GraphPad Prism vs Celeus: how they compare
GraphPad Prism is a paid Windows and Mac program for analysis and graphs. Celeus is a browser service that suggests a method for your data. Dated, sourced.
Written by Celeus, which makes one of the two tools compared. Facts about GraphPad Prism come from GraphPad Prism's own pages and were last checked on .
GraphPad Prism is a commercial program for analysing data and making scientific graphs. You pick the analysis, and Prism pairs it with a checklist of the assumptions behind the test. GraphPad’s feature pages put their weight on graph design, export settings for journals and curve fitting.
Celeus centres on choosing and running the analysis itself. It runs in a web browser, looks at the structure of the dataset you upload and suggests methods that fit it, then computes each one in R. Every run can be downloaded as a package holding the plan, the exact R script, the seed and an audit log, so a coauthor or reviewer can rerun it. An AI model helps with method suggestions and interpretation but never receives data rows.
For a lab whose output is figures and fitted curves, GraphPad is the stronger fit. For a researcher who wants guidance on the method and a reproducible record, Celeus is built around that. Some people use a graphing tool and an analysis tool together.
At a glance
| What we compared | GraphPad Prism | Celeus |
|---|---|---|
| Price and free tier | Paid. With academic pricing, a personal Standard subscription is $265 per year. (GraphPad Prism, as of ) | Free plan; Pro is $19 a month for one researcher. |
| Where it runs | Licensed for Windows and Mac. Prism Cloud is for sharing, viewing and discussing projects. (GraphPad Prism, as of ) | In a web browser. No desktop app and no offline mode. |
| How the method is chosen | You choose the analysis. Each one comes with a checklist that helps you review its assumptions and confirm the test is appropriate. (GraphPad Prism, as of ) | Celeus suggests methods that fit your dataset's structure, and the AI suggests a test when you ask for one. The statistics run in R, not in the AI model. |
| AI involved, and what of your data reaches it | Not compared | The AI model receives: column names, types and variable labels stored in your file; summary statistics, including each numeric column's minimum and maximum; category names, with small counts withheld; aggregate results of your analyses; text you write: chat messages, research questions, notes and codebook descriptions; dataset names (by default, the name of the file you uploaded). It never receives: your uploaded file; data rows or data tables. |
| Reproducibility output | Not compared | The plan, the exact R script, the seed, session info, the results and the audit log, in one download. |
| File formats it opens | Not compared | CSV, TSV or Excel on every plan; SPSS, Stata and SAS on paid plans. |
| Breadth of methods | A large library of analyses, from common ones to highly specific ones, in GraphPad's description. (GraphPad Prism, as of ) | 40 statistical methods. |
| Licence | Commercial: a subscription or a perpetual licence, and a personal licence cannot be shared with other users. (GraphPad Prism, as of ) | Proprietary hosted service. |
Who each tool suits
GraphPad Prism: Laboratory scientists who need publication-ready graphs and curve fitting in a Windows or Mac program, and whose lab or institution pays for licences.
Celeus: Researchers who start with a spreadsheet and an open question about which test applies, and who need the R script and audit log behind every number for a reviewer.
Where GraphPad Prism is the stronger choice
- Detailed control over graph exports, including file type, resolution, transparency, size and RGB or CMYK colour, for journal submission requirements. (GraphPad Prism, as of )
- Curve fitting with 105 built-in equations by GraphPad's count, or an equation you enter yourself. (GraphPad Prism, as of )
- Prism Cloud lets a group share, view and collaborate on Prism projects. (GraphPad Prism, as of )
GraphPad Prism is a trademark of its owner. Celeus is not affiliated with, sponsored by or approved by the owner of GraphPad Prism; the name is used only to identify the product being compared.