For most Python installations, open a terminal or command prompt and run python -m pip install -U matplotlib. If your Python command is python3, use python3 -m pip install -U matplotlib instead. Install with the same interpreter or environment that will run your code, then verify the import.
Install Matplotlib with pip
Matplotlib’s official installation guide provides wheel packages for Windows, macOS, and Linux; pip installs the package and its required dependencies. Matplotlib installation guide
- Open Command Prompt or PowerShell on Windows, or Terminal on macOS or Linux.
- Run
python -m pip install -U matplotlib. On systems where the Python 3 interpreter is invoked aspython3, runpython3 -m pip install -U matplotlib. - Wait for pip to finish, then verify the installation using the same command name and environment.
Using python -m pip runs pip through that Python interpreter, helping avoid installing Matplotlib into a different Python environment from the one your project uses.
Choose the right installation method for your system
Windows
Use the pip command above in the environment used to run your project. If you have multiple Python installations, the interpreter matters more than the operating system: invoke the one your project uses. Matplotlib also comes with some Python distributions, including Anaconda and WinPython. Matplotlib installation guide
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With Python.org, Homebrew, or MacPorts Python, use python3 -m pip install -U matplotlib. Matplotlib advises using a fresh Python installation rather than Apple’s system Python, whose supplied packages can be difficult to upgrade. Matplotlib installation guide
Linux
You can use pip as above, or install the package supplied by your distribution. Distribution packages follow the repository’s release cadence, which may differ from the version available through pip. The Matplotlib guide lists these examples:
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- Debian or Ubuntu:
sudo apt-get install python3-matplotlib - Fedora:
sudo dnf install python3-matplotlib - Red Hat:
sudo yum install python3-matplotlib - Arch:
sudo pacman -S python-matplotlib
These OS-package commands install for the system’s Python. If your code runs in a virtual environment or another managed Python, use that environment’s installation method instead. Matplotlib installation guide
Install through the environment manager your project already uses
If the project uses a manager other than pip, install Matplotlib through that manager after activating or selecting the project environment. The official guide also lists:
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- Conda:
conda install -c conda-forge matplotlib - uv:
uv add matplotlib - Pixi:
pixi add matplotlib
Choose the command that matches the project’s existing environment rather than mixing managers without a reason. Matplotlib installation guide
Verify Matplotlib is installed in the Python you use
Run this check with the same interpreter used to install the package:
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python -c "import matplotlib; print(matplotlib.__version__, matplotlib.__file__)"Replace python with python3 if that is your interpreter command. A printed version confirms that Python imported Matplotlib; the file path shows which installation it loaded.
If the command reports ModuleNotFoundError or shows an unexpected installation, check the interpreter selected by your shell. On macOS or Linux, Matplotlib documents which python3 as a diagnostic. Then run pip through the intended interpreter, for example python3 -m pip install -U matplotlib. Matplotlib installation guide
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Test a plot—and distinguish install problems from display problems
A successful import does not guarantee that a plot will open in a graphical window. Matplotlib’s Agg, ps, pdf, and svg backends are non-interactive; they can render output without opening a window. TkAgg typically works when Tk bindings are installed, but some systems need a separate package such as python3-tk. Matplotlib installation guide
To test an interactive plot, save this as a Python script and run it from a terminal or command prompt. The Matplotlib getting-started guide uses this minimal example:
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
x = np.linspace(0, 2 * np.pi, 200)
y = np.sin(x)
fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.plot(x, y)
plt.show()If the script imports successfully but no window appears, investigate the graphical backend and its dependencies rather than reinstalling Matplotlib first. Testing from a shell also helps separate Python or backend issues from extra complexity introduced by an IDE or interactive shell. Matplotlib getting started
Special note for uv users who need TkAgg
Matplotlib’s current guidance says that uv often uses Python builds from python-build-standalone, and that only recent builds—August 2025 onward—work properly with TkAgg. The documentation recommends uv 0.8.7 or newer and updating or reinstalling the bundled Python. As an alternative GUI framework, it gives uv add matplotlib pyside6. These notes concern interactive display, not whether Matplotlib itself installed. Matplotlib installation guide Matplotlib getting started
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