Freedom251 › Data Transformation Tools
dplyr
What dplyr is
dplyr is a free R package for transforming data frames and tibbles with code. Its core verbs add variables, select variables by name, filter cases, summarize values, and arrange rows. Combining these operations with group_by() applies work by group; two-table verbs handle pairs of datasets. The across() helper repeats an operation across columns, while rowwise() supports operations one row at a time. The documentation describes programming with data masking and tidy selection, including use in functions and loops. For different data settings, dbplyr translates dplyr code into SQL for relational databases, Arrow supports larger-than-memory data, dtplyr and duckplyr target large in-memory datasets, and sparklyr works with very large datasets in Apache Spark. dplyr runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and is licensed under MIT. The CRAN package requires R 4.1.0 or later. Installation instructions cover CRAN and a development version from GitHub using pak. The project directs bug reports to GitHub and questions or discussion to the Posit community forum.
Who it suits
dplyr suits people learning data transformation in R and working with data frames or tibbles. Its documented backends also address relational databases and datasets of varying sizes.
What it does well
- Free package with an MIT license.
- Core verbs cover common data transformations.
- group_by() supports grouped operations.
- dbplyr translates code to SQL.
- Available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
What to know first
- CRAN package requires R 4.1.0 or later.
- Transformations use a code-based interface.
- Listed formats are data frames and tibbles.
Limits
The package is free. The CRAN listing says it requires R version 4.1.0 or later.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| dplyr | R package for data manipulation · MIT license | Free |
As dplyr.tidyverse.org lists them, read 7 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Open the dplyr website for documentation and installation instructions.
- Use a computer running Linux, macOS, or Windows with R 4.1.0 or later.
- Install the package from CRAN, or install the development version from GitHub using pak.
- Start with the documented verbs for transforming data frames or tibbles.
Verdict
dplyr provides a focused set of code-based operations for transforming and grouping data, with additional verbs for multiple tables. Its documented backends extend its use to relational databases and several larger-data settings.
Questions
How much does dplyr cost?
The listed plan is free, and dplyr is a free package.
Which operating systems does dplyr support?
It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
What data can I work with?
The listed formats are data frames and tibbles. The documentation also describes alternative backends, including dbplyr for relational databases.
Is dplyr open source?
The CRAN listing identifies its license as MIT.
How can I install dplyr?
Installation instructions cover CRAN and a development version from GitHub; the development version can be installed using pak.
Where can I ask questions or report a bug?
The project directs bug reports to GitHub and questions or discussion to the Posit community forum.
Facts from dplyr's own pages
- Column operations
- The articles explain repeating an operation across multiple columns with across(). · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Core operations
- Its core verbs include mutate(), select(), filter(), summarise(), and arrange(). · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Data backends
- The documentation lists Arrow, dbplyr, dtplyr, duckplyr, and sparklyr as alternative backends. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Database backend
- dbplyr works with data stored in relational databases and translates dplyr code to SQL. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Database integration
- dbplyr translates dplyr code to SQL for data stored in a relational database. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Development version
- The development version can be installed from GitHub using pak. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Grouped data
- group_by() lets users perform operations by group. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Grouping
- The core verbs combine with group_by() to perform operations by group. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The documentation provides instructions to install dplyr from CRAN or install its development version from GitHub. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The documentation recommends dplyr to people learning data transformation in R for Data Science. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Joins
- dplyr includes two-table verbs for working with pairs of data frames. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- License
- The dplyr site identifies its license as MIT. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Multiple tables
- dplyr provides two-table verbs for working with multiple datasets. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- 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. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Programming
- The programming guide covers data masking and tidy selection, and programming with functions or for loops. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- dplyr is a grammar of data manipulation with verbs for common data manipulation tasks. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Row operations
- The articles describe rowwise() for performing operations by row, including simulations and modelling within dplyr verbs. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- R requirement
- The CRAN listing says dplyr depends on R version 4.1.0 or later. · cran.r-project.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project directs bug reports to GitHub and questions or discussion to the Posit community forum. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Transformations
- Its core verbs add variables, select variables by name, filter cases by value, summarize values, and order rows. · dplyr.tidyverse.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Windows and macOS downloads
- CRAN lists Windows binaries and macOS binaries for dplyr. · cran.r-project.org, 7 Oct 2026
Where dplyr stands on Freedom251
- Data Transformation Tools#14 of 37