Chart.js vs Vega and Vega-Lite
Chart.js
chartjs.orgVega and Vega-Lite
vega.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Chart.js | Vega and Vega-Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Data Visualization Libraries Software | 8.2 (#7) | 7.7 (#12) |
| Spec score · Data Visualization Software | 8.1 (#40) | 8.3 (#33) |
| Dashboard type | both | interactive |
| Data sources | JavaScript arrays,tuples,objects,data APIs,and Cube | Inline data,URL-loaded data,runtime-bound data; JSON,CSV,TSV,DSV,TopoJSON |
| License | Chart.js is open source under the MIT license and maintained by a community. | The Vega repository identifies its license as BSD-3-Clause. |
| Platform | web | web |
| Rendering | Charts render on HTML5 canvas, which the documentation says performs well for large datasets but does not allow CSS styling of chart elements. | Vega can render interactive browser visualizations or static PNG and SVG images server-side, and its command-line utilities can also render PDF files. |
| Support | The documentation directs users to Discord, GitHub Discussions, and Stack Overflow for community help. | The project directs users to the Vega discussion forum and Slack organization for help and sharing examples. |
Plans
In their own words
Vega and Vega-Lite
Vega and Vega-Lite has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.