Side by side
CanvasJS vs Vega and Vega-Lite
Both stand on data visualization software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
CanvasJS provides a broad charting toolkit with multiple data inputs, interactive behavior, dashboard embedding, and integrations across common web stacks. Buyers should match the perpetual license scope and support option to their application and developer count.
Visit CanvasJSChoose Vega and Vega-Lite if you want free, specification-based tools for interactive visualizations, analysis, or presentation. Look elsewhere if your server-side rendering setup cannot use node-canvas or your security requirements need default standard Content Security Policy compliance; an alternative expression interpreter is available for CSP-compliant use.
Visit Vega and Vega-LiteThe facts
| CanvasJS | Vega and Vega-Lite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Android, iPhone, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows | API, Linux, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Chart Website: $299 a month | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 20 | 1 |
| Maker | CanvasJS | Not published |
| Website | canvasjs.com | vega.github.io |
| On data visualization software | #14 of 98 | #18 of 98 |
CanvasJS: what it does well
- More than 30 chart types
- Scheduled dashboard refresh
- NPM and CDN distribution
- Framework integration samples
- 30-day fully featured trial
What to know first
- Free licenses require watermark and credit
- Website license covers one non-SaaS website
- Priority support is a separate option
- Commercial licenses priced by developer count
Vega and Vega-Lite: what it does well
- Free under the BSD-3-Clause license.
- Accepts inline, URL-loaded, and runtime-bound data.
- Vega-Lite supports filtering, aggregation, and interactive selections.
- Can render browser views and static PNG, SVG, or PDF.
- Vega-Embed can load specifications from a URL.
What to know first
- Default expression handling is not compliant with standard Content Security Policy.
- Server-side PNG output and accurate font metrics require node-canvas.
- PDF output is through command-line utilities.
Alternatives to CanvasJS Alternatives to Vega and Vega-Lite The whole list