Chart creation
Key difference- Lite (free)
- 5 types (bar, col, line, pie, scatter)
- Pro
- Additional types
- ExcelJS 4.4.0
- Not supported (#141, 2016)
Compare
Ship spreadsheets with real Excel charts — not empty cells.
ExcelJS cannot create charts (issue #141, open since 2016). PaperJSX creates native OOXML charts that open and edit in Excel like they were built there.
[01] Side by side
What changes once charts are part of the job.
These are the XLSX differences that actually change what you can ship.
| Capability | Lite (free) | Pro | ExcelJS 4.4.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chart creation | 5 types (bar, col, line, pie, scatter) | Additional types | Not supported (#141, 2016) |
| Charts on read/write | Preserved | Same | Destroyed (#1734) |
| Formulas | Stored (not evaluated) | Server-side evaluation | Stored (not evaluated) |
| Conditional formatting | Data bars, icon sets, color scales | Same | Partial |
| Streaming | — | — | Yes (WorkbookReader/Writer) |
| File size | 37% smaller (benchmarked) | Same | Baseline |
| Repair pipeline | — | 16-strategy | None |
| API style | JSON declarative | Same | Imperative worksheet.addRow() |
[02] The chart gap
ExcelJS still cannot create charts.
ExcelJS issue #141 has been open since 2016. That is the difference that usually forces the evaluation. PaperJSX creates native OOXML charts directly, which is why it fits export workflows where the spreadsheet itself is a deliverable instead of an internal workbook object.
[03] The real tradeoff
Chart generation versus workbook manipulation.
These libraries overlap less than people expect. One is stronger at generation with charts. The other is stronger at broad workbook manipulation.
Generation-first route
Use this when the workbook is the deliverable.
Best when the exported spreadsheet needs native charts, cleaner packaging, and a generation path built around output quality.
- Create charts from scratch
- Repair and output quality focus
Chartsgeneration-first
Workbook toolkit
Sufficient when charts are not a requirement.
If you only need to read, mutate, or stream existing files and do not need native chart output, ExcelJS may cover your needs.
- Read-write flexibility
- Streaming for very large files
Read/writetoolkit
Generate an XLSX with charts in 30 seconds.
Paste your data into the playground, download the file, and open it in Excel. The charts are native and editable — no workarounds needed.