Toyplot vs Veusz
A data-driven comparison of two Python plotting libraries: popularity, development activity, licensing and installation. Updated .
Key differences
- Veusz has 2.4× as many GitHub stars as Toyplot (1.1K vs 449).
- Toyplot had more development activity over the last 12 months: 26 commits vs 19.
- Toyplot is downloaded 3.3× as often on PyPI (778 vs 237 per week).
- Toyplot is licensed under BSD; Veusz under GPL-2.0.
- Toyplot is written primarily in Jupyter Notebook, Veusz in Python.
- Veusz is the older project: its repository was created in 2011, Toyplot's in 2014.
By the numbers
- Toyplot
- Veusz
Show data as a table
| Metric | Toyplot | Veusz |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 449 | 1,057 |
| PyPI downloads / week | 778 | 237 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 26 | 19 |
| Contributors | 9 | 40 |
| Forks | 40 | 142 |
Development activity
Commits per month to each default branch, last 12 complete months.
- Toyplot
- Veusz
Show data as a table
| Month | Toyplot | Veusz |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 2026 | 4 | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | 20 | 0 |
| Apr 2026 | 1 | 6 |
| May 2026 | 1 | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 2026 | 0 | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct 2026 | 0 | 0 |
Side by side
| Attribute | Toyplot | Veusz |
|---|---|---|
| Description | The kid-sized plotting toolkit for Python with grownup-sized goals. | Python multiplatform GUI plotting tool and graphing library |
| Category | Python plotting libraries | Python plotting libraries |
| License | BSD | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Jupyter Notebook | Python |
| Status | Maintained | Active |
| Latest release | v2.1.0 () | veusz-4.2.1 () |
| Last commit | ||
| Repository created | ||
| Open issues | 16 | 401 |
| Install | pip install toyplot | pip install veusz |
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.