Plotly.js vs Plotly (Python)
A data-driven comparison of two data visualization tools: popularity, development activity, licensing and installation. Updated .
Plotly.jsPowerful declarative library with support for 20 chart types.
Plotly (Python)Interactive web based visualization built on top of plotly.js
Key differences
- Plotly (Python) and Plotly.js have a similar number of GitHub stars (18.8K vs 18.4K).
- Plotly.js had more development activity over the last 12 months: 1,549 commits vs 739.
- Both are released under the MIT license.
- Plotly.js is written primarily in JavaScript, Plotly (Python) in Python.
- Plotly (Python) is the older project: its repository was created in 2013, Plotly.js's in 2015.
By the numbers
- Plotly.js
- Plotly (Python)
Show data as a table
| Metric | Plotly.js | Plotly (Python) |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 18,355 | 18,822 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 1,549 | 739 |
| Contributors | 263 | 303 |
| Forks | 2,044 | 2,857 |
Development activity
Commits per month to each default branch, last 12 complete months.
- Plotly.js
- Plotly (Python)
Show data as a table
| Month | Plotly.js | Plotly (Python) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 137 | 72 |
| Nov 2025 | 64 | 51 |
| Dec 2025 | 58 | 33 |
| Jan 2026 | 78 | 25 |
| Feb 2026 | 55 | 44 |
| Mar 2026 | 37 | 94 |
| Apr 2026 | 122 | 67 |
| May 2026 | 139 | 49 |
| Jun 2026 | 335 | 36 |
| Jul 2026 | 255 | 98 |
| Aug 2026 | 148 | 80 |
| Sep 2026 | 121 | 90 |
Side by side
| Attribute | Plotly.js | Plotly (Python) |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Powerful declarative library with support for 20 chart types. | Interactive web based visualization built on top of plotly.js |
| Category | JavaScript charting libraries | Python data visualization libraries |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Status | Active | Active |
| Latest release | v4.1.1 () | v7.1.0 () |
| Last commit | ||
| Repository created | ||
| Open issues | 728 | 641 |
| Install | npm install plotly.js | pip install plotly |
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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Plotly.js
Powerful declarative library with support for 20 chart types.
-
Plotly (Python)
Interactive web based visualization built on top of plotly.js