A little over a year ago we launched Rowboat, our browser-based tool for exploring large datasets.

We love that the browser version allows people to get started instantly—no download, nothing to install, no workspace to set up—and that it’s accessible from any device. But we’ve also always wanted a desktop version. Why?

1. A desktop application has the capacity to open much much larger files. With the desktop release we can open a file with several million rows and still see results quickly. It’s pretty cool to open a 10 GB file and make sense of it without needing to import it into a database.
2. Some people prefer to pay once for software they use with no subscriptions or recurring payments. That includes us! So we’ve made the desktop version a one time payment.
3. Privacy is paramount when working with data. A lot of people we’ve talked to in the past year were simply not ready to drop a sensitive dataset into a web browser, even though the data never leaves your machine. This is a good reaction! (And we’ve written each of their IT departments to congratulate them on their security training.) However, it also meant a lot of people weren’t able to use the tool, either because they were uncomfortable with this mode of working, or due to corporate policies that dictated, “don’t ever do that.”

The browser and desktop versions of Rowboat have a lot of overlap, but we see them as two distinct tools representing two very different approaches to working with data.

The browser tool supports quickly generating URL links and exporting visualizations of your data to share your findings with others.

If you want a quick and easy tool for exploring files with no installation necessary, the web-based version of Rowboat has the benefit of being accessible from any device, while still having the capacity to parse uncommonly large files. It’s designed to help you make and share quick insights about your data and automatically provide the visual support to explain those discoveries to others.

Rowboat Desktop lets you open and explore CSV, TSV, and Excel files directly from your own machine.

If you frequently need to work with a high volume of extremely large or sensitive datasets, Rowboat Desktop can provide that extra power and security, with the added perk of being available offline. If you purchase Rowboat Desktop, it’s yours forever with no recurring payments, just like the olden days. You will have access to updates until the next major release. For instance, this is Rowboat 2.0, so all 2.x updates are included. You can learn more or purchase Desktop now.

Rowboat Desktop has been a long time in the making and we’re so excited to finally have it out in the world!

We also have a new look!

As part of an overdue refresh, we wanted our site to provide more information on how to get started with Rowboat for new users while also keeping it simple for Rowboat veterans who just want to get right into the tool itself.

On our product page, you can find more information about Rowboat Desktop and Rowboat+ (our web-based offering), as well as sample datasets to begin exploring and the latest release notes.

Ellory (hello!) has written a series of “guides” for each sample file that demonstrate how Rowboat can help you find quick insights from any dataset you might encounter. These are great for people who don’t have our resident Power User (hello again!) walking them through the tool in a workshop.

You can check out our guide to understanding the contestants on Survivor…

…or worldwide reports of UFO sightings.

From now on, if you’re already signed in, you’ll be taken directly to your Rowboat home page where you can immediately start working with your data. To get back to the product page, visit rowboat.net/product.

We’ve moved! Find us at rowboat.net!

We originally launched at rowboat.xyz, but we were unprepared for the number of organizations that have outright blocked .xyz domains. (As frequent targets of spam, we are sympathetic.) We even had confusing cases where visitors could access rowboat.xyz but emails from that domain were deleted before they could even reach their spam folder, much less their inbox. Since moving to rowboat.net a short while ago, we’re happy to report significantly improved numbers on people getting through.

We want to hear from you!

We always love to hear about how you’re using Rowboat. With the launch of Rowboat Desktop, your feedback is appreciated all the more. Is it helpful? Find something broken? What should we add next? We hope you reach out to us at hello@rowboat.net!