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rncl vs rstatix

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

rncl vs rstatix: at a glance

Featurernclrstatix
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score2.52.5
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesphylogenetics, file-parsing, cran-maintenance, c++statistics, r, effect sizes, confidence intervals
Last editorial update56m ago1h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is rncl?

A phylogenetics parser on life support, shipping only what CRAN's compilers demand.

rncl wraps the Nexus Class Library so R can read Newick and NEXUS tree files. Every release since 2016 has been custodial: 0.8.9 exists solely to pull upstream NCL changes so the bundled C++ compiles under the C++20 standard. No user-facing function has changed in close to a decade.

Read the full rncl trajectory →

What is rstatix?

rstatix hit 1.0 by unrounding every p-value it has ever returned

rstatix is the pipe-friendly test wrapper behind most ggpubr annotation workflows — t-tests, Wilcoxon, ANOVA, post-hoc comparisons, effect sizes, all returning tidy data frames. After three quiet years of CRAN-compat patching, it shipped 1.0.0 and 1.1.0 three weeks apart in mid-2026. Both releases push in the same direction: interval estimates and full-precision output for numbers the package previously rounded or omitted.

Read the full rstatix trajectory →

rncl vs rstatix: editorial side-by-side

R
rncl
ANALYTICS
2.5

A phylogenetics parser on life support, shipping only what CRAN's compilers demand.

◆ Current state

rncl wraps the Nexus Class Library so R can read Newick and NEXUS tree files. Every release since 2016 has been custodial: 0.8.9 exists solely to pull upstream NCL changes so the bundled C++ compiles under the C++20 standard. No user-facing function has changed in close to a decade.

◆ Where it's heading

The release cadence tracks toolchain deprecations rather than user demand: gcc 12 removing binary_function in 2022, a deprecated Rcpp call in 2025, C++20 in 2026. The package is maintained as a stable parsing dependency for phylogenetics tooling, and the goal visible in these entries is keeping it installable, not extending it.

◆ Prediction

Expect the next release only when a compiler or CRAN policy change breaks the build again; nothing in these entries points to new parsing features.

R
rstatix
ANALYTICS
2.5

rstatix hit 1.0 by unrounding every p-value it has ever returned

◆ Current state

rstatix is the pipe-friendly test wrapper behind most ggpubr annotation workflows — t-tests, Wilcoxon, ANOVA, post-hoc comparisons, effect sizes, all returning tidy data frames. After three quiet years of CRAN-compat patching, it shipped 1.0.0 and 1.1.0 three weeks apart in mid-2026. Both releases push in the same direction: interval estimates and full-precision output for numbers the package previously rounded or omitted.

◆ Where it's heading

The work is about matching what dedicated effect-size packages give you without taking on their dependencies. Confidence intervals for partial eta squared and for Cohen's d are both computed in base R from noncentral distributions and both check against effectsize; compact letter displays are computed in base R against multcompView. The pattern is deliberate — reproduce the reference implementation, add no imports. Alongside that, the package has started correcting statistical hygiene it got wrong for years, most visibly by no longer rounding p-values before adjusting them.

◆ Prediction

The analytic-interval machinery now exists for eta squared and Cohen's d; the untouched effect sizes in the package — eta squared for nonparametric tests, Cramer's V, rank-biserial correlation — are the obvious next targets for the same base-R noncentral treatment.

Alternatives to rncl and rstatix

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 rncl or rstatix.

See all rncl alternatives → · See all rstatix alternatives →

Recent activity from rncl and rstatix

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

  1. 15d agornclNCL sources refreshed for C++20 compilation
  2. 22d agorstatixrstatix 1.1.0 gives Cohen's d a deterministic confidence interval
  3. 1mo agorstatixrstatix 1.0.0 stops rounding p-values before adjusting them
  4. 8mo agornclDeprecated Rcpp call removed in maintenance release
  5. 9mo agorstatixrstatix 0.7.3
  6. 3y agorstatixrstatix 0.7.2
  7. 3y agorstatixrstatix 0.7.1
  8. 4y agornclBuild fixed for gcc 12 and clang 14
  9. 5y agorstatixrstatix 0.7.0
  10. 6y agornclMaintenance release clearing CRAN check warnings
  11. 8y agornclCRAN check notes and warnings cleared
  12. 9y agornclSingleton removal moves to C++ for a 3x speedup

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between rncl and rstatix?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. rncl and rstatix are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 2.5 vs 2.5, 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 rncl better than rstatix?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. rncl and rstatix are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 2.5 vs 2.5, 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 rncl?

Top rncl alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "rncl alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/rncl-r for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to rstatix?

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