Software Alternatives & Startups

GnuPlot VS Desmos

Compare GnuPlot VS Desmos and see what are their differences

GnuPlot

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

GnuPlot Landing page
Rating
0 reviews
Desmos

A beautiful, innovative, and modern online graphing calculator.

Desmos Landing page
Rating
0 reviews
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Desmos seems to be a lot more popular than GnuPlot. While we know about 77 links to Desmos, we've tracked only 5 mentions of GnuPlot.

social mentions
5 vs 77
Technical Computing popularity
80% vs 20%
alternatives listed
151 vs 240+

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

GnuPlot
Desmos
Website gnuplot.info desmos.com
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

GnuPlot 7 features
Desmos 5 features
  • 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

  • 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).
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Desmos offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface that makes it accessible for users of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced mathematicians.
  • Interactive Graphing
    The platform provides dynamic graphing capabilities that allow users to manipulate functions and see changes in real-time.
  • Educational Resources
    Desmos offers a variety of teaching resources, such as pre-made activities and lesson plans, which are beneficial for instructors in a classroom setting.
  • Accessibility
    Desmos is web-based, meaning it can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, on multiple devices, enhancing its convenience and reach.
  • Free Usage
    Desmos is available for free, making it an attractive option for students and educators who need powerful graphing tools without any cost.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While Desmos is great for general graphing needs, it may lack advanced features required by professionals for more complex mathematical modeling.
  • Dependency on Internet
    As a web-based tool, Desmos requires a stable internet connection, which can be a limitation for users with unreliable internet access.
  • Feature Overload for Beginners
    Despite its user-friendly design, beginners might find the range of features overwhelming without proper guidance.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Users might have concerns about privacy and data security, particularly when using Desmos in educational settings, although the company strives to protect user information.
  • Customization Limitations
    Users may find limitations in terms of customizability when compared to other graphing software that provides extensive options for visual adjustments.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

GnuPlot
Desmos

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.

No analysis of Desmos yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

GnuPlot 3 videos + Add
Desmos 3 videos + Add

Gnuplot Introduction

More videos

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

Desmos Review

More videos

  • Review - Desmos Activities Review
  • Tutorial - Desmos Review: How to use Desmos classroom activity to teach Mathematics.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
GnuPlot
Desmos
80% 80%
20% 20%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using GnuPlot and Desmos. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

GnuPlot no reviews yet
Desmos no reviews yet

We have no reviews of GnuPlot yet. Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

GnuPlot 5 mentions
Desmos 77 mentions

View more

  • What number raised to itself is equal to 1/2?
    Graphing x^x on desmos.com makes it look as though the value is always greater than 1/2. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Data Visualization: Sustainable Throughput Per Freight Car
    =) I've posted a link to the desmos.com page with the data that used to create the graph above in the first reply to the post. =). Source: about 3 years ago
  • How to check points of non differentiability and discontinuity of a given function in ?
    It might help to graph the function, for example using desmos.com. Source: about 3 years ago

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Alternatives to GnuPlot and Desmos

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