Why PlotJuggler 2026
Soon it will be the 10th anniversary of my first commit in the PlotJuggler repo.
I built this to help people visualize their data faster and almost everyone I know, in the ROS community, uses it (Bubble? False confirmation bias? We will never know).
What I do know is that in an era where we have impressive (and VC-backed) visualization tools, PlotJuggler is still used and loved by thousands of roboticists.
I believe the reason is that it is not just a “visualization” tool, but a debugging one; fast, nimble and effective, like vi… if you are into that.
I decided that PJ deserves better… my users do! And I have big plans to make that happen… with your help (mostly, your company’s help).
Crowdfunding: PlotJuggler’s future, shaped together
This is the reason why I am launching a crowdfunding campaign, targeted to companies, not individuals.
This worked for me quite well 3 years ago, when I partially financed the development of Groot2, the BehaviorTree.CPP editor. But this time is different: if I reach my goals, 100% of the result will be open source and truly free, forever.
This is my roadmap: PlotJuggler 2026 - Google Slides
- Extension Marketplace — discover and install plugins with one click.
- Connectors to data in the cloud — access your logs wherever they are.
- Connect to your robot from any computer, with or without ROS.
- New data transform editor — who needs Matlab?
- Efficient data storage for “big data”.
- Images and videos (at last?).
- PlotJuggler on the web? I want to believe. You want too.
Contact me at dfaconti@aurynrobotics.com if you want to know more.
Why you should join
- You or your team already uses PlotJuggler. Invest in the tool that saves you debugging hours every week.
- Shape the roadmap. Backers get a voice in prioritizing features that matter to your workflow.
- Public recognition. Your company logo in the documentation and release announcements.
- Be the change you want to see in the open-source world. We all like a good underdog story. Davide VS Goliath (pun intended), open-source vs closed-source (reference intended). Yes, you can make that happen.
FAQ
What if I want another feature?
Contact me and tell me more.
What if I am not interested in all these features, but only 1 or 2?
We will find a way and negotiate a contribution that is proportional to what you care about.
How much should a backer contribute?
I am not giving you an upper limit 
, but use €5,000 as the smallest “quantum”. This is the reason why this is targeted to companies, not individuals.
How will you use that money?
I plan to hire 1-3 full-time employees for 1 year. The more budget I can obtain, the more I can build.
“I think it is great, but I am not in charge of making this decision at my company”
Give me the email of the decision maker I need to bother, and I will do it for you!
