Plotly (Python) vs Streamlit
A data-driven comparison of two Python data visualization libraries: popularity, development activity, licensing and installation. Updated .
Plotly (Python)Interactive web based visualization built on top of plotly.js
StreamlitFramework for turning Python scripts into interactive data apps.
Key differences
- Streamlit has 2.4× as many GitHub stars as Plotly (Python) (45.9K vs 18.8K).
- Streamlit had more development activity over the last 12 months: 2,413 commits vs 739.
- Plotly (Python) is downloaded 2.6× as often on PyPI (12.3M vs 4.7M per week).
- Plotly (Python) is licensed under MIT; Streamlit under Apache-2.0.
- Plotly (Python) is the older project: its repository was created in 2013, Streamlit's in 2019.
By the numbers
- Plotly (Python)
- Streamlit
Show data as a table
| Metric | Plotly (Python) | Streamlit |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 18,822 | 45,895 |
| PyPI downloads / week | 12,338,463 | 4,656,116 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 739 | 2,413 |
| Contributors | 303 | 319 |
| Forks | 2,857 | 4,404 |
Development activity
Commits per month to each default branch, last 12 complete months.
- Plotly (Python)
- Streamlit
Show data as a table
| Month | Plotly (Python) | Streamlit |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 72 | 125 |
| Nov 2025 | 51 | 146 |
| Dec 2025 | 33 | 187 |
| Jan 2026 | 25 | 181 |
| Feb 2026 | 44 | 208 |
| Mar 2026 | 94 | 231 |
| Apr 2026 | 67 | 156 |
| May 2026 | 49 | 189 |
| Jun 2026 | 36 | 206 |
| Jul 2026 | 98 | 264 |
| Aug 2026 | 80 | 246 |
| Sep 2026 | 90 | 274 |
Side by side
| Attribute | Plotly (Python) | Streamlit |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Interactive web based visualization built on top of plotly.js | Framework for turning Python scripts into interactive data apps. |
| Category | Python data visualization libraries | Python data visualization libraries |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Status | Active | Active |
| Latest release | v7.1.0 () | 1.65.0 () |
| Last commit | ||
| Repository created | ||
| Open issues | 641 | 985 |
| Install | pip install plotly | pip install streamlit |
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 (Python)
Interactive web based visualization built on top of plotly.js
-
Streamlit
Framework for turning Python scripts into interactive data apps.