bqplot vs pyecharts
A data-driven comparison of two Python interactive web charting libraries: popularity, development activity, licensing and installation. Updated .
Key differences
- pyecharts has 4.3× as many GitHub stars as bqplot (15.8K vs 3.7K).
- bqplot had more development activity over the last 12 months: 31 commits vs 1.
- pyecharts is downloaded 3.2× as often on PyPI (197.8K vs 62.6K per week).
- bqplot is licensed under Apache-2.0; pyecharts under MIT.
- bqplot is written primarily in TypeScript, pyecharts in Python.
- bqplot is the older project: its repository was created in 2015, pyecharts's in 2017.
By the numbers
- bqplot
- pyecharts
Show data as a table
| Metric | bqplot | pyecharts |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 3,693 | 15,782 |
| PyPI downloads / week | 62,645 | 197,787 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 31 | 1 |
| Contributors | 60 | 39 |
| Forks | 476 | 2,838 |
Development activity
Commits per month to each default branch, last 12 complete months.
- bqplot
- pyecharts
Show data as a table
| Month | bqplot | pyecharts |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 2025 | 11 | 0 |
| Jan 2026 | 2 | 0 |
| Feb 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr 2026 | 5 | 0 |
| May 2026 | 3 | 0 |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 2026 | 9 | 0 |
Side by side
| Attribute | bqplot | pyecharts |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Plotting library for IPython/Jupyter notebooks. | Python binding for Echarts library. |
| Category | Python interactive web charting libraries | Python interactive web charting libraries |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Status | Active | Maintained |
| Latest release | 0.13.1 () | v2.1.0 () |
| Last commit | ||
| Repository created | ||
| Open issues | 232 | 2 |
| Install | pip install bqplot | pip install pyecharts |
Which should you choose?
Popularity and activity are only part of the story. Consider which ecosystem you work in, the chart types and interactions you need, how much data you render, and whether the license fits your project. Both tool pages list alternatives if neither is quite right.