Phish’s history of performances stretches two years shorter than the Grateful Dead’s so far, but already includes more shows (by several hundred), peak years with nearly double the Dead’s peaks, and half as many sudden drops (whereas some years the Dead played fewer and/or shorter tours).

On the other hand, Phish has had more years with no shows, whereas the Dead took a "hiatus" during 1975 but played several shows that year. Moreover, excluding their festivals, Phish tours typically hit arenas and sheds, avoiding the stadiums that became a key element of Dead tour. Finally, Phish's performance count has been trending downward for over two decades, while the Dead generally trended upwards for three.