Want WordPress Charts and/or Graphs A Hands-on Look at 4 Plugins

In todays Internet-friendly world, finding data on any subject is easy. Whats difficult is putting it all together in a way thats easy to digest. One way to make your data more comprehensible is to use visual forms of representation such as charts, graphs, and maps. With the right WordPress charts and graphs plugin, you can quickly create great-looking