diff --git a/docs/source/how_to/how_to_change_plotting_backend.ipynb b/docs/source/how_to/how_to_change_plotting_backend.ipynb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0e04d2cf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/source/how_to/how_to_change_plotting_backend.ipynb
@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+{
+ "cells": [
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "0",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "# How to change the plotting backend"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "1",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "optimagic supports various visualization libraries as plotting backends, which can be\n",
+    "selected using the `backend` argument."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "2",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "::::{tab-set}\n",
+    "\n",
+    ":::{tab-item} Plotly\n",
+    "\n",
+    "The default plotting library. To select the Plotly backend explicitly, set `backend=\"plotly\"`.\n",
+    "\n",
+    "The returned figure object is a [`plotly.graph_objects.Figure`](https://plotly.com/python-api-reference/generated/plotly.graph_objects.Figure.html).\n",
+    "\n",
+    ":::\n",
+    "\n",
+    ":::{tab-item} Matplotlib\n",
+    "\n",
+    "To select the Matplotlib backend, set `backend=\"matplotlib\"`.\n",
+    "\n",
+    "The returned figure object is a [`matplotlib.axes.Axes`](https://matplotlib.org/stable/api/_as_gen/matplotlib.axes.Axes.html).\n",
+    "\n",
+    ":::\n",
+    "\n",
+    "::::"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "3",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "In the following guide, we showcase the criterion plot visualized using different\n",
+    "backends."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "4",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "import numpy as np\n",
+    "\n",
+    "import optimagic as om\n",
+    "\n",
+    "\n",
+    "def sphere(x):\n",
+    "    return x @ x\n",
+    "\n",
+    "\n",
+    "results = {}\n",
+    "for algo in [\"scipy_lbfgsb\", \"scipy_neldermead\"]:\n",
+    "    results[algo] = om.minimize(sphere, params=np.arange(5), algorithm=algo)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "5",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "## Plotly"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "6",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    ":::{note}\n",
+    "\n",
+    "**Choose the Plotly renderer according to your environment:**\n",
+    "\n",
+    "- Use `plotly.io.renderers.default = \"notebook_connected\"` in Jupyter notebooks for interactive plots.\n",
+    "- Use `plotly.io.renderers.default = \"browser\"` to open plots in your default web browser when running as a script.\n",
+    "\n",
+    "Refer to the [Plotly documentation](https://plotly.com/python/renderers/) for more details.\n",
+    "\n",
+    ":::"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "7",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "import plotly.io as pio\n",
+    "\n",
+    "pio.renderers.default = \"notebook_connected\"\n",
+    "\n",
+    "fig = om.criterion_plot(results, backend=\"plotly\")  # Also the default\n",
+    "fig.show()"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "8",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "## Matplotlib"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": null,
+   "id": "9",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "ax = om.criterion_plot(results, backend=\"matplotlib\")"
+   ]
+  }
+ ],
+ "metadata": {
+  "kernelspec": {
+   "display_name": "Python 3",
+   "language": "python",
+   "name": "python3"
+  },
+  "language_info": {
+   "codemirror_mode": {
+    "name": "ipython",
+    "version": 3
+   },
+   "file_extension": ".py",
+   "mimetype": "text/x-python",
+   "name": "python",
+   "nbconvert_exporter": "python",
+   "pygments_lexer": "ipython3",
+   "version": "3.10.18"
+  }
+ },
+ "nbformat": 4,
+ "nbformat_minor": 5
+}
diff --git a/docs/source/how_to/how_to_visualize_histories.ipynb b/docs/source/how_to/how_to_visualize_histories.ipynb
index 144a35dbf..e25d2a367 100644
--- a/docs/source/how_to/how_to_visualize_histories.ipynb
+++ b/docs/source/how_to/how_to_visualize_histories.ipynb
@@ -77,6 +77,18 @@
    "cell_type": "markdown",
    "id": "6",
    "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    ":::{note}\n",
+    "\n",
+    "For details on using other plotting backends, see [How to change the plotting backend](how_to_change_plotting_backend.ipynb).\n",
+    "\n",
+    ":::"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "id": "7",
+   "metadata": {},
    "source": [
     "## Compare two optimizations in a criterion plot"
    ]
@@ -84,7 +96,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "id": "7",
+   "id": "8",
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
@@ -94,16 +106,16 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "markdown",
-   "id": "8",
+   "id": "9",
    "metadata": {},
    "source": [
-    "## Use some advanced options of criterion_plot"
+    "## Use some advanced options of criterion plot"
    ]
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "id": "9",
+   "id": "10",
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
@@ -119,7 +131,7 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "markdown",
-   "id": "10",
+   "id": "11",
    "metadata": {},
    "source": [
     "## Make a params plot"
@@ -128,7 +140,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "id": "11",
+   "id": "12",
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
@@ -138,7 +150,7 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "markdown",
-   "id": "12",
+   "id": "13",
    "metadata": {},
    "source": [
     "## Use advanced options of params plot"
@@ -147,7 +159,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "id": "13",
+   "id": "14",
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
@@ -163,16 +175,16 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "markdown",
-   "id": "14",
+   "id": "15",
    "metadata": {},
    "source": [
-    "## criterion_plot with multistart optimization"
+    "## Criterion plot with multistart optimization"
    ]
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "id": "15",
+   "id": "16",
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
@@ -192,7 +204,7 @@
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
    "execution_count": null,
-   "id": "16",
+   "id": "17",
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [],
    "source": [
@@ -203,7 +215,7 @@
  ],
  "metadata": {
   "kernelspec": {
-   "display_name": "Python 3 (ipykernel)",
+   "display_name": "Python 3",
    "language": "python",
    "name": "python3"
   },
@@ -217,7 +229,7 @@
    "name": "python",
    "nbconvert_exporter": "python",
    "pygments_lexer": "ipython3",
-   "version": "3.10.14"
+   "version": "3.10.17"
   }
  },
  "nbformat": 4,
diff --git a/docs/source/how_to/index.md b/docs/source/how_to/index.md
index 911762e43..b8fbe8bbf 100644
--- a/docs/source/how_to/index.md
+++ b/docs/source/how_to/index.md
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ how_to_constraints
 how_to_globalization
 how_to_multistart
 how_to_visualize_histories
+how_to_change_plotting_backend
 how_to_scaling
 how_to_logging
 how_to_errors_during_optimization
diff --git a/src/optimagic/visualization/backends.py b/src/optimagic/visualization/backends.py
index 541a39b30..402e1768e 100644
--- a/src/optimagic/visualization/backends.py
+++ b/src/optimagic/visualization/backends.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from typing import Any, Literal, Protocol, runtime_checkable
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any, Literal, Protocol, runtime_checkable
 
 import plotly.graph_objects as go
 
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 from optimagic.exceptions import InvalidPlottingBackendError, NotInstalledError
 from optimagic.visualization.plotting_utilities import LineData
 
-if IS_MATPLOTLIB_INSTALLED:
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
     import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 
 
@@ -79,6 +79,16 @@ def _line_plot_matplotlib(
     width: int | None,
     legend_properties: dict[str, Any] | None,
 ) -> "plt.Axes":
+    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+
+    # In interactive environments (like Jupyter), explicitly enable matplotlib's
+    # interactive mode. If it is not enabled, matplotlib's context manager will
+    # revert to non-interactive mode after creating the first figure, causing
+    # subsequent figures to not display inline.
+    # See: https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/issues/26716
+    if plt.get_backend() == "module://matplotlib_inline.backend_inline":
+        plt.ion()
+
     if template is None:
         template = "default"