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D3.js VS DHTMLX

Compare D3.js VS DHTMLX and see what are their differences

D3.js logo 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.

DHTMLX logo DHTMLX

JavaScript Library for cross-platform web and mobile app development with HTML5 JavaScript widgets. Easy integration with popular JavaScript Frameworks.
  • D3.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-11

D3 allows you to bind arbitrary data to a Document Object Model (DOM), and then apply data-driven transformations to the document. For example, you can use D3 to generate an HTML table from an array of numbers. Or, use the same data to create an interactive SVG bar chart with smooth transitions and interaction.

D3 is not a monolithic framework that seeks to provide every conceivable feature. Instead, D3 solves the crux of the problem: efficient manipulation of documents based on data. This avoids proprietary representation and affords extraordinary flexibility, exposing the full capabilities of web standards such as HTML, SVG, and CSS. With minimal overhead, D3 is extremely fast, supporting large datasets and dynamic behaviors for interaction and animation. D3’s functional style allows code reuse through a diverse collection of official and community-developed modules.

  • DHTMLX Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-27

D3.js features and specs

  • Powerful Visualization
    D3.js allows for the creation of highly customized and interactive data visualizations, harnessing the full power of web standards like SVG, Canvas, and HTML.
  • Data Binding
    It offers robust support for data-driven transformations and binding, enabling intuitive connections between data sets and DOM elements.
  • Community and Ecosystem
    A large and active community contributes to tutorials, plugins, and tools, which can significantly simplify the development process.
  • Flexibility
    D3.js is highly flexible, providing low-level manipulation capabilities without being tied to any specific chart types or patterns.
  • Performance
    It is highly optimized for performance, allowing for efficient rendering of complex visualizations even with large data sets.

Possible disadvantages of D3.js

  • Steep Learning Curve
    D3.js has a steep learning curve due to its low-level nature and requires a solid understanding of JavaScript, DOM manipulation, and data concepts.
  • Complexity
    Creating complex visualizations can be time-consuming and require a significant amount of custom code, making it less approachable for quick, simple tasks.
  • Browser Compatibility
    Although widely supported, some D3.js features may have inconsistent behavior across different browsers, requiring additional testing and debugging.
  • Documentation
    While extensive, D3.js documentation can be challenging for beginners to navigate and understand, causing misunderstandings and slower development times.
  • Dependency Management
    The library itself is modular, but managing dependencies and integrating D3.js with other JavaScript frameworks or libraries can sometimes be problematic.

DHTMLX features and specs

  • Comprehensive Suite
    DHTMLX offers a wide range of UI components, from grids and charts to complex Gantt and scheduler components, providing a comprehensive toolkit for web application development.
  • Rich Documentation
    The platform provides extensive documentation, demos, and examples, which are invaluable for developers in understanding and implementing various components efficiently.
  • Cross-Browser Compatibility
    DHTMLX components are designed to be fully compatible across major browsers, ensuring a consistent user experience regardless of the user's environment.
  • Support and Community
    DHTMLX offers various support options including forums and ticket-based support, alongside a strong user community that can provide insights and assistance.
  • Customizability
    The components are highly customizable, allowing developers to tailor them to fit the specific aesthetics and functionality requirements of their projects.

Possible disadvantages of DHTMLX

  • Cost
    While DHTMLX provides a free version, the full suite with advanced features requires a paid license, which can be a drawback for startups or individual developers with limited budgets.
  • Complexity
    With its comprehensive set of features, DHTMLX can have a steep learning curve for newcomers who are unfamiliar with its architecture and functionalities.
  • Dependency on Proprietary Framework
    Using DHTMLX can lead to a dependency on its particular frameworks and methodologies, which might be a concern for projects that prioritize open-source solutions.
  • Performance Overhead
    Implementing multiple DHTMLX components in a single application might introduce performance overhead, which requires optimization to maintain responsiveness.
  • Limited Open Source Contributions
    As a commercial library, DHTMLX might not benefit from as many open source contributions and innovations as purely open-source alternatives.

Analysis of D3.js

Overall verdict

  • Yes, D3.js is a highly regarded library for data visualization in the web development community.

Why this product is good

  • Flexibility: D3.js provides incredible flexibility in creating complex and interactive visualizations with web standards (SVG, HTML, and CSS).
  • Customization: It allows for high levels of customization, which lets developers create unique and detailed visualizations tailored to their specific needs.
  • Community and Ecosystem: D3.js has a large, active community and a rich ecosystem of plugins and extensions conducive to learning and integration.
  • Data Binding: Offers powerful ways to manipulate documents based on data; the data-driven approach simplifies dynamic interaction creation.
  • Performance: Efficiently manipulates DOM elements and performs well with large datasets if used correctly.

