iheatmapr review
A focused R package for interactive heatmaps with annotations, clustering, and linked plots.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
iheatmapr is an open-source R package for creating interactive heatmaps from matrices. It is aimed at R users who need more than a basic heatmap, especially when related data, row or column annotations, and clustering belong in one view. Users can build composite layouts by adding subplots around a main heatmap, scale values by rows or columns, and show cell tooltips with row, column, and value information. It is a focused visualization package, not a hosted dashboard service, so it suits analytical work built around R rather than teams seeking a separate dashboard workspace.
Its depth is concentrated in matrix heatmaps. Hierarchical or k-means clustering can be applied to rows and columns, and aligned plots can share linked zooming. Composite layouts let users place related plots around the heatmap, while annotations add context to rows and columns. These capabilities make iheatmapr a fit when the relationship between matrix values, groupings, and associated plots is central to the analysis. For general-purpose dashboards or a wider range of chart types, a broader visualization tool is likely a better match.
The package uses Plotly.js for interactive figures and htmlwidgets to render them in R. Visualizations can appear in interactive R sessions, R Markdown documents, Shiny applications, or standalone HTML files, giving R-based projects several output contexts. This makes it a practical option for researchers and developers already working within those formats. It is not positioned as a hosted service, and its listed category capabilities do not include scheduled refresh or embedding. Choose iheatmapr for annotated, interactive matrix analysis in R; look elsewhere if you need a managed dashboard product or visualization breadth beyond heatmaps.
iheatmapr pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Combines a main heatmap with surrounding plots and annotations.
- Supports hierarchical or k-means clustering of rows and columns.
- Renders in R Markdown, Shiny, interactive R sessions, and standalone HTML.
- Where it doesn't
- Focused on interactive heatmaps rather than broad visualization types.
- Requires working in R rather than a hosted dashboard service.
- Does not provide scheduled refresh or embedding.
iheatmapr fact sheet, pricing and score →
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