head to head · open source
Apache Superset vs c3
Apache Superset has 75,392 GitHub stars, 18,572 forks, 588 open issues and last shipped yesterday. c3 has 9,352 stars, 1,357 forks, 771 open issues and last shipped 14 days ago. Apache Superset leads on adoption by 706% (75,392 vs 9,352 stars). Apache Superset is written in Python under Apache-2.0; c3 is written in JavaScript under MIT. Apache Superset has attracted 25% as many forks as stars, c3 15%. Apache Superset was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (data-visualization), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Apache Superset | c3 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 75K | ★ 9.4K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-20 |
| Forks | ⑂ 19K | ⑂ 1.4K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Apache Superset if
- You weight community size — 75K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick c3 if
- You want the c3 feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and c3 fits your workflow better
About Apache Superset
Superset A modern, enterprise ready business intelligence web application. Documentation User Guide — For analysts and business users. Explore data, build charts, create dashboards, and connect databases. Administrator Guide — Install, configure, and operate Superset. Covers security, scaling, and database drivers. Developer Guide — Contribute to Superset or build on its REST API and extension framework. Why Superset? Supported Databases Release Notes Get Involved Resources Organizations Using Superset Why Superset? Superset is a modern data exploration and data visualization platform. Superset can replace or…
read the full Apache Superset overview →
About c3
c3 c3 is a D3 based reusable chart library that enables deeper integration of charts into web applications. Follow the link for more information: Documentation + Getting Started + Examples + Full API Reference Additional samples can be found in this repository: + You can run these samples as: Google Group For general C3.js related discussion, please visit our Google Group at Gitter Using the issue queue The issue queue is to be used for reporting defects and problems with C3.js, in addition to feature requests and ideas. It is not a catch all support forum. For general support enquiries, please use the Google…
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Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Superset or c3 more popular?
Apache Superset has 75,392 GitHub stars and c3 has 9,352. Apache Superset has the larger community by that measure.
Are Apache Superset and c3 free?
Both are open source. Apache Superset is licensed under Apache-2.0 and c3 under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Apache Superset and c3?
Apache Superset is written in Python and c3 in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Apache Superset or c3?
Choose Apache Superset if you want the larger community (75,392 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose c3 if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.