G2 vs mo · js
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 building charts from data using a declarative, layered grammar.
Open source · MIT
A JavaScript library for building motion graphics and animations on web pages.
The short answer
Choose G2 if you need…
- Front-end developers adding charts to a web dashboard
- Data analysts comfortable writing a little JavaScript
- Teams that want to customize chart behavior beyond preset chart types
- Projects that need interactive or animated charts
Choose mo · js if you need…
- Front-end developers who want decorative animated effects like bursts, shapes, or icon animations
- Developers who already use a bundler such as webpack or rollup and want to install via npm
- Designers working with a developer who wants more customizable motion on the web
- Teams who want to add small visual flourishes to a page without a large animation framework
Side-by-side
| G2 | mo · js | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 12.7k | 18.9k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | CoffeeScript |
| Last code update | 8 days ago | 3 months ago |
What each one is
G2
G2 is a TypeScript library for drawing charts and other data visualizations in web pages. You describe the data and how its fields map to visual properties like position and color, and G2 works out the rest. It can render with Canvas, SVG or WebGL, and supports animation and interaction. It is aimed at dashboards, data exploration and storytelling.
mo · js
mo·js is a JavaScript library for creating motion graphics on websites, such as animated shapes, bursts, and swirls. It uses a declarative API, meaning you describe the animation you want in configuration objects rather than writing each frame by hand. It is typically added to a site through npm or a CDN and is aimed at making visual effects that enhance the user experience.
Best for
G2
- Front-end developers adding charts to a web dashboard
- Data analysts comfortable writing a little JavaScript
- Teams that want to customize chart behavior beyond preset chart types
- Projects that need interactive or animated charts
mo · js
- Front-end developers who want decorative animated effects like bursts, shapes, or icon animations
- Developers who already use a bundler such as webpack or rollup and want to install via npm
- Designers working with a developer who wants more customizable motion on the web
- Teams who want to add small visual flourishes to a page without a large animation framework
Strengths
G2
- The README shows a short example that produces a working bar chart
- Supports Canvas, SVG and WebGL rendering
- Released under the MIT license with official documentation, examples and tutorials
mo · js
- The README describes a declarative API that gives fine control over animation.
- Ships with built-in components such as html, shape, swirl, burst, and stagger to start quickly.
- Installable via npm or a CDN, and the README notes support for bundler optimizations like tree shaking.
Not ideal for
G2
- People who want a chart with no coding, since G2 is a code library and needs a web page to run in
- Users who only need a few standard charts and prefer a ready-made tool, because the setup is more involved than a template
- Projects that cannot use JavaScript or TypeScript
mo · js
- People who need a no-code tool, since mo·js requires writing JavaScript
- Projects that must support older or unlisted browsers, since the README lists minimum versions and says others are not extensively tested
- Developers looking for a general-purpose UI framework, since the README describes it as a motion library
Trade-offs
G2
- Its grammar-based API has a learning curve compared with simple chart presets
- The README does not detail every browser or version requirement
- Larger ecosystem extensions such as 3D are separate projects
mo · js
- The README lists specific browser minimums (for example Chrome 49+, Safari 8+) and says other browsers are not extensively tested.
- The README does not document its own learning curve; learning resources are largely external tutorials and a separate API documentation site.
- The project's primary language is CoffeeScript per repository metadata, which may matter if you plan to read or modify the source.
Getting started
G2
Install with npm
npm install @antv/g2Install with Yarn
yarn add @antv/g2mo · js
Install with npm
npm install @mojs/coreInstall with yarn
yarn add @mojs/coreFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between G2 and mo · js?
G2: A JavaScript library for building charts from data using a declarative, layered grammar. mo · js: A JavaScript library for building motion graphics and animations on web pages. G2 suits front-end developers adding charts to a web dashboard, while mo · js suits front-end developers who want decorative animated effects like bursts, shapes, or icon animations.
Are G2 and mo · js free?
G2: Free and open source. mo · js: Free and open source.
Is G2 or mo · js more popular?
mo · js has more GitHub stars (18.9k) than G2 (12.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to G2 and mo · js?
Other options people compare them with include Chart.js, visx, Rough.js, three.js, Anime.js.
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.