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Top 10 JavaScript libraries for visualizing data in graphs and charts

There is something magical in the charts. The curve of the curve instantly reveals the whole situation — the history of an epidemic, panic, or period of prosperity. This line enlightens, evokes the imagination, convinces.
- Henry. D. Hubbard
The amount of data you need to work with is constantly increasing. And the more information, the harder it is to handle. That is why the topic of data visualization has become especially popular now - in the form of graphs, diagrams, dashboards, preferably interactive. The visual presentation of the data allows us, people, to spend less time and effort on their viewing, analysis and reflection, as well as on making the right, informed decisions based on this.

It is unlikely that anyone will deny that in the modern HTML5 web JavaScript is the most universal and simple technology for data visualization. So, if you are engaged in front-end development, then you, most likely, either have already dealt with the creation of JS charts, or come across this in the (near) future.

There are many JavaScript libraries for building graphs and diagrams, each of which (like any other tools) has its own pros and cons. To make your life easier, I decided to tell about those of them that I like most. I think the following ten libraries are the best JS libraries for creating graphs, and they really can help solve almost any problem of data visualization. Let's go through the list together and make sure that they are known to you at least in a basic way and you have not lost sight of any good library that may be useful in current or future large projects.
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The main picture: visualization of data in graphs and charts

Well, let's get started: here are the best JS libraries for data visualization!

amCharts




amCharts is one of the JavaScript libraries useful for those who are looking for a simple and at the same time flexible solution for data visualization.

Main features



Cost of


Proprietary marking with a link in the free version. To remove branding, you need to buy a paid license (from $ 180), plus access to priority support is provided.

Learn more about amCharts



Anychart




AnyChart is a well-developed, lightweight, multifunctional JS library for rendering data with rendering in SVG / VML. Allows web developers to create all sorts of graphs and charts for further decision-making based on them.

Main features



Cost of


The version with watermark is free. To get rid of branding and get the opportunity to use AnyChart in commercial projects, you need to purchase a license (from $ 49).

Learn more about AnyChart



Chart.js




Chart.js is a simple and at the same time quite flexible JavaScript library for data visualization, popular among web designers and developers. It is an excellent basic solution for those who do not need a wide variety of types of graphs and individual settings, but who are enough to make the graphs look neat, clear and informative.

Main features



Cost of


Free open source library (open source). Published under the MIT license.

Learn more about Chart.js



Chartist.js




Chartist.js is a simple open source JS library that can also be used to create neat, adaptive graphs and charts. Generally speaking, it is well suited to those who require only elementary Line, Bar or Pie graphics and do not need much in terms of data visualization. Pleasant appearance, and there is no need for a large number of all sorts of features.

Main features



Cost of


Open-source, free use for any purpose.

Learn more about Chartist.js



D3.js




D3.js is an open-source, powerful JavaScript library for data visualization. It has more than 20 thousand forks on GitHub. In essence, D3 is more like a framework than a library. Working with her is not so easy, especially at first. But there are many useful information resources dedicated to D3. And as a result, using this library, you can create stunning original visualizations and any graphics from scratch, which makes D3 a really worthwhile tool.

Main features



Cost of


D3 is an open-source library for creating graphs and charts, which is absolutely free to use for any purpose.

Learn more about D3.js



Fusioncharts




FusionCharts is another good library for building interactive graphs and charts, with hundreds of ready-made examples. Charts from FusionCharts support data in both JSON and XML. Rendering - via HTML5 / SVG and VML.

Main features



Cost of


Free for non-commercial use. Paid licenses for commercial use (from $ 497).

Learn more about FusionCharts



Google charts




Google Charts is a great choice for those projects where simplicity and stability of charts are preferable to complex, detailed customization settings.

Main features



Cost of


Free license, but source code is not open. It does not allow Google to put JS files on your server, so it may not be suitable for you if you work with confidential data.

Learn more about Google Charts



Highcharts




Highcharts is one of the most versatile and popular JavaScript libraries for building graphs and charts in HTML5, with rendering in SVG (VML). It is lightweight, supports a wide selection of different types of visualizations and provides high performance.

Main features



Cost of


Free for non-commercial use. For commercial use, you must purchase a license (from $ 50).

Learn more about Highcharts



Plotly.js




Plotly.js is a high-level JavaScript library, free and open source. Built on D3.js and WebGL. It can be used to create many different types of data visualization, including, for example, three-dimensional statistical graphs.

Main features



Cost of


Free open source library.

Learn more about Plotly.js



Zingchart




ZingChart is a useful tool for creating interactive and adaptive charts. It is a fast and flexible library that makes it quite easy to work with big data and generate graphs with large amounts of data.

Main features



Cost of


A branded license provides full access to the ZingChart library for free. For commercial use requires a paid license (from $ 199).

Learn more about ZingChart



Conclusion


So, I listed the best JavaScript libraries for building graphs and diagrams, at least those that I consider top. It would be very difficult to compare them all exhaustively, taking into account absolutely all parameters. Each has its pros and cons, and the choice depends largely on the skills of the developer, as well as the specific task.

Of course, there are some features, features that make one library faster, or prettier in terms of design, or more flexible than others. But, in the end, it is not so important which libraries are in the list, because in the end the best is the one that most fully meets your specific requirements within a single task.

My advice is to get acquainted with all these leading libraries at least a little closer: when you need JS charts to visualize data within a project, it is extremely likely that one or several of them will suit you best. If you want to deal with a longer list, pay attention to the comparison in Wikipedia .

If you need to visualize data on interactive maps, where geographic trends, relationships, connections, streams, etc. are of primary importance, read my previous article on the best JavaScript libraries for geovizualizatsii data in the form of maps (on Habré there is its translation into Russian ) .

Have a good day and enjoy the visualization of data using JavaScript!


This is my translation of the article Top JavaScript Charting Libraries for Every Data Visualization Need , published by me earlier on Hacker Noon .

Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/457946/

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