Chart.js vs D3: Simple vs Advanced Data Visualization Tools

Both Chart.js and D3 are popular JavaScript libraries for creating data visualizations like charts and graphs on websites. Chart.js is beginner-friendly and offers pre-built chart types that are easy to set up, perfect for basic visualization needs. D3 is more powerful and flexible, allowing complete control over visualizations, but has a steeper learning curve and requires more coding.

Data Visualization Librarieschartsgraphsdata visualizationJavaScriptinteractive

Detailed Comparison

Technical Analysis

featureComparison

Chart.js is a lightweight charting library that provides a simple way to create charts, while d3.js is a powerful data visualization library that provides a wide range of features for creating complex and interactive visualizations.

typescriptSupport

Both chart.js and d3.js have TypeScript definitions, but chart.js has better TypeScript support with more comprehensive type definitions.

browserCompatibility

Both libraries are compatible with modern browsers, but chart.js has better support for older browsers.

dependencies

Chart.js has no dependencies, while d3.js has several dependencies, including d3-array, d3-axis, and d3-color.

performance

Chart.js is generally faster and more lightweight than d3.js, but d3.js provides more advanced features and customization options.

Ecosystem Analysis

frameworkCompatibility

Both libraries are compatible with popular frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue.js.

communityActivity

d3.js has a more active community with more contributors and a longer history, while chart.js has a smaller but still active community.

documentationQuality

Both libraries have good documentation, but d3.js has more comprehensive and detailed documentation.

maintenanceStatus

Both libraries are actively maintained, but d3.js has a more frequent release cycle.

Performance Comparison

bundleSizeAnalysis

Chart.js has a significantly smaller bundle size than d3.js, making it a better choice for smaller applications.

runtimePerformance

Chart.js is generally faster than d3.js, especially for smaller datasets.

loadingTime

Chart.js has a faster loading time than d3.js due to its smaller bundle size.

memoryUsage

Chart.js uses less memory than d3.js, especially for larger datasets.

Code Examples

Simple Line Chart with Chart.js

1const ctx = document.getElementById('chart').getContext('2d');
2new Chart(ctx, {
3  type: 'line',
4  data: {
5    labels: ['January', 'February', 'March'],
6    datasets: [{
7      label: 'My Dataset',
8      data: [10, 20, 30],
9      backgroundColor: 'rgba(255, 99, 132, 0.2)',
10      borderColor: 'rgba(255, 99, 132, 1)',
11      borderWidth: 1
12    }]
13  }
14});

This code creates a simple line chart with Chart.js, using a canvas element and a dataset with three data points.

Simple Bar Chart with d3.js

1const margin = {top: 20, right: 20, bottom: 30, left: 40};
2const width = 500 - margin.left - margin.right;
3const height = 300 - margin.top - margin.bottom;
4const xScale = d3.scaleBand().domain(['A', 'B', 'C']).range([0, width]).padding(0.2);
5const yScale = d3.scaleLinear().domain([0, 10]).range([height, 0]);
6const g = d3.select('body').append('svg').attr('width', width + margin.left + margin.right).attr('height', height + margin.top + margin.bottom).append('g').attr('transform', 'translate(' + margin.left + ',' + margin.top + ')');
7g.selectAll('rect').data([10, 20, 30]).enter().append('rect').attr('x', function(d, i) { return xScale(i); }).attr('y', function(d) { return height - yScale(d); }).attr('width', xScale.bandwidth()).attr('height', function(d) { return yScale(d); });

This code creates a simple bar chart with d3.js, using a SVG element and a dataset with three data points.

Recommendation

Summary

Chart.js is a better choice for simple charting needs, while d3.js is better suited for complex and interactive visualizations.

Details

Chart.js is easier to learn and use, especially for developers without prior experience with data visualization.
d3.js provides more advanced features and customization options, but requires more expertise and effort to use effectively.

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Perfect for developers who want Chart.js-like simplicity but with more modern features and better animations. It has excellent documentation and is easier to customize than Chart.js.

