diff --git a/upsetplot/plotting.py b/upsetplot/plotting.py
index 0451215..3249e25 100644
--- a/upsetplot/plotting.py
+++ b/upsetplot/plotting.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ def _process_data(
     max_degree=None,
     reverse=False,
     include_empty_subsets=False,
+    subset_rank_limit=None,
 ):
     results = query(
         df,
@@ -71,6 +72,23 @@ def _process_data(
     if reverse:
         agg = agg[::-1]
 
+    if subset_rank_limit is not None:
+        # Determine whether to take head or tail based on sort_by
+        if sort_by == 'degree':
+            # Assume query returns ascending degree; we want highest degree -> take tail
+            agg_slice = agg.iloc[-subset_rank_limit:]
+            # Compute offset of first kept row
+            start_idx = len(agg) - subset_rank_limit
+        else:
+            agg_slice = agg.iloc[:subset_rank_limit]
+            start_idx = 0
+        agg = agg_slice
+        # Keep rows where _bin falls within kept slice
+        keep_mask = (df["_bin"] >= start_idx) & (df["_bin"] < start_idx + subset_rank_limit)
+        df = df[keep_mask].copy()
+        # Remap _bin to new sequential order
+        df["_bin"] = df["_bin"].map({old: new - start_idx for new, old in enumerate(range(start_idx, start_idx + subset_rank_limit))})
+
     return results.total, df, agg, results.category_totals
 
 
@@ -208,6 +226,13 @@ class UpSet:
         Maximum degree of a subset to be shown in the plot.
 
         .. versionadded:: 0.5
+
+    max_subset_rank : int, optional
+        Maximum number of subsets to be shown in the plot, ordered by
+        ``sort_by``. Only the top ``max_subset_rank`` intersections will
+        be displayed.
+
+        .. versionadded:: 0.12
     facecolor : 'auto' or matplotlib color or float
         Color for bar charts and active dots. Defaults to black if
         axes.facecolor is a light color, otherwise white.
@@ -282,6 +307,7 @@ class UpSet:
         show_counts="",
         show_percentages=False,
         include_empty_subsets=False,
+        max_subset_rank=None,
     ):
         self._horizontal = orientation == "horizontal"
         self._reorient = _identity if self._horizontal else _transpose
@@ -328,6 +354,7 @@ class UpSet:
             max_degree=max_degree,
             reverse=not self._horizontal,
             include_empty_subsets=include_empty_subsets,
+            subset_rank_limit=max_subset_rank,
         )
         self.subset_styles = [
             {"facecolor": facecolor} for i in range(len(self.intersections))