reactstrap vs Recharts
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
React components that wrap Bootstrap 5 styles, so you can build pages with Bootstrap pieces.
Open source · MIT
A React charting library built on D3 for drawing charts from declarative components.
The short answer
Choose reactstrap if you need…
- React developers who already know Bootstrap and want its styling as components
- Teams building admin dashboards or internal tools with Bootstrap look and feel
- Projects that want to avoid jQuery and Bootstrap's own JavaScript
- Developers who prefer composing content through props.children
Choose Recharts if you need…
- React developers who need standard charts such as line, bar or similar graphs in a web app
- Teams that prefer declarative, component-based chart code
- Single-page applications installed through npm
- Developers who want SVG-based charts with minimal dependencies
Side-by-side
| reactstrap | Recharts | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 10.5k | 27.7k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 2 years ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
reactstrap
Reactstrap is a library of React components for Bootstrap 5, such as buttons, tooltips, and dropdowns. You write React code using these components instead of raw Bootstrap HTML and class names. It does not include Bootstrap's CSS, so you install Bootstrap separately and import it into your project.
Recharts
Recharts is a charting library for React applications, built on top of D3. You draw charts by composing React components such as a line chart, axes, a grid and a tooltip, each of which is a separate part you can combine. It renders charts as native SVG and is aimed at making charts in React apps straightforward.
Best for
reactstrap
- React developers who already know Bootstrap and want its styling as components
- Teams building admin dashboards or internal tools with Bootstrap look and feel
- Projects that want to avoid jQuery and Bootstrap's own JavaScript
- Developers who prefer composing content through props.children
Recharts
- React developers who need standard charts such as line, bar or similar graphs in a web app
- Teams that prefer declarative, component-based chart code
- Single-page applications installed through npm
- Developers who want SVG-based charts with minimal dependencies
Strengths
reactstrap
- Stateless components that fit naturally into React code, per the README
- Does not depend on jQuery or Bootstrap's JavaScript
- Documentation site and CodeSandbox examples are provided
Recharts
- Declarative API where each chart part is an independent React component
- Native SVG output with a stated focus on being lightweight with minimal dependencies
- MIT licensed with active development and a documentation site and storybook
Not ideal for
reactstrap
- Projects using Bootstrap 4, which needs the older Reactstrap v8 according to the README
- People who do not use React, since the library is React-only
- Teams wanting a non-Bootstrap design system, because it is built specifically for Bootstrap styling
Recharts
- Non-programmers who want to make charts without code, since it requires writing React components
- Projects not using React, because the library is built around React components
- Very large datasets needing canvas or GPU rendering, since the README only describes SVG support
Trade-offs
reactstrap
- Bootstrap CSS must be installed and imported separately
- Tied to Bootstrap 5; Bootstrap 4 users must use an older version
Recharts
- Only suited to React projects, so it does not fit other frameworks by default
- Installation asks you to also install react-is matching your React version, an extra step for beginners
- The README excerpt provides limited detail on specific chart types and advanced options; see the docs site
Getting started
reactstrap
Install Bootstrap and reactstrap with React
npm i bootstrapInstall reactstrap with React and React DOM
npm i reactstrap react react-domFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between reactstrap and Recharts?
reactstrap: React components that wrap Bootstrap 5 styles, so you can build pages with Bootstrap pieces. Recharts: A React charting library built on D3 for drawing charts from declarative components. reactstrap suits react developers who already know bootstrap and want its styling as components, while Recharts suits react developers who need standard charts such as line, bar or similar graphs in a web app.
Are reactstrap and Recharts free?
reactstrap: Free and open source. Recharts: Free and open source.
Is reactstrap or Recharts more popular?
Recharts has more GitHub stars (27.7k) than reactstrap (10.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to reactstrap and Recharts?
Other options people compare them with include React-Bootstrap, shadcn/ui, Base UI, BootstrapVue, Preact.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.