scattertext vs WordCloud
A data-driven comparison of two Python text visualization libraries: popularity, development activity, licensing and installation. Updated .
scattertextInteractive scatterplot visualizations of how language differs between groups of documents.
WordCloudWord cloud generator for Python.
Key differences
- WordCloud has 4.5× as many GitHub stars as scattertext (10.5K vs 2.3K).
- WordCloud had more development activity over the last 12 months: 5 commits vs 1.
- WordCloud is downloaded 1260× as often on PyPI (332.7K vs 264 per week).
- scattertext is licensed under Apache-2.0; WordCloud under MIT.
- WordCloud is the older project: its repository was created in 2012, scattertext's in 2016.
By the numbers
- scattertext
- WordCloud
Show data as a table
| Metric | scattertext | WordCloud |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 2,348 | 10,542 |
| PyPI downloads / week | 264 | 332,735 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 1 | 5 |
| Contributors | 12 | 66 |
| Forks | 284 | 2,311 |
Development activity
Commits per month to each default branch, last 12 complete months.
- scattertext
- WordCloud
Show data as a table
| Month | scattertext | WordCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 2025 | 0 | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul 2026 | 1 | 0 |
| Aug 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 2026 | 0 | 0 |
Side by side
| Attribute | scattertext | WordCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Interactive scatterplot visualizations of how language differs between groups of documents. | Word cloud generator for Python. |
| Category | Python text visualization libraries | Python text visualization libraries |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Status | Maintained | Maintained |
| Latest release | 0.0.2.4.4 () | 1.9.6 () |
| Last commit | ||
| Repository created | ||
| Open issues | 23 | 107 |
| Install | pip install scattertext | pip install wordcloud |
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.
-
scattertext
Interactive scatterplot visualizations of how language differs between groups of documents.
-
WordCloud
Word cloud generator for Python.