Code librarySample
D3.js
Mike Bostock and contributors
A low-level JavaScript toolkit that binds data to web graphics. Not a chart library as such, but the foundation of many, including several charts on this site.
Scores
Out of 5. The tick marks the average for code libraries in the library.
- Ease of use
- 1
- Visual control
- 5
- Interactivity
- 5
- Sharing
- 3
- Governance
- 1
- Low cost
- 5
- Data scale
- 2
Strengths
- Any visual form you can imagine
- Fine-grained animation and interaction
- Built on web standards: SVG, Canvas and HTML
Limitations
- A steep learning curve
- Every chart is assembled from scratch
- Needs web development skills and time
Best for
- Bespoke, editorial and data journalism graphics
- Custom chart components
Other code libraries
Matplotlib
Open-source community (NumFOCUS)
The foundational Python plotting library: low-level control over every element of a figure, for static, publication-quality output.
Open sourcePython

seaborn
Open-source community
A statistical plotting library on top of Matplotlib: one call for distributions, regressions and grouped comparisons from a pandas DataFrame.
Open sourcePython
Plotly
Plotly
Interactive, web-based charts from Python, R or JavaScript, with Dash for turning them into complete analytical apps.
Open sourcePythonR