Chart.js vs Plotly.js
A data-driven comparison of two JavaScript charting libraries: popularity, development activity, licensing and installation. Updated .
Key differences
- Chart.js has 3.7× as many GitHub stars as Plotly.js (67.7K vs 18.4K).
- Plotly.js had more development activity over the last 12 months: 1,549 commits vs 21.
- Chart.js is downloaded 18× as often on npm (15.7M vs 873K per week).
- Both are released under the MIT license.
- Chart.js is the older project: its repository was created in 2013, Plotly.js's in 2015.
By the numbers
- Chart.js
- Plotly.js
Show data as a table
| Metric | Chart.js | Plotly.js |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 67,733 | 18,355 |
| npm downloads / week | 15,670,895 | 873,003 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 21 | 1,549 |
| Contributors | 426 | 263 |
| Forks | 11,947 | 2,044 |
Development activity
Commits per month to each default branch, last 12 complete months.
- Chart.js
- Plotly.js
Show data as a table
| Month | Chart.js | Plotly.js |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 6 | 137 |
| Nov 2025 | 3 | 64 |
| Dec 2025 | 0 | 58 |
| Jan 2026 | 0 | 78 |
| Feb 2026 | 0 | 55 |
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 37 |
| Apr 2026 | 1 | 122 |
| May 2026 | 1 | 139 |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 335 |
| Jul 2026 | 0 | 255 |
| Aug 2026 | 0 | 148 |
| Sep 2026 | 10 | 121 |
Side by side
| Attribute | Chart.js | Plotly.js |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Charts with the canvas tag. | Powerful declarative library with support for 20 chart types. |
| Category | JavaScript charting libraries | JavaScript charting libraries |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Status | Active | Active |
| Latest release | v4.5.1 () | v4.1.1 () |
| Last commit | ||
| Repository created | ||
| Open issues | 499 | 728 |
| Install | npm install chart.js | npm install plotly.js |
Which should you choose?
Popularity and activity are only part of the story. Consider which ecosystem you work in, the chart types and interactions you need, how much data you render, and whether the license fits your project. Both tool pages list alternatives if neither is quite right.