5 top picks for JavaScript chart libraries

JavaScript charting libraries simplify the process of displaying data in business applications, with popular options including Chart.js, Chartist, C3.js, MetricsGraphics.js, and Plotly. Chart.js is a versatile library supporting various frontend frameworks and rendering charts on an HTML canvas, while Chartist provides simple, responsive charts with customization via CSS. C3.js builds on the D3 graphics library to create charts with customizable options, and MetricsGraphics.js specializes in time series data with line charts and scatter plots. Plotly stands out for its extensive chart types, including maps and 3D charts, and offers integration with both JavaScript and Python. Despite their differences, most libraries except MetricsGraphics.js support basic 2D charts like bar and line charts, whereas Plotly supports a wider range of chart types.