Deck.gl vs Kepler.gl
A data-driven comparison of two data visualization tools: popularity, development activity, licensing and installation. Updated .
Key differences
- Deck.gl has 1.2× as many GitHub stars as Kepler.gl (14.6K vs 12K).
- Deck.gl had more development activity over the last 12 months: 418 commits vs 402.
- Deck.gl is downloaded 11× as often on npm (262.3K vs 23.5K per week).
- Both are released under the MIT license.
- Deck.gl is the older project: its repository was created in 2015, Kepler.gl's in 2018.
By the numbers
- Deck.gl
- Kepler.gl
Show data as a table
| Metric | Deck.gl | Kepler.gl |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 14,623 | 12,033 |
| npm downloads / week | 262,347 | 23,512 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 418 | 402 |
| Contributors | 288 | 133 |
| Forks | 2,275 | 1,957 |
Development activity
Commits per month to each default branch, last 12 complete months.
- Deck.gl
- Kepler.gl
Show data as a table
| Month | Deck.gl | Kepler.gl |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 15 | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | 2 | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | 17 | 8 |
| Jan 2026 | 19 | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | 29 | 15 |
| Mar 2026 | 61 | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | 67 | 52 |
| May 2026 | 16 | 56 |
| Jun 2026 | 13 | 15 |
| Jul 2026 | 58 | 83 |
| Aug 2026 | 71 | 80 |
| Sep 2026 | 50 | 77 |
Side by side
| Attribute | Deck.gl | Kepler.gl |
|---|---|---|
| Description | WebGL framework for visual exploratory data analysis of large datasets. | Geospatial analysis tool for large-scale data sets. |
| Category | JavaScript map & geospatial visualization libraries | Data visualization apps & tools |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Status | Active | Active |
| Latest release | v9.4.0 () | v3.3.0-alpha.15 () |
| Last commit | ||
| Repository created | ||
| Open issues | 433 | 434 |
| Install | npm install deck.gl | npm install @kepler.gl/components |
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.