---
id: plotext
version: "5.3.2"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# plotext — plotext plots directly on terminal

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 1.3M/mo

## What it is and what it does

plotext is a Python library that renders data visualizations directly in the terminal as text and colored output. It eliminates the need for graphical windows or external rendering tools, making it useful for remote environments, CI/CD pipelines, and quick data exploration in the shell. The library supports a wide range of plot types—from basic scatter and line plots to specialized ones like candlestick charts and confusion matrices—and can also display images and stream video with audio.

The package has no required runtime dependencies, keeping installation lightweight. Optional dependencies are available only if you want image or video features. It includes a command-line tool for direct plotting and can save plots as text or colored HTML. The library is actively maintained and has accumulated a substantial user base, though the author is currently working on a new version.

Use it for:

- Visualize data in SSH sessions or remote servers where graphical displays are unavailable.
- Generate plots in CI/CD pipelines or automated scripts to inspect results without external tools.
- Quick exploratory data analysis in the terminal during development or debugging.
- Display real-time metrics or monitoring data as live terminal charts.
- Create terminal-based dashboards or status displays for command-line applications.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Renders plots directly in the terminal using text and color, supporting scatter, line, bar, histogram, datetime, candlestick, error, and confusion-matrix plots, plus image and video display.

Yes. plotext is well-maintained, has no required dependencies, carries permissive MIT licensing, and fills a genuine niche for terminal-based visualization. It's particularly valuable for remote work, automation, and environments where graphical output is impractical. The author's note about ongoing development is worth monitoring, but current releases are stable and actively used.

## Install

pip install plotext
uv add plotext
poetry add plotext

## Installing plotext

Before you install: Low install friction with no runtime dependencies (optional dependencies only for image/video features). Active maintenance with recent commits; author notes ongoing work on a new version.

License in practice: MIT license permits unrestricted use, modification, and distribution in commercial and private projects with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install plotext

import plotext as plt
plt.scatter([1, 2, 3], [2, 4])
plt.show()

Verify before relying:

- Whether the new version mentioned in the description will introduce breaking changes or new dependencies.
- Performance characteristics when rendering large datasets or complex plots in the terminal.
- Specific Python version requirements beyond the stated minimum of 3.5.

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 1.3M/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

terminal plotting library, text-based charts, cli data visualization, terminal graphs, ascii plots, command-line charting, terminal graphics, terminal-ui, data-visualization, cli-tools

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