marimo

Open-source reactive Python notebook stored as plain .py files.

Open sourceSelf-hostableData science notebooks

Updated Nov 2, 2026 · AppBreakup editorial · Windows, macOS, Linux, Web, Self-hosted

Visit marimo See 6 alternatives

Is marimo free?

Yes, free and open source

License:: Apache-2.0

Checked on marimo's site Nov 2, 2026

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All 6

Google Colab
Free plan + paid
Hex
Starting price: $36 per editor/month (Professional)
Kaggle
Free

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 6
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About marimo

marimo is an open-source notebook for Python that rethinks how Jupyter works. Cells are reactive: when you change one, every cell that depends on it reruns, so there is no hidden state from cells run out of order. Each notebook is saved as an ordinary Python file, which means clean Git diffs, and the same file can run as a script, be imported as a module or be served as a web app. It has built-in SQL cells that query dataframes and databases such as DuckDB, Postgres and SQLite, interactive widgets like sliders and tables, AI code completion and a VS Code extension. Notebooks can be exported to WebAssembly HTML that runs in the browser with no server. You install it with pip or uv and run it locally for free; the team also offers molab, a hosted version for trying it online.

Best for: Python developers who want reproducible notebooks that live in Git as normal code.

What works

Reactive execution removes stale or out-of-order state
Notebooks are plain .py files with readable Git diffs
Can run as a script or be served as an interactive app
Free and Apache-2.0 licensed

Why people leave

Not compatible with Jupyter's .ipynb format without conversion
Python only, with no R or Julia kernels
Reactive model means reusing a variable name across cells is not allowed

marimo vs Google Colab, Hex and Kaggle

From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.

Attribute	marimo	Google Colab	Hex	Kaggle
Pricing	Open source	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid	Free
Verified price	—	—	$36 per editor/month (Professional)	—
Free plan	Free app	Yes	Yes (Community)	Free app
Open source	Yes	No	No	No
Self-hostable	Yes	No	No	No
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux, Web, Self-hosted	Web	Web	Web

Top marimo alternatives

See all 6

1
Google Colab
Hosted Jupyter with free GPU access, for when you need cloud hardware instead of a local install.
68.8
2
Hex
Managed platform for warehouse analytics and shareable data apps, with access controls built in.
61.8
3
Kaggle
Free hosted notebooks with GPU time and public datasets, for people who mainly want free compute.
57.5
4
Jupyter Notebook
The classic open-source notebook marimo set out to replace; every data tool reads its .ipynb files.
51.2
5
Streamlit
If you used marimo to turn analysis into apps, Streamlit builds Python data apps with a large component ecosystem.
49.0

Why people left marimo

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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marimo: common questions

What is marimo?

marimo: Open-source reactive Python notebook stored as plain .py files. Best for python developers who want reproducible notebooks that live in Git as normal code. Available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Web, and you can host it yourself.

Is marimo free?

Yes. marimo is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is marimo open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at marimo-team/marimo. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does marimo run on?

marimo is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Web and Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to marimo?

The highest-ranked marimo alternatives right now are Google Colab, Hex and Kaggle. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

marimo vs Google Colab: what's the difference?

marimo is free and open source; Google Colab is free with paid plans. marimo is open source and Google Colab is not. Only marimo runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

See all 6 marimo alternatives

marimo facts

4 of 4 verified

License: Apache-2.0; Checked Nov 2, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: Apache-2.0 (Apache License 2.0).”
File format: Plain Python (.py); Checked Nov 8, 2026marimo.io(opens source in a new tab); “Python-first, Git-friendly marimo notebooks are pure Python , stored as .py files”
SQL: Built-in SQL cells; Checked Nov 8, 2026marimo.io(opens source in a new tab); “First-class SQL support Query dataframes and databases with marimo's built-in SQL cells .”
Sharing: WebAssembly HTML or web app; Checked Nov 8, 2026marimo.io(opens source in a new tab); “Share as apps, run as scripts Share interactive notebooks on the web by exporting to WebAssembly-powered HTML or serving notebooks as web apps with the marimo CLI.”