Creating, organizing, and sharing computation paperwork is crucial in programming and information sciences. Most individuals flip to one among two widespread instruments — Google Colab and Jupyter Pocket book — to assist them handle their information.
SEE: Discover ways to change into a knowledge scientist.

What’s Google Colab?
Google Colab is a software provided by Google Analysis that enables customers to write down and execute Python code of their net browsers. Colab is predicated on Jupyter open supply and permits you to create and share hosted computation information within the cloud with out downloading or putting in something.

What’s Jupyter Pocket book?
Jupyter is the unique free, open-source, web-based interactive computing platform spun from the IPython Challenge; Jupyter Pocket book is an online software that enables customers to create and share computation paperwork.
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Quickbase
Workers per Firm Dimension
Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Massive (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)
Small (50-249 Workers), Medium (250-999 Workers), Massive (1,000-4,999 Workers), Enterprise (5,000+ Workers)
Small, Medium, Massive, Enterprise
Options
Agile Improvement, Analytics / Reviews, API, and extra
Google Colab vs. Jupyter Pocket book: Comparability desk
Software program | ||
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Beginning worth | ||
Free plan | ||
Cloud based mostly | ||
File syncing | ||
File sharing | ||
Library set up | ||
File view with out set up |
Google Colab and Jupyter Pocket book: Pricing
Google Colab and Jupyter Pocket book are each free to make use of. Jupyter Pocket book was launched as an open-source software below the liberal phrases of the modified BSD license, making it 100% free to make use of.
Though Google Colab can also be free, you might have to pay for superior options as your computing wants enhance. The next are the paid plans provided by Google Colab:
- Pay As You Go: For this plan, there aren’t any fastened subscription charges; you solely pay for what you employ.
- Colab Professional: For $9.99 per thirty days, you get 100 compute items, entry to increased reminiscence machines, and the flexibility to make use of a terminal with the related digital machine.
- Colab Professional+: For $49.99 month-to-month, you’ll get 500 compute items, sooner GPUs, and background execution functionality.
Characteristic comparability: Google Colab vs. Jupyter Pocket book
Cloud-based
Google Colab’s main differentiator from Jupyter Pocket book is that it’s cloud-based, and Jupyter isn’t. Should you work in Google Collab, you don’t have to fret about downloading and putting in something to your {hardware}. It additionally means that you could relaxation simply realizing that your work will autosave and again as much as the cloud with out you having to do something.

Google Colab is nice if it’s essential to work throughout a number of units — corresponding to one pc at residence and one at work or a laptop computer and a pill — as a result of it syncs seamlessly throughout units.
In distinction, Jupyter Pocket book is run in your native machine, and information are saved to your arduous disk. Jupyter provides an autosaving interval that you could change however doesn’t again as much as a cloud. Subsequently, in case your machine is affected, you’re out of luck. Jupyter can’t sync or share your information throughout units with out a third-party file-sharing service like Dropbox or GitHub.

Collaboration
We couldn’t speak about Jupyter Pocket book versus Google Colab with out mentioning collaboration. Because the title suggests, Google Colab is constructed to make it simple to share your notebooks with anybody — even when they’re not a knowledge scientist. Different folks can view your pocket book with out downloading any software program — an enormous benefit for those who repeatedly work with nontechies who have to entry the information.

Conversely, anybody else should set up Jupyter Pocket book on their gadget to share their notebooks. This gained’t be a hindrance for those who solely work with builders, information scientists, and different tech individuals who will have already got Jupyter put in. Should you work on a extra numerous workforce, then you definitely may need to think about Google Colab as a result of sharing information is less complicated.
Library set up
Since Google Colab is cloud-based, the software comes preinstalled with varied libraries. Because of this you don’t should separate treasured disk area or time to obtain the libraries manually. The free model additionally comes with a sure stage of graphic processing items, reminiscence, and run time, which might fluctuate. You possibly can improve to one of many paid plans if further capability is required. Google doesn’t disclose limits for any of its Colab plans as a result of want for flexibility.
With Jupyter Pocket book, you’ll want to put in every library you’d like to make use of onto your gadget utilizing pip or one other bundle supervisor. You’ll even be restricted by your pc’s accessible RAM, disk area, GPU, and CPU. Having the notebooks saved in your {hardware} is safer than in a third-party cloud. Subsequently, the guide library set up could be a plus for delicate information.
R Scripts
Each Google Colab and Jupyter Pocket book permit customers to run R scripts, although they’re primarily designed for Python. In Google Colab, customers can now choose to work with R by choosing it inside the Runtime menu. For Jupyter Pocket book, customers should set up an R kernel to work with R on their pc.
Google Colab professionals and cons
Execs
- Easy interface that’s simple to navigate.
- Entry GPU and TPU runtimes without cost.
- Import suitable machine studying and information science tasks from different sources.
- Automated model management just like Google Docs.
- Actual-time collaboration functionality.
- Integrates with different instruments, together with GitHub, Jupyter Pocket book, BLACKBOX AI, Codeium, CodeSquire, Google Workspace, Neptune.ai, StrongDM, Google Drive and extra.
Cons
- The free plan offers you restricted assets.
- Some customers reported points with the velocity of loading new databases and information frames which can be current offline.
Jupyter Pocket book professionals and cons
Execs
- Fashionable, intuitive, and interactive consumer interface.
- Helps markdown language for documentation.
- Interactive interface makes it simple for customers to share photographs, code, and textual content in a single place.
- Helps a number of programming languages, together with Python, R, and Julia.
Cons
- Some customers reported that the software program will get gradual or crashes generally when working with massive datasets or finishing up complicated calculations.
- Some Jupyter Pocket book customers reported that monitoring modifications and collaborating utilizing model management instruments like Git might be difficult as a result of notebooks are saved as JSON information.
Ought to your group use Google Colab or Jupyter Pocket book?
Each Jupyter Pocket book and Google Colab could be the proper alternative particularly circumstances. Google Colab is a superb alternative for entry-level builders or nonprogrammers who need to begin rapidly with out putting in something. It’s additionally an excellent concept for anybody who must share pocket book information with individuals who gained’t have the correct software program put in on their units.
Lastly, Google Colab is a should for anybody trying to again up their work to the cloud and sync their notebooks throughout a number of units — however the ease of cloud sharing means decreased information safety.
In the meantime, Jupyter is best for delicate information that have to be stored off the cloud. Putting in the notebooks by yourself {hardware} additionally implies that you by no means have to fret about your GPU or runtimes getting throttled, which might occur generally on the Colab free accounts.
Assessment methodology
We reviewed each instruments by gathering main information from the distributors’ web sites and documentation; this info contains options, pricing, and use circumstances. We additionally examined every resolution to achieve firsthand expertise with its usability. To study customers’ expertise, we evaluated present and previous customers’ suggestions from third-party evaluate websites.
Ben Abbott up to date this text in January 2024.