Recommended for

  • Data Scientists and Analysts looking to create custom, interactive visualizations.
  • Web Developers who need to incorporate complex data visualizations into applications.
  • Educators and Researchers presenting data in an engaging way.
  • Anyone needing to build bespoke visualizations that are not possible with off-the-shelf solutions.

D3.js videos

Data Visualization with D3.js - Full Tutorial Course

More videos:

  • Review - Let's learn D3.js - D3 for data visualization (full course)

DHTMLX videos

Dhtmlx Scheduler

More videos:

  • Review - dhtmlxGantt 6.1 Release: Time Constraints, Backward Scheduling, S-curve and dataProcessor Update
  • Review - Dhtmlx-Grid with Flux4 Part2

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to D3.js and DHTMLX)
Charting Libraries
100 100%
0% 0
Javascript UI Libraries
82 82%
18% 18
Data Visualization
100 100%
0% 0
Development Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare D3.js and DHTMLX

D3.js Reviews

6 JavaScript Charting Libraries for Powerful Data Visualizations in 2023
Depending on your requirements, the best JavaScript library is D3.js, as it’s by far the most customizable. However, it’s also really complex and difficult to master. Plus, it’s not as compatible with TypeScript as it is with JavaScript, which can be off-putting for some developers. If you’d prefer a less complex library that you can use with TypeScript, ECharts, and...
Source: embeddable.com
15 JavaScript Libraries for Creating Beautiful Charts
When we think of charting today, D3.js is the first name that comes up. Being an open source project, D3.js definitely brings many powerful features that were missing in most of the existing libraries. Features like dynamic properties, Enter and Exit, powerful transitions, and syntax familiarity with jQuery make it one the best JavaScript libraries for charting. Charts in...
Top 20 Javascript Libraries
D3 stands for Data-Driven Documents. With D3, you can apply data-driven transformations to DOM objects. The keyword with D3 is ‘data-driven,’ which means documents are manipulated depending on the data received. Data can be received in any format and bound with DOM objects. D3 is very fast and supports dynamic behavior for animation and interactions. There are plenty of...
Source: hackr.io
20+ JavaScript libraries to draw your own diagrams (2022 edition)
D3.js is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents based on data. Right now, I would say is the most popular library of its kind.
15 data science tools to consider using in 2021
Another open source tool, D3.js is a JavaScript library for creating custom data visualizations in a web browser. Commonly known as D3, which stands for Data-Driven Documents, it uses web standards, such as HTML, Scalable Vector Graphics and CSS, instead of its own graphical vocabulary. D3's developers describe it as a dynamic and flexible tool that requires a minimum amount...

DHTMLX Reviews

We have no reviews of DHTMLX yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, D3.js seems to be a lot more popular than DHTMLX. While we know about 167 links to D3.js, we've tracked only 1 mention of DHTMLX. 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.

D3.js mentions (167)

  • IO Devices and Latency
    Do you mean something for data visualization, or tricks condensing large data sets with cursors? https://d3js.org/ Best of luck =3. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • 2024 Nuxt3 Annual Ecosystem Summary🚀
    Document address: D3.js Official Document. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • 100+ Must-Have Web Development Resources
    D3.js: One of the most popular JavaScript visualization libraries. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • What are npm Peer Dependencies and how to use them?
    A Dependency is an npm package that our code depends on in order to be able to run. Some popular packages that can be added as dependencies are lodash, D3, and chartjs. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Introducing RacingBars 📊
    RacingBars is an open-source, light-weight (~45kb gzipped), easy-to-use, and feature-rich javascript library for bar chart race, based on D3.js. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
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DHTMLX mentions (1)

  • How Much Does It Cost To a Project Management App
    To finish projects on time, efficient time management is a must. To help managers deal with deadlines, we usually implement a fully functional Gantt chart. To create a reliable and user-friendly UI, choosing the right set of tools is essential. In our work, we usually rely on Webix, a JavaScript UI library developed by the brightest minds of XB Software. Another ace up our sleeve is JavaScript UI libraries by... - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing D3.js and DHTMLX, you can also consider the following products

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

jQuery - The Write Less, Do More, JavaScript Library.

Plotly - Low-Code Data Apps

Bryntum - High performance web components for SaaS apps - including Gantt, Scheduler, Grid, Calendar and Kanban widgets. Seamless integration with React, Vue, Angular or plain JS apps.

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

Webix UI - An enterprise JavaScript Library for cross-platform app development with HTML5 JavaScript widgets and easy integration with most popular JavaScript Frameworks.