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A premium-quality charting library with support for many chart types. While it requires a license for commercial use, it's one of the most reliable and feature-rich options available.

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A powerful charting library from Apache that works great with big datasets. Includes many chart types and has good performance even with lots of data.

Good choice when you need to handle large amounts of data or want charts that work well on mobile devices. Offers more chart types than Chart.js but has a slightly steeper learning curve.

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A visualization grammar that lets you create custom charts using a JSON format. It's like D3 but with a more declarative approach to creating visualizations.

Good alternative to D3 when you want to create custom visualizations but prefer writing declarative specifications instead of imperative code. Built on top of D3 but much easier to use.

Data Visualization

victory

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A collection of React components for building interactive data visualizations. Made specifically for React applications with an easy-to-understand component structure.

Great D3 alternative for React developers who want to create charts without dealing with D3's complexity. Uses D3 under the hood but with a much simpler React-based API.

Data Visualization

<a href="https://www.chartjs.org/" target="_blank"> <img src="https://www.chartjs.org/media/logo-title.svg" alt="https://www.chartjs.org/"> </a> Simple yet flexible JavaScript charting for designers & developers <a href="https://www.chartjs.org/docs/latest/getting-started/installation.html"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/release/chartjs/Chart.js.svg?style=flat-square&maxAge=600" alt="Downloads"></a> <a href="https://github.com/chartjs/Chart.js/actions?query=workflow%3ACI+branch%3Amaster"><img alt="GitHub Workflow Status" src="https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/chartjs/Chart.js/ci.yml?branch=master&style=flat-square"></a> <a href="https://coveralls.io/github/chartjs/Chart.js?branch=master"><img src="https://img.shields.io/coveralls/chartjs/Chart.js.svg?style=flat-square&maxAge=600" alt="Coverage"></a> <a href="https://github.com/chartjs/awesome"><img src="https://awesome.re/badge-flat2.svg" alt="Awesome"></a> <a href="https://discord.gg/HxEguTK6av"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/discord-chartjs-blue?style=flat-square&maxAge=3600" alt="Discord"></a>

Documentation

All the links point to the new version 4 of the lib.

In case you are looking for an older version of the docs, you will have to specify the specific version in the url like this: https://www.chartjs.org/docs/2.9.4/

Contributing

Instructions on building and testing Chart.js can be found in the documentation. Before submitting an issue or a pull request, please take a moment to look over the contributing guidelines first. For support, please post questions on Stack Overflow with the chart.js tag.

License

Chart.js is available under the MIT license.

Chart.js vs D3: Simple vs Advanced Data Visualization Tools

Data Visualization Librarieschartsgraphsdata visualizationJavaScriptinteractive

	Stars	Issues	Version	UpdatedⓘLast publish date	CreatedⓘPackage creation date	SizeⓘMinified + Gzipped size
C chart.js	0	0	N/A	N/A	N/A	install size N/A
D d3	110,909	20	7.9.0	a month ago	14 years ago	install size 90.7 KB

Stars

Issues

Version

UpdatedⓘLast publish date

CreatedⓘPackage creation date

SizeⓘMinified + Gzipped size

chart.js

N/A

install size N/A

110,909

7.9.0

a month ago

14 years ago

install size 90.7 KB

Detailed Comparison

Technical Analysis

featureComparison

typescriptSupport

Both chart.js and d3.js have TypeScript definitions, but chart.js has better TypeScript support with more comprehensive type definitions.

browserCompatibility

Both libraries are compatible with modern browsers, but chart.js has better support for older browsers.

dependencies

Chart.js has no dependencies, while d3.js has several dependencies, including d3-array, d3-axis, and d3-color.

performance

Chart.js is generally faster and more lightweight than d3.js, but d3.js provides more advanced features and customization options.

