← Back to home
Comparison · Analytics

palettecore vs silx

A side-by-side editorial comparison of palettecore and silx — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Shared themes:data-visualization

palettecore vs silx: at a glance

Featurepalettecoresilx
SectorAnalyticsAnalytics
Velocity score6.35.0
Sparks · 30d10
Top themesaccessibility, color-science, data-visualization, oklchscientific-computing, data-visualization, synchrotron, qt
Last editorial update1d ago3h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is palettecore?

Accessible palettes generated from one seed, with every audit number computed on the hex you actually get

palettecore generates sequential, diverging and categorical colour palettes from a single seed using CIEDE2000 arc-length spacing in OKLCH, and audits each one for colour-vision-deficiency separation, greyscale survival, gamut and WCAG contrast. It exists as a numpy-only Python core and an R mirror validated hex-exact against shared parity fixtures, plus a CLI the project describes as its agent-friendly entry point. Four releases landed inside 24 hours in late July.

Read the full palettecore trajectory →

What is silx?

silx settles into maintenance a release after its PySide6 migration

silx is in the quiet phase after a generational release. 3.1.1 is a single fix to FitWidget loading a fit function from file. The release before it, 3.1.0, was the first real feature work since the migration - asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, and dark-theme icons - and 3.0.1 was similarly small. The 3.0.0 cut that reset the Qt binding and Python floor still defines what the line is doing.

Read the full silx trajectory →

palettecore vs silx: editorial side-by-side

P
palettecore
ANALYTICS
6.3

Accessible palettes generated from one seed, with every audit number computed on the hex you actually get

◆ Current state

palettecore generates sequential, diverging and categorical colour palettes from a single seed using CIEDE2000 arc-length spacing in OKLCH, and audits each one for colour-vision-deficiency separation, greyscale survival, gamut and WCAG contrast. It exists as a numpy-only Python core and an R mirror validated hex-exact against shared parity fixtures, plus a CLI the project describes as its agent-friendly entry point. Four releases landed inside 24 hours in late July.

◆ Where it's heading

The arc is about making the audit honest rather than making the palettes prettier. The 0.2.2 release, prompted by an external review, moved every diagnostic to compute on the 8-bit quantised hex codes actually returned rather than on internal floats — a change that flips results near thresholds and had been quietly overstating one deuteranopia score. The 0.4.0 helix kind and the vividness control extend the generator, but the same release also tightens its own claims, reframing helix as checked rather than assumed CVD-safe.

◆ Prediction

Given the pattern of auditing its own assertions, expect the next release to extend the cvd_luminance_monotonic diagnostic beyond helix to the other palette kinds.

S
silx
ANALYTICS
5.0

silx settles into maintenance a release after its PySide6 migration

◆ Current state

silx is in the quiet phase after a generational release. 3.1.1 is a single fix to FitWidget loading a fit function from file. The release before it, 3.1.0, was the first real feature work since the migration - asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, and dark-theme icons - and 3.0.1 was similarly small. The 3.0.0 cut that reset the Qt binding and Python floor still defines what the line is doing.

◆ Where it's heading

The cadence has slowed markedly since April, and the content has shifted from structural change to plotting and colormap refinement. That is the expected shape after a binding migration: downstream beamline code needs a stable target, so the project trades feature velocity for a quiet surface. The gap between 3.0.1 in May and 3.1.0 in August is the clearest signal of the deliberate slowdown.

◆ Prediction

Expect further point releases servicing the plotting and fitting widgets rather than another structural change, with feature work continuing to arrive in the 3.1.x minors rather than patches.

Alternatives to palettecore and silx

Other Analytics products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either palettecore or silx.

See all palettecore alternatives → · See all silx alternatives →

Recent activity from palettecore and silx

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 6h agosilxFitWidget fix for loading a fit function from file
  2. 9d agosilx3.1.0: asinh axis scaling, twilight colormaps, dark-theme icons
  3. 25d agopalettecorepalettecore 0.4.0
  4. 26d agopalettecorepalettecore 0.2.2
  5. 26d agopalettecorepalettecore 0.2.1
  6. 26d agopalettecorepalettecore 0.2.0
  7. 3mo agosilx3.0.1: silx view fails to disable HDF5 file locking
  8. 3mo agosilx3.0.0: PySide6 becomes the default Qt binding, Python 3.10 required
  9. 3mo agosilx3.0.0rc1: release candidate for the PySide6 migration
  10. 1y agosilx2.2.2: plot axes limits, OpenGL axes and libhdf5 1.14 fixes

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between palettecore and silx?

Both compete on the same themes — data-visualization — within Analytics. palettecore is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is palettecore better than silx?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. palettecore is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 1 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Analytics products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to palettecore?

Top palettecore alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "palettecore alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/palettecore for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to silx?

Top silx alternatives in Analytics are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "silx alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/silx for the full list with editorial commentary on each.