Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SmallDevTools VS Observable

Compare SmallDevTools VS Observable and see what are their differences

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.

SmallDevTools logo SmallDevTools

Handy developer tools with a delightful interface

Observable logo Observable

Interactive code examples/posts
  • SmallDevTools Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-02
  • Observable Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-09

SmallDevTools features and specs

  • Accessibility
    SmallDevTools offers a wide range of tools that are easily accessible online, allowing developers to access them from anywhere without the need for installations or setup.
  • Versatility
    It provides various tools that cater to different development needs, like text manipulation, code formatting, and data conversion, making it a one-stop solution for many tasks.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The platform features a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to navigate and use the available tools effectively.
  • Cost-Efficiency
    Many of the tools are available for free or at a low cost, making it an economical option for individual developers and small businesses.
  • Time-Saving
    By providing quick access to various tools online, SmallDevTools helps save time that would otherwise be spent searching for and installing separate software.

Possible disadvantages of SmallDevTools

  • Internet Dependency
    Since SmallDevTools is web-based, its tools require an internet connection, which can be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity or for users who prefer offline tools.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    While it offers many basic tools, developers needing advanced functionalities might find the tools lacking compared to more specialized software.
  • Performance Constraints
    Browser-based performance limitations might affect the efficiency of some tools, especially when handling large files or complex tasks.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Using online tools often raises concerns about data privacy and security, especially for sensitive code or data, although specific policies vary.
  • Reliability Issues
    The availability and consistency of service depend on the website's uptime, which can pose issues if the site experiences high traffic or technical difficulties.

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.

SmallDevTools videos

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

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Observable videos

Observable Overview

More videos:

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

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SmallDevTools and Observable)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Data Visualization
0 0%
100% 100
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
Data Dashboard
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

SmallDevTools Reviews

We have no reviews of SmallDevTools yet.
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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

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Observable seems to be a lot more popular than SmallDevTools. While we know about 312 links to Observable, we've tracked only 3 mentions of SmallDevTools. 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.

SmallDevTools mentions (3)

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 / about 1 month 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 / 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 / 5 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

LaunchKit - Open Source - A popular suite of developer tools, now 100% open source.

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.

whatdevsneed - This is whatdevsneed.

RunKit - RunKit notebooks are interactive javascript playgrounds connected to a complete node environment right in your browser. Every npm module pre-installed.

Profitable developer tools database - A database of 103+ hand-curated profitable developer tools

Vega-Lite - High-level grammar of interactive graphics