---
title: Data science libraries in Python and Elixir
date: '2022-10-04T00:00:00+00:00'
url: https://www.abhinav.co/data-science-python-vs-elixir
summary: A side-by-side comparison of data science libraries in Python and Elixir,
  from notebooks and numerical analysis to deep learning and pipelines.
tags:
- Data Science
- AI
- ML
- Python
- Elixir
- Erlang
- Technology
author: Abhinav Saxena
---

# Data science libraries in Python and Elixir

Data science in Elixir is maturing at a rapid pace. This post lists data science libraries in Python along with their Elixir equivalent.

### Notebooks
- Python: Jupyter
- Elixir: [Livebook](https://livebook.dev)


### Numerical Analysis
- Python: NumPy
- Elixir: [Nx](https://hexdocs.pm/nx/Nx.html)

### Traditional Machine Learning
- Python: scikit-learn
- Elixir: [Scholar](https://github.com/elixir-nx/scholar)

### Deep learning
- Python: PyTorch / TensorFlow
- Elixir: [Axon](https://hexdocs.pm/axon/Axon.html)

It is also possible to use pre-trained models, you can use [AxonOnnx](https://hexdocs.pm/axon_onnx/AxonOnnx.html) for it.

### Data analysis
- Python: Pandas
- Elixir: [Explorer](https://hexdocs.pm/explorer/Explorer.html)

Explorer is built on top of polars library which is a lightning fast DataFrames implementation in Rust.

### Data presentation and visualization
- Python: Plotly Express / matplotlib
- Elixir: [VegaLite](https://hexdocs.pm/vega_lite/VegaLite.html)

VegaLite is Elixir bindings to Vega-Lite, a high-level grammar of interactive graphics.

### Network and geographic visualization
- Python: NetworkX (network), Folium (geo)
- Elixir: no equivalent so far

### Pipelines and orchestration
- Python: tf data, DataLoader
- Elixir: [Broadway](https://hexdocs.pm/broadway/introduction.html) and [Flow](https://hexdocs.pm/flow/Flow.html)

Elixir runs over Erlang VM called BEAM, and hence by design can work better than Python processing data in concurrent and fault-tolerant manner.

### Domain specific
For custom domains like NLP, computer vision and signal processing, Elixir libraries are still being worked upon.