Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Plottable.js VS Rough Charts

Compare Plottable.js VS Rough Charts and see what are their differences

Plottable.js logo Plottable.js

Flexible, interactive charts for the web.

Rough Charts logo Rough Charts

A responsive react charting library with a hand-drawn style.
  • Plottable.js Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-01-19
  • Rough Charts Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-02

Plottable.js features and specs

  • Modularity
    Plottable.js is designed with a modular architecture, allowing developers to customize and extend its functionality easily by composing plots from smaller components.
  • Interactivity
    The library supports interactive features such as panning, zooming, and tooltips, which enhance the user experience and make data exploration more intuitive.
  • Built on D3
    Plottable.js is built on top of D3.js, a powerful library for data visualization, which ensures high-quality rendering and considerable flexibility in handling complex data.
  • Responsive Design
    Graphics created with Plottable.js are responsive, adapting well to different screen sizes and resolutions, which is crucial for modern web applications.

Possible disadvantages of Plottable.js

  • Limited Community Support
    Compared to more popular libraries, Plottable.js has a smaller community, resulting in fewer resources, examples, and third-party plugins available for help and inspiration.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    For developers unfamiliar with the principles of D3.js, Plottable.js can present a steeper learning curve due to its reliance on D3 concepts and patterns.
  • Less Frequent Updates
    The library is updated less frequently than some other major charting libraries, which may lead to longer waits for bug fixes and new features.
  • Performance Concerns
    While suitable for many applications, Plottable.js may not perform as well as other libraries when dealing with very large datasets or high-frequency updates.

Rough Charts features and specs

  • Unique Aesthetic
    Rough Charts offers a hand-drawn style that provides a unique and less formal look compared to typical precise charts, making them visually interesting and approachable.
  • Easy Integration
    Built on top of popular libraries like D3.js and Rough.js, Rough Charts integrates smoothly with existing web projects that use these technologies.
  • Customizability
    The library allows various levels of customization in terms of the roughness, stroke width, and color, helping developers to tailor the charts to match the desired look and feel of their application.
  • Simplified API
    The library provides a simplified API that abstracts much of the complexity inherent in D3.js, making it accessible even for developers who may not be experts in advanced charting or D3.js.

Possible disadvantages of Rough Charts

  • Limited Chart Types
    Compared to more extensive chart libraries like Chart.js or Highcharts, Rough Charts offers a more limited selection of chart types, which may not satisfy all use cases.
  • Performance
    The hand-drawn aesthetic and reliance on Rough.js may introduce additional rendering overhead, potentially impacting performance with large datasets or complex charts.
  • Visual Consistency
    While the sketches offer a novel aesthetic, they might not be suitable for all professional environments where a more polished and consistent visual presentation is required.
  • Community and Support
    As a niche open-source project, Rough Charts may lack the same level of community support, documentation, and frequent updates as more established charting libraries.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Plottable.js and Rough Charts)
Data Dashboard
100 100%
0% 0
Design Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Charting Libraries
75 75%
25% 25
Data Visualization
68 68%
32% 32

User comments

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Plottable.js and Rough Charts, you can also consider the following products

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

Recharts - Redefined chart library built with React and D3

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.

ApexCharts - Open-source modern charting library 📊

PlotNeurons - The most simple neural network plotter

React Rainbow Components - Build your web application in a snap.