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rgm vs tealeaves

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

rgm vs tealeaves: at a glance

Featurergmtealeaves
SectorInfra & APIsInfra & APIs
Velocity score0.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesmicrobiome, graphical-models, bayesian-inference, cran-maintenanceplant-physiology, energy-balance, leaf-temperature, units
Last editorial update6h ago54m ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is rgm?

A microbiome network model that got itself un-archived by deleting the dependency that killed it.

rgm implements the random graphical model for microbiome interactions across related environments, published in JABES in 2026. The package was archived from CRAN in February 2026 because of its dependency on huge; the recovery release drops that dependency entirely, which cost it the graphical-lasso warm start that used to seed the initial graph — the default is now an empty graph, with warm starts left to the user. A post-processing function returning ggplot diagnostics arrived in the same release.

Read the full rgm trajectory →

What is tealeaves?

A leaf-temperature model that finished its job in 2020 and has stayed finished

tealeaves solves for leaf temperature from an energy balance, using explicit units to keep parameters consistent and modelling lower and upper leaf surfaces separately so sensible and latent heat loss are computed for each. The package reached its current form in 2020 across versions 1.0.2 to 1.0.5, which added direct or functional sky temperature, dplyr 1.0.0 compatibility, and fixes to a parameter-crossing bug that the new sky temperature function had introduced. The only release since, v1.0.6 in July 2022, corrects a name in the citation file, stops parallel evaluation in a vignette and fixes README links.

Read the full tealeaves trajectory →

rgm vs tealeaves: editorial side-by-side

R
rgm
INFRA · APIS
0.0

A microbiome network model that got itself un-archived by deleting the dependency that killed it.

◆ Current state

rgm implements the random graphical model for microbiome interactions across related environments, published in JABES in 2026. The package was archived from CRAN in February 2026 because of its dependency on huge; the recovery release drops that dependency entirely, which cost it the graphical-lasso warm start that used to seed the initial graph — the default is now an empty graph, with warm starts left to the user. A post-processing function returning ggplot diagnostics arrived in the same release.

◆ Where it's heading

Three tags shipped inside two hours on one day, and the notes are candid about why: 1.1.0 held the actual work but was never released, 1.2.0 restated it under a higher version to signal the size of the change, and 1.2.1 answered CRAN pre-test feedback. Beyond the archival recovery, the visible work is housekeeping that had accumulated — a shadowed rmvnorm() definition, roxygen import tags that were silently emitting nothing, leftover C++ template scaffolding, and build artifacts under version control. The diagnostics function is the only genuinely new user-facing capability in the window.

◆ Prediction

The immediate task was restoring availability, and that is done; the open question the entries raise is whether losing the graphical-lasso warm start affects convergence in practice, which the new diagnostic plots are positioned to answer.

T
tealeaves
INFRA · APIS
0.0

A leaf-temperature model that finished its job in 2020 and has stayed finished

◆ Current state

tealeaves solves for leaf temperature from an energy balance, using explicit units to keep parameters consistent and modelling lower and upper leaf surfaces separately so sensible and latent heat loss are computed for each. The package reached its current form in 2020 across versions 1.0.2 to 1.0.5, which added direct or functional sky temperature, dplyr 1.0.0 compatibility, and fixes to a parameter-crossing bug that the new sky temperature function had introduced. The only release since, v1.0.6 in July 2022, corrects a name in the citation file, stops parallel evaluation in a vignette and fixes README links.

◆ Where it's heading

This is finished scientific software. The arc runs from a 1.0.0 that already described the full model, through a usability decision in 1.0.1 to accept unitless values and assign units rather than demand them, to a 2020 cluster of compatibility and correctness work around publication. Nothing since has touched the model, and the 2022 release is pure paperwork. Its most instructive entry remains 1.0.5, where a new feature silently produced incorrect parameter crossing and the fix arrived with tests to pin the behaviour.

◆ Prediction

Expect nothing unless a dependency or CRAN check forces a release; on this record any such release will be documentation and packaging rather than a change to the energy balance.

Alternatives to rgm and tealeaves

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 rgm or tealeaves.

See all rgm alternatives → · See all tealeaves alternatives →

Recent activity from rgm and tealeaves

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

  1. 3mo agorgmJournal DOI replaces the preprint; promotional wording removed
  2. 3mo agorgmBack on CRAN after dropping the dependency that caused archival
  3. 3mo agorgmUnreleased twin of the CRAN recovery release
  4. 2y agorgmFirst release: simulation, estimation and post-processing
  5. 4y agotealeavesCitation file, vignette and README fixes
  6. 6y agotealeavesParameter-crossing bug fixed with tests; coverage added
  7. 6y agotealeavesFix for custom sky temperature function being overwritten
  8. 6y agotealeavesSky temperature as value or function; dplyr 1.0.0 compatibility
  9. 7y agotealeavesUnitless parameter values now accepted and assigned units
  10. 7y agotealeavesFirst release: leaf energy balance with per-surface conductances

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between rgm and tealeaves?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. rgm and tealeaves 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 rgm better than tealeaves?

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

Top rgm alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "rgm alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/rgm for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to tealeaves?

Top tealeaves alternatives in Infra & APIs are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "tealeaves alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/tealeaves for the full list with editorial commentary on each.