Ecosystem Analysis

frameworkCompatibility

Both libraries are compatible with popular frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue.js.

communityActivity

d3.js has a more active community with more contributors and a longer history, while chart.js has a smaller but still active community.

documentationQuality

Both libraries have good documentation, but d3.js has more comprehensive and detailed documentation.

maintenanceStatus

Both libraries are actively maintained, but d3.js has a more frequent release cycle.

Performance Comparison

bundleSizeAnalysis

Chart.js has a significantly smaller bundle size than d3.js, making it a better choice for smaller applications.

runtimePerformance

Chart.js is generally faster than d3.js, especially for smaller datasets.

loadingTime

Chart.js has a faster loading time than d3.js due to its smaller bundle size.

memoryUsage

Chart.js uses less memory than d3.js, especially for larger datasets.

Code Examples

Simple Line Chart with Chart.js

1const ctx = document.getElementById('chart').getContext('2d');
2new Chart(ctx, {
3  type: 'line',
4  data: {
5    labels: ['January', 'February', 'March'],
6    datasets: [{
7      label: 'My Dataset',
8      data: [10, 20, 30],
9      backgroundColor: 'rgba(255, 99, 132, 0.2)',
10      borderColor: 'rgba(255, 99, 132, 1)',
11      borderWidth: 1
12    }]
13  }
14});

This code creates a simple line chart with Chart.js, using a canvas element and a dataset with three data points.

Simple Bar Chart with d3.js

1const margin = {top: 20, right: 20, bottom: 30, left: 40};
2const width = 500 - margin.left - margin.right;
3const height = 300 - margin.top - margin.bottom;
4const xScale = d3.scaleBand().domain(['A', 'B', 'C']).range([0, width]).padding(0.2);
5const yScale = d3.scaleLinear().domain([0, 10]).range([height, 0]);
6const g = d3.select('body').append('svg').attr('width', width + margin.left + margin.right).attr('height', height + margin.top + margin.bottom).append('g').attr('transform', 'translate(' + margin.left + ',' + margin.top + ')');
7g.selectAll('rect').data([10, 20, 30]).enter().append('rect').attr('x', function(d, i) { return xScale(i); }).attr('y', function(d) { return height - yScale(d); }).attr('width', xScale.bandwidth()).attr('height', function(d) { return yScale(d); });

This code creates a simple bar chart with d3.js, using a SVG element and a dataset with three data points.

Recommendation

Summary

Chart.js is a better choice for simple charting needs, while d3.js is better suited for complex and interactive visualizations.

Details

Chart.js is easier to learn and use, especially for developers without prior experience with data visualization.
d3.js provides more advanced features and customization options, but requires more expertise and effort to use effectively.

Similar Packages

apexcharts

90%

A modern charting library that helps create interactive charts and graphs. It has a simple API and works great with React, Vue, and vanilla JavaScript.

Perfect for developers who want Chart.js-like simplicity but with more modern features and better animations. It has excellent documentation and is easier to customize than Chart.js.

Charting Library

highcharts

80%

A premium-quality charting library with support for many chart types. While it requires a license for commercial use, it's one of the most reliable and feature-rich options available.

Great alternative when you need enterprise-level charts with excellent browser support and regular updates. Has more features than Chart.js but is just as easy to use.

Charting Library

echarts

80%

A powerful charting library from Apache that works great with big datasets. Includes many chart types and has good performance even with lots of data.

Good choice when you need to handle large amounts of data or want charts that work well on mobile devices. Offers more chart types than Chart.js but has a slightly steeper learning curve.

Charting Library

vega

80%

A visualization grammar that lets you create custom charts using a JSON format. It's like D3 but with a more declarative approach to creating visualizations.

Good alternative to D3 when you want to create custom visualizations but prefer writing declarative specifications instead of imperative code. Built on top of D3 but much easier to use.

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A collection of React components for building interactive data visualizations. Made specifically for React applications with an easy-to-understand component structure.

Great D3 alternative for React developers who want to create charts without dealing with D3's complexity. Uses D3 under the hood but with a much simpler React-based API.

