Mapnik vs Matplot++
A data-driven comparison of two C++ visualization libraries & applications: popularity, development activity, licensing and installation. Updated .
Key differences
- Matplot++ has 1.2× as many GitHub stars as Mapnik (4.9K vs 4K).
- Mapnik had more development activity over the last 12 months: 191 commits vs 3.
- Mapnik is licensed under LGPL-2.1; Matplot++ under MIT.
- Mapnik is the older project: its repository was created in 2011, Matplot++'s in 2020.
By the numbers
- Mapnik
- Matplot++
Show data as a table
| Metric | Mapnik | Matplot++ |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 3,965 | 4,937 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 191 | 3 |
| Contributors | 98 | 50 |
| Forks | 839 | 389 |
Development activity
Commits per month to each default branch, last 12 complete months.
- Mapnik
- Matplot++
Show data as a table
| Month | Mapnik | Matplot++ |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 15 | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | 8 | 0 |
| Dec 2025 | 16 | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | 8 | 0 |
| Feb 2026 | 4 | 0 |
| Mar 2026 | 10 | 0 |
| Apr 2026 | 4 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 13 | 0 |
| Jun 2026 | 5 | 0 |
| Jul 2026 | 31 | 0 |
| Aug 2026 | 31 | 0 |
| Sep 2026 | 46 | 0 |
Side by side
| Attribute | Mapnik | Matplot++ |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Toolkit for rendering maps, widely used to render OpenStreetMap tiles. | C++ graphics library for data visualization with a MATLAB-like API. |
| Category | C++ visualization libraries & applications | C++ visualization libraries & applications |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | MIT |
| Language | C++ | C++ |
| Status | Active | Maintained |
| Latest release | v4.3.2 () | v1.2.2 () |
| Last commit | ||
| Repository created | ||
| Open issues | 682 | 81 |
| Install | – | – |
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.