head to head · open source
Apache Superset vs kepler.gl
Apache Superset has 74,821 GitHub stars, 18,339 forks, 588 open issues and last shipped today. kepler.gl has 12,013 stars, 1,957 forks, 452 open issues and last shipped today. Apache Superset leads on adoption by 523% (74,821 vs 12,013 stars). Apache Superset is written in Python under Apache-2.0; kepler.gl is written in TypeScript under MIT. Apache Superset has attracted 25% as many forks as stars, kepler.gl 16%. 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.
← all 8884 open source comparisons
Side by side
| Apache Superset | kepler.gl | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 75K | ★ 12K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 18K | ⑂ 2.0K |
| 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 kepler.gl if
- You want the kepler.gl feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and kepler.gl 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 kepler.gl
Kepler.gl is an MIT licensed, TypeScript geospatial analysis tool that renders large scale geolocation data sets in the browser at million point scale, built for data analysts, GIS practitioners, and React developers who need to explore trip and point data without assembling their own rendering stack.
read the full kepler.gl overview →
More in Data & Analytics
Related comparisons
More Business Intelligence & Reporting projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the Business Intelligence & Reporting field.
Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Superset or kepler.gl more popular?
Apache Superset has 74,821 GitHub stars and kepler.gl has 12,013. Apache Superset has the larger community by that measure.
Are Apache Superset and kepler.gl free?
Both are open source. Apache Superset is licensed under Apache-2.0 and kepler.gl under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Apache Superset and kepler.gl?
Apache Superset is written in Python and kepler.gl in TypeScript. 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 kepler.gl?
Choose Apache Superset if you want the larger community (74,821 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose kepler.gl if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.