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Knotviz is the zero-setup, free, open-source browser option. Open a tab, drop a file, your data never leaves the machine. If your graph fits a browser tab, it opens here in five seconds.
At a glance
Section titled “At a glance”| Knotviz | Gephi | Cosmograph | Graphistry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs in | Browser tab | Desktop app | Browser tab | Browser + server |
| Install | None | Download + run (JRE bundled) | Sign-in | Python SDK + hosted/self-hosted server |
| Data location | Stays in the browser | Local filesystem | Stays in the browser (DuckDB-WASM) | Uploaded to the Graphistry server |
| Practical size | ~1M on a laptop | ~50–100k before the UI slows | Millions+ (client-side WebGL) | Very large (server GPU) |
| Cost | Free, open-source | Free, open-source | Free tier + paid (Team, Enterprise) | Free tier (Hub) + paid (Pro, Enterprise) |
| GPU | WebGL in the browser | CPU (core product) | WebGL in the browser | Server-side GPU |
| Filter & search | Typed multi-filter; label + id search | GUI filters with AND/OR / nested queries | Visual filters, histograms, timeline (DuckDB under the hood) | Visual filters, clustering, search, timebars |
| Best for | Private work on ≤1M graphs | Offline analysis, publication-quality layouts, rich graph algorithms | Large graphs with rich built-in query | Enterprise / security analytics with server GPUs |
Pick Knotviz if
Section titled “Pick Knotviz if”- You want zero setup, for free. Open a tab, drop a file. No install, no sign-in, no upload — and no paid tier to bump into.
- Your data must stay on the machine. Regulated data, sensitive investigations, air-gapped environments — both Knotviz and Cosmograph keep data in the browser, but Knotviz is open-source and has no account gate.
- Your graph is ≤ 1M nodes. Past that, the competitors with bigger scale envelopes handle more — see limits.
Gephi, Cosmograph, and Graphistry are trademarks of their respective owners. Comparisons reflect publicly available information at the time of writing and may change — check each vendor’s site for current pricing and capabilities.