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Chart.ts vs Nivo
Nivo provides beautiful React chart components built on D3. It has great defaults but is React-only and the D3 dependency makes bundles large.
| Feature | Chart.ts | Nivo |
|---|---|---|
| Bundle size | <15kb min+gzip (entire library) | ~40kb min+gzip (per chart package) |
| Tree-shaking | Full (import only what you use) | Good (separate packages) |
| TypeScript | Built-in, strict mode, full inference | Built-in types |
| SSR | Native SSR, works with any framework | Partial (canvas charts need client) |
| Accessibility | WCAG AA, keyboard nav, screen readers, pattern fills | Good (ARIA labels) |
| Tailwind CSS | Native className on every element, dark: variants | Not native (theme config object) |
| Chart types | 65+ built-in (52 core + 13 WebGL/3D) | ~20 built-in |
| Frameworks | React, Vue, Svelte, Solid, Angular, Vanilla JS | React only |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Rendering | Triple engine: SVG + Canvas + WebGL (auto-switching at 10k/100k points) | SVG + Canvas (per chart) |
| Real-Time | Built-in streaming, WebSocket, SSE, HTTP polling via @chartts/websocket | No 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 |
| Plugins | defineChartType() with render context, hit testing, custom scales | No plugin system |
| Interactions | Zoom, pan, brush selection, crosshair, linked charts | Basic hover only |
| Advanced Charts | Sankey, treemap, sunburst, chord, geo maps, network graphs, 3D globe | 15 types (no 3D, limited financial) |
| Theme Presets | 34 presets (Nord, Dracula, Catppuccin, Tokyo Night, Material, etc.) | Custom theme object |
Why switch from Nivo?
Chart.ts advantages
- 65+ chart types vs 15
- Works with any framework, not React-only
- Native Tailwind className vs custom theme objects
- Built-in WebGL/3D and financial charts
- Smaller bundle with no D3 dependency
Nivo limitations
- React only
- Large per-chart bundles due to D3
- Theme system is separate from Tailwind
- No className prop on chart elements
- Cannot use dark: variants directly
Ready to switch?
Get started with Chart.ts in 30 seconds.
$
npm install @chartts/core