Plotly vs Matplotlib: Interactive vs Static

Plotly vs Matplotlib for Python plots: interactive HTML and Dash vs a static, animated and interactive library, plus export formats and licensing.

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Last updated 30 October 2026

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How do Plotly (plotly.py), Matplotlib compare side by side?

The table below compares Plotly (plotly.py), Matplotlib across 8 procurement-relevant dimensions, from what it is through source.

Side-by-side comparison

Dimension	Plotly (plotly.py)	Matplotlib
What it is	An open-source plotting library with over 40 chart types, called plotly.py to tell it apart from the JavaScript library.	A comprehensive library for creating static, animated, and interactive visualizations.
Kinds of output	Interactive web-based figures.	Static, animated and interactive visualizations.
Where interactive figures live	Jupyter notebooks, standalone HTML files, or served through Dash.	Interactive visualizations are part of the library's stated scope.
High-level interface	Plotly Express is the high-level API; Dash is the framework for analytical apps built from Plotly figures.	Includes the pyplot interface (matplotlib.pyplot), which provides savefig.
Static image export	fig.write_image supports PNG, JPEG, WebP, SVG and PDF. It requires Kaleido 1.0.0 or later, which looks for an installed Chrome or Chromium.	pyplot.savefig writes figures to file; the available output formats depend on the backend in use.
License and cost	Free, open source, MIT license; no sign-up and usable offline. Dash is also MIT. Dash Enterprise, Plotly Studio and Plotly Cloud are separate paid products.	License is based on the PSF license; only BSD-compatible code is used (agreement covers versions 1.3.0 and later).
When to pick each	Pick Plotly when the end product is an interactive HTML figure, a notebook figure or a Dash app.	Pick Matplotlib when one library should cover static, animated and interactive plots, or when you want its PSF-based license.
Source	plotly.com/python/getting-started, /is-plotly-free and /static-image-export (read 2026-10-29).	matplotlib.org/stable (docs 3.11.2), /project/license and pyplot.savefig (read 2026-10-29).

Common questions

Common questions about Plotly (plotly.py) vs Matplotlib

Is Plotly free?

Yes. plotly.py is free and open-source software under the MIT license, with no sign-up and offline use. Dash is also MIT. Dash Enterprise, Plotly Studio and Plotly Cloud are separate paid products.

Can Plotly export static images?

Yes. write_image supports PNG, JPEG, WebP, SVG and PDF. It requires the Kaleido package, version 1.0.0 or greater, and Kaleido looks for a compatible Chrome or Chromium already installed.