Matplotlib and Alternatives

Discussions center on Matplotlib as a Python plotting library, including comparisons to alternatives like Plotly, Bokeh, and Seaborn, criticisms of its API and defaults, and recommendations for better options.

📉 Falling 0.4x Programming Languages
1,340
Comments
19
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#8219
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2008
6
2009
14
2010
18
2011
22
2012
40
2013
41
2014
48
2015
70
2016
80
2017
127
2018
54
2019
168
2020
84
2021
124
2022
88
2023
127
2024
146
2025
82
2026
1

Keywords

e.g JS ROOT OK stanford.edu MATLAB wikipedia.org github.com OurWorldInData EDIT matplotlib python matlab plots plot gallery jet using python api numpy

Sample Comments

asselinpaul Nov 20, 2013 View on HN

Can someone comment on how this compares with matplotlib?

breatheoften Dec 15, 2017 View on HN

Please not matplotlib ... are we really stuck with matplotlib forever ..?

cwyers Jun 27, 2017 View on HN

He mentions matplotlib by name.

imcoconut Jul 30, 2017 View on HN

are there any significant benefits over matplotlib?

passion__desire Apr 15, 2024 View on HN

this could be a feature? suggest alternativeshttps://alternativeto.net/software/matplotlib/

bttrHckrNm Jul 26, 2013 View on HN

matplotlib seems to be excellent for what I'm looking for. Thanks!

amelius May 16, 2024 View on HN

Can anyone recommend a good plotting library for Python, that is not matplotlib?

jimmySixDOF Jul 29, 2021 View on HN

If you're ok with Pyhton then Matplotlib might work for you on the viz side.

kushalkolar Mar 12, 2025 View on HN

Take a look at the examples gallery, it differs greatly from matplotlib. But I guess that will be subjective

ronyba Mar 25, 2019 View on HN

Having been using Plotly more recently instead of Matplotlib seems fast and simple