head to head · open source
Apache Superset vs jfreechart
Apache Superset has 74,821 GitHub stars, 18,339 forks, 588 open issues and last shipped yesterday. jfreechart has 1,392 stars, 672 forks, 162 open issues and last shipped 10 months ago. Apache Superset leads on adoption by 5,275% (74,821 vs 1,392 stars). Apache Superset is written in Python under Apache-2.0; jfreechart is written in Java under LGPL-2.1. Apache Superset has attracted 25% as many forks as stars, jfreechart 48%. 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 | jfreechart | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 75K | ★ 1.4K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Written in | Python | Java |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2025-11-22 |
| Forks | ⑂ 18K | ⑂ 672 |
| 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 jfreechart if
- You want the jfreechart feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the LGPL-2.1 license terms
- Your stack matches Java
- You evaluated both and jfreechart fits your workflow better
About Apache Superset
Apache Superset is an open source business intelligence platform that enables self serve data exploration and dashboard creation. It runs as a web application and provides tools for analysts and business users to visualize and analyze data without writing complex code, while also offering advanced capabilities for data engineers and developers. Superset lives in the Apache Software Foundation ecosystem and is licensed under Apache 2.0.
read the full Apache Superset overview →
About jfreechart
JFreeChart is a free, open source 2D chart library for the Java platform that works in JavaFX and Swing clients or on the server side, and it is built for Java developers who need to render and export charts without depending on a commercial charting product.
read the full jfreechart overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Superset or jfreechart more popular?
Apache Superset has 74,821 GitHub stars and jfreechart has 1,392. Apache Superset has the larger community by that measure.
Are Apache Superset and jfreechart free?
Both are open source. Apache Superset is licensed under Apache-2.0 and jfreechart under LGPL-2.1. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Apache Superset and jfreechart?
Apache Superset is written in Python and jfreechart in Java. 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 jfreechart?
Choose Apache Superset if you want the larger community (74,821 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose jfreechart if its feature set, stack or LGPL-2.1 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.