GazePlotter

Overview

GazePlotter is a gaze-data visualization and analysis tool for researchers and non-programmers working with eye-tracking files. It suits people who want to explore and export analyses without coding, particularly when keeping data on their own device matters. Its broad visualization and metric set is useful, but temporal analysis depends on the quality of the source data.

Key features

Visualizations and metrics

The suite ranges from scarf plots, scanpaths and AOI timelines to recurrence plots, transition matrices, scanpath similarity, metric timelines and correlations. Its metrics cover dwell time, fixation duration and counts, latency, AOI transitions, recurrence, scanpath similarity and eye-movement types. That breadth gives researchers several ways to inspect patterns and compare areas of interest without writing analysis code.

One important caveat applies to OGAMA imports: they preserve sequence order, but not actual timing. Dwell time and time to first fixation therefore cannot be calculated accurately from those files. GazePlotter is a weaker choice when reliable temporal measures are central and OGAMA is the source.

Imports, privacy and exports

GazePlotter accepts files from Tobii Pro Lab, SMI BeGaze, Gazepoint, Pupil Cloud, Varjo and OGAMA, as well as custom CSV files, and detects file types automatically. The maker says processing happens locally in the browser rather than on a server, a useful distinction for researchers handling sensitive gaze data. The documentation describes it as an offline-capable Progressive Web App.

Workspaces can be exported as JSON, figures as PNG or JPG, and segmented data, events and metrics as CSV; ScanGraph export is also supported. Long- or wide-format metric CSVs can feed into R, Python, SPSS, JASP or jamovi. That makes the tool more practical for users who want to visualize first and continue statistical work elsewhere.

GazePlotter is open source under the GNU GPL v3 license. Its maker directs users to GitHub to report bugs, request visualizations or contribute code. The homepage credits Michaela Vojtechovska as creator and Stanislav Popelka as supervisor.

Pricing

GazePlotter is free at 0.00 USD per free, with no registration or subscription. There is no free trial because the tool is free. The free plan has no published seat or usage quota, making it a straightforward option for individual researchers and teams that can work with the same open-source tool.

Platforms

GazePlotter supports a web browser, Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. Its offline-capable Progressive Web App design makes it suitable for use across desktop and mobile devices, including when internet access is unavailable.

Who it's for

Choose GazePlotter if you need a no-code way to visualize eye-gaze data, value local browser processing, or want exports that fit into a separate statistical workflow. It is less suitable when OGAMA is the source and accurate timing measures are required.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad analysis coverage: Visualizations and metrics span scanpaths, AOIs, transitions, recurrence and time-based measures.
• Wide file and analysis-tool compatibility: Imports cover multiple eye-tracking formats and custom CSV, while metric exports work with common statistical packages.
• Free and open source: There is no registration or subscription, and the GNU GPL v3 license allows community contributions.
• Local and offline-capable: Browser-based local processing and offline use can suit privacy-conscious researchers and field work.

Cons

• OGAMA timing limitation: Sequence order remains intact, but temporal measures such as dwell time and time to first fixation are not accurate.
• Community-directed support: Bug reports, visualization requests and contributions go through GitHub rather than a stated commercial support channel.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Eye Tracking Software.

• Labvanced is a better fit for researchers who need recruiting links and recording quotas within a freemium platform; its free plan includes 300 MB storage, 10 recordings and one active recruiting link, and it also offers a free trial.
• GazeRecorder is another free option for Android, iOS, web and Windows, but its stated free plan is limited to non-commercial use.
• Hawkeye suits iOS and web users who prefer a freemium project-and-session allowance, with one project and five sessions on its free plan; its Starter Plan is 39.99 USD per month, billed monthly.
• Retra is a free, open-source Android alternative.
• OpenGazer is a free, open-source gaze tracker for Linux, but requires a webcam and Linux build dependencies.
• PyGaze is a free option for Windows, macOS and Linux.
• Feng-GUI is a paid web and API alternative with a free trial; its Basic plan costs 99.00 USD per month, billed monthly, and includes up to 400 monthly credits, five users, 5 GB storage, three months of retention, and image and website processing.
• GazeSense is a paid API, Linux and Windows option with a 1-Month License at 199.00 USD per month, billed for the first month of use, plus a seven-day risk-free trial invite and seven-day money-back guarantee.

Verdict

GazePlotter is a strong choice for researchers and non-programmers who want broad gaze visualizations, local processing and flexible exports without paying or subscribing. Its open-source, offline-capable approach adds practical appeal. Look elsewhere if your analysis depends on accurate temporal measures from OGAMA data or you need a stated commercial support channel.