Data Visualization

Dependencies Comparison

chart.js

Dependencies

@kurkle/color^0.3.0

Dev Dependencies

@rollup/plugin-commonjs^23.0.2

@rollup/plugin-inject^5.0.2

@rollup/plugin-json^5.0.1

@rollup/plugin-node-resolve^15.0.1

@swc/core^1.3.18

@types/estree^1.0.0

@types/offscreencanvas^2019.7.0

@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin^5.32.0

@typescript-eslint/parser^5.32.0

chartjs-adapter-luxon^1.2.0

chartjs-adapter-moment^1.0.0

chartjs-test-utils^0.4.0

concurrently^7.3.0

coveralls^3.1.1

cross-env^7.0.3

eslint^8.21.0

eslint-config-chartjs^0.3.0

eslint-plugin-es^4.1.0

eslint-plugin-html^7.1.0

eslint-plugin-markdown^3.0.0

esm^3.2.25

glob^8.0.3

jasmine^3.7.0

jasmine-core^3.7.1

karma^6.3.2

karma-chrome-launcher^3.1.0

karma-coverage^2.0.3

karma-edge-launcher^0.4.2

karma-firefox-launcher^2.1.0

karma-jasmine^4.0.1

karma-jasmine-html-reporter^1.5.4

karma-rollup-preprocessor7.0.7

karma-safari-private-launcher^1.0.0

karma-spec-reporter0.0.32

luxon^3.0.1

moment^2.29.4

moment-timezone^0.5.34

pixelmatch^5.3.0

rollup^3.3.0

rollup-plugin-cleanup^3.2.1

rollup-plugin-istanbul^4.0.0

rollup-plugin-swc3^0.7.0

rollup-plugin-terser^7.0.2

typescript^4.7.4

yargs^17.5.1

Peer Dependencies

d3

Dependencies

d3-dsv3

d3-geo3

d3-axis3

d3-drag3

d3-ease3

d3-path3

d3-time3

d3-zoom3

d3-array3

d3-brush3

d3-chord3

d3-color3

d3-fetch3

d3-force3

d3-scale4

d3-shape3

d3-timer3

d3-format3

d3-random3

d3-contour4

d3-polygon3

d3-delaunay6

d3-dispatch3

d3-quadtree3

d3-hierarchy3

d3-selection3

d3-transition3

d3-interpolate3

d3-time-format4

d3-scale-chromatic3

Dev Dependencies

mocha10

eslint8

rollup3

vitepress^1.0.0-beta.2

topojson-client^3.1.0

@observablehq/plot^0.6.7

@rollup/plugin-json6

@observablehq/runtime^5.7.3

@rollup/plugin-terser^0.4.0

@rollup/plugin-node-resolve15

Chart.js vs D3: Simple vs Advanced Data Visualization Tools

Detailed Comparison

Technical Analysis

featureComparison

typescriptSupport

browserCompatibility

dependencies

performance

Ecosystem Analysis

frameworkCompatibility

communityActivity

documentationQuality

maintenanceStatus

Performance Comparison

bundleSizeAnalysis

runtimePerformance

loadingTime

memoryUsage

Code Examples

Simple Line Chart with Chart.js

Simple Bar Chart with d3.js

Recommendation

Summary

Details

Similar Packages

apexcharts

highcharts

echarts

vega

victory

Documentation

Contributing

License

D3: Data-Driven Documents

Resources

Chart.js vs D3: Simple vs Advanced Data Visualization Tools

Detailed Comparison

Technical Analysis

featureComparison

typescriptSupport

browserCompatibility

dependencies

performance

Ecosystem Analysis

frameworkCompatibility

communityActivity

documentationQuality

maintenanceStatus

Performance Comparison

bundleSizeAnalysis

runtimePerformance

loadingTime

memoryUsage

Code Examples

Simple Line Chart with Chart.js

Simple Bar Chart with d3.js

Recommendation

Summary

Details

Who's Using These Packages

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web-tech-experiments

Similar Packages

apexcharts

highcharts

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victory

Dependencies Comparison

chart.js

Dependencies