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C3.js

259
161
+ 1
4
D3.js

1.8K
1.7K
+ 1
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Highcharts

1.3K
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+ 1
92

C3.js vs D3.js vs Highcharts: What are the differences?

C3.js, D3.js, and Highcharts are all popular JavaScript libraries used for creating interactive and visually appealing charts and graphs on websites. While they serve the same purpose, there are some key differences between them that make each library unique and suitable for different types of projects.

  1. Programming Paradigm: C3.js and Highcharts both follow a higher-level, declarative programming approach, where you define the desired output and the library handles the underlying implementation details. On the other hand, D3.js is a low-level, imperative library that provides complete control over every aspect of the visualization, making it more suitable for complex and customized visualizations.

  2. Learning Curve: D3.js has a steeper learning curve compared to C3.js and Highcharts. Since D3.js provides lower-level control and more flexibility, it requires a stronger understanding of JavaScript and SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) concepts. C3.js and Highcharts, on the other hand, abstract away much of the complexity, allowing developers to create charts and graphs with less effort.

  3. Community and Documentation: D3.js has a large and active community, which means that finding resources, examples, and support is relatively easier. The community also contributes to the extensive documentation available for D3.js. C3.js and Highcharts also have a decent community support and documentation, but they may not be as comprehensive as D3.js.

  4. Chart Types and Customization: D3.js offers the most extensive range of chart types and customization options among the three libraries. With D3.js, you can create virtually any type of chart or graph and have complete control over its appearance and behavior. C3.js and Highcharts have a wide variety of pre-built chart types and customization options, but they may have some limitations when it comes to complex visualization requirements.

  5. Interactivity and Animation: D3.js provides powerful interactivity and animation capabilities, allowing for smooth transitions and dynamic updates in the visualization. C3.js and Highcharts also offer interactivity and animation features, but they may have slightly fewer options and flexibility compared to D3.js.

  6. License and Pricing: C3.js and D3.js are open-source libraries released under the MIT license, making them free to use for both personal and commercial projects. Highcharts, on the other hand, is a commercial library that offers a free version for non-commercial use, but requires a paid license for commercial projects.

In Summary, C3.js and Highcharts provide a higher-level, declarative approach for creating charts and graphs with less complexity and effort, while D3.js offers a lower-level, imperative approach that provides more control and flexibility at the cost of a steeper learning curve.

Advice on C3.js, D3.js, and Highcharts
Needs advice
on
HighchartsHighchartsChart.jsChart.js
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RechartsRecharts

I have used highcharts and it is pretty awesome for my previous project. now as I am about to start my new project I want to use other charting libraries such as recharts, chart js, Nivo, d3 js.... my upcoming project might use react js as front end and laravel as a backend technology. the project would be of hotel management type. please suggest me the best charts to use

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Replies (1)
Darren Adams
Senior Developer at Burning Glass Technologies · | 2 upvotes · 137K views
Recommends
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HighchartsHighcharts

I've used Highcharts with both Angular Js Reactive applications (render as ReactJs) and also a bit of D3. Personally I found Highcharts to be the easiest to use but, with still quite a good level of customisability if you need it. graphs and charts then give D3 a try.

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Pros of C3.js
Pros of D3.js
Pros of Highcharts
  • 2
    Easy to use
  • 2
    Reusable charts
  • 195
    Beautiful visualizations
  • 103
    Svg
  • 92
    Data-driven
  • 81
    Large set of examples
  • 61
    Data-driven documents
  • 24
    Visualization components
  • 20
    Transitions
  • 18
    Dynamic properties
  • 16
    Plugins
  • 11
    Transformation
  • 7
    Makes data interactive
  • 4
    Open Source
  • 4
    Enter and Exit
  • 4
    Components
  • 3
    Exhaustive
  • 3
    Backed by the new york times
  • 2
    Easy and beautiful
  • 1
    Highly customizable
  • 1
    Awesome Community Support
  • 1
    Simple elegance
  • 1
    Templates, force template
  • 1
    Angular 4
  • 34
    Low learning curve and powerful
  • 17
    Multiple chart types such as pie, bar, line and others
  • 13
    Responsive charts
  • 9
    Handles everything you throw at it
  • 8
    Extremely easy-to-parse documentation
  • 5
    Built-in export chart as-is to image file
  • 5
    Easy to customize color scheme and palettes
  • 1
    Export on server side, can be used in email

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Cons of C3.js
Cons of D3.js
Cons of Highcharts
  • 1
    Dependent on D3.js which is not lightweight
  • 11
    Beginners cant understand at all
  • 6
    Complex syntax
  • 9
    Expensive

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- No public GitHub repository available -
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What is C3.js?

c3 is a D3-based reusable chart library that enables deeper integration of charts into web applications.

What is D3.js?

It is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. Emphasises on web standards gives you the full capabilities of modern browsers without tying yourself to a proprietary framework.

What is Highcharts?

Highcharts currently supports line, spline, area, areaspline, column, bar, pie, scatter, angular gauges, arearange, areasplinerange, columnrange, bubble, box plot, error bars, funnel, waterfall and polar chart types.

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Blog Posts

Sep 8 2017 at 2:54PM

Eventbrite-0

JavaScriptNode.jsReact+7
6
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What are some alternatives to C3.js, D3.js, and Highcharts?
NVD3
This project is an attempt to build re-usable charts and chart components for d3.js without taking away the power that d3.js gives you. This is a very young collection of components, with the goal of keeping these components very customizable, staying away from your standard cookie cutter solutions.
Plotly.js
It is a standalone Javascript data visualization library, and it also powers the Python and R modules named plotly in those respective ecosystems (referred to as Plotly.py and Plotly.R). It can be used to produce dozens of chart types and visualizations, including statistical charts, 3D graphs, scientific charts, SVG and tile maps, financial charts and more.
Chart.js
Visualize your data in 6 different ways. Each of them animated, with a load of customisation options and interactivity extensions.
Matplotlib
It is a Python 2D plotting library which produces publication quality figures in a variety of hardcopy formats and interactive environments across platforms. It can be used in Python scripts, the Python and IPython shells, the Jupyter notebook, web application servers, and four graphical user interface toolkits.
amCharts
amCharts is an advanced charting library that will suit any data visualization need. Our charting solution include Column, Bar, Line, Area, Step, Step without risers, Smoothed line, Candlestick, OHLC, Pie/Donut, Radar/ Polar, XY/Scatter/Bubble, Bullet, Funnel/Pyramid charts as well as Gauges.
See all alternatives