Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Charts Factory VS GnuPlot

Compare Charts Factory VS GnuPlot and see what are their differences

Charts Factory logo Charts Factory

Create simple charts super fast and for free!

GnuPlot logo GnuPlot

Gnuplot is a portable command-line driven interactive data and function plotting utility.
  • Charts Factory Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-13
  • GnuPlot Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-12-13

Charts Factory features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Charts Factory offers an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, allowing users to create and customize charts without needing extensive technical knowledge.
  • Variety of Chart Types
    The platform provides a wide range of chart types, including bar, line, pie, and more, enabling users to choose the most appropriate visualization for their data.
  • Customization Options
    Users can personalize their charts with various customization options, including colors, labels, and styles, to match their specific needs and preferences.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Charts Factory supports integration with common data sources and tools, allowing seamless data import and export for more streamlined workflows.
  • Real-Time Data Updates
    The platform supports real-time data updates, enabling charts to reflect the most current data automatically when linked to live data sources.

Possible disadvantages of Charts Factory

  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of Charts Factory comes with limitations on the number of charts and features available, potentially requiring a subscription for full access.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While basic chart creation is straightforward, mastering the more advanced features and integrations may require additional time and learning.
  • Performance Issues with Large Datasets
    Some users report performance issues and longer rendering times when working with very large datasets, which can hinder efficiency.
  • Dependent on Internet Connection
    As a web-based tool, Charts Factory requires a stable internet connection for access and optimal performance, which can be a limitation in some situations.
  • Potential Data Privacy Concerns
    For some users, using a third-party tool raises concerns about data privacy and security, especially when working with sensitive information.

GnuPlot features and specs

  • Highly Customizable
    GnuPlot offers extensive customization options for creating plots, allowing users to tweak almost every aspect of the graph, including colors, labels, line styles, and more.
  • Scriptable
    GnuPlot can be driven by scripts, making it convenient for automating complex plots and integrating with other software workflows.
  • Wide Range of Output Formats
    It supports many output formats such as PNG, PDF, SVG, and EPS, making it easy to generate graphics for different purposes like presentations, publications, and web content.
  • Cross-Platform
    GnuPlot runs on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring that it can be used in diverse computing environments.
  • Complex Plotting Capabilities
    GnuPlot supports a wide variety of plots, including 2D and 3D plots, histograms, heatmaps, and more, which caters to the needs of advanced visualization requirements.
  • Performance
    GnuPlot is efficient and can handle large datasets with ease, offering fast rendering times which is crucial when dealing with complex visualizations.
  • Free and Open Source
    Being free and open-source software, GnuPlot is accessible to everyone, and users can modify the source code to suit their needs.

Possible disadvantages of GnuPlot

  • Steep Learning Curve
    GnuPlot has a complex syntax and a steep learning curve, especially for beginners who may find it difficult to get started without substantial effort.
  • Limited GUI
    GnuPlot lacks a full-featured graphical user interface (GUI), making it less user-friendly for those who prefer point-and-click interactions over scripting.
  • Documentation
    While comprehensive, the documentation can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate for new users trying to find specific information quickly.
  • Date Handling
    Handling and formatting dates can be cumbersome in GnuPlot, requiring more manual setup compared to other dedicated plotting tools.
  • Interactive Features
    GnuPlot's interactive plotting capabilities are limited compared to other modern plotting tools that offer more dynamic and real-time interactivity.
  • Integration
    Integration with some modern programming environments and languages may not be as seamless as with other plotting libraries specifically designed for those ecosystems (e.g., Matplotlib in Python).

Analysis of GnuPlot

Overall verdict

  • Gnuplot is generally considered to be a good choice for those looking for a reliable and flexible plotting tool, especially if the users need robust scriptability or work across different operating systems.

Why this product is good

  • Gnuplot is a powerful, portable, and multi-platform tool capable of producing high-quality 2D and 3D plots. It supports numerous output formats and can be used interactively or in scripts. Additionally, it has a large support community and extensive documentation, making it accessible for both beginners and advanced users.

Recommended for

  • Scientists and engineers who need to visualize data across diverse platforms.
  • Users comfortable working with command-line interfaces.
  • Individuals or teams needing to generate plots through automated scripts.
  • Those looking for a free and open-source alternative to other graphing tools.

Charts Factory videos

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GnuPlot videos

Gnuplot Introduction

More videos:

  • Review - DTrace Latency Visualization in gnuplot
  • Review - Basics of Gnuplot - Make your plot look Good

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Charts Factory and GnuPlot)
Data Visualization
50 50%
50% 50
Technical Computing
0 0%
100% 100
Charts
100 100%
0% 0
Numerical Computation
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GnuPlot should be more popular than Charts Factory. It has been mentiond 5 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.

Charts Factory mentions (2)

  • I created a Chart Image API and a Chart Editor for free.
    If you want to take a look at it, it's Charts Factory and free. Source: over 4 years ago
  • I saw Pac Man on pie charts
    I've been building an Chart Imae API for my side project, Charts Factory. I was creating a lot of charts and at some point I saw Pac Man on pie charts!I guess I need to stop working on chart related projects for some time :). Source: over 4 years ago

GnuPlot mentions (5)

  • Question about Project Management
    To some extent it extends the concept of tasks which only can be reasonably executed after the completion of other ones (though results of branches eventually may join each other) and offers an additional assisting birds' eye visual of projects. So far, I'm aware about the documentation on worg interfacing org-taskjuggler and taskjuggler, as well as a video tutorial interfacing gnuplot instead. Source: about 3 years ago
  • How do I make a transparent background on .ps or .eps file imported to groff
    Gnuplot is a program to plot diagrams. The Commands issued to use it don't change regardless if it is used in Linux/Windows/MacOS and it comes with less dependencies than a Spread sheet, or a statistics program. This is why I started to Become comfortable with it, and venture out some of its features. Here, "conditional plot" referred to "the diagram only displays a Thing/uses a pixel if the value in the table... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Drawing graphs and diagrams
    Or, does drawing diagrams refers to plotting data, but neither using matplotlib, nor gnuplot (export to .svg, .pdf, .png; pstricks, tikz to mention a few options)? Source: over 3 years ago
  • Are specific softwares avialable that are suitable for converting different diagrams, graphs and mindmaps to latex codes?
    There may the occasion you actually need the data from a publication, and want to plot them altogether with data newly collected data in one diagram in common. An overlay, though possible, can become tricky (scaling, centering, alignment, etc.) and plotting all data in a diagram generated from scratch (gnuplot/octave, matplotlib, Origin, ...) exported as an illustration in the usual formats (.pdf/.png), or... Source: over 3 years ago
  • Introducing Graphs
    Have you looked at the graphing capabilities of Octave or Gnuplot? Gnuplot in particular has a lot of options, and a GUI for those who want it. Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Charts Factory and GnuPlot, you can also consider the following products

DataWrapper - An open source tool helping anyone to create simple, correct and embeddable charts in minutes.

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

Datablast - Create charts, share and follow insights. Explore data in a new way.

GeoGebra CAS Calculator - Free online algebra calculator from GeoGebra: solve equations, expand and factor expressions, find derivatives and integrals

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

GeoGebra - GeoGebra is free and multi-platform dynamic mathematics software for learning and teaching.