Top 10 JavaScript Data Visualization libraries

The growing number of available JavaScript data visualization libraries indicates the demand for these types of solutions. The business already knows that without well-prepared data visualization schemes, it is not able to manage organizations well. Visualizing data makes it much easier to understand and work with data regardless of the size and complexity of the company’s structures. What needs a lot more focus on is the data analysis, data dependencies, and the number of processes used within the organizations.

Your perfectly optimized data visualization libraries are perceived as the right start for the creation of the tool to manage any data in the company. Their diversity and unique features don’t limit the tools’ creators. The following 10 the most popular JavaScript data visualization libraries contain the set of functionalities that supports creating the tools that are just right.

Data visualization libraries are a source from which providers of ready-made solutions and visualization tools take advantage. JavaScript diagrams library also constitutes the basis for the work of the software houses specializing in data visualization and diagramming solutions. With their help, you can build simple data processing tools as well as, highly customized solutions for process modeling.

The current state of JavaScript frameworks

JavaScript is the leading programming language used by developers for building highly customizable front-end web applications. With the newest tech trends implemented, JavaScript language provides one of the best user experiences and customization options. 

According to the research presented by Stack Overflow, 70% of developers use JavaScript, mainly because it’s an easy-to-use language in tool building – from development to non-browser environments.

The peak of JavaScript popularity is forecasted in 2021. As the conducted data analysis show, the demand for JavaScript use and services means a great potential in becoming the leader in the modern tech world. The following trends tell it all:

• TypeScript will keep its hype – As a JavaScript extension, TypeScript is widely used in the programming language market. Used in building complex apps for both the client and server-side execution, it is considered easy to read, and simple to debug language.
• React.js will remain popular – a still the best-recognized UI library that does a great job of crafting a complex and easy-to-scale web and mobile solution. Its popularity, but also wide usefulness, is reflected in the use of React.js in building websites such as Facebook, Instagram, or Skype. 2021 appears to be the year in which even more applications are going to be crafted React.js core.
• Vue.js will be rising continuously – it is a lightweight framework with growing popularity in operating around the JavaScript language. Vue.js has a faster and not steep learning curve than others. As user-friendly, highly customizable, and easy to integrate with other frameworks, it works great as interface building software and single-page apps. The most recognizable examples are Upwork, Trustpilot, Behance, Alibaba, and Gitlab.
• Angular will keep developing – it is impossible to miss Angular within the available frameworks. It offers a well-thought-out functionality with MVC architecture for building robust single-page apps. According to Stack Overflow research, Angular ranks third in popularity among web development and JavaScript visualization frameworks.
• SPAs are more recognizable – Single Page Applications (SPAs) are used for navigating pages such as Google Docs, Office Online, or Gmail. A single-page application (SPA) is a web app or website that interacts with the user. It dynamically rewrites the current web page with the new data derived from the webserver. The SPA aims to obtain faster transitions that give the website more like a native app feeling. It is good to use JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Angular, React.js, or Vue.js technologies to build SPAs.

Javascript data visualization libraries

JavaScript, as a powerful and widely applicable programming language, highlights great results in building the technologies of tomorrow. Because it has a well-developed ecosystem and offers a wide range of tech solutions, it is considered the fastest developing technology.

Along with the growing popularity of the JavaScript programming language, we notice the growing interest in visual libraries built on this language. Find out the top 10 JS libraries for building highly customizable tools.

In simple words, visual libraries allow you to create advanced data visualization tool for. Thanks to the understanding of data illustrated by charts, diagrams, or tables, business people can make the right decisions and build development strategies.

Benefits of JavaScript data visualization library

For a JS developer, building data visualization tools is just the same as making interactive web pages. As JavaScript becomes more popular in data visualization, new libraries appear on the market to allow users to create beautiful charts and graphs that comply with web standards. With libraries’ support, users can depict data in an easy-to-read way and enhance their businesses scores.

For a better understanding of why you should pay attention to JavaScript data viz library, consider the following benefits:

• A wide range of diagrams and chart types enable to suit the needs of almost any business.
• Canvas-based tools built via data viz libraries result in faster work, especially with large datasets.
• Possibility to build highly responsive tools to be used both within the browser and in the mobile version.
• Matching the appropriate javascript data visualization libraries to the framework supports comfortable work with the code.
• Various applications of customization in terms of look and feel. JavaScript data visualization libraries allow you to use even advanced animations in the tool.

