Google Charts vs Recharts: What are the differences?

Google Charts and Recharts are two popular libraries used for data visualization on websites. While both provide similar functionalities, there are key differences between the two.

1. 1. Chart Types: Google Charts offers a wider variety of chart types compared to Recharts. It includes options like radar, treemap, gauges, and Sankey diagrams, which are not available in Recharts. Recharts, on the other hand, focuses mainly on basic chart types such as line, bar, and pie charts.

2. 2. Customization Options: Recharts provides more customizable features compared to Google Charts. With Recharts, developers can easily modify the various elements of a chart, such as colors, fonts, and axes. Google Charts, on the other hand, has limited customization options and may require more advanced coding techniques to achieve desired customizations.

3. 3. Documentation and Support: Google Charts has extensive and well-documented APIs along with a strong support community. It provides detailed examples and documentation, making it easier for developers to understand and use. Recharts, while also having a decent documentation, may lack in terms of extensive examples and support, making it slightly more challenging for developers who are new to the library.

4. 4. Integration with Frameworks: Recharts is mainly designed for React-based applications, providing seamless integration with the React ecosystem. It follows React's component-based architecture, making it easier to create interactive charts within React applications. Google Charts, on the other hand, can be used with any web framework or even plain HTML, making it a more versatile option for different types of applications.

5. 5. Animation Effects: Recharts offers built-in animation effects, allowing charts to have smooth transitions and visual appeal. Developers can easily add animations to their charts without any additional code. Google Charts, on the other hand, has limited animation options and may require more customized implementations for adding animation effects to the charts.

6. 6. Data Handling and Manipulation: Recharts provides more flexible options for handling and manipulating data. It offers features like data filtering, sorting, and transformations, which can be helpful for handling complex datasets. Google Charts, while providing basic data handling capabilities, may require external libraries or additional coding for complex data manipulations.

In Summary, Google Charts and Recharts differ in terms of chart types, customization options, documentation and support, integration capabilities, animation effects, and data handling capabilities.