Google Colab vs Jupyter Notebook: Key Differences Explained

Creating, organizing, and sharing computation paperwork is important in programming and knowledge sciences. Most individuals flip to one in all two standard instruments — Google Colab and Jupyter Notebook — to assist them handle their recordsdata.

SEE: Learn how one can turn out to be an information scientist.

What is Google Colab?

Google Colab is a device supplied by Google Research that enables customers to write down and execute Python code of their net browsers. Colab relies on Jupyter open supply and means that you can create and share hosted computation recordsdata within the cloud with out downloading or putting in something.

What is Jupyter Notebook?

Jupyter is the unique free, open-source, web-based interactive computing platform spun from the IPython Project; Jupyter Notebook is an internet software that enables customers to create and share computation paperwork.

Google Colab vs. Jupyter Notebook: Comparison desk

Google Colab and Jupyter Notebook: Pricing

Google Colab and Jupyter Notebook are each free to make use of. Jupyter Notebook was launched as an open-source device below the liberal phrases of the modified BSD license, making it 100% free to make use of.

Although Google Colab can be free, you might have to pay for superior options as your computing wants improve. The following are the paid plans supplied by Google Colab:

• Pay As You Go: For this plan, there are not any fastened subscription charges; you solely pay for what you employ.
• Colab Pro: For $9.99 monthly, you get 100 compute models, entry to greater reminiscence machines, and the power to make use of a terminal with the related digital machine.
• Colab Pro+: For $49.99 month-to-month, you’ll get 500 compute models, quicker GPUs, and background execution functionality.

Feature comparability: Google Colab vs. Jupyter Notebook

Cloud-based

Google Colab’s main differentiator from Jupyter Notebook is that it’s cloud-based, and Jupyter isn’t. If you’re employed 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 understanding that your work will autosave and again as much as the cloud with out you having to do something.

Google Colab is nice if you want to work throughout a number of units — corresponding to one laptop 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 Notebook is run in your native machine, and recordsdata are saved to your arduous disk. Jupyter provides an autosaving interval that you could change however doesn’t again as much as a cloud. Therefore, in case your machine is affected, you’re out of luck. Jupyter can’t sync or share your recordsdata throughout units with out a third-party file-sharing service like Dropbox or GitHub.

Collaboration

We couldn’t speak about Jupyter Notebook versus Google Colab with out mentioning collaboration. As the identify suggests, Google Colab is constructed to make it straightforward to share your notebooks with anybody — even when they’re not an information scientist. Other individuals can view your pocket book with out downloading any software program — a giant benefit if you happen to often work with nontechies who must entry the recordsdata.

Conversely, anybody else should set up Jupyter Notebook on their gadget to share their notebooks. This received’t be a hindrance if you happen to solely work with builders, knowledge scientists, and different tech individuals who will have already got Jupyter put in. If you’re employed on a extra various crew, you then may wish to think about Google Colab as a result of sharing recordsdata is less complicated.

Library set up

Since Google Colab is cloud-based, the device comes preinstalled with numerous libraries. This signifies that you don’t must separate valuable disk area or time to obtain the libraries manually. The free model additionally comes with a sure degree of graphic processing models, reminiscence, and run time, which may fluctuate. You can improve to one of many paid plans if extra capability is required. Google doesn’t disclose limits for any of its Colab plans as a result of want for flexibility.

With Jupyter Notebook, you’ll want to put in every library you’d like to make use of onto your gadget utilizing pip or one other package deal supervisor. You’ll even be restricted by your laptop’s accessible RAM, disk area, GPU, and CPU. Having the notebooks saved in your {hardware} is safer than in a third-party cloud. Therefore, the guide library set up generally is a plus for delicate knowledge.

R Scripts

Both Google Colab and Jupyter Notebook 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 deciding on it throughout the Runtime menu. For Jupyter Notebook, customers should set up an R kernel to work with R on their laptop.

Google Colab execs and cons

Pros

• Straightforward interface that’s straightforward to navigate.
• Access GPU and TPU runtimes without spending a dime.
• Import suitable machine studying and knowledge science initiatives from different sources.
• Automatic model management much like Google Docs.
• Real-time collaboration functionality.
• Integrates with different instruments, together with GitHub, Jupyter Notebook, BLACKBOX AI, Codeium, CodeSquire, Google Workspace, Neptune.ai, StrongDM, Google Drive and extra.

Cons

• The free plan provides you restricted assets.
• Some customers reported points with the velocity of loading new databases and knowledge frames which might be current offline.

Jupyter Notebook execs and cons

Pros

• Modern, intuitive, and interactive person interface.
• Supports markdown language for documentation.
• Interactive interface makes it straightforward for customers to share photographs, code, and textual content in a single place.
• Supports 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 Notebook customers reported that monitoring adjustments and collaborating utilizing model management instruments like Git will be difficult as a result of notebooks are saved as JSON recordsdata.

Should your group use Google Colab or Jupyter Notebook?

Both Jupyter Notebook and Google Colab will be the proper alternative particularly circumstances. Google Colab is a wonderful alternative for entry-level builders or nonprogrammers who wish to begin rapidly with out putting in something. It’s additionally an important thought for anybody who must share pocket book recordsdata with individuals who received’t have the correct software program put in on their units.

Finally, Google Colab is a should for anybody seeking to again up their work to the cloud and sync their notebooks throughout a number of units — however the ease of cloud sharing means diminished knowledge safety.

Meanwhile, Jupyter is best for delicate recordsdata that have to be stored off the cloud. Installing the notebooks by yourself {hardware} additionally signifies that you by no means have to fret about your GPU or runtimes getting throttled, which may occur generally on the Colab free accounts.

Review methodology

We reviewed each instruments by gathering major knowledge from the distributors’ web sites and documentation; this data consists of options, pricing, and use instances. We additionally examined every answer to achieve firsthand expertise with its usability. To find out about customers’ expertise, we evaluated present and previous customers’ suggestions from third-party evaluation websites.

Ben Abbott up to date this text in January 2024.