Comparison
Netgraf vs Gephi
Gephi is free, open-source desktop software for analysing and visualising large networks, from ten to millions of nodes. Netgraf is a free browser tool for drawing, explaining and sharing maps of people. They work well together: draw and share in Netgraf, export GraphML, and continue in Gephi when the network outgrows it.
Checked against Gephi's own published information on
At a glance
| Netgraf | Gephi | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free and open source (GPL) |
| Platform | Web browser | Desktop application; Gephi Lite runs in the browser |
| Scale | Up to 500 people and 1,500 relationships per map | Networks from ten to millions of nodes |
| Building a map | Draw by hand, import a file, or describe it in words | Import data files; edit nodes and edges in the Data Laboratory |
| Sharing | A view link that opens anywhere and unfurls into a preview card | Export images (PNG, PDF, SVG) or files |
| Analysis | Degree, betweenness, harmonic closeness, PageRank, clustering, Louvain communities, density, centralization, assortativity | A full statistics suite, layouts and filters, extended by plugins |
When to choose Gephi
- Your network has thousands of nodes or more.
- You need layout algorithms, statistics or plugins beyond the core measures.
- You are producing publication graphics or doing research that has to be reproduced in a standard tool.
When to choose Netgraf
- You are drawing a network by hand from what you know, not loading a dataset.
- You need people with names, roles, photos and dated, sourced ties rather than anonymous nodes.
- You want to send a map to someone who will never install software, and have them understand it.
Moving between them is lossless for the network itself. Netgraf imports GEXF, Gephi's own format, and exports GraphML, which Gephi opens with every measure attached as a column.