Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Observable VS RunKit

Compare Observable VS RunKit and see what are their differences

Observable logo Observable

Interactive code examples/posts

RunKit logo RunKit

RunKit notebooks are interactive javascript playgrounds connected to a complete node environment right in your browser. Every npm module pre-installed.
  • Observable Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-09
  • RunKit Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-22

Observable features and specs

  • Collaborative Environment
    Observable allows multiple users to collaborate in real-time, making it easier for teams to work together on data visualizations and analyses.
  • Reactive Programming
    The platform supports reactive programming, where changes in data automatically trigger updates in the visualizations, enhancing interactivity and reducing the need for manual updates.
  • Built-in Data Visualization Libraries
    Observable integrates seamlessly with popular libraries like D3, Plotly, and Leaflet, providing powerful tools for creating complex and interactive data visualizations.
  • Notebook Interface
    The notebook interface is user-friendly and allows for easy documentation and sharing. Users can combine code, visualizations, and markdown text in a single document.
  • Extensive Resources and Community Support
    Observable has a rich set of tutorials, examples, and a strong community, making it easier for new users to learn and get help.
  • Customizability
    Users have the flexibility to customize their visualizations extensively, thanks to the open-ended nature of JavaScript and the supported libraries.

Possible disadvantages of Observable

  • Steeper Learning Curve for Beginners
    New users, especially those without a background in JavaScript, might find the platform challenging to learn compared to more specialized data visualization tools.
  • Performance Issues
    For very large datasets or highly complex visualizations, performance can become an issue, potentially leading to slow rendering times.
  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    Observable notebooks currently require an internet connection to run, which can be a limitation for users needing offline access.
  • Limited Integration with Other Tools
    While Observable is powerful, its integration with other enterprise tools and platforms is somewhat limited compared to more established data analysis tools.
  • Subscription Costs
    Access to some of Observable's more advanced features requires a paid subscription, which might be a barrier for individual users or small teams with limited budgets.

RunKit features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    RunKit provides an easy-to-use platform for prototyping and experimenting with Node.js code directly in the browser, without any setup.
  • Immediate Feedback
    The platform offers immediate execution and feedback for code snippets, making it ideal for learning and quick testing.
  • Installation-free
    There is no need to install Node.js or any other software locally as it runs completely in the browser.
  • Package Integration
    RunKit supports seamless integration with npm, allowing users to easily require and use any npm package in their code.
  • Collaboration
    Users can easily share their code with others, facilitating collaboration and peer learning.
  • Embedding
    Code snippets can be easily embedded into blogs or other web pages, enhancing content with interactive code examples.

Possible disadvantages of RunKit

  • Limited Environment
    Being a cloud-based platform, RunKit is limited in terms of custom environment configuration and local file system access.
  • Performance Constraints
    Execution performance might be constrained compared to running Node.js code locally, due to online execution limitations.
  • Dependency on Internet
    An active internet connection is necessary to use RunKit, which can be a drawback in offline scenarios.
  • Security Concerns
    Running code in a cloud environment could pose security risks, especially when dealing with sensitive data or code.
  • Feature Limitations
    Advanced Node.js features and debugging tools available in local development environments may not be supported.

Observable videos

Observable Overview

More videos:

  • Review - observablehq.com review observable hq data analysis
  • Review - Hands-on Data Visualization with Observable Plot

RunKit videos

Runkit - NodeJS Notebook in Bangla | Create And Publish API from Your Browser Fast And Secure

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Observable and RunKit)
Data Visualization
91 91%
9% 9
Data Science And Machine Learning
Data Dashboard
95 95%
5% 5
Data Science Notebooks
65 65%
35% 35

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Observable and RunKit

Observable Reviews

Top 10 Grafana Alternatives in 2024
Observable is a Grafana alternative that enables users to visualize data via charts and dashboards using code.
Source: middleware.io
Embedded analytics in B2B SaaS: A comparison
A few options were disregarded from the start due to a hefty price tag, these were Looker, Tableau, Power BI, GoodData. A few options like Trevor.io, Preset, Observable were disregarded as they did not seem to fit our criteria (based on the evaluation matrix).
Source: medium.com

RunKit Reviews

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Observable seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 312 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.

Observable mentions (312)

  • Apache ECharts
    "Observable is obnoxious if you want to add a D3 pie chart to your Vue application and have to untangle calls to D3’s API from reactive cell values, which look like ordinary JavaScript, but are not, and will cause compilation and runtime errors when copied." Yep - as I wrote: "If you want to just blindly copy and paste d3 code, you may have issues with the docs being hosted on observable." If instead you learn the... - Source: Hacker News / 28 days ago
  • Natural occurring molecule rivals Ozempic in weight loss, sidesteps side effects
    I'd imagine many nested named capturing groups may trip even the best automated system! I do like the solution though. I would've probably approached it differently, trying to first get the 'inverted' match (i.e. Not matching anything that isn't a currency like pattern) and refine from there. A bit like this one I did a while back, to parse garbled strings that may occur after OCR [0]. I imagine the approach does... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • Visualizing Data Is an Art – We Should Treat It Like One
    Was looking for some mention of Mike Bostock and his epic odyssey into this space. For those who aren't familiar https://observablehq.com/@mbostock. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Ohm: A user-friendly parsing toolkit for JavaScript and TypeScript
    I experimented with an Ohm/CodeMirror bridge that would map an Ohm grammar to CodeMirror classes for marks and syntax highlighting. It might be an interesting starting point for you: https://observablehq.com/@ajbouh/editor. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • WebGL Fluid Simulation
    I have a fork of this that inverts the light model from additive to subtractive and suddenly its like ink in water https://observablehq.com/@tomlarkworthy/ink. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
View more

RunKit mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Observable and RunKit, you can also consider the following products

D3.js - D3.js is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. D3 helps you bring data to life using HTML, SVG, and CSS.

Calculist - The open-source, web-based thinking tool that facilitates effective thinking for solving problems.

Vega-Lite - High-level grammar of interactive graphics

Jupyter - Project Jupyter exists to develop open-source software, open-standards, and services for interactive computing across dozens of programming languages. Ready to get started? Try it in your browser Install the Notebook.

Nodebook - Browser-based REPL notebook supporting many programming languages.

Microsoft Power BI - BI visualization and reporting for desktop, web or mobile