G2 vs nivo
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
React chart components for building data visualizations, built on d3.
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 nivo if you need…
- React developers who need charts in a web app
- Teams that want charts rendered on the server as well as in the browser
- Projects that want animated transitions via react-spring
- Developers who want SVG, HTML, or canvas chart options from one library
Side-by-side
| G2 | nivo | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 12.7k | 14.1k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 8 days ago | 4 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.
nivo
nivo is a set of React components for drawing charts and other data visualizations on web pages. It is built on top of the d3 library and offers declarative charts, meaning you describe what you want and the component draws it. According to the README, it also supports server-side rendering and an HTTP API.
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
nivo
- React developers who need charts in a web app
- Teams that want charts rendered on the server as well as in the browser
- Projects that want animated transitions via react-spring
- Developers who want SVG, HTML, or canvas chart options from one library
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
nivo
- Covers many chart types across SVG, HTML, and canvas renderers
- Supports server-side rendering and theming, per the README
- Large community with active discord and an interactive playground
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
nivo
- People who do not write code, since it requires React components to be assembled in a project
- Projects not using React, because the components are React-specific
- Users who need a ready-made dashboard application rather than building blocks
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
nivo
- Requires working knowledge of React and JavaScript/TypeScript
- README does not fully list every component, so the Components Explorer must be consulted
- Each chart type is a separate package, so setup involves choosing the right ones
Getting started
G2
Install with npm
npm install @antv/g2Install with Yarn
yarn add @antv/g2nivo
Install core and a chart package
yarn add @nivo/core @nivo/barFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between G2 and nivo?
G2: A JavaScript library for building charts from data using a declarative, layered grammar. nivo: React chart components for building data visualizations, built on d3. G2 suits front-end developers adding charts to a web dashboard, while nivo suits react developers who need charts in a web app.
Are G2 and nivo free?
G2: Free and open source. nivo: Free and open source.
Is G2 or nivo more popular?
nivo has more GitHub stars (14.1k) 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 nivo?
Other options people compare them with include Chart.js, visx, Rough.js, three.js, mo · 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.