If you’ve worked with Jupyter Notebooks, you’ll love JupyterLab. It’s the next-generation interface for Jupyter, offering more flexibility and power while keeping the simplicity of running code interactively.
Let’s walk through what JupyterLab is, how to install it, and why it’s useful.
🌟 What is JupyterLab?
JupyterLab is an interactive development environment (IDE) for working with notebooks, code, and data. Think of it as Jupyter Notebook on steroids — it provides:
- A tabbed interface (multiple notebooks, terminals, and text editors side by side).
- A built-in file browser for easier navigation.
- Extensions for Git integration, variable inspectors, and visualization dashboards.
- Everything Jupyter Notebook can do… plus more!
That’s why it has become the default experience for many data scientists, researchers, and students.
⚙️ Different Ways to Install JupyterLab
Just like Jupyter Notebook, you have multiple installation options. Pick one that matches your setup.
1. Install with Miniconda (Best for most users)
Lightweight and flexible — installs only what you need.
👉 Follow the step-by-step guide for your operating system to install Miniconda and set up your environment:
- How to Install and Set Up Miniconda and Install Jupytor Notebook Windows
- How to Install and Set Up Miniconda on MacOS
- How to Install and Set Up Miniconda on Linux
Once Miniconda is installed and your environment is ready, install JupyterLab with:
conda install jupyterlab
Then launch it:
jupyter lab
2. Install with Anaconda (Best for beginners)
Anaconda comes with Python, Jupyter Notebook, JupyterLab, and 100+ data science packages pre-installed.
Steps:
- Download Anaconda from https://www.anaconda.com/download
- Open Anaconda Navigator
- Launch JupyterLab directly from Navigator
3. Install with pip (Best if you already have Python)
If you already have Python set up:
pip install jupyterlab
jupyter lab
🔹 First Steps After Installation
- Open a terminal (or Anaconda Navigator if using Anaconda).
- Run:
jupyter lab - Your browser will open at http://localhost:8888/lab.
👉 You’ll see a Launcher page where you can create:
- Python notebooks
- Text files
- Terminals
- Consoles
Try creating a new notebook and run:
print("Hello, JupyterLab!")
Press Shift + Enter to execute.
📝 How JupyterLab is Organized
JupyterLab improves on the classic notebook with:
- Notebook panels: Same code + markdown cells as Jupyter Notebook.
- File browser: Navigate your project files easily.
- Tabs & split views: Work on multiple notebooks, scripts, and terminals side by side.
- Extensions: Add new functionality (debuggers, dashboards, Git integration).
🎨 Why JupyterLab is So Useful
- Unified workspace: Everything (notebooks, terminals, files) in one interface.
- Multi-tasking: Compare data between notebooks or run scripts alongside notes.
- Customizable: Install extensions for visualization, AI tools, or workflow automation.
- Backwards-compatible: All your old
.ipynbnotebooks work perfectly.
🧭 Tips for Beginners
- Use Shift + Enter to run a cell.
- Right-click tabs to split the view horizontally or vertically.
- Drag and drop files in the file browser to organize your workspace.
- Save your session often.
💡 Pro Tip: Use Extensions
JupyterLab supports a rich ecosystem of plugins:
jupyterlab-git→ Version control inside JupyterLab- Variable Inspector → View all active variables
- Plotly or Bokeh plugins → Interactive charts and dashboards
Install extensions with:
jupyter labextension install <extension-name>
📌 Bonus Tip
If you want the newest version of JupyterLab or better support for extensions, you can install from the conda-forge channel instead of the defaults:
conda install -c conda-forge jupyterlab
✅ Conclusion
JupyterLab takes everything great about Jupyter Notebook and upgrades it with a modern, powerful interface. Whether you’re analyzing data, learning Python, or building machine learning projects, JupyterLab is the ideal workspace.
If you’re new, start with Jupyter Notebook. Once comfortable, try JupyterLab — you’ll enjoy a professional, streamlined experience that scales with your skills.