← Back to home
Comparison · Analytics

Neo4j vs silx

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Neo4j and silx — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Neo4j vs silx: at a glance

FeatureNeo4jsilx
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score7.55.0
Sparks · 30d20
Top themesgraph-database, graph-data-science, free-tier, access-controlscientific-computing, data-visualization, synchrotron, qt
Last editorial update6d ago5h ago
WebsiteVisit →

What is Neo4j?

Neo4j moves its full graph algorithm catalog onto the free tier and adds attribute-based access control.

Neo4j is pushing capability downward and outward at the same time. The complete Graph Data Science catalog — 65+ algorithms — now runs on AuraDB Free in isolated, unbilled sessions, while Business Critical and Virtual Dedicated Cloud tiers gain attribute-based access control with time-windowed permissions and IdP claim mapping. Around those, the Aura platform continues its monthly cadence: Cypher 25 picked up GROUP BY and a GQL cardinality function, quantized vector search reached general availability, and the Query editor gained persistent tabs.

Read the full Neo4j 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 →

Neo4j vs silx: editorial side-by-side

N
Neo4j
ANALYTICS
7.5

Neo4j moves its full graph algorithm catalog onto the free tier and adds attribute-based access control.

◆ Current state

Neo4j is pushing capability downward and outward at the same time. The complete Graph Data Science catalog — 65+ algorithms — now runs on AuraDB Free in isolated, unbilled sessions, while Business Critical and Virtual Dedicated Cloud tiers gain attribute-based access control with time-windowed permissions and IdP claim mapping. Around those, the Aura platform continues its monthly cadence: Cypher 25 picked up GROUP BY and a GQL cardinality function, quantized vector search reached general availability, and the Query editor gained persistent tabs.

◆ Where it's heading

The shape here is a funnel. Free-tier users get the algorithm catalog and hosted MCP access with no billing and no setup, which lowers the cost of the first serious graph experiment to nothing; enterprise tiers get the governance controls that make an expansion defensible. Cypher is simultaneously being pulled toward the GQL standard and extended with new surfaces — auth rules, grouping clauses — so the query language is absorbing work that used to sit in configuration and driver code.

◆ Prediction

Expect ABAC to descend to Professional tiers and the Aura Graph Analytics free session limits to become the pressure point Neo4j uses to convert experiments into paid capacity. The unresolved question from these entries is whether MCP for Aura reaches Virtual Dedicated Cloud, which is listed as pending.

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 Neo4j 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 Neo4j or silx.

See all Neo4j alternatives → · See all silx alternatives →

Recent activity from Neo4j and silx

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

  1. 7h agosilxFitWidget fix for loading a fit function from file
  2. 6d agoNeo4jAura Graph Analytics is now available on AuraDB Free
  3. 7d agoNeo4jDynamic & Time-Based Access Control with ABAC, now in Neo4j Aura!
  4. 9d agosilx3.1.0: asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, dark-theme icons
  5. 14d agoNeo4jQuery Tabs: A new way to work with your queries
  6. 15d agoNeo4jCypher 25 gains GROUP BY; quantized vector search hits GA
  7. 19d agoNeo4jEnterprise Studio: dashboard parameters and concurrent editing
  8. 28d agoNeo4jMCP for Aura Now Available
  9. 3mo agosilx3.0.1: silx view fails to disable HDF5 file locking
  10. 3mo agosilx3.0.0: PySide6 becomes the default Qt binding, Python 3.10 required
  11. 3mo agosilx3.0.0rc1: release candidate for the PySide6 migration
  12. 1y agosilx2.2.2: plot axes limits, OpenGL axes and libhdf5 1.14 fixes

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Neo4j and silx?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Neo4j is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 vs 5.0), with 2 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 Neo4j better than silx?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Neo4j is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 7.5 vs 5.0), with 2 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 Neo4j?

Top Neo4j alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Neo4j alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/neo4j 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.