Skip to main content

Comparison guide

Chart.js vs Recharts

Chart.js is framework-agnostic at 213KB. Recharts is React-only at 290KB but with better composability. Compare DX, customization, and bundle size for 2026.

Hero image for Chart.js vs Recharts

Quick Verdict

Smallest Bundle

Chart.js

1.8 MB gzipped

Most Popular

Recharts

47.0M weekly downloads

Best Maintained

Recharts

100/100 maintenance score

Highest Quality

Chart.js

50/100 quality score

Overall Pick

Recharts

Best all-around based on popularity, size, maintenance & quality

chart.js icon

chart.js

Extremely Popular

Version 4.5.1

0
67
Good

Simple HTML5 charts using the canvas element.

Weekly Downloads
11.5M
18%
Bundle (gzip)
1.8 MB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
40
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70
recharts icon

recharts

Extremely Popular

Version 3.8.1

0
85
Excellent

React charts

Weekly Downloads
47.0M
41%
Bundle (gzip)
1.9 MB
Updated
Vulns
0

Health Score Breakdown

Maintenance
100
Popularity
100
Quality
50
Security
100
Stability
70

Choosing between Chart.js and Recharts? Here's a data-driven comparison based on real npm data — downloads, bundle size, health scores, and more — to help you decide which package fits your project best.

Downloads & Popularity

Recharts leads with 47.0M weekly downloads — roughly 4.1x more. Chart.js has 11.5M weekly downloads. Higher download counts generally indicate broader community adoption and a larger ecosystem of tutorials, plugins, and support.

Bundle Size

Chart.js has the smallest gzipped bundle at 1.8 MB. Recharts comes in at 1.9 MB. A smaller bundle size means faster page loads, which improves user experience and Core Web Vitals scores.

Health Score Comparison

Recharts has an overall health score of 85/100 (very good), with strong maintenance, security, popularity scores. Chart.js has an overall health score of 67/100 (good), with strong security, popularity scores. Health scores are calculated from maintenance activity, code quality, security posture, popularity, and stability metrics.

When to Choose Each

Choose Chart.js if you value massive community and ecosystem, strong security track record. Choose Recharts if you value massive community and ecosystem, actively maintained, strong security track record.

Our Verdict

Both Chart.js and Recharts are solid choices for JavaScript development. Recharts has the edge in overall health score (85/100), while each package brings unique strengths to the table. Evaluate them based on your project's priorities — whether that's community size, bundle efficiency, or maintenance activity — and choose the one that aligns best with your requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is chart.js better than recharts?
It depends on your needs. Chart.js has a health score of 67/100 while Recharts scores 85/100. Recharts has more weekly downloads (47.0M), suggesting broader adoption. Consider your specific requirements — bundle size, community support, and feature set — to decide which is the better fit.
Which has a smaller bundle size, chart.js or recharts?
Chart.js has the smaller gzipped bundle at 1.8 MB. A smaller bundle means faster load times for your users, which can positively impact SEO and user experience.
How many developers use chart.js vs recharts?
Based on npm download statistics, Chart.js has approximately 11.5M weekly downloads and Recharts has approximately 47.0M weekly downloads. These numbers reflect package installations, not unique developers, but they indicate relative adoption levels.
Which is better maintained, chart.js or recharts?
Recharts currently has the higher overall health score at 85/100. Chart.js has a maintenance score of 40/100 and Recharts scores 100/100 on maintenance.

Related Comparisons

The 2026 JavaScript Stack Cheatsheet

One PDF: the best package for every category (ORMs, bundlers, auth, testing, state management). Used by 500+ devs. Free, updated monthly.