Chart.js vs Frappe Charts
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for drawing simple, customizable charts on web pages using canvas.
Open source · MIT
A small JavaScript library that draws responsive SVG charts with no other dependencies.
The short answer
Choose Chart.js if you need…
- Web developers adding standard charts such as line or bar charts to a site
- Designers who want chart styling they can configure in code
- Teams building dashboards in the browser who want an MIT-licensed library
Choose Frappe Charts if you need…
- Developers adding basic or medium-complexity charts to a web app
- Teams that want a small, dependency-free charting option
- Projects that need charts to resize across screen sizes
- Developers who want to update chart data in place
Side-by-side
| Chart.js | Frappe Charts | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 67.8k | 15.1k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | See the README | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Last code update | 14 days ago | 18 days ago |
What each one is
Chart.js
Chart.js is a JavaScript library for adding charts to web pages. It draws charts on the HTML canvas element, so you pass it data and options and it renders the graphic in the browser. People use it to show data visually on websites and dashboards without building chart rendering from scratch.
Frappe Charts
Frappe Charts is a JavaScript charting library that draws charts as SVG graphics in a web page. Its API is designed to be simple, and its visual style is inspired by charts on GitHub. Developers use it to add bar, line, pie, area, percentage, mixed-axis, and heatmap charts to web apps without pulling in other libraries.
Best for
Chart.js
- Web developers adding standard charts such as line or bar charts to a site
- Designers who want chart styling they can configure in code
- Teams building dashboards in the browser who want an MIT-licensed library
Frappe Charts
- Developers adding basic or medium-complexity charts to a web app
- Teams that want a small, dependency-free charting option
- Projects that need charts to resize across screen sizes
- Developers who want to update chart data in place
Strengths
Chart.js
- MIT licensed, so it can be used in commercial and open-source projects
- Large community with a documentation site, samples, and a Discord server linked from the README
- Actively maintained, with a recent release (v4.6.1) and a recent last push
Frappe Charts
- Has zero dependencies, as stated in its description and README
- Supports many common chart types in one library
- Offers a simple API with configuration options for colors, animations and titles
Not ideal for
Chart.js
- People who need a finished chart tool with no coding, since this is a library that requires writing JavaScript
- Projects needing chart types or features the README does not describe, since the README here gives little detail on specific chart types
- Users who need charts rendered on a server, since the README describes browser canvas usage
Frappe Charts
- Users needing highly specialized or 3D charts, since the README lists only the chart types above
- Projects that need a library with extensive built-in interactivity, because the README describes only annotations, tooltips and basic customization
Trade-offs
Chart.js
- Requires JavaScript and web page knowledge to use, so it is not beginner-friendly for non-coders
- The README is short and points to external docs for details, so getting started depends on those docs
- Documentation links in the README point to version 4; older versions need separate docs URLs
Frappe Charts
- The README is short and does not document every option, so details need to be checked in the separate documentation site
- The README does not state browser support or how it compares in performance to other libraries
Getting started
Chart.js
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/chartjs/Chart.jsFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Chart.js and Frappe Charts?
Chart.js: A JavaScript library for drawing simple, customizable charts on web pages using canvas. Frappe Charts: A small JavaScript library that draws responsive SVG charts with no other dependencies. Chart.js suits web developers adding standard charts such as line or bar charts to a site, while Frappe Charts suits developers adding basic or medium-complexity charts to a web app.
Are Chart.js and Frappe Charts free?
Chart.js: Free and open source. Frappe Charts: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Chart.js or Frappe Charts?
Frappe Charts is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Chart.js is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Chart.js or Frappe Charts more popular?
Chart.js has more GitHub stars (67.8k) than Frappe Charts (15.1k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Chart.js and Frappe Charts?
Other options people compare them with include Plotly.js, G2, three.js, Recharts, visx.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.