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Chart.ts vs Chart.js
Chart.js is the most popular canvas-based charting library. It renders to Canvas, which means no DOM access, no CSS styling, and no screen reader support without extra work.
| Feature | Chart.ts | Chart.js |
|---|---|---|
| Bundle size | <15kb min+gzip (entire library) | ~60kb min+gzip |
| Tree-shaking | Full (import only what you use) | Limited (v4 improved but still heavy) |
| TypeScript | Built-in, strict mode, full inference | Community types (@types/chart.js) |
| SSR | Native SSR, works with any framework | Requires node-canvas or chartjs-node-canvas |
| Accessibility | WCAG AA, keyboard nav, screen readers, pattern fills | Canvas-based, no native a11y |
| Tailwind CSS | Native className on every element, dark: variants | Not supported (canvas rendering) |
| Chart types | 65+ built-in (52 core + 13 WebGL/3D) | ~10 built-in |
| Frameworks | React, Vue, Svelte, Solid, Angular, Vanilla JS | Wrapper libraries (react-chartjs-2, etc.) |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Rendering | Triple engine: SVG + Canvas + WebGL (auto-switching at 10k/100k points) | Canvas only |
| Real-Time | Built-in streaming, WebSocket, SSE, HTTP polling via @chartts/websocket | No built-in streaming |
| GPU / 3D | WebGL renderer + @chartts/gl with 13 3D chart types (Scatter3D, Surface3D, Globe3D, etc.) | No WebGL/3D |
| Financial | @chartts/finance: SMA, EMA, RSI, MACD, Bollinger Bands, ATR, VWAP, Sharpe ratio | No financial indicators |
| Plugins | defineChartType() with render context, hit testing, custom scales | Plugin API (limited) |
| Interactions | Zoom, pan, brush selection, crosshair, linked charts | Zoom plugin (separate) |
| Advanced Charts | Sankey, treemap, sunburst, chord, geo maps, network graphs, 3D globe | 8 basic types only |
| Theme Presets | 34 presets (Nord, Dracula, Catppuccin, Tokyo Night, Material, etc.) | No presets |
Why switch from Chart.js?
Chart.ts advantages
- 65+ chart types vs 8
- Real SVG rendering vs Canvas-only
- WebGL/3D charts built-in
- Native Tailwind with className
- Built-in financial indicators
Chart.js limitations
- Canvas rendering means no CSS styling
- No native screen reader support
- Cannot use Tailwind or dark: variants
- SSR requires heavy node-canvas dependency
- Bundle includes all chart types by default
Ready to switch?
Get started with Chart.ts in 30 seconds.
$
npm install @chartts/core