Apache Superset is an open-source data exploration and visualization platform designed to provide an intuitive interface for users to perform visual analytics. Developed by Airbnb and later donated to the Apache Software Foundation, Superset integrates with various data sources and provides users with the ability to explore, slice, and dice the data. It supports SQL querying and comes with rich set of visualizations, dashboarding functionality, and even provides options for geospatial visualization.
It is created to be fast, scalable, and highly customizable, built on modern web technologies like Python, Flask, Pandas, and SQLAlchemy for back-end operations, while using React and D3 for the front-end. As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, Apache Superset is a growing project that is being adopted by many organizations to leverage its extensive data exploration and visualization capabilities. It provides an effective alternative to commercial data visualization tools while being community-driven and free to use.
| Key Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Data Integration | Apache Superset integrates with most SQL speaking data sources and the major NoSQL ones. It is designed to handle high dimensional data. |
| SQL Lab | A SQL IDE which allows users to create complex queries, visualize results, and build complex dashboards. |
| Rich Visualizations | A rich set of visualizations to analyze the data from bar charts, line charts, pie charts, box plots, sunbursts, world maps, pivot tables, and many more. |
| Dashboarding | It supports creating dynamic and interactive dashboards to represent data and its interpretation with different controls. |
| Data Exploration | Facilitates exploration of data with a simple interface for visualizing datasets and constructing filters. |
| Semantic Layer | A powerful semantic layer that allows users to control how data sources are displayed within Superset, helping to abstract complexity and enforce security. |
| Scheduling & Alerting | Scheduled queries and alerts for tracking changes in your data over time. |
| Security | Robust security model with flexible permissioning and access controls. |
| Scalability | Designed to deal with large data sets and perform optimally across varied database systems. |
| Customization | Highly customizable according to user needs, from UI customization to adding new visualization plugins. |
| Technology Stack | Built with Python, Flask App Builder, SQLAlchemy for back-end and React, Redux, and D3 for front-end. |
| Open Source | Developed and maintained by the Apache Software Foundation, it enjoys the support of a vast open-source community. |
