PyQtGraph vs Bokeh
Side-by-side — pricing, strengths, tradeoffs, and fit.
PyQtGraph
Pure-python graphics and GUI library built on PyQt4/PySide and NumPy.
Bokeh
Interactive Web Plotting for Python.
At a glance
Open SourceFree Tier
● Established·From $0
Open SourceFree Tier
● Established·From $0
Overview
One-liner
One-liner
Pure-python graphics and GUI library built on PyQt4/PySide and NumPy.
One-liner
Interactive Web Plotting for Python.
Maturity
Maturity
EstablishedMaturity
EstablishedOpen source
Open source
✓ YesOpen source
✓ YesPricing
Free tier
Free tier
✓ AvailableOpen source — free to use
Free tier
✓ AvailableOpen source — free to use
Starts at
Starts at
$0
Starts at
$0
Model
Model
Flat rate
Model
Flat rate
Enterprise
Enterprise
✕ NoneEnterprise
✕ NoneBest for
✓ Best for
Developers building interactive GUIs with real-time data visualization needs
Scientific researchers requiring high-performance plotting and analysis tools
✓ Best for
Projects requiring high-performance interactivity over large datasets
Web applications that need to visualize streaming data
Developers who want to create interactive plots and charts for web apps without a backend service
Not ideal for
✕ Not for
Projects that require cloud-based deployment without local installation capabilities
Applications needing a web-based interface rather than desktop GUI
✕ Not for
Teams needing real-time streaming (Bokeh is more suited for batch processing)
Projects with strict performance constraints where JavaScript libraries might be lighter-weight options
Strengths
↑ Strengths
High-performance data visualization for scientific applications
Seamless integration with PyQt4/PySide and NumPy
Supports real-time data analysis and display
↑ Strengths
Interactive plots and charts for web applications
High-performance interactivity over large datasets
Supports streaming data visualization
Customizable visualizations with extensive styling options
Weaknesses
↓ Weaknesses
Limited documentation and examples
Performance issues with large datasets
Dependency on PyQt4/PySide can be restrictive
Active development but community size is relatively small
↓ Weaknesses
Limited third-party integration support
Performance issues with very large datasets