lightweight-charts-python vs mplfinance
A data-driven comparison of two Python financial charting libraries: popularity, development activity, licensing and installation. Updated .
lightweight-charts-pythonPython interface to TradingView's Lightweight Charts for financial charts.
mplfinanceFinancial market data visualization (candlestick, OHLC, volume) using matplotlib.
Key differences
- mplfinance has 2.1× as many GitHub stars as lightweight-charts-python (4.5K vs 2.2K).
- mplfinance is downloaded 33× as often on PyPI (96.9K vs 3K per week).
- lightweight-charts-python is licensed under MIT; mplfinance under BSD-style.
- lightweight-charts-python is written primarily in TypeScript, mplfinance in Python.
- mplfinance is the older project: its repository was created in 2019, lightweight-charts-python's in 2023.
- lightweight-charts-python has had no commits since Sep 28, 2024.
- mplfinance has had no commits since Apr 2, 2024.
By the numbers
- lightweight-charts-python
- mplfinance
Show data as a table
| Metric | lightweight-charts-python | mplfinance |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 2,166 | 4,457 |
| PyPI downloads / week | 2,967 | 96,933 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 0 | 0 |
| Contributors | 7 | 39 |
| Forks | 442 | 679 |
Development activity
Commits per month to each default branch, last 12 complete months.
- lightweight-charts-python
- mplfinance
Show data as a table
| Month | lightweight-charts-python | mplfinance |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 2026 | 0 | 0 |
Side by side
| Attribute | lightweight-charts-python | mplfinance |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Python interface to TradingView's Lightweight Charts for financial charts. | Financial market data visualization (candlestick, OHLC, volume) using matplotlib. |
| Category | Python financial charting libraries | Python financial charting libraries |
| License | MIT | BSD-style |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Status | Inactive | Inactive |
| Latest release | v2.1 () | v0.12.10b0 () |
| Last commit | ||
| Repository created | ||
| Open issues | 108 | 155 |
| Install | pip install lightweight-charts | pip install mplfinance |
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.
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lightweight-charts-python
Python interface to TradingView's Lightweight Charts for financial charts.
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mplfinance
Financial market data visualization (candlestick, OHLC, volume) using matplotlib.