head to head · open source
Apache Superset vs plotly.js
Apache Superset has 75,392 GitHub stars, 18,572 forks, 588 open issues and last shipped yesterday. plotly.js has 18,378 stars, 2,074 forks, 769 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. Apache Superset leads on adoption by 310% (75,392 vs 18,378 stars). Apache Superset is written in Python under Apache-2.0; plotly.js is written in JavaScript under MIT. Apache Superset has attracted 25% as many forks as stars, plotly.js 11%. 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 | plotly.js | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 75K | ★ 18K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Python | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-10-29 |
| Forks | ⑂ 19K | ⑂ 2.1K |
| 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 plotly.js if
- You want the plotly.js feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and plotly.js 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 plotly.js
Plotly.js is a standalone JavaScript data visualization library, and it also powers the Python and R modules named plotly in those respective ecosystems (referred to as Plotly.py and Plotly.R). Plotly.js can be used to produce dozens of chart types and visualizations, including statistical charts, 3D graphs, scientific charts, SVG and tile maps, financial charts and more. Contact us for Plotly.js consulting, dashboard development, application integration, and feature additions. Table of contents Load as a node module Load via script tag Bundles Alternative ways to load and build plotly.js Documentation Bugs and…
read the full plotly.js overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Superset or plotly.js more popular?
Apache Superset has 75,392 GitHub stars and plotly.js has 18,378. Apache Superset has the larger community by that measure.
Are Apache Superset and plotly.js free?
Both are open source. Apache Superset is licensed under Apache-2.0 and plotly.js under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Apache Superset and plotly.js?
Apache Superset is written in Python and plotly.js 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 plotly.js?
Choose Apache Superset if you want the larger community (75,392 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose plotly.js if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.