How to choose between Seaborn vs. Matplotlib

Taylor Karl / Monday, February 12, 2024

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Introduction

Data visualization is an essential part of data science, and it helps in understanding the data better. Python provides us with various libraries for data visualization, and two of the popular ones are Seaborn and Matplotlib. Both these libraries have their advantages and disadvantages, so choosing between them can be a bit confusing. In this blog post, we will discuss the differences between Seaborn and Matplotlib, and how to choose between them based on your requirements.

Matplotlib is a plotting library for Python that provides a wide range of static, animated, and interactive visualizations. It is a low-level library that allows users to create highly customizable plots from scratch. On the other hand, Seaborn is a higher-level library built on top of Matplotlib that provides more advanced visualizations out-of-the-box. Seaborn simplifies the process of creating complex visualizations by providing a set of pre-defined functions to create common plot types quickly.

In general, if you need to create simple plots such as bar plots or scatterplots, then Matplotlib may be the better choice as it provides more control over the plot elements. However, if you need to create more complex plots such as heatmaps or violin plots, then Seaborn may be a better choice as it provides these types of visualizations out-of-the-box.

In the next sections, we will dive deeper into the differences between Seaborn and Matplotlib and provide examples of when to use each one based on specific use cases.

What is Seaborn?

Seaborn is a data visualization library built on top of Matplotlib. It provides a high-level interface for creating informative and attractive statistical graphics. Seaborn has several advantages over Matplotlib, including:

Default style: Seaborn comes with several built-in themes and color palettes that make it easy to create visually appealing plots without much customization. Matplotlib, on the other hand, requires more manual tweaking to achieve a polished look.
Built-in functionality: Seaborn has several advanced visualization functions that are not available in Matplotlib, such as violin plots, heatmaps, and cluster maps. These functions can save time and effort when creating complex visualizations.
Integration with Pandas: Seaborn is designed to work seamlessly with Pandas DataFrames, making it easy to visualize data directly from a dataset.

Overall, Seaborn is a great choice for those who want to quickly create professional-looking visualizations without spending too much time on customization. However, if you need more control over your plots or want to create custom visualizations, Matplotlib may be a better option.

What is Matplotlib?

Matplotlib is a popular data visualization library in Python that provides a wide range of tools to create high-quality graphs, charts, and other visual representations of data. It is a powerful library that allows users to create customizable plots with ease. Matplotlib is built on top of the NumPy library, which makes it easy to integrate with other scientific computing libraries in Python.

Matplotlib has a vast array of customization options, including the ability to adjust colors, add annotations or labels, specify axis limits, and adjust the layout of plots. It also provides support for different types of plots such as line plots, scatter plots, bar plots, histograms, and many more.

One of the strengths of Matplotlib is its flexibility. It allows you to create complex visualizations using simple commands. However, this flexibility can sometimes make it difficult for beginners to use effectively. The learning curve can be steep if you are new to data visualization and programming in Python.

Overall, Matplotlib is an excellent choice if you want complete control over your visualizations and are willing to invest time in learning how to use it.

Differences between Seaborn and Matplotlib

When it comes to data visualization in Python, two of the most popular libraries are Seaborn and Matplotlib. While they both have similar functionality, there are some key differences that may make one more suitable for your particular project. In this section, we will explore the differences between Seaborn and Matplotlib in terms of ease of use, customizability, and aesthetics.

Ease of use: One of the main advantages of Seaborn over Matplotlib is its ease of use. Seaborn is built on top of Matplotlib and provides a higher-level interface for creating statistical graphics. This means that Seaborn requires less code to create complex visualizations compared to Matplotlib. For example, creating a boxplot in Matplotlib requires several lines of code to set up the axes, plot the data, and add labels. In contrast, Seaborn’s boxplot function can create the same plot with just one line of code.
Customizability: While Seaborn may be easier to use initially, Matplotlib offers more customization options. Matplotlib allows for fine-grained control over every aspect of a plot, from the size and placement of each element to the color scheme and font style. This level of control can be particularly useful when creating publication-quality figures or when trying to match a specific style guide or branding.
Aesthetics: One area where Seaborn really shines is aesthetics. Seaborn has several built-in themes that can be used to quickly change the overall look and feel of a plot. These themes are designed to be visually appealing while still maintaining good readability and clarity. In addition, Seaborn provides several functions for creating specialized types of plots that are not available in Matplotlib, such as violin plots and heatmaps.

In summary, both Seaborn and Matplotlib have their strengths and weaknesses depending on your specific needs. Seaborn is great for quickly creating visually appealing plots with minimal code, while Matplotlib offers more customization options and fine-grained control over every aspect of a plot. Ultimately, the choice between Seaborn and Matplotlib will depend on the specific requirements of your project.

When to use Seaborn vs. Matplotlib

When it comes to data visualization in Python, two of the most popular libraries are Seaborn and Matplotlib. While both libraries can create stunning visualizations, they have distinct differences that make each library better suited for certain tasks.

Matplotlib is a powerful library that provides a high degree of control over every aspect of a plot. It is great for creating basic plots such as line plots, scatter plots, and bar charts. Matplotlib is also highly customizable and can be used to create complex visualizations.

On the other hand, Seaborn is built on top of Matplotlib and provides a higher-level interface for creating statistical graphics. Seaborn is designed to work with Pandas dataframes and provides easy-to-use functions for creating more complex plots such as heatmaps, violin plots, and box plots.

So when should you use Seaborn vs. Matplotlib? If you need complete control over every aspect of your plot and want to create complex visualizations, then Matplotlib may be the better choice. However, if you are working with dataframes and want to quickly create statistical graphics with minimal effort, then Seaborn would be the better choice.

In summary, both Seaborn and Matplotlib have their strengths and weaknesses. Choosing between them ultimately depends on your specific needs and preferences.

Conclusion

Both Seaborn and Matplotlib are powerful visualization libraries in Python. While Matplotlib provides a wide range of customizable options for creating basic plots, Seaborn offers more advanced statistical visualizations with less code.

If you need to create simple plots or customize your graphs extensively, Matplotlib is a great choice. On the other hand, if you want to create more complex visualizations with minimal code and display advanced statistical information, Seaborn is the way to go.

In the end, the choice between Seaborn and Matplotlib depends on your specific needs and preferences. It’s always a good idea to experiment with both libraries and see which one works best for you.

Here’s a simple example of how to create a histogram with both libraries:


import seaborn as sns








import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

















# create a dataset








data = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

















# create a histogram using seaborn








sns.histplot(data)

















# add labels and title








plt.xlabel('Value')








plt.ylabel('Frequency')








plt.title('Histogram Using Seaborn')

















# show the plot








plt.show()

















# create a histogram using matplotlib








plt.hist(data)

















# add labels and title








plt.xlabel('Value')








plt.ylabel('Frequency')








plt.title('Histogram Using Matplotlib')

















# show the plot








plt.show()

As you can see from the example above, Seaborn requires less code to create a histogram than Matplotlib. However, Matplotlib provides more customization options than Seaborn.

Overall, both libraries have their strengths and weaknesses. By understanding their differences, you can choose the one that fits your needs best.

Interested in learning more? Check out our Introduction to Python course!

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