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Plotly

by Plotly Technologies Inc. · Library · also known as plotly.py, plotly.js, Plotly Express, Dash

MIT-licensed interactive charting libraries for Python (plotly.py), JavaScript (plotly.js) and R, plus the Dash framework for analytical web apps

MIT licenseOpen sourceFreeEnterpriseLocalSelf-hostable
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Link verified Nov 2, 2026

Overview

Plotly is a family of open-source graphing libraries from Plotly Technologies: plotly.js renders interactive charts in the browser with WebGL and SVG, and plotly.py, the R package and others generate the JSON figure specification it consumes. The Python library's Plotly Express layer builds scatter, line, bar, histogram, box, map, 3D, financial (candlestick, OHLC) and statistical charts from DataFrames in one call, while the graph_objects API gives full control; figures display in Jupyter, marimo, VS Code and Streamlit, export to HTML, and render to static PNG, SVG or PDF through Kaleido. Dash, also MIT, turns Plotly figures and React components into analytical web applications written entirely in Python (or R and Julia), and Dash Enterprise is the company's commercial deployment platform.

Plotly's niche is interactive, publication-ready charts without writing JavaScript, including hover, zoom, range sliders and linked views useful for time-series inspection. Static export requires a browser engine, very large datasets need WebGL traces or downsampling, and fine typographic control for print lags behind matplotlib.

Editorial note on uncertainty. Dash Enterprise pricing was not reviewed; enterprise is listed without a pricing_url.

Capabilities

  • Interactive charts with hover, zoom, pan and range sliders
  • Plotly Express high-level API over DataFrames
  • Financial charts (candlestick, OHLC), maps, 3D and statistical plots
  • HTML export and static image export via Kaleido
  • plotly.js for JavaScript and R, Julia, MATLAB wrappers
  • Dash framework for Python web applications

Typical workflows

  1. Explore intraday price series with zoomable candlestick charts
  2. Interactive figures embedded in Jupyter or marimo
  3. Internal analytics app built with Dash

Strengths

  • Interactivity with no JavaScript required
  • Consistent API across Python, R and JavaScript
  • MIT license

Limitations

  • Static export depends on a headless browser engine
  • Very large point counts need WebGL or downsampling
  • Less typographic control than matplotlib for print

Prerequisites

  • Python, R or a JavaScript project; Kaleido for static export

Who it is for

  • Data scientists and analysts
  • Developers of analytical dashboards

Alternatives & comparison

  • D3

    Modular JavaScript library for bespoke, data-driven web graphics: scales, axes, shapes, layouts, geo projections, transitions and DOM selections

    Open sourceOpen source
  • Matplotlib

    The foundational Python plotting library for static, publication-quality figures with full control over every element, exported to PDF, SVG, PNG and PGF

    Open sourceOpen source
  • Observable

    JavaScript data notebooks and the open-source Observable Framework static-site generator for data apps, from the maintainers of D3 and Plot

    MixedFreemium
  • Tableau

    Salesforce's visual analytics platform: Tableau Desktop authoring (now with a free edition), Tableau Cloud and Server for sharing, and Tableau Next for CRM analytics

    ProprietaryFreemium
  • Vega-Altair

    Declarative Python visualization library that compiles concise chart specifications to Vega-Lite JSON for interactive, grammar-of-graphics plots

    Open sourceOpen source
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Sources & verification

Primary sources consulted for this record. Claims are tied to the fields each source supports; the automated link checker re-verifies every URL on a schedule.

  • License
    plotly.py LICENSE.txt (MIT)

    https://github.com/plotly/plotly.py/blob/main/LICENSE.txt

    Supports: license_spdx, source_model

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Official documentation
    Plotly Python Graphing Library

    https://plotly.com/python

    Supports: capabilities, languages

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Official site
    Plotly

    https://plotly.com/

    Supports: name, summary, vendor

    checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Repository
    plotly/plotly.py

    https://github.com/plotly/plotly.py

    Supports: repo_url

    checked Nov 1, 2026
Confidence
High
Reviewed
Nov 1, 2026
Links
Verified · Nov 2, 2026

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Microsoft's business-intelligence suite: free Windows Power BI Desktop for modeling and reports, and the Power BI service in Microsoft Fabric for sharing

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