JFreeChart vs XChart
A data-driven comparison of two Java, Kotlin & Scala visualization libraries: popularity, development activity, licensing and installation. Updated .
JFreeChart2D chart library for Java applications using Swing, JavaFX or server-side rendering.
XChartLightweight Java library for plotting data.
Key differences
- XChart and JFreeChart have a similar number of GitHub stars (1.6K vs 1.4K).
- XChart had more development activity over the last 12 months: 307 commits vs 0.
- JFreeChart is licensed under LGPL-2.1; XChart under Apache-2.0.
- XChart is the older project: its repository was created in 2011, JFreeChart's in 2016.
- JFreeChart has had no commits since Jun 7, 2025.
By the numbers
- JFreeChart
- XChart
Show data as a table
| Metric | JFreeChart | XChart |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 1,391 | 1,596 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 0 | 307 |
| Contributors | 30 | 60 |
| Forks | 672 | 398 |
Development activity
Commits per month to each default branch, last 12 complete months.
- JFreeChart
- XChart
Show data as a table
| Month | JFreeChart | XChart |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 0 | 11 |
| Nov 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| May 2026 | 0 | 145 |
| Jun 2026 | 0 | 54 |
| Jul 2026 | 0 | 97 |
| Aug 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep 2026 | 0 | 0 |
Side by side
| Attribute | JFreeChart | XChart |
|---|---|---|
| Description | 2D chart library for Java applications using Swing, JavaFX or server-side rendering. | Lightweight Java library for plotting data. |
| Category | Java, Kotlin & Scala visualization libraries | Java, Kotlin & Scala visualization libraries |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Java |
| Status | Inactive | Active |
| Latest release | v1.5.6 () | – |
| Last commit | ||
| Repository created | ||
| Open issues | 126 | 48 |
| Install | implementation("org.jfree:jfreechart:1.5.5") | implementation("org.knowm.xchart:xchart:3.8.8") |
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.
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JFreeChart
2D chart library for Java applications using Swing, JavaFX or server-side rendering.
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XChart
Lightweight Java library for plotting data.