary.logbin now matches summary.glm
- 2y agohicpVignette build fix for one CRAN check flavour
- 2y agohicpGlobal options and a settings argument make COICOP version selectable
- 2y agohicpElementary index weight checks and chain() NA handling fixed
- 5y agologbinFactor reparameterisation fix and faster parameter expansion
- 5y agologbinVersion bump to satisfy a CRAN check
- 5y agologbinmethod and accelerate options: adaptive barrier, CEM, EM, turboEM
- 5y agologbinglm S3 method support via contrasts, qr, R and effects components
- 5y agologbinJournal of Statistical Software citation added
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between hicp and logbin?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. hicp and logbin 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 hicp better than logbin?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. hicp and logbin 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 Infra & APIs products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to hicp?
Top hicp alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "hicp alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/hicp for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to logbin?
Top logbin alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "logbin alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/logbin for the full list with editorial commentary on each.