JavaScript data visualization tools

Tools based on JavaScript programming language create a set of applications with a wide range of functionalities. JS libraries are supposed to fulfill specific functions, and since there are several dozen of them available on the market, it is worth knowing their purpose. The most common uses of JavaScript visualization libraries are:

• Creation of data visualization maps and charts for information processing – it enables the creation of interactive dashboards. They include performance metrics or tools for developing statistics to support making business decisions.
• Handling canvas – the visualization libraries make it easy to draw the elements on the canvas and to support them. It is one of the characteristic features used in visualization, used in GoJS for instance.
• Data handling – using the JavaScript data visualizations library makes it much easier to work with thousands and more data by handling and managing it properly.
• Database management – effective database management allows you to read, create, delete, edit or sort data. When working with extensive databases, JS visualization libraries offer the usage of queries, self-creating tables, data synchronization, and validation.
• Simplify forms functionality – JS visualization libraries provide validation, timing, handling, conditional capabilities, field controls, transforming layouts, and more.
• Use of animations and image effects – apart from the obvious interactivity building, JS visualization libraries allow you to add micro-interactions and animations. While handling static graphics, you can add almost any visual effects, such as blurring, lightening, embossing, sharpening, etc. to different chart types and diagrams.
• Adaptation of the user interface and its components – properly designed UX increases responsiveness and dynamics. Additionally, it can contribute to reducing the number of DOM operations or boosting page speed.

At Synergy Codes, we introduce selected functionalities of JS visualization libraries to our projects to create effective custom solutions. Our data visualization projects are based on JavaScript diagramming libraries, including GoJS. Thanks to the matching of appropriate functionalities, the intuitive UX, and the use of matching logic embedded in algorithms, we can create tailor-made applications.

JavaScript data visualization library use cases

Whether a given project (or building up a custom solution) requires the usage of a library for data visualization depends on many factors. The data visualization JavaScript libraries make the work on complicated visualizations, including various supported chart types, and complex apps with implemented visualizations easier.

Indicating databases 1000+ of data

If you work with an enormous amount of data in your resources, visual libraries help to sort out the chaos. Assuming that your databases contain 1000 or more individual pieces of information to be processed, the usage of an appropriate JS visualization library and virtualization options will allow you to collapse them (e.g., to 10 nodes) enabling a comprehensive view. Having this amount of data, you don’t have to aggregate them on the webserver. You are capable of managing such amounts of data with well-chosen libraries.

Flexibility

When working with databases, flexibility is a factor that facilitates the use of data. Ask yourself how flexible a library do you need? If you intend to expand your tool or assume the development of a database, then choose solutions that will allow you to present your data legibly, regardless of the complexity level of the information processed. JS visual libraries flexibility can be measured by the amount of different-source data. The more data can be used, the more flexible the visual library is.

UI customization

If you want to match the feel and look of your application to brand standards, choose the library that will allow full UI and UX customization.  However, when it comes to implementing portal functionality customization, it is worth being able to modify the portal’s navigation or add new functionalities to portal pages. Of course, if you want to apply advanced UI customization, recognize the possibilities of adding s view replacement, new pages using custom activity spaces. Recognition of advanced UI customization tools and additional components will result in a more advanced version of the tool.

Desktop/mobile responsiveness

Custom tools, as well as ready-made ones, should ensure appropriate responsiveness in both the Web and Mobile versions. By taking care of proper operation on various device types, you won’t omit anything.  

API integration

Do you use several data sources at the same time? To ensure the correct flow of information between them, it is necessary to use API integration. API integrations power processes throughout many high-performing businesses that keep data in sync, enhance productivity, and drive revenue.

Ten best JavaScript diagramming and data visualization libraries

1. Highcharts

Highcharts provides charting-tool solutions for global businesses. It specializes in providing JavaScript libraries for building interactive charts for web pages. Thanks to that, instead of unreadable data tables you can visualize data using outstanding visualizations.

Highcharts allows you to create stocks or general timeline charts for web and mobile apps. It features sophisticated navigation, annotation, and client-side analytics with over 40 built-in Technical Indicators. 

You can build interactive maps for any kind of data linked to geography with the great support of interactive dashboards. 

For a better Gantt charts experience, Highcharts enables to easily build interactive charts for allocating, coordinating, and displaying tasks, events, and resources with a robust JS library. 

