Circos
Circos is a software package for visualizing data and information in a circular layout, ideal for exploring relationships between objects or positions.
Score
30
User Rating
3.0
Free/Trial Support
Supported
Starting Price
--
Last Updated
Oct 01, 2026
Overview
What is Circos?
Circos is a software package for visualizing data and information in a circular layout. It is ideal for exploring relationships between objects or positions, and for creating publication-quality infographics with a high data-to-ink ratio. Originally designed for genomic data, it can visualize data from any field. It is controlled by plain-text configuration files, making it easily automatable and incorporable into data pipelines.
What is Circos used for?
Top Features
- Circular layout for visualizing relationships
- Publication-quality infographics
- High data-to-ink ratio
- Richly layered data tracks
- Plain-text configuration files
- Fully automatable and scriptable
- Dynamic run-time formatting rules
- Supports genomic and general data
- No assumptions about data format
- Simple input data format
How to use Circos?
Circos is controlled through plain-text configuration files; there is no interactive user interface. Users write configuration files that define data tracks, links, and formatting rules. Image creation can be fully automated by scripting both data and configuration generation, then calling Circos to render the image. Dynamic rules allow formatting based on data values without changing input data.
Alternative Tools
No alternative tools found
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Creates highly attractive and informative circular visualizations
- Extremely flexible and customizable
- Can be automated and integrated into data pipelines
- Suitable for publication-quality figures
- Widely adopted in genomics and other fields
- Free and open-source
Cons
- No interactive user interface; requires learning configuration syntax
- Higher barrier to entry compared to GUI tools
- Initial frustration for users accustomed to point-and-click
- Requires scripting knowledge for automation
Use Cases
- Visualizing genomic data and cancer genomes
- Comparative genomics
- Displaying relationships between countries (e.g., refugee flow)
- Creating infographics for publications
- Layering multiple data sets for visual analytics
- Mathematical art and creative visualizations
Circos Pricing
Free Plan
No detailed pricing information available
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