head to head · open source
plotly.js vs G6
plotly.js has 18,378 GitHub stars, 2,074 forks, 769 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. G6 has 12,371 stars, 1,652 forks, 333 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. plotly.js leads on adoption by 49% (18,378 vs 12,371 stars). plotly.js is written in JavaScript under MIT; G6 is written in TypeScript under MIT. plotly.js has attracted 11% as many forks as stars, G6 13%. plotly.js was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (data-visualization, visualization), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| plotly.js | G6 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 18K | ★ 12K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-29 | 2026-10-27 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.1K | ⑂ 1.7K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick plotly.js if
- You weight community size — 18K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick G6 if
- You want the G6 feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and G6 fits your workflow better
About plotly.js
Plotly.js is a standalone JavaScript data visualization library, and it also powers the Python and R modules named plotly in those respective ecosystems (referred to as Plotly.py and Plotly.R). Plotly.js can be used to produce dozens of chart types and visualizations, including statistical charts, 3D graphs, scientific charts, SVG and tile maps, financial charts and more. Contact us for Plotly.js consulting, dashboard development, application integration, and feature additions. Table of contents Load as a node module Load via script tag Bundles Alternative ways to load and build plotly.js Documentation Bugs and…
read the full plotly.js overview →
About G6
English 简体中文 G6: A Graph Visualization Framework in TypeScript Introduction • Examples • Quick Start • API G6 is a graph visualization engine. It provides basic capabilities for graph visualization and analysis such as drawing, layout, analysis, interaction, animation, themes, and plugins. With G6, users can quickly build their own graph visualization and analysis applications, making relational data simple, transparent, and meaningful. ✨ Features G6, as a professional graph visualization engine, boasts the following features: Rich Elements : It comes with a variety of built in node, edge, and Combo UI elements…
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Frequently asked questions
Is plotly.js or G6 more popular?
plotly.js has 18,378 GitHub stars and G6 has 12,371. plotly.js has the larger community by that measure.
Are plotly.js and G6 free?
Both are open source. plotly.js is licensed under MIT and G6 under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between plotly.js and G6?
plotly.js is written in JavaScript and G6 in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, plotly.js or G6?
Choose plotly.js if you want the larger community (18,378 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose G6 if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.