# Datashader vs fastplotlib

## Key differences

- Datashader has 2.3× as many GitHub stars as fastplotlib (3.6K vs 1.5K).
- Datashader had more development activity over the last 12 months: 74 commits vs 40.
- Datashader is downloaded 57× as often on PyPI (105.9K vs 1.9K per week).
- Datashader is licensed under BSD-3-Clause; fastplotlib under Apache-2.0.
- Datashader is the older project: its repository was created in 2015, fastplotlib's in 2022.

| | Datashader | fastplotlib |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Renders very large datasets into accurate images by rasterizing them. | GPU-accelerated plotting library built on WGPU and pygfx for fast interactive visualization. |
| GitHub stars | 3,570 | 1,533 |
| Commits (12 months) | 74 | 40 |
| Contributors | 63 | 14 |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Status | Active | Active |
| Install | `pip install datashader` | `pip install fastplotlib` |

Source: https://awesomedataviz.com/compare/datashader-vs-fastplotlib/ · Data updated 2026-11-01 · Content: CC BY 4.0, Awesome Dataviz (https://awesomedataviz.com).