Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

amCharts VS Plotly.js

Compare amCharts VS Plotly.js and see what are their differences

amCharts logo amCharts

Advanced javascript charting library that will suit any data visualization need

Plotly.js logo Plotly.js

Open-source JavaScript charting library behind Plotly and Dash - plotly/plotly.js
  • amCharts Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-09
  • Plotly.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26

amCharts features and specs

  • Comprehensive Feature Set
    amCharts offers a wide range of chart types and features, including line charts, bar charts, area charts, and advanced ones like geographical maps and time-series charts.
  • Ease of Use
    The library provides a user-friendly API, making it easier for developers to create and customize charts without extensive coding.
  • Customizability
    amCharts allows a high degree of customization, letting developers tweak almost every aspect of the charts, including colors, labels, and interactivity options.
  • Responsive Design
    Charts created with amCharts are responsive, automatically adjusting to different screen sizes and resolutions.
  • Interactive Elements
    amCharts supports interactive elements like tooltips, drill-downs, and animations which enhance user engagement and data exploration.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The library comes with detailed documentation and a variety of tutorials and samples, making it easier for new users to get started quickly.
  • Community and Support
    There is an active community and official support available, providing assistance through forums and direct support channels.
  • Export Capability
    amCharts provides exporting options, allowing users to export charts as images, PDFs, or data files.

Possible disadvantages of amCharts

  • Cost
    While amCharts offers a free version, the more advanced features and commercial usage require a paid license, which may not be suitable for all budgets.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite an intuitive API, the vast array of customization options can present a steep learning curve for new users.
  • Performance
    For extremely large datasets, the performance might lag compared to some other specialized charting libraries, which could be critical in data-intensive applications.
  • File Size
    Due to its extensive feature set, the library's file size can be relatively large, which might impact the load time of webpages.
  • Dependency on External Libraries
    Certain functionalities in amCharts may depend on additional external libraries, which could complicate the setup process.
  • Browser Compatibility
    While generally good, there may be occasional compatibility issues with older or less common browsers.
  • Complexity for Simple Charts
    For developers needing only simple charts, amCharts might be overkill and thus add unnecessary complexity.

Plotly.js features and specs

  • Interactive Visualizations
    Plotly.js provides highly interactive charting capabilities, allowing users to hover, zoom, and pan easily within charts, enhancing the user experience.
  • Wide Range of Chart Types
    The library supports a comprehensive variety of chart types, from simple line and bar charts to more complex types like histograms, scatter plots, and even 3D and geographic plots.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Plotly.js works seamlessly across different platforms and browsers, ensuring consistent chart rendering and functionality whether used on desktops or mobile devices.
  • Customizable
    Users have a high degree of control over the appearance and behavior of plots, with numerous options to customize colors, legends, tooltips, and more.
  • Integration with Dash
    Plotly.js integrates well with the Dash framework, enabling the creation of interactive web applications that are highly visual and data-driven.

Possible disadvantages of Plotly.js

  • Performance Concerns
    Rendering very large datasets can be slow, potentially impacting the performance of the application, particularly in resource-constrained environments.
  • Complexity
    For users new to the library, the learning curve can be steep due to the extensive options and configurations available.
  • Size of Library
    Plotly.js has a relatively large file size, which can be a concern for web applications where minimizing load times and data transfer is critical.
  • Limited Free Features
    Certain advanced features and functionalities may require a paid subscription to Plotly's services, which may not be ideal for all users or projects.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing dependencies and ensuring compatibility with other JavaScript libraries can sometimes pose challenges, especially in complex applications.

Analysis of amCharts

Overall verdict

  • Yes, amCharts is generally considered a good option for data visualization, particularly due to its ease of use, customization capabilities, and extensive support resources. Many users appreciate its intuitive API and the ability to create visually appealing and interactive charts and dashboards without much hassle.

Why this product is good

  • amCharts is a popular choice for creating interactive charts and maps. It offers a wide range of chart types, from simple ones like line and bar charts to more complex types such as spatial maps and gauges. The library is highly customizable and provides extensive documentation along with examples, making it accessible for both beginners and experienced developers. Additionally, amCharts supports real-time data updates and is compatible with various frameworks and platforms, enhancing its versatility.

Recommended for

    amCharts is recommended for web developers and data analysts who need to present data in a visually compelling way on web applications. It is particularly useful for businesses and organizations requiring interactive and dynamic charting capabilities, such as those in financial analysis, marketing analytics, and scientific research.

amCharts videos

Amcharts 4 Line Chart in ASP.NET MVC

Plotly.js videos

[Beginner] Simple Bar Chart | React Plotly.js

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Create Real-time Chart with Javascript | Plotly.js Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to amCharts and Plotly.js)
Charting Libraries
71 71%
29% 29
Data Visualization
83 83%
17% 17
Libraries
0 0%
100% 100
Data Dashboard
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare amCharts and Plotly.js

amCharts Reviews

Top 10 JavaScript Charting Libraries for Every Data Visualization Need
amCharts is one of the JavaScript charting libraries that are helpful when you need a simple, and at the same time, flexible data visualization solution.
Source: hackernoon.com

Plotly.js Reviews

15 JavaScript Libraries for Creating Beautiful Charts
Plotly.js is the first scientific JavaScript charting library for the web. It has been open-source since 2015, meaning anyone can use it for free. Plotly.js supports 20 chart types, including SVG maps, 3D charts, and statistical graphs. Itโ€™s built on top of D3.js and stack.gl.
Top 10 JavaScript Charting Libraries for Every Data Visualization Need
Plotly.js is a high-level JavaScript library, free and open-source. It is built on D3.js and WebGL, so can be used to create many different chart types including 3D charts to statistical graphs.
Source: hackernoon.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Plotly.js seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 4 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

amCharts mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of amCharts yet. Tracking of amCharts recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Plotly.js mentions (4)

  • Weekly JavaScript Roundup: Friday Links 17, February 07, 2025
    Plotly.js - Open-source JavaScript charting library behind Plotly and Dash. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What packages can be used to create interactive mathematics simulations?
    Well, MathML[1] support is (nearly) everywhere now, and as the docs say: MathML Core is a subset with increased implementation details based on rules from LaTeX and the Open Font Format. It is tailored for browsers and designed specifically to work well with other web standards including HTML, CSS, DOM, JavaScript. I don't have a lot of experience working with this stuff (yet) but if you can script your... - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • What's new in Matplotlib 3.7.0 (Feb 13, 2023)
    Plotly offers multiple options (python, R, javascript). The weby stuff is done with plotly.js and uses d3.js underneath - https://github.com/plotly/plotly.js. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
  • How to decide between Dash versus Flask + React + Plotly.js?
    So you didn't use Django DRF as the backend? I'm just curious how Dash communicated with Django - did it communicate via plain HTTP calls? I guess you ran non-React Plotly.js (https://github.com/plotly/plotly.js)? Source: about 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing amCharts and Plotly.js, you can also consider the following products

D3.js - D3.js is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. D3 helps you bring data to life using HTML, SVG, and CSS.

Highcharts - A charting library written in pure JavaScript, offering an easy way of adding interactive charts to your web site or web application

Chart.js - Easy, object oriented client side graphs for designers and developers.

AnyChart - Award-winning JavaScript charting library & Qlik Sense extensions from a global leader in data visualization! Loved by thousands of happy customers, including over 75% of Fortune 500 companies & over half of the top 1000 software vendors worldwide.

Matplotlib - matplotlib is a python 2D plotting library which produces publication quality figures in a variety...

Google Charts - Interactive charts for browsers and mobile devices.