osmapiR
osmapiR is the rare API client that tracks its server's wiki revision numbers in the changelog.
Comparison · Analytics
osmextract vs serofoi
A side-by-side editorial comparison of osmextract and serofoi — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
osmextract vs serofoi: at a glance
What is osmextract?
osmextract stopped throwing your OpenStreetMap downloads away at the end of every session.
osmextract downloads OpenStreetMap extracts from Geofabrik, BBBike and openstreetmap.fr and translates them into sf objects via GDAL. The 0.6.0 release moved its download cache from `tempdir()` to a persistent `tools::R_user_dir()` location and raised the R floor to 4.1.0 to get it. It also made spatial `place` inputs self-clipping: pass an sf or bbox object and the boundary is now set to match, so only the relevant slice of a country-sized extract is processed.
What is serofoi?
serofoi grew a serosurvey simulator alongside the force-of-infection models it was built to fit.
serofoi estimates the force of infection from serological survey data using Bayesian serocatalytic models fitted through Stan. Beyond fitting it now simulates serosurveys — specifying a model and a survey design and generating the data such a survey would produce. The most recent release is visualisation and naming work.
osmextract vs serofoi: editorial side-by-side
osmextract
0.0ANALYTICS
osmextract stopped throwing your OpenStreetMap downloads away at the end of every session.
◆ Current state
osmextract downloads OpenStreetMap extracts from Geofabrik, BBBike and openstreetmap.fr and translates them into sf objects via GDAL. The 0.6.0 release moved its download cache from `tempdir()` to a persistent `tools::R_user_dir()` location and raised the R floor to 4.1.0 to get it. It also made spatial `place` inputs self-clipping: pass an sf or bbox object and the boundary is now set to match, so only the relevant slice of a country-sized extract is processed.
◆ Where it's heading
Two threads run through every release. One is chasing GDAL — SQL syntax adjusted for 3.10, ogr2ogr options fixed for 3.9, and an `osmconf.ini` that 0.6.0 finally keeps automatically in sync with whatever sf or GDAL provides rather than shipping a snapshot. The other is the road-network extraction added experimentally in 0.3.1, which has been quietly accumulating real routing semantics since: `access = no` links retained when the mode-specific tag permits them, a `oneway` column by default for driving, and `motor_vehicle` always included.
◆ Prediction
Given that `oe_get_network()` has gained transport-mode detail in three separate releases while remaining flagged as experimental, the next substantive work is most likely there — either more modes or a formal exit from experimental status.
serofoi
0.0ANALYTICS
serofoi grew a serosurvey simulator alongside the force-of-infection models it was built to fit.
◆ Current state
serofoi estimates the force of infection from serological survey data using Bayesian serocatalytic models fitted through Stan. Beyond fitting it now simulates serosurveys — specifying a model and a survey design and generating the data such a survey would produce. The most recent release is visualisation and naming work.
◆ Where it's heading
The package moved from fitting-only to a fit-and-simulate pair. 0.1.0 added simulation from time- or age-varying force-of-infection trends and simplified the fitted object down to a Stan fit; 1.0.2 broadened simulation into full serosurvey generation with its own vignette. 1.0.3 then spent its effort on naming consistency and plotting options, which is what a package does once its scope is set.
◆ Prediction
With simulation and fitting both in place, the natural next step is tooling that closes the loop between them — recovery checks or study-design guidance built on simulated surveys.
Alternatives to osmextract and serofoi
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 osmextract or serofoi.
ymlthis
ymlthis retired itself, naming Quarto as the reason it no longer needs to exist.
forestly
forestly built an interactive safety review tool, then taught it to produce submission-ready RTF.
pharmaverseadam
pharmaverseadam is the pharmaverse's test-data mirror, and it now covers neurology.
pkglite
pkglite's whole job is knowing which files in an R package are text — and it keeps getting better at guessing.
gMCPLite
gMCPLite exists to be gMCP without Java, and its releases guard that boundary rather than extend it.
See all osmextract alternatives → · See all serofoi alternatives →
Recent activity from osmextract and serofoi
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 4mo agoosmextractDownloads move to a persistent cache outside tempdir ⚡
- 1y agoosmextractoe_match gains a version argument for historical extracts
- 1y agoserofoiConstant FoI plots, r-hat plotting and shorter parameter names
- 1y agoserofoiSerological surveys can now be simulated end to end
- 1y agoosmextractRouting semantics sharpen for driving and restricted-access links
- 2y agoserofoiSimulation functions added; fitted output simplified to a Stan fit
- 2y agoosmextract51 new openstreetmap.fr regions and a GDAL 3.9 fix
- 3y agoosmextractNon-Geofabrik downloads were saved under the wrong filename
- 3y agoserofoiFirst release: three force-of-infection models and the core modules
- 3y agoosmextractHelp files regenerated for valid HTML5
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between osmextract and serofoi?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. osmextract and serofoi 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 osmextract better than serofoi?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. osmextract and serofoi 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 osmextract?
Top osmextract alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "osmextract alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/osmextract for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to serofoi?
Top serofoi alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "serofoi alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/serofoi for the full list with editorial commentary on each.