AwesomeDataviz

Lightweight Charts vs TradeCanvas

A data-driven comparison of two JavaScript financial charting libraries: popularity, development activity, licensing and installation. Updated .

Lightweight Charts

Performant HTML5 canvas financial charts, from TradingView.

TradeCanvas

Financial charts with indicators, drawing tools and live feeds, drawn with Canvas 2D or WebGL.

Key differences

  • Lightweight Charts has 794× as many GitHub stars as TradeCanvas (17.5K vs 22).
  • Lightweight Charts had more development activity over the last 12 months: 331 commits vs 188.
  • Lightweight Charts is licensed under Apache-2.0; TradeCanvas under MIT.
  • Lightweight Charts is the older project: its repository was created in 2019, TradeCanvas's in 2026.

By the numbers

  • Lightweight Charts
  • TradeCanvas
GitHub stars
17.5K 22
Commits, last 12 months
331 188
Contributors
58 2
Forks
2.6K 3
Show data as a table
MetricLightweight ChartsTradeCanvas
GitHub stars17,47622
Commits, last 12 months331188
Contributors582
Forks2,6323

Development activity

Commits per month to each default branch, last 12 complete months.

  • Lightweight Charts
  • TradeCanvas
0100200300 Oct 2025 Nov Dec Jan 2026 Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug SepLightweight…TradeCanvas
0100200300 Oct 2025 Jan 2026 Apr Jul Lightweight…TradeCanvas
Show data as a table
MonthLightweight ChartsTradeCanvas
Oct 2025130
Nov 202580
Dec 2025170
Jan 202680
Feb 2026160
Mar 202620
Apr 20262165
May 20261212
Jun 20261386
Jul 202666
Aug 20261119
Sep 20262040

Side by side

Lightweight ChartsTradeCanvas
DescriptionPerformant HTML5 canvas financial charts, from TradingView.Financial charts with indicators, drawing tools and live feeds, drawn with Canvas 2D or WebGL.
CategoryJavaScript financial charting librariesJavaScript financial charting libraries
LicenseApache-2.0MIT
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScript
StatusActiveActive
Latest releasev5.2.1 ()@tradecanvas/core@1.12.0 ()
Last commit
Repository created
Open issues1120
Install
npm install lightweight-charts
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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.

  • Lightweight Charts

    Performant HTML5 canvas financial charts, from TradingView.

    17.5K starsTypeScriptApache-2.0

  • TradeCanvas

    Financial charts with indicators, drawing tools and live feeds, drawn with Canvas 2D or WebGL.

    22 starsTypeScriptMIT

More comparisons