Table 2.

Performance comparison with existing toolboxes.

Feature/Toolkit	EPAT	EEGLAB	FieldTrip
File format	Supports multiple data formats and can read them directly.	Supports EEG format only; alternatively, requires prior data format conversion.	Supports multiple data formats and can read them directly.
Data preprocessing	Supports scripting and flexible visualization tools, including intrinsic paradigms with fixed parameter settings (e.g., locating electrode points, re-referencing, filtering), trigger update, batch ICA, and batch bad segment(s) and/or channel(s) removal.	Provides a rich library of plugins and visualization tools, including basic preprocessing and filtering, and scripts for the removal of eye blink artifacts and spurious correlations.	Provides some preprocessing plugins and offers basic preprocessing functions (e.g., mean and trend removal, filtering).
Visualization	Provides flexible visualization tools, including ERP waveforms, time-frequency analysis, frequency domain power spectrum, scalp potential distribution map, and ICA mapping, with multiple customizable plotting options.	Provides an intuitive data visualization interface, supporting time series plots, power spectra, and topographic maps with limited customizable plotting options.	Provides an intuitive data visualization interface, supporting matrix plots, and topographic and source analysis maps with limited customizable plotting options.
User-friendliness	Provides a clear streamlined GUI interface for visual operations supporting direct batch processing.	Provides a basic GUI interface for visual operations. Batch processing requires MATLAB scripting.	Does not provide a GUI interface; all functions are implemented by coding.
Expandability	Provides a rich script library that can be extended with customized functions.	Provides a rich script library that can be extended with customized functions.	Provides a limited library of plugins that can be used to add customized functions.
Computational speed	Includes several optimized algorithms, resulting in a high computational speed.	Displays poor computational speed for large datasets.	Includes several optimized algorithms, resulting in a relatively high computational speed.
Learning curve	Does not require programming skills and presents a relatively smooth learning curve.	Requires basic MATLAB programming skills and presents a steep learning curve is steep.	Requires basic MATLAB and C++ programming skills and presents a steep learning curve.