Go Charting Made Simple: Your Guide to the Best Libraries

Hey Go folks!

Say you’ve got some data and you’re itching to turn it into charts.

Good news—Go’s fast, straightforward, and has some handy libraries to make that happen.

Whether you’re slapping together interactive web charts or cranking out static ones for a report, there’s a tool here that’ll fit the bill.

Let’s walk through the best options, see what they’re good for, and figure out which one’s your match.

What’s Out There

Go’s charting scene isn’t huge, but it’s got some solid players. There’s go-echarts, which is all about web charts you can poke at, packing over 25 chart types and even maps.

Then you’ve got vicanso/go-charts, a pure Go option that’s quick and spits out static charts with nice themes.

For the science crowd, gonum/plot is the pick, handling stuff like scatter plots and error bars.

If you’re coming from Python and miss matplotlib, Glot might feel like home, though it leans on gnuplot.

And for something basic, go-chart keeps it simple with no extras.

Each one’s got its own vibe—let’s see how they work for you.

Finding the Right Fit

Picking a library depends on what you’re trying to do.

If you’re building something for the web where folks can zoom in or hover over data, go-echarts is your go-to.

It’s got all the interactive bells and whistles, plus a crazy bonus: over 400 maps if you’re plotting locations.

Pretty sweet, right? But if you just need charts for a report—say, PNGs or SVGs—check out vicanso/go-charts.

It’s pure Go, runs fast (they say under 20ms for PNGs), and throws in themes like light or dark to make things look sharp.

For those of you crunching numbers for science or research, gonum/plot is built for that.

It’s great for detailed stuff like error bars and fits right in if you’re already using the gonum tools.

Mapping something out? Back to go-echarts—those maps really come in handy.

And if you’re switching from Python and loved matplotlib, Glot could ease you in, though you’ll need gnuplot installed. W

ant a taste of vicanso/go-charts? It’s as easy as:

    chart := charts.LineChart(…)
    chart.Render(file)

No fuss there. Let’s dig into what makes these tick.

Breaking Down the Features

So, how do these stack up?

Some are pure Go, meaning no extra tools needed—vicanso/go-charts, gonum/plot, and go-chart all fit that bill, which is awesome for keeping things simple on a server.

Meanwhile, go-echarts needs a browser to shine, and Glot relies on gnuplot.

If you’re after interactive charts, go-echarts is the only one stepping up with zoom and hover features; the rest stick to static.

For saving your work, vicanso/go-charts and go-chart handle PNG and SVG without breaking a sweat.

gonum/plot goes further with EPS if you’re into that, while go-echarts gives you HTML you can screenshot from a browser, and Glot leans on gnuplot’s options. Looks-wise, vicanso/go-charts hands you themes like grafana, and go-echarts lets you tweak styles. The others? You’re customizing from scratch.

Chart variety’s another thing—go-echarts brings over 25 types, maps included. vicanso/go-charts covers line, bar, and pie, while gonum/plot focuses on science plots.

Glot and go-chart keep it basic with histograms or time series.

Speed-wise, vicanso/go-charts is snappy for static stuff; go-echarts slows down without a browser.

Little Surprises and Heads-Ups

Every library’s got its quirks.

go-echarts is a champ for maps—over 400 of them—but it’s not pure Go, so you’re tied to a browser.

vicanso/go-charts brags about those quick PNGs, which could be a win if you’re pumping out charts.

gonum/plot doesn’t hand you themes, but you can bend it however you like. Glot drags gnuplot along, which might annoy you if you hate extras.

And go-chart? It’s barebones—perfect for quick jobs, not so much for big ones. Keep an eye on dependencies if you’re keeping it lean, and test the speed if that’s your thing.

Wrap It Up

Alright, what’s your next move?

If you’re into web dashboards or mapping, go-echarts is calling your name.

For report-ready charts, vicanso/go-charts brings the goods with speed and style.

Doing science? gonum/plot is your buddy. Coming from Python? Glot might smooth the ride.

Just need something basic? go-chart has you covered.

Go’s charting crew is small but packs a punch.

Give a couple a spin—whip up a chart, see what feels right. Got a favorite or a neat trick?

Share it in the comments—I’d love to hear about it!