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Chart.js

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What Chart.js is

Chart.js is a free, open-source JavaScript library for creating charts in web applications. It provides eight animated, customizable chart types rendered on HTML5 canvas, with charts redrawing when the browser window changes size. Data can come from JavaScript arrays, tuples, objects, data APIs and Cube. Developers can add plugins, configure animations, combine chart types and define custom scales. The library works with plain JavaScript, module loaders and bundlers such as Webpack and Rollup, plus integrations for React, Angular and Vue. Installation is documented through npm, CDNJS and jsDelivr; repository downloads need to be built to generate distribution files. Node.js projects can generate server-side plots with node-canvas or skia-canvas. Tree-shaking, parsing shortcuts, normalization and data decimation can reduce bundle size or rendering work. Chart.js supports modern Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari browsers, but Internet Explorer 11 support ended in version 3. Canvas output needs ARIA attributes or fallback content for screen readers.

Who it suits

Chart.js suits developers building browser charts with JavaScript or popular front-end frameworks. It is also useful for Node.js server-side plot generation.

What it does well

Eight animated and customizable chart types
Works with React, Angular and Vue
Installs through npm or major CDNs
Supports tree-shaking and data decimation
MIT-licensed open-source project

What to know first

Canvas is not screen-reader accessible by default
Internet Explorer 11 support was dropped
Repository downloads require a build step
Support questions are directed to Stack Overflow

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Chart.js	Open-source JavaScript charting library · MIT license	Free

As chartjs.org lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

Chart.js provides a focused, extensible way to render web charts from several data formats. Developers should plan accessibility fallbacks and use a supported browser.

Facts from Chart.js's own pages

Accessibility: Canvas content is not accessible to screen readers by default, so the documentation advises adding ARIA attributes or fallback content. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Browser support: The documentation lists current Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Safari support and says Internet Explorer 11 support was dropped in version 3. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Bundle size: Tree-shaking can reduce the JavaScript bundle by registering only the components an application needs. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Chart types: The site says Chart.js supports 8 animated, customizable chart types. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Customization: Users can combine chart types and extend the library with custom plugins, including for annotations, zoom, and drag-and-drop functionality. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Dashboard type: both · chartjs.org, 21 Sept 2026
Data sources: JavaScript arrays,tuples,objects,data APIs,and Cube · chartjs.org, 21 Sept 2026
Distribution: The project documents installation through npm and CDNJS or jsDelivr. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Installation: The documentation provides installation via npm and CDN, and says repository downloads need to be built to generate distribution files. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Integrations: Chart.js includes TypeScript typings and works with React, Vue, Svelte, and Angular, directly or through wrapper packages. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
License: Chart.js is open source under the MIT license and maintained by a community. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Node.js: Chart.js can be used in Node.js for server-side plot generation with packages such as node-canvas or skia-canvas. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Performance: The documentation describes data parsing and normalization shortcuts, data decimation, and tree-shaking to reduce rendering work and bundle size. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Platform: web · chartjs.org, 21 Sept 2026
Purpose: Chart.js is a simple, flexible JavaScript charting library for the modern web. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Rendering: Charts render on HTML5 canvas elements. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Responsive: Charts redraw when the browser window is resized. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Security: The repository's security advisories page says there are no published security advisories. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026
Security and compliance: The official pages reviewed provide no security or compliance claims. · chartjs.org, 12 Oct 2026
Support: The project directs support questions to Stack Overflow using the chart.js tag. · github.com, 12 Oct 2026

Where Chart.js stands on Freedom251

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