Highcharts supports the creation of various charts such as: 

• Line charts  d3 based

• Spline charts 

• Area charts 

• Areaspline charts 

• Column charts 

• Bar charts 

• Candlestick charts

• Pie charts 

• Scatter charts 

• Angular gauges 

• Arearange charts 

• Areasplinerange charts 

• Columnrange charts 

• Polar charts 

Compatible with modern browsers, including mobile and tables, it serves dynamic functionalities for modifications such as adding, removing, series modification, and points or modifying axes. 

Price: Free for non-commercial use, demos upon request, starts from $ 535.

2. Zoomcharts

Zoomcharts leverages data visualization libraries for businesses worldwide. Its resources include drill-down visuals for Microsoft Power BI – a solution that helps to discover in less space and create truly unique reports and dashboards with the help of advanced custom visuals. If you want more out of data visualization, exploration, and navigation with the extensive API that seamlessly integrates visualizations into your product, then JavaScript Charts are for you.

The JavaScript Charts offered by Zoomcharts allows you to easily integrate content drill-down and multi-touch enabled big data visualizations into your web projects.

Zoomcharts offers:

• Complex and interactive data visualizations created with minimal input and development time by using a ready-to-go JavaScript charts library.

• Integration with your databases.

• Selecting the correct type of chart.

• Adding resources to the project and integrate with interactive charts with a few lines of JavaScript code

• Deep interactivity with drill-down and filtration

If you are a developer, you will appreciate the following functionalities:

• Integration with external services and other UI components

• Responsiveness

• Compatibility with various types of devices, OS, and frameworks

• Incremental loading + smart cache create a stable and quick solution when working with big data

Price: free 30-days demo, then by the quote

3. MxGraph

MxGraph is an interactive JavaScript HTML 5 diagramming library. It serves the role of a fully client-side library that uses SVG and HTML for rendering models. It requires no plugins and can be integrated into virtually any framework (it’s vanilla JS).

The USP was the support for non-SVG browsers, focused on commercial activity around draw.io. mxGraph is pretty much feature complete, production tested in many large enterprises, and stable for many years.

The library offers JavaScript client software along with a series of back-ends for various languages. The software itself is a graph component with an optional app wrapper that is integrated into an existing web interface.

From the client’s side, there’s a need for the webserver to deliver the required files to the client. Also, the files can be delivered from the local filesystem without a web server. 

The back-ends, on the other hand, can be used without any further actions to be taken, or, if more convenient, they may be embedded into an existing server application in one of the supported languages.

The library has community support on Stack Overflow.

Price: by quoteja

4. GoJS

The feature-rich JavaScript visual library – GoJS – is great for implementing interactive diagrams across browsers and platforms.

With GoJS the user can craft diagrams consisted of complex Nodes, Links, and Groups easily with customizable templates and layouts.

GoJS normally runs completely in the browser, rendering to an HTML Canvas element or SVG without any server-side requirements. You can benefit from the populous community and great Northwoods Software support.

Implementing the GoJS library, the user can benefit from a whole bunch of advanced features such as:

• drag-and-drop
• copy-and-paste
• transactional state and undo management
• palettes
• overviews
• data-bound models
• event handlers
• an extensible tool system for custom operations

The library offers over 150 interactive data visualization samples to help you get started with diagrams such as BPMN, flowchart, state chart, visual trees, pie charts, Sankey, and data flow. The API is very well documented to make sure you can start using it in a snap. 

GoJS provider – NorthWoods – supports purchased software products via email and online forum.

Price: $ 6990

5. Chart.js

The open-source JavaScript Visualization Library provides all kinds of charts, including animated ones. Among other charting libraries, Chart.js enables numerous opportunities to deliver great visual outputs. Some of these are:

• Mixing and matching bar and line charts to provide a clear visual distinction between datasets.
• Operating on axes by plotting complex, sparse datasets on date time, logarithmic, or even entirely custom scales with ease.
• Introduction of the animated diagrams with out-of-the-box stunning transitions when changing data, colors update, and adding datasets.
• Creation of eight different types of fully custom charts.

It features great rendering performance across all modern browsers thanks to HTML Canvas. Redrawing charts on window resize for perfect scale granularity is responsible for the full responsiveness.

Price: Open-source

6. D3.js

One of the most popular libraries of its kind is D3.js. While being an example of data visualization library, it enables manipulating documents based on data. There’s a reason it might be also called the set of front-end solutions. D3.js might be a good choice if you need:

• Bring data to life using HTML, SVG, and CSS.
• The library offers the full capabilities of modern browsers without tying to a proprietary framework.
• It supports a combination of powerful visualization components and a data-driven approach to DOM manipulation. 

The main advantage of the D3.js library is its fast performance. It supports large datasets and dynamic behaviors for interaction and animation. Thanks to the functional style, the user can reuse the code through a diverse collection of official and community-developed modules.

D3.js library is licensed with great support from the providers in terms of reporting bugs or help assistance.

Price: free open source  

7. yWorks

yWorks specializes in the development of professional software solutions that enable the clear visualization of graphs, diagrams, and networks.

As the leading worldwide diagramming resources provider, yWorks offers high-quality diagramming for cross-platform Java applications, applications on the .NET platform, and browser applications based on HTML5 / JavaScript.

Among the products offered by yWorks, you can benefit from yFiles, which is the diagramming SDK for developers, diagram editors – a set of visual graph editing apps, and a variety of software tools for developers and graph users. 

Main yWorks products characteristics are:

• Well-documented software development toolkit for visualizing, editing, and analyzing graphs
• Desktop and online diagram editors
• Enterprise features for teams, i.e., collaborative working functionalities and user rights management
• Automatic layout algorithms to arrange large data sets 

Price: $ 49 400

8. Recharts

Recharts is a composable charting library built on React components. Recharts delivers decoupled and reusable React components to quickly build charts.

 As a reliable source, this charting library is built on the top SVG elements with a lightweight dependency on D3 submodules. Recharts enables customization of your complex charts by tweaking component props and passing in custom components.

The Recharts charting library supports various types of charts, such as:

• Composed charts
• Pie chart
• Funnel chart
• Area chart
• Radar chart
• gauge charts
• Heat maps
• Tree map
• Bar charts
• Radial bar chart
• Line chart
• Scatter chart

Recharts makes it easy to integrate into charts into React application.

Price: open-source

9. Cytoscape.js

Cytoscape.js is a highly optimized open-source graph theory/network library that can be used for graph analysis and visualization. The main features are:

• Compatibility with all modern browsers and fully (de)serializable via JSON.
• It includes algorithms for automatic layout, set theory, and graph theory, from BFS to PageRank. 
• It allows to display and manipulate rich, interactive graphs.
• It includes all the out-of-the-box gestures, including pinch-to-zoom, box selection, or panning.

Cytoscape.js also has graph analysis in mind: The library contains many useful functions in graph theory. You can use Cytoscape.js headlessly on Node.js to do graph analysis in the terminal or on a web server.

Price: Open-source

10. ReactVis

React-vis is a React visualization library. React-vis components are designed to work just like other React components. They have properties, children, and callbacks. 

The high-level and customization functionalities support creating complex and beautiful charts with a minimal code and sensible defaults. It enables the user to customize almost any aspect of the chart. 

With the ReactVis it’s possible to handle numerous charts: area charts or treemaps to name just two. 

ReactVis has many contributors at GitHub.

Price: free, open-source

Alone or with the agency?

Now that you have learned the details of the selected JavaScript visual libraries supporting data visualization, you can figure out which one suits your needs best. However, it is worth mentioning that in the case of building solutions for complex projects, it is suggested to use several sources.

The key is to ask yourself if you are going to start from scratch or reuse your tool as part of your need.

Of course, there are ready-made tools that can meet your expectations sufficiently on the market. Their functions, price, and technical support can be used to work with data and visualization or modeling. However, rethink if the tool you are using today does not need fine grinding.

When do you need an agency?

However, you may be wondering when you should consider employing the data visualization agency. It could be a great support if you:

• lack of internal resources, i.e., the dev teams or UX designers
• complex tool’s or functionalities’ integrations
• lack of design team to improve or create an intuitive UI
• complications in the operational arrangements

The additional help can significantly extend the process of ranging over specific solutions.

Synergy Codes is a highly specialized software house that builds scalable data visualization solutions based on JS diagramming libraries. We deal with building 100% custom apps but also develop solutions for upgrading tools on the client’s side. Operating for over a decade, Product Design and Design teams prepare tools tailored to customer expectations.

Thanks to in-depth knowledge of JavaScript data visualization libraries, various programming languages, code analysis, and innovative solutions development, the delivered applications meet the agreed guidelines. Our portfolio includes Fortune 500 companies, and we do not stop there. For more information, you can contact us anytime.ed content goes here!