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GoJS VS plugdata

Compare GoJS VS plugdata and see what are their differences

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GoJS logo GoJS

GoJS is a JavaScript library for building interactive diagrams on HTML web pages. Build apps with flowcharts, org charts, BPMN, UML, modeling, and other visual graph types.

plugdata logo plugdata

plugdata is a free/open-source visual programming environment based on pure-data. It is available for a wide range of operating systems, and can be used both as a standalone app, or as a VST3, LV2, CLAP or AU plugin.
  • GoJS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-21
  • plugdata Landing page
    Landing page //
    2025-02-20

GoJS features and specs

  • Rich Feature Set
    GoJS offers a comprehensive set of features designed for creating interactive diagrams, charts, and complex visualizations. This includes node and link modeling, custom styling, data binding, automatic layouts, and more.
  • Extensive Documentation
    The library is well-documented, providing developers with thorough guides, a detailed API reference, and numerous examples to assist in the implementation and troubleshooting of applications.
  • High Performance
    GoJS is optimized for performance, enabling the creation of responsive web applications that can handle a large number of nodes and complex interactions efficiently.
  • Flexibility and Customization
    GoJS offers great flexibility, allowing developers to customize the appearance and behavior of diagrams entirely, which makes it suitable for a wide range of use cases.
  • Active Support and Community
    The GoJS team provides active support to users through their forum and is responsive to issues and feature requests. This is complemented by a growing community of users sharing insights and solutions.

Possible disadvantages of GoJS

  • Commercial Licensing
    GoJS is a commercial product, and while it offers a free trial, a license is required for sustained use. This might be a constraint for projects with limited budgets.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive capabilities and myriad of options, there can be a steep learning curve for developers new to GoJS to understand and effectively use all its features.
  • Complexity for Simple Diagrams
    While GoJS is powerful for complex diagrams, it might be considered overkill for simpler visualizations, where a lightweight library might suffice.
  • Browser Compatibility
    Although modern browsers are generally supported, there might be some compatibility issues or performance differences to manage when targeting older or less common browsers.
  • File Size
    The library's comprehensive feature set comes with a relatively large file size, which could impact loading times, particularly in environments with limited bandwidth.

plugdata features and specs

  • Integration with Pure Data
    PlugData offers a user-friendly interface and enhances the Pure Data digital signal processing capabilities by integrating it seamlessly, making it more accessible for both beginners and experienced users.
  • VST3 Plugin Support
    It allows users to run Pure Data patches as VST3 plugins in digital audio workstations, combining Pure Dataโ€™s power with industry-standard music production tools.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    PlugData is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, ensuring that users across different operating systems can utilize it without platform-specific limitations.
  • Enhanced User Interface
    The redesigned and modernized interface improves usability and the visual programming experience, making it more intuitive compared to the traditional Pure Data setup.
  • Active Community and Open Source
    As an open-source project, PlugData benefits from community contributions, which fosters ongoing development, improvements, and shared resources.

Possible disadvantages of plugdata

  • Learning Curve
    Beginners may still face a steep learning curve when first using Pure Data via PlugData, as understanding digital signal processing concepts is necessary.
  • Performance Limitations
    While ideal for many users, the performance may not match that of some specialized, commercial digital signal processing tools, particularly in highly demanding projects.
  • Limited Documentation
    The documentation may not be as comprehensive as some proprietary solutions, potentially making it harder for new users to find specific support or tutorials.
  • Dependence on Pure Data
    Though PlugData enhances Pure Data's capabilities, it still relies on Pure Data's frameworks and architecture, which may come with inherent limitations and constraints.
  • Community Dependency
    As an open-source project, its development is highly dependent on community involvement, which can lead to slower updates and fewer new features if community support wanes.

Analysis of GoJS

Overall verdict

  • GoJS is considered a good choice for developers needing a versatile and feature-rich library for developing complex diagramming applications. Its performance, flexibility, and extensive support make it a reliable tool for both small and large-scale projects.

Why this product is good

  • GoJS is widely regarded as a powerful JavaScript and TypeScript library for building interactive diagrams and graphs. It offers a comprehensive set of features, including customizable templates, support for a variety of diagram types, and intuitive drag-and-drop functionality. The library is optimized for performance with large datasets and provides a robust API for creating complex visual representations. It also boasts thorough documentation and a range of examples to help developers get started quickly.

Recommended for

  • Developers working on data visualization apps
  • Teams creating interactive diagrams or flowcharts
  • Projects requiring complex and scalable diagram solutions
  • Organizations needing customizable and high-performance diagram libraries

Analysis of plugdata

Overall verdict

  • plugdata is an excellent free and open-source visual programming environment that brings Pure Data (Pd) into a modern, accessible package usable as both a standalone application and an audio plugin, making powerful patch-based sound design available to a wide range of creators.

Why this product is good

  • It's completely free and open-source, lowering the barrier to entry for audio programming
  • Runs as a VST3, AU, LV2, and CLAP plugin so you can use Pure Data patches directly inside your DAW
  • Modernizes the classic Pure Data experience with a cleaner, more intuitive interface
  • Cross-platform support across Windows, macOS, Linux, and even Raspberry Pi
  • Compatible with existing Pd patches and many externals, giving access to a large existing ecosystem
  • Active development and a supportive community around it

Recommended for

  • Musicians and producers who want to build custom instruments and effects inside their DAW
  • Sound designers exploring generative and interactive audio
  • Students and educators learning visual programming and DSP concepts
  • Existing Pure Data users looking for a more modern, plugin-ready environment
  • Hobbyists and experimenters on a budget who want powerful audio tools for free

GoJS videos

GoJS in 12 Minutes: JavaScript Diagramming Library Tutorial

More videos:

  • Tutorial - What's in a GoJS JavaScript Application? | GoJS Beginner Tutorial #1
  • Review - [GOJS] Design Patterns em Javascript

plugdata videos

No plugdata videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GoJS and plugdata)
Javascript UI Libraries
100 100%
0% 0
3D
0 0%
100% 100
Flowcharts
100 100%
0% 0
Music Generation
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 GoJS and plugdata

GoJS Reviews

20+ JavaScript libraries to draw your own diagrams (2022 edition)
GoJS offers many advanced features for user interactivity such as drag-and-drop, copy-and-paste, transactional state and undo management, palettes, overviews, data-bound models, event handlers, and an extensible tool system for custom operations. They provide over 150 interactive samples to help you get started with diagrams such as BPMN, flowchart, state chart, visual...

plugdata Reviews

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

Based on our record, GoJS seems to be a lot more popular than plugdata. While we know about 13 links to GoJS, we've tracked only 1 mention of plugdata. 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.

GoJS mentions (13)

  • Ask HN: What do you use to create diagrams?
    Well I make https://gojs.net, so I just use the GoJS diagramming library to make diagrams :D Of course, its made for developers trying to make applications, not end users. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: What is the best software to visualize a graph with a billion nodes?
    My library (https://gojs.net) can do that easily. Give it a look, and if you think the price is acceptable for your project, contact us and we can make you a proof-of-concept. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Your 14-Day Free Trial Ain't Gonna Cut It
    If you click on their username, it takes you to their profile. https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=simonsarris. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Burning money on paid ads for a dev tool โ€“ what we've learned
    Have spent six figures yearly on ads, mostly for reach for the developer-focused diagram library GoJS (https://gojs.net) > Each experiment will need ~$500 and 2 weeks I would add a zero if you want serious data. I would also double the timescale. $5,000 over 4 weeks I second the uselessness of Google Display, it might look like conversions numbers are good but they are 100% too good to be true. As soon as you look... - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
  • Any Ideas How to Create a Graph Builder UI in React?
    Used goJS in one project and konva in another. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

plugdata mentions (1)

  • loopmaster โ€“ Livecoding Music IDE
    I'm just going to mention Pure Data here, because I'm always surprised when people don't know about it. https://puredata.info/ I use it in my art and music practice to interfaced with hardware like a GameTrak controller, and to control drone motors for bowing/drumming physical things for computer controlled electroacoustic music. I also use it at a university lab for the development of assistive musical... - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GoJS and plugdata, you can also consider the following products

mxGraph - mxGraph is a fully client side JavaScript diagramming library - jgraph/mxgraph

Pure Data - Pd (aka Pure Data) is a real-time graphical programming environment for audio, video, and graphical...

jsPlumb - jsPlumb is an advanced, standards-compliant and easy to use JS library for building connectivity based applications, such as flowcharts, process flow diagrams, sequence diagrams, organisation charts, etc. More than just a diagram library.

Sonic Pi - Sonic Pi is a new kind of instrument for a new generation of musicians. It is simple to learn, powerful enough for live performances and free to download.

Konva - Konva is 2d Canvas JavaScript framework for drawings shapes, animations, node nesting, layering, filtering, event handling, drag and drop and much more.

PdDroidParty - Run your Pure Data patches on Android with native GUIs emulated.