Plotly vs ggplot2

Overview

Plotly.js

Stacks399

Followers694

Votes69

GitHub Stars17.9K

Forks1.9K

ggplot2

Stacks125

Followers70

Votes0

GitHub Stars6.8K

Forks2.1K

Plotly vs ggplot2: What are the differences?

Differences Between Plotly and ggplot2

Plotly and ggplot2 are both popular data visualization libraries, but there are several key differences between the two.

Syntax and Language: Plotly is primarily a web-based tool that uses JavaScript and D3.js for rendering charts, while ggplot2 is a package in R that uses a grammar of graphics to create visualizations. This difference in language and syntax affects the way charts are coded and customized.
Interactivity: Plotly offers built-in interactivity and allows users to create interactive visualizations with features such as zooming, panning, and hover effects. ggplot2, on the other hand, focuses more on static visualizations and does not have the same level of interactivity.
Support for Web Development: Plotly is designed with web applications in mind and provides APIs and tools for embedding charts into web pages and applications. ggplot2, being an R package, is more suitable for statistical analysis and data exploration within the R ecosystem.
Chart Types and Options: Plotly provides a wider range of chart types and more customization options compared to ggplot2. Plotly supports 3D plots, heatmaps, contour plots, and more, whereas ggplot2 offers a more limited set of chart types.
Collaboration and Sharing: Plotly offers cloud-based services that allow for easy collaboration and sharing of visualizations. Multiple users can work on the same project, and charts can be shared and embedded in websites or applications. ggplot2 does not have built-in collaborative features like Plotly.
Platform Compatibility: Plotly is compatible with multiple programming languages, including Python, R, and Julia. It can be used in various environments and integrated with different frameworks. ggplot2, being an R package, is primarily used within the R environment.

In summary, Plotly is a web-based visualization tool that offers interactivity, extensive customization options, collaboration features, and compatibility with multiple programming languages. ggplot2, on the other hand, is a graphics package in R that focuses on static visualizations and is more suitable for statistical analysis within the R ecosystem.

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CLI (Node.js)

Manual

Detailed Comparison

Plotly.js	ggplot2
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.	It is a general scheme for data visualization which breaks up graphs into semantic components such as scales and layers.
Feature parity with MATLAB/matplotlib graphing; Online chart editor; Fully interactive (hover, zoom, pan); SVG and WebGL backends; Publication-quality image export	Axis titles; Tickmarks; Margins and points in ggplot2 look cooler
Statistics
GitHub Stars 17.9K	GitHub Stars 6.8K
GitHub Forks 1.9K	GitHub Forks 2.1K
Stacks 399	Stacks 125
Followers 694	Followers 70
Votes 69	Votes 0
Pros & Cons
Pros 16 Bindings to popular languages like Python, Node, R, etc 10 Integrated zoom and filter-out tools in charts and maps 9 Great support for complex and multiple axes 8 Powerful out-of-the-box featureset 6 Beautiful visualizations Cons 18 Terrible document	No community feedback yet
Integrations
Python React MATLAB Jupyter Julia	MATLAB React Python SageMath Jupyter

What are some alternatives to Plotly.js, ggplot2?

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.

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.

Chart.js

Visualize your data in 6 different ways. Each of them animated, with a load of customisation options and interactivity extensions.

Recharts

Quickly build your charts with decoupled, reusable React components. Built on top of SVG elements with a lightweight dependency on D3 submodules.

ECharts

It is an open source visualization library implemented in JavaScript, runs smoothly on PCs and mobile devices, and is compatible with most current browsers.

ZingChart

The most feature-rich, fully customizable JavaScript charting library available used by start-ups and the Fortune 100 alike.

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.

CanvasJS

Lightweight, Beautiful & Responsive Charts that make your dashboards fly even with millions of data points! Self-Hosted, Secure & Scalable charts that render across devices.

AnyChart

AnyChart is a flexible JavaScript (HTML5) based solution that allows you to create interactive and great looking charts. It is a cross-browser and cross-platform charting solution intended for everybody who deals with creation of dashboard, reporting, analytics, statistical, financial or any other data visualization solutions.

ApexCharts

A modern JavaScript charting library to build interactive charts and visualizations with simple API.

Related Comparisons

Plotly vs ggplot2: What are the differences?

Differences Between Plotly and ggplot2

Plotly and ggplot2 are both popular data visualization libraries, but there are several key differences between the two.

Syntax and Language: Plotly is primarily a web-based tool that uses JavaScript and D3.js for rendering charts, while ggplot2 is a package in R that uses a grammar of graphics to create visualizations. This difference in language and syntax affects the way charts are coded and customized.
Interactivity: Plotly offers built-in interactivity and allows users to create interactive visualizations with features such as zooming, panning, and hover effects. ggplot2, on the other hand, focuses more on static visualizations and does not have the same level of interactivity.
Support for Web Development: Plotly is designed with web applications in mind and provides APIs and tools for embedding charts into web pages and applications. ggplot2, being an R package, is more suitable for statistical analysis and data exploration within the R ecosystem.
Chart Types and Options: Plotly provides a wider range of chart types and more customization options compared to ggplot2. Plotly supports 3D plots, heatmaps, contour plots, and more, whereas ggplot2 offers a more limited set of chart types.
Collaboration and Sharing: Plotly offers cloud-based services that allow for easy collaboration and sharing of visualizations. Multiple users can work on the same project, and charts can be shared and embedded in websites or applications. ggplot2 does not have built-in collaborative features like Plotly.
Platform Compatibility: Plotly is compatible with multiple programming languages, including Python, R, and Julia. It can be used in various environments and integrated with different frameworks. ggplot2, being an R package, is primarily used within the R environment.

Plotly vs ggplot2

Overview

Plotly vs ggplot2: What are the differences?