# D3.js vs Plotly.js

## Key differences

- D3.js has 6.2× as many GitHub stars as Plotly.js (113.8K vs 18.4K).
- Plotly.js had more development activity over the last 12 months: 1,549 commits vs 2.
- D3.js is downloaded 29× as often on npm (25.7M vs 873K per week).
- D3.js is licensed under ISC; Plotly.js under MIT.
- D3.js is the older project: its repository was created in 2010, Plotly.js's in 2015.

| | D3.js | Plotly.js |
|---|---|---|
| Description | JavaScript library for producing dynamic, data-driven visualizations with SVG, Canvas and HTML. | Powerful declarative library with support for 20 chart types. |
| GitHub stars | 113,802 | 18,355 |
| Commits (12 months) | 2 | 1,549 |
| Contributors | 136 | 263 |
| License | ISC | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Status | Maintained | Active |
| Install | `npm install d3` | `npm install plotly.js` |

Source: https://awesomedataviz.com/compare/d3-vs-plotly-js/ · Data updated 2026-10-04 · Content: CC BY 4.0, Awesome Dataviz (https://awesomedataviz.com).