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uPlot

A small, fast JavaScript chart library for time series, lines, areas, OHLC and bars.

GitHub Download 1.6.32
Stars
10.6k
Forks
470
Licence
MIT
Language
JavaScript
Last update
6 days ago
Type
Library

What it is

uPlot is a JavaScript library that draws charts in a web page using the browser's Canvas 2D drawing API. It is built for plotting time series data such as lines, areas, OHLC and bars. The README says it is about 50 KB minified and aims to render large datasets quickly with low memory use.

  • Plot a large time series, such as sensor readings, with zoom and a live legend
  • Stream live data into a chart at up to 60fps in most cases, per the README
  • Show several charts whose cursors stay in sync
  • Render bar, line, area or OHLC charts with logarithmic or multiple y-axes

Great for

  • Web developers who need a fast chart for large time series data
  • Dashboards that update live with streamed data
  • Apps where a small download size matters
  • Projects that need zoom and cursor sync across multiple charts

Not ideal for

  • People who want a ready-made chart with no coding, since the README focuses on the API and docs are described as a work in progress
  • Projects needing built-in drag panning, since the README says it is not included and must be added via plugins
  • Very large live views above about 100k points, which the README says may struggle
  • Projects needing 3D or WebGL-style rendering, since the README points to other libraries for that
Step-by-step guide: how to use uPlotInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs
uPlot alternativesPartytown vs uPlotSigma.js vs uPlotKeen Dashboards vs uPlotChart.js vs uPlotPlotly.js vs uPlot

How to get it

  1. 1

    Install with a package manager

    Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/leeoniya/uPlot
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Add uPlot to your project using the package manager or the built file from the dist folder (the README does not show the exact command here)
    • Create a container element in your HTML page for the chart
    • Create a chart with the uPlot API, passing your data and options
    • Open the page in a browser and check the chart; the demos folder has runnable examples
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Use the runnable demos at leeoniya.github.io/uPlot/demos to learn specific features
    • Use the plugin and hooks API to add zoom-wheel or zoom-touch behavior
    • Use opts.stack.groups for positive and negative stacking
    • Use cursor sync to link multiple charts
    • Use the wrappers for React, Vue or Svelte listed in the README

Downloads

Source code (.zip)master branch · straight from GitHubRelease 1.6.32Release notes and source

Strengths

  • The README reports strong benchmark results against other chart libraries, with a small bundle size
  • Supports time zones (IANA names) and daylight saving time, plus features like missing data handling and high/low bands
  • Has a plugin and hooks API for extending behavior

Trade-offs

  • The README says the docs are a work in progress, so some APIs need to be learned from the type definitions and demos
  • Does not include data parsing, aggregation or statistics, and has no animations or built-in panning
  • Axis tick labels have no collision avoidance, so spacing may need manual tuning

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
uPlot (this)10.6kLibraryintermediate6 days agoWeb developers who need a fast chart for large time series data
Chart.js67.8kLibraryintermediate14 days agoWeb developers adding standard charts such as line or bar charts to a site
plotly.js18.4kLibrarybeginner7 days agoWeb developers who want interactive charts in their own site or app
sigma.js12.2kLibraryintermediate10 days agoWeb developers who need to display large network graphs in a browser
partytown13.8kLibraryintermediate7 days agoSite owners whose pages are slowed by analytics or marketing third-party scripts
dashboards11kLibraryintermediate5.0 years agoDevelopers who need a starting layout for an internal analytics dashboard

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.