gps2gtfs
gps2gtfs spent a release making its docs stop describing functions it does not have.
Comparison · Analytics
KLINK vs pedmut
A side-by-side editorial comparison of KLINK and pedmut — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
KLINK vs pedmut: at a glance
What is KLINK?
Forensic kinship testing with linked STR markers, now peer-reviewed and taking data from anywhere.
KLINK is a Shiny application and R package for kinship testing that accounts for linkage between STR markers, rather than treating all markers as independent. The built-in genetic map covers 50 common STR markers, pairs them dynamically after data loads, and lets the user set the maximum distance at which a pair counts as linked. Custom marker maps can now arrive as Excel files including KLINK's own download files, and a paper describing the tool was published in FSI:Genetics in 2026.
What is pedmut?
pedmut turns awkward mutation models into ones the likelihood engine can actually handle.
pedmut builds and transforms the mutation models used in pedigree likelihood calculations. Its recent arc is a toolkit of model transformations: makeReversible() with three methods, makeStationary() replacing the older stabilize(), adjustRate() for tuning overall mutation rate, and lumpMutSpecial() for lumping models that strong lumpability cannot handle. The most recent release is narrow, adding a programmatic output format to getParams().
KLINK vs pedmut: editorial side-by-side
KLINK
2.5ANALYTICS
Forensic kinship testing with linked STR markers, now peer-reviewed and taking data from anywhere.
◆ Current state
KLINK is a Shiny application and R package for kinship testing that accounts for linkage between STR markers, rather than treating all markers as independent. The built-in genetic map covers 50 common STR markers, pairs them dynamically after data loads, and lets the user set the maximum distance at which a pair counts as linked. Custom marker maps can now arrive as Excel files including KLINK's own download files, and a paper describing the tool was published in FSI:Genetics in 2026.
◆ Where it's heading
The direction is from fixed panel toward general instrument. Hard-coded linkage pairs gave way to dynamic pairing, the built-in map grew from 18 to 50 markers, the map itself was then moved out to the norSTR package, and the app now accepts custom maps in several file formats and decimal conventions. Method capability tracks the upstream pedsuite rather than KLINK itself: special lumping in pedprobr and pedmut is what allowed complex mutation models in common pedigrees, and the newest release pins pedtools 2.11.0 and pedprobr 1.1.0 for faster likelihoods and better handling of looped pedigrees. Much of the remaining work is unglamorous casework ergonomics, replacing stray Norwegian text in Excel output, controlling table heights, fixing karyogram colours.
◆ Prediction
With the map externalised and custom maps loading from multiple formats, the likeliest next step is broader marker-panel coverage through norSTR rather than changes in KLINK itself. Method gains should continue to arrive as pedprobr and pedmut version bumps.
pedmut
0.0ANALYTICS
pedmut turns awkward mutation models into ones the likelihood engine can actually handle.
◆ Current state
pedmut builds and transforms the mutation models used in pedigree likelihood calculations. Its recent arc is a toolkit of model transformations: makeReversible() with three methods, makeStationary() replacing the older stabilize(), adjustRate() for tuning overall mutation rate, and lumpMutSpecial() for lumping models that strong lumpability cannot handle. The most recent release is narrow, adding a programmatic output format to getParams().
◆ Where it's heading
The consistent goal is making models satisfy the mathematical properties downstream algorithms require. Reversibility, stationarity, and lumpability each unlock something in pedprobr, and the package keeps adding ways to coerce an arbitrary model into having them. lumpMutSpecial() is explicitly incomplete, described as covering only some cases with more possibly to follow, which sets up the main open thread.
◆ Prediction
Expect additional special lumping cases to be implemented, since the package documents the current coverage as partial and pedprobr's likelihood performance depends directly on it.
Alternatives to KLINK and pedmut
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 KLINK or pedmut.
ducksemantics
ducksemantics puts an ontology graph and ColBERT retrieval inside DuckDB, callable from R.
dvir
dvir keeps making disaster victim identification a single call instead of a workflow.
pedbuildr
pedbuildr reconstructs pedigrees from DNA, and it just got much faster at the search.
forrel
forrel is getting faster at the simulations forensic kinship work actually spends its time on.
pedFamilias
pedFamilias exists to read one legacy file format, and it has that job nearly finished.
See all KLINK alternatives → · See all pedmut alternatives →
Recent activity from KLINK and pedmut
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 12d agoKLINKExcel marker maps, more robust map loading, and a published paper
- 2mo agopedmutgetParams() gains a programmatic output format
- 3mo agoKLINKIn-app help pages, a mutation-model setting, and clearer controls
- 1y agoKLINKComplex mutation models become usable via upstream special lumping
- 1y agopedmutSpecial lumping arrives for un-lumpable models
- 1y agopedmutReversibility transformations and rate adjustment
- 1y agoKLINKDownload fix for XML initials containing hyphens
- 1y agoKLINKUnlinked report picks the higher-PIC marker from each pair
- 2y agoKLINKMarkers pair dynamically against a 50-marker map, replacing hard-coded pairs ⚡
- 2y agopedmutMutation rate and boundedness diagnostics
- 3y agopedmutPM stabilisation and multi-lump strong lumpability
- 3y agopedmutlumpedModel() wrapper and lumping speedups
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between KLINK and pedmut?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. KLINK is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 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 KLINK better than pedmut?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. KLINK is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 2.5 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 KLINK?
Top KLINK alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "KLINK alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/klink for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to pedmut?
Top pedmut alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "pedmut alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/pedmut for the full list with editorial commentary on each.