QuickChart has a free tier with rate limits, licensed under AGPL v3. For commercial use without copyleft restrictions, the Professional plan starts at $40/month. szum's free tier includes 1,337 renders/month under a standard commercial license.

Can I migrate from Chart.js to szum?

Yes. szum has a migration tool that converts Chart.js configurations to szum's format automatically. Not every Chart.js option has a direct equivalent, but the most common chart types translate cleanly.

Which chart API is better for emails?

Both work in emails – they render static images that display in any client. The difference is visual quality. szum's themes produce polished charts without manual styling, which matters when the chart sits next to your brand's design system.

Can AI models generate szum charts?

Yes, and this is a deliberate design choice. szum's grammar is flat and shallow – no deeply nested options objects, no ambiguous field names. LLMs produce valid configs more reliably than with Chart.js. szum also ships an MCP server so AI agents can render and validate charts directly.

What is the best QuickChart alternative?

It depends on what you value. If you want polished charts out of the box, a simpler config format, and commercial licensing on every tier, szum is the strongest QuickChart alternative for teams that care about design quality. If you need the full Chart.js ecosystem or on-premises deployment, QuickChart may still be the better fit.

szum vs QuickChart

Both are chart image APIs. Both turn JSON into a PNG or SVG you can embed anywhere – in emails, dashboards, reports. The difference is in the defaults.

The same data, different output

QuickChart renders Chart.js configurations. That means you get Chart.js defaults: the same colors, the same grid, the same typography every web developer has seen a thousand times. Getting to something polished takes dozens of lines of options configuration.

szum uses a purpose-built grammar with curated themes. The same dataset, one line of config, and you get output that looks editorial.

QuickChart (Chart.js defaults)

szum (editorial theme)

Same data, same title, same axis labels. No custom styling on either side.

Developer experience

QuickChart uses Chart.js configuration objects. If you already know Chart.js, there is no learning curve. If you do not, you are learning two things at once: Chart.js and a rendering API.

szum

{
  "version": "2026-03-20",
  "theme": "editorial",
  "marks": [{
    "type": "barY",
    "fill": "region",
    "group": "dodge"
  }],
  "data": [...]
}

QuickChart

{
  "type": "bar",
  "data": {
    "labels": ["Q1", "Q2", ...],
    "datasets": [{
      "label": "EMEA",
      "data": [4.2, 5.8, ...],
      "backgroundColor": "..."
    }, {
      "label": "Americas",
      "data": [6.1, 7.3, ...],
      "backgroundColor": "..."
    }]
  },
  "options": {
    "plugins": { ... },
    "scales": { ... }
  }
}

szum uses flat data arrays – you do not need to pre-split your data into separate datasets. Theming is a single property, not a nested options tree.

Feature comparison

Feature	szum	QuickChart
Config format	Purpose-built grammar	Chart.js config
Built-in themes	6 curated themes	Chart.js defaults
Output formats	SVG, PNG	SVG, PNG, WebP, JPG, PDF, base64
Figma plugin	Yes	No
MCP server	Yes	No
Free tier	1,337 renders/month	Rate-limited (AGPL)
Paid plan	$29/month, 100k renders	$40/month, 100k renders
License	Commercial, all tiers	AGPL on free tier
Chart types	10 composable marks	All Chart.js types
URL shortening	No	Yes (expires after 3d–6mo)
Signed requests	Yes	Yes
CDN caching	All plans, zero extra cost	Enterprise only

Where QuickChart wins

QuickChart has genuine strengths over szum:

More chart types. Chart.js supports radar charts, bubble charts, polar area charts, and more. szum has 10 mark types that compose well, but the vocabulary is deliberately smaller.
More output formats. PNG, SVG, WebP, JPG, PDF, and base64. szum renders SVG and PNG.
Enterprise tier with no limits. QuickChart Enterprise offers unlimited renders with no rate limits, custom fonts, and on-premises deployment. szum does not have an on-prem option.
Existing Chart.js configs. If you already have Chart.js configurations, QuickChart renders them as-is. szum requires a different format (though the migration tool helps).

Where szum wins

Design quality. Charts look polished with zero styling effort. One theme property gives you editorial-grade typography, colors, and spacing.
Simpler configs. Flat data arrays, explicit mark composition, no nested options tree.
AI-friendly grammar. Flat, shallow configs are easier for LLMs to generate correctly. Chart.js's deeply nested options objects are where models hallucinate field names and misplace keys.
Simple licensing. Every szum plan – including free – is commercially licensed. No copyleft to evaluate, no licensing upgrade to budget for.
Modern integrations. Figma plugin, MCP server for AI agents, signed URLs for secure embeds.
Cheaper paid plan. $29/month vs $40/month. For most products, 100,000 renders is more than enough.
Edge caching on every plan. Identical GET requests are served from the edge instantly and don't count against your render limit. QuickChart reserves CDN for its enterprise tier.

See the difference yourself.

It's free to try.

Check out the playground

Read the docs

The AGPL question

QuickChart's server code is licensed under AGPL v3. If you use their hosted API, AGPL does not apply to your code – their terms of service govern that relationship. But if you self-host QuickChart (a supported deployment option), AGPL requires you to open-source any modifications you make to the server. QuickChart's paid plans include a commercial license that removes this requirement.

szum is commercially licensed on every tier, including free. There is no copyleft to evaluate and no licensing upgrade to budget for.

When to use which

Use QuickChart if

You have existing Chart.js configurations
You need radar, bubble, or polar area charts
You need PDF or WebP output
You need on-premises deployment
AGPL licensing is not a concern

Use szum if

Design quality matters to your brand
You want polished charts with zero styling effort
You need Figma or AI agent integration
You are building a commercial product
You want simpler, shorter configs
You are generating charts with LLMs

Frequently asked questions

Is QuickChart free?: QuickChart has a free tier with rate limits, licensed under AGPL v3. For commercial use without copyleft restrictions, the Professional plan starts at $40/month. szum's free tier includes 1,337 renders/month under a standard commercial license.
Can I migrate from Chart.js to szum?: Yes. szum has a migration tool that converts Chart.js configurations to szum's format automatically. Not every Chart.js option has a direct equivalent, but the most common chart types translate cleanly.
Which chart API is better for emails?: Both work in emails – they render static images that display in any client. The difference is visual quality. szum's themes produce polished charts without manual styling, which matters when the chart sits next to your brand's design system. See charts in emails for setup details.
Can AI models generate szum charts?: Yes, and this is a deliberate design choice. szum's grammar is flat and shallow – no deeply nested options objects, no ambiguous field names. LLMs produce valid configs more reliably than with Chart.js. szum also ships an MCP server so AI agents can render and validate charts directly.
What is the best QuickChart alternative?: It depends on what you value. If you want polished charts out of the box, a simpler config format, and commercial licensing on every tier, szum is the strongest QuickChart alternative for teams that care about design quality. If you need the full Chart.js ecosystem or on-premises deployment, QuickChart may still be the better fit.