Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

GnuPlot VS Dedoose

Compare GnuPlot VS Dedoose and see what are their differences

GnuPlot logo GnuPlot

Gnuplot is a portable command-line driven interactive data and function plotting utility.

Dedoose logo Dedoose

A cross-platform app for analyzing qualitative and mixed methods research with text, photos, audio, videos, spreadsheet data and more.
  • GnuPlot Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-13
  • Dedoose Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-31

GnuPlot features and specs

  • Highly Customizable
    GnuPlot offers extensive customization options for creating plots, allowing users to tweak almost every aspect of the graph, including colors, labels, line styles, and more.
  • Scriptable
    GnuPlot can be driven by scripts, making it convenient for automating complex plots and integrating with other software workflows.
  • Wide Range of Output Formats
    It supports many output formats such as PNG, PDF, SVG, and EPS, making it easy to generate graphics for different purposes like presentations, publications, and web content.
  • Cross-Platform
    GnuPlot runs on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring that it can be used in diverse computing environments.
  • Complex Plotting Capabilities
    GnuPlot supports a wide variety of plots, including 2D and 3D plots, histograms, heatmaps, and more, which caters to the needs of advanced visualization requirements.
  • Performance
    GnuPlot is efficient and can handle large datasets with ease, offering fast rendering times which is crucial when dealing with complex visualizations.
  • Free and Open Source
    Being free and open-source software, GnuPlot is accessible to everyone, and users can modify the source code to suit their needs.

Possible disadvantages of GnuPlot

  • Steep Learning Curve
    GnuPlot has a complex syntax and a steep learning curve, especially for beginners who may find it difficult to get started without substantial effort.
  • Limited GUI
    GnuPlot lacks a full-featured graphical user interface (GUI), making it less user-friendly for those who prefer point-and-click interactions over scripting.
  • Documentation
    While comprehensive, the documentation can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate for new users trying to find specific information quickly.
  • Date Handling
    Handling and formatting dates can be cumbersome in GnuPlot, requiring more manual setup compared to other dedicated plotting tools.
  • Interactive Features
    GnuPlot's interactive plotting capabilities are limited compared to other modern plotting tools that offer more dynamic and real-time interactivity.
  • Integration
    Integration with some modern programming environments and languages may not be as seamless as with other plotting libraries specifically designed for those ecosystems (e.g., Matplotlib in Python).

Dedoose features and specs

  • Collaboration
    Dedoose supports seamless collaboration, allowing multiple users to work on the same project in real-time, which is beneficial for team research projects.
  • Cross-Platform Accessibility
    Being a web-based application, Dedoose can be accessed from any device with an internet connection, promoting flexibility and ease of use.
  • Mixed Methods Capabilities
    Dedoose is equipped to handle both qualitative and quantitative data, providing a robust platform for mixed-methods research projects.
  • Data Visualization
    The platform offers various tools for visualizing data and findings, such as charts and graphs, making it easier to interpret data.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Dedoose features an intuitive and user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of managing and analyzing research data.

Possible disadvantages of Dedoose

  • Subscription Costs
    Dedoose operates on a subscription model, which may be costly for individuals or small teams, especially if the tool is not used frequently.
  • Internet Dependency
    As a cloud-based application, an active internet connection is required to use Dedoose, which can be a limitation in areas with unstable connectivity.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly design, new users may still face a learning curve as they get accustomed to its features and workflows.
  • Data Security Concerns
    Storing sensitive research data online raises concerns about data security and privacy, which may be a drawback for certain research fields.
  • Limited Offline Capability
    Dedoose offers limited functionality when offline, restricting access to data and tools without an internet connection.

Analysis of GnuPlot

Overall verdict

  • Gnuplot is generally considered to be a good choice for those looking for a reliable and flexible plotting tool, especially if the users need robust scriptability or work across different operating systems.

Why this product is good

  • Gnuplot is a powerful, portable, and multi-platform tool capable of producing high-quality 2D and 3D plots. It supports numerous output formats and can be used interactively or in scripts. Additionally, it has a large support community and extensive documentation, making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users.

Recommended for

  • Scientists and engineers who need to visualize data across diverse platforms.
  • Users comfortable working with command-line interfaces.
  • Individuals or teams needing to generate plots through automated scripts.
  • Those looking for a free and open-source alternative to other graphing tools.

GnuPlot videos

Gnuplot Introduction

More videos:

  • Review - DTrace Latency Visualization in gnuplot
  • Review - Basics of Gnuplot - Make your plot look Good

Dedoose videos

Dedoose - Great Research Made Easy!

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Dedoose Tutorial #1
  • Tutorial - Dedoose Video Tutorial 1: Qualitative & Mixed Methods Research using Dedoose

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GnuPlot and Dedoose)
Technical Computing
100 100%
0% 0
Research Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Numerical Computation
100 100%
0% 0
Text Analytics
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using GnuPlot and Dedoose. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GnuPlot seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 5 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

GnuPlot mentions (5)

  • Question about Project Management
    To some extent it extends the concept of tasks which only can be reasonably executed after the completion of other ones (though results of branches eventually may join each other) and offers an additional assisting birds' eye visual of projects. So far, I'm aware about the documentation on worg interfacing org-taskjuggler and taskjuggler, as well as a video tutorial interfacing gnuplot instead. Source: about 3 years ago
  • How do I make a transparent background on .ps or .eps file imported to groff
    Gnuplot is a program to plot diagrams. The Commands issued to use it don't change regardless if it is used in Linux/Windows/MacOS and it comes with less dependencies than a Spread sheet, or a statistics program. This is why I started to Become comfortable with it, and venture out some of its features. Here, "conditional plot" referred to "the diagram only displays a Thing/uses a pixel if the value in the table... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Drawing graphs and diagrams
    Or, does drawing diagrams refers to plotting data, but neither using matplotlib, nor gnuplot (export to .svg, .pdf, .png; pstricks, tikz to mention a few options)? Source: over 3 years ago
  • Are specific softwares avialable that are suitable for converting different diagrams, graphs and mindmaps to latex codes?
    There may the occasion you actually need the data from a publication, and want to plot them altogether with data newly collected data in one diagram in common. An overlay, though possible, can become tricky (scaling, centering, alignment, etc.) and plotting all data in a diagram generated from scratch (gnuplot/octave, matplotlib, Origin, ...) exported as an illustration in the usual formats (.pdf/.png), or... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Introducing Graphs
    Have you looked at the graphing capabilities of Octave or Gnuplot? Gnuplot in particular has a lot of options, and a GUI for those who want it. Source: over 3 years ago

Dedoose mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Dedoose yet. Tracking of Dedoose recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GnuPlot and Dedoose, you can also consider the following products

Matplotlib - matplotlib is a python 2D plotting library which produces publication quality figures in a variety...

MAXQDA - a professional software for qualitative and mixed methods data analysis

GeoGebra CAS Calculator - Free online algebra calculator from GeoGebra: solve equations, expand and factor expressions, find derivatives and integrals

NVivo - Buy NVivo now for flexible solutions to meet your specific research and data analysis needs.ย 

GeoGebra - GeoGebra is free and multi-platform dynamic mathematics software for learning and teaching.

ATLAS.ti - ATLAS.ti is a powerful workbench for the qualitative analysis of large bodies of textual, graphical, audio and video data. It offers a variety of sophisticated tools for accomplishing the tasks associated with any systematic approach to "soft" data.