Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

GnuPlot VS GrafEq

Compare GnuPlot VS GrafEq and see what are their differences

GnuPlot logo GnuPlot

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

GrafEq logo GrafEq

GrafEq (pronounced “graphic”) is an intuitive, flexible, precise and robust program for producing...
  • GnuPlot Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-13
  • GrafEq Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-09-14

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).

GrafEq features and specs

  • Intuitive Interface
    GrafEq offers an easy-to-use interface that allows users to input mathematical equations and visualize them in graph form quickly. This makes it accessible for students and teachers alike without requiring extensive training.
  • Dynamic Graphing
    The software allows for dynamic manipulation of graphs, where users can easily modify equations and instantly see the results. This feature is excellent for educational purposes, enabling users to explore mathematical concepts interactively.
  • Multiple Equation Support
    GrafEq supports multiple equations on a single graph, making it useful for comparative studies or exploring the relationships between different mathematical expressions.
  • Educational Focus
    Designed with education in mind, GrafEq includes tools and features specifically aimed at enhancing the learning experience in classrooms, making it a preferred choice for teachers.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    GrafEq is compatible with various operating systems, allowing users to run the software on different devices without compatibility issues.

Possible disadvantages of GrafEq

  • Limited Advanced Features
    GrafEq may lack some advanced features found in more comprehensive mathematical software, which could be a limitation for users requiring in-depth mathematical analysis or specialized tools.
  • Aesthetics and Customization
    The software's graphical output might be less customizable in terms of aesthetics compared to other professional graphing tools, limiting how users present their data visually.
  • Learning Curve for Specific Functions
    While the interface is generally user-friendly, specific advanced functions or customizations can have a steep learning curve, requiring users to spend extra time learning to utilize them effectively.
  • Cost
    GrafEq is not a free application, which could be a barrier for individual users or educational institutions with tight budgets comparing it to free alternatives available in the market.
  • Lack of Online Collaboration
    As a standalone application, GrafEq lacks integrated online collaboration tools, which might be a drawback for users looking to work on projects remotely with others.

GnuPlot videos

Gnuplot Introduction

More videos:

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

GrafEq videos

No GrafEq videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GnuPlot and GrafEq)
Technical Computing
83 83%
17% 17
Numerical Computation
83 83%
17% 17
Education & Reference
61 61%
39% 39
Data Visualization
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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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 2 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: about 2 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: about 2 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 2 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 2 years ago

GrafEq mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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

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

Dr. Geo - Dr. Geo, a software to design & manipulate interactive geometric sketches.

SciDaVis - SciDAVis is a free application for Scientific Data Analysis and Visualization.

Lybniz - Lybniz is a simple and very easy to use mathematical function graph plotter written in Python and...