head to head · open source
Apache Superset vs lets-plot
Apache Superset has 75,392 GitHub stars, 18,572 forks, 588 open issues and last shipped yesterday. lets-plot has 1,784 stars, 62 forks, 145 open issues and last shipped 4 months ago. Apache Superset leads on adoption by 4,126% (75,392 vs 1,784 stars). Apache Superset is written in Python under Apache-2.0; lets-plot is written in Kotlin under MIT. Apache Superset has attracted 25% as many forks as stars, lets-plot 3%. 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 | lets-plot | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 75K | ★ 1.8K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | Kotlin |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-07-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 19K | ⑂ 62 |
| 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 lets-plot if
- You want the lets-plot feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Kotlin
- You evaluated both and lets-plot 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 lets-plot
Lets Plot Lets Plot is a multiplatform plotting library built on the principles of the Grammar of Graphics. The library design is heavily influenced by Leland Wilkinson's work The Grammar of Graphics describing the deep features that underlie all statistical graphics. This grammar [...] is made up of a set of independent components that can be composed in many different ways. This makes [it] very powerful because you are not limited to a set of pre specified graphics, but you can create new graphics that are precisely tailored for your problem. Hadley Wickham, "ggplot2: Elegant Graphics for Data Analysis"…
read the full lets-plot overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Superset or lets-plot more popular?
Apache Superset has 75,392 GitHub stars and lets-plot has 1,784. Apache Superset has the larger community by that measure.
Are Apache Superset and lets-plot free?
Both are open source. Apache Superset is licensed under Apache-2.0 and lets-plot under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Apache Superset and lets-plot?
Apache Superset is written in Python and lets-plot in Kotlin. 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 lets-plot?
Choose Apache Superset if you want the larger community (75,392 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose lets-plot if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.