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dplyr

dplyr.tidyverse.org

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Spec score 8.2 #14 of 37 in Data Transformation Tools

What it is

dplyr is a free R package for transforming data frames and tibbles through a set of code-based operations. Its main verbs add variables with mutate(), choose variables with select(), filter cases with filter(), summarize values with summarise(), and order rows with arrange(). Combine them with group_by() to apply operations to groups, or use two-table verbs to work with pairs of datasets. The across() helper repeats an operation over several columns, while rowwise() supports row-by-row work. The programming guide covers data masking, tidy selection, and use in functions or loops. For other data settings, dbplyr translates dplyr code into SQL for relational databases; the documentation also lists Arrow, dtplyr, duckplyr, and sparklyr as alternative backends for larger datasets. dplyr runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and is licensed under MIT. The CRAN package requires R 4.1.0 or later, and installation instructions cover CRAN and a development version from GitHub. The project recommends dplyr to people learning data transformation in R for Data Science.

Spec sheet

Purpose
dplyr is a grammar of data manipulation with verbs for common data manipulation tasks.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Intended users
The documentation recommends dplyr to people learning data transformation in R for Data Science.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Support
The project directs bug reports to GitHub and questions or discussion to the Posit community forum.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
License
The dplyr site identifies its license as MIT.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Column operations
The articles explain repeating an operation across multiple columns with across().Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Core operations
Its core verbs include mutate(), select(), filter(), summarise(), and arrange().Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Data backends
The documentation lists Arrow, dbplyr, dtplyr, duckplyr, and sparklyr as alternative backends.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Database backend
dbplyr works with data stored in relational databases and translates dplyr code to SQL.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Database integration
dbplyr translates dplyr code to SQL for data stored in a relational database.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Development version
The development version can be installed from GitHub using pak.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Grouped data
group_by() lets users perform operations by group.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Grouping
The core verbs combine with group_by() to perform operations by group.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Installation
The documentation provides instructions to install dplyr from CRAN or install its development version from GitHub.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Joins
dplyr includes two-table verbs for working with pairs of data frames.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Multiple tables
dplyr provides two-table verbs for working with multiple datasets.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Other backends
The site lists Arrow for larger-than-memory data, dtplyr for large in-memory datasets, duckplyr for large in-memory datasets, and sparklyr for very large datasets stored in Apache Spark.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Programming
The programming guide covers data masking and tidy selection, and programming with functions or for loops.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
R requirement
The CRAN listing says dplyr depends on R version 4.1.0 or later.Read 7 Oct 2026 · cran.r-project.org
Row operations
The articles describe rowwise() for performing operations by row, including simulations and modelling within dplyr verbs.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Transformations
Its core verbs add variables, select variables by name, filter cases by value, summarize values, and order rows.Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org
Windows and macOS downloads
CRAN lists Windows binaries and macOS binaries for dplyr.Read 7 Oct 2026 · cran.r-project.org

Plans and prices

dplyr Free R package for data manipulation · MIT license Read 7 Oct 2026 · dplyr.tidyverse.org

Every dplyr plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free package with an MIT license
  • Core verbs cover common data transformations
  • Supports grouped operations and two-table work
  • Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows

Limits

  • Requires R 4.1.0 or later
  • Uses a code-based interface

Who it suits

dplyr suits people transforming data frames or tibbles in R, including learners following R for Data Science. Its database and alternative-backend options are relevant to users working with data beyond a standard in-memory workflow.

Verdict

dplyr provides a consistent set of operations for manipulating tabular data in R. Its documented backends extend that workflow to databases and larger datasets.

Where Specifiction places it

Alternatives to dplyrAll alternatives →