OSI-licensed only · self-hostable
Highcharts is a widely used JavaScript charting library. Its source is public, but it is licensed by Highsoft rather than under an OSI licence, and commercial use requires purchasing a licence. If you want a library you can ship in commercial products without a licence fee, the options below are all permissively licensed.
Every library is under an OSI-approved licence (Apache-2.0, MIT, ISC), checked against its repository. They are libraries, not servers: all are bundled into your front end, so the self-host label here just means you ship them yourself.
Licences checked against each repository on November 7, 2026.
| Tool | Best for | Licence | Runs as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apache ECharts | Broadest chart catalogue | Apache-2.0 | Server |
| Chart.js | Simple, common charts quickly | MIT | Server |
| Plotly.js | Scientific and statistical charts | MIT | Server |
| D3 | Fully custom visualisations | ISC | Server |
| Observable Plot | Concise exploratory charts | ISC | Server |
| uPlot | Fast time-series charts | MIT | Server |
| Recharts | Composable charts for React | MIT | Server |
| Billboard.js | D3-based reusable charts | MIT | Server |
Best for: Broadest chart catalogue
A charting and visualisation library with a very large set of chart types, including maps, graphs, heatmaps and gauges, rendered with Canvas or SVG.
Best for: Simple, common charts quickly
A simple, flexible charting library drawing charts on HTML canvas, with core chart types and a plugin system.
Best for: Scientific and statistical charts
An open-source JavaScript graphing library that supports statistical, scientific, 3D and financial charts, built on D3 and WebGL.
Best for: Fully custom visualisations
A low-level toolkit for bespoke data visualisations, providing scales, shapes, layouts and data binding rather than ready-made charts.
Best for: Concise exploratory charts
A JavaScript library for exploratory data visualisation with a concise, layered grammar of marks.
Best for: Fast time-series charts
A small, fast chart library for time series, built on Canvas 2D and designed for large datasets.
Best for: Composable charts for React
A charting library built on React components and D3 submodules, with a declarative, composable API.
Best for: D3-based reusable charts
A reusable chart library based on D3, with a simple API and a wide range of chart types.
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| If you need… | Start with |
|---|---|
| A broad chart catalogue incl. maps and gauges | ECharts |
| Simple charts with little code | Chart.js |
| Scientific or 3D charts | Plotly.js |
| Fully custom visuals | D3 |
| Large real-time time series | uPlot |
| A React codebase | Recharts |
Public source code, but under licences the Open Source Initiative doesn't approve. Fine to use; read the terms first.
The source is public, but it is released under Highsoft's own licence and commercial use needs a paid licence, so it does not qualify as open source.
Quick answers to common questions
No. Its source code is public, but Highsoft licenses it under its own terms and commercial use requires a paid licence.
For breadth of chart types, Apache ECharts. For simplicity, Chart.js. Both use permissive licences that allow commercial use.
Yes. Apache-2.0, MIT and ISC all allow commercial use. Keep the copyright notices as each licence requires.
Chart configuration formats differ, so expect to rewrite chart definitions. ECharts and Billboard.js use option objects, which makes the mapping more direct than D3.
Highcharts ships Stock and Gantt packages. Among these, ECharts covers candlestick and many financial views, while Gantt charts usually need custom work or an additional library.
List it on TechLogHub and we'll review it for this page.
