CanvasJS vs Plotly
CanvasJS
canvasjs.comPlotly
plotly.comSide by side
| Figure | CanvasJS | Plotly |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $299/mo | $24.17/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 20 | 5 |
| Spec score · Data Visualization Software | 8.8 (#15) | 9.0 (#8) |
| Dashboard type | interactive | interactive |
| Data sources | JavaScript arrays,CSV files,JSON data,AJAX endpoints,and application/server-side data | Snowflake,Databricks,BigQuery,PostgreSQL,MySQL,SQL Server,MotherDuck,Oracle,CSV,and anything Python can connect to |
| Embedded dashboards | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Platform | web_and_desktop | web_and_desktop |
| Scheduled refresh | Yes | Yes |
Plans
CanvasJS
- Chart Website$299 a month
- Chart Website with Priority Support$399 a month
- Chart Single Developer$399 a month
- Chart Single Developer with Priority Support$499 a month
- Chart Team LicensePrice not published
- Chart Team License with Priority SupportPrice not published
- Chart Unlimited Developer$1,999 a month
- Chart Unlimited Developer with Priority Support$3,999 a month
- StockChart Website$499 a month
- Website$299, paid once
Plotly
- FreeFree
- Pro$29 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
- Pro Monthly$29 a month
- Pro Annual$290 a year
In their own words
CanvasJS
CanvasJS is an HTML5 and JavaScript charting library for interactive data visualizations and dashboards. It offers more than 30 chart types, including line, bar, pie, scatter, candlestick, and stock charts. Data can come from JavaScript arrays, CSV files, JSON, AJAX endpoints, or application and server-side sources. Charts support real-time updates, zooming, panning, animation, image export, localization, and synchronization; dashboards can be embedded and refreshed on a schedule. CanvasJS says it can render 100,000 data points in a few hundred milliseconds. Developers can install it through NPM or add the maker’s CDN-hosted JavaScript files to a page. Integration packages or samples cover JavaScript frameworks and libraries as well as PHP, Python, ASP.NET MVC, JSP, and Spring MVC. Commercial licenses are perpetual and priced by developer count, with one year of upgrades and bug fixes. The listed Website plan is $299 as a one-time purchase for one developer and one non-SaaS website. Free licenses are offered for personal non-commercial projects, nonprofits, and students, with a watermark and credit link required.
Plotly
Plotly provides tools for interactive dashboards, data applications, and charts, spanning open-source libraries, hosted services, and self-hosted platforms. Its graphing libraries support Python and JavaScript and offer more than 70 chart types. Dashboards support scheduled refresh and embedding, with connections to Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MotherDuck, Oracle, CSV, and sources accessible through Python. Plotly Studio runs locally as a desktop app and can deploy to Plotly Cloud; Dash Enterprise can be self-hosted or run on premises. The Free plan includes one creator seat, one Dash or Plotly Studio app, three private viewers, and 10 trial credits, with no credit card required. It does not permit inviting other Creators or Viewers. Pro is $29 a month per Creator seat, with 30 monthly credits, 10 private viewers, and unlimited apps. Credit-powered features stop when credits run out, but published apps continue running. Subscriptions can be canceled without fees or penalties.