Quick answer
They are complementary, not competing. ACLED tracks individual events in near real time. UCDP tracks conflicts over years against a fatality threshold. CFR frames the strategic picture in plain language. The Global Armed Conflicts Map ingests all three and organizes them around the conflict theater — turning three incompatible methodologies into one visual taxonomy across ~29 active theaters.
Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | ACLED | UCDP | CFR Global Conflict Tracker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Micro-level, event-based spatial tracking | Macro-level, state-centric historical trends | Strategic policy & geopolitical risk |
| Unit of analysis | The individual event (coordinate point) | The conflict dyad | The macro-conflict / regional crisis |
| Fatality threshold | None (captures zero-fatality events) | ≥ 25 battle-related deaths / year | Qualitative (no fixed threshold) |
| Temporal resolution | Real-time to weekly | Annual (verification lag) | Episodic (major shifts) |
| Best for | Live plotting, frontline & density mapping | Historical baselines, intensity over time | Plain-language strategic briefings |
When to use which
- Tracking a breaking event today? ACLED — it logs geolocated incidents in near real time.
- Measuring how intense a war has been over years? UCDP — verified, threshold-based, historical.
- Briefing a decision-maker on why a conflict matters? CFR — strategic, qualitative, readable.
- Want all three at once, on a map? Use the Global Armed Conflicts Map — a free, unified visual layer.
Looking for an alternative or a visual layer?
If you're searching for a CFR Global Conflict Tracker alternative, an ACLED dashboard, a free Liveuamap alternative, or simply a way to visualize armed-conflict data on a map, this project consolidates the underlying sources into one free, filterable dashboard with plain-language intelligence briefings for each theater.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between ACLED and UCDP?
ACLED is event-based and near real-time: its unit of analysis is the individual event (a dated, geolocated incident) with no fatality threshold, so it captures even zero-fatality events. UCDP is conflict-centric and historical: its unit is the conflict dyad, it applies a threshold of at least 25 battle-related deaths per year, and it updates annually. ACLED is better for live frontline and density mapping; UCDP is better for long-run intensity baselines.
Which conflict dataset is the best?
There is no single best dataset — they answer different questions. Use ACLED for granular, real-time event tracking, UCDP for verified historical trends and intensity, and the CFR Global Conflict Tracker for plain-language strategic and policy framing. A unified dashboard combines all three by organizing them around the conflict theater rather than the event or the state.
Is ACLED data free?
ACLED provides open access to its conflict event data for non-commercial use, with registration. UCDP is openly available for research. The CFR Global Conflict Tracker is a free public resource. This dashboard is a free secondary aggregation that visualizes and standardizes all three.
What is the CFR Global Conflict Tracker?
The Council on Foreign Relations Global Conflict Tracker is a strategic, policy-oriented resource that profiles major conflicts and regional crises with qualitative status assessments and plain-language briefings, rather than fixed fatality thresholds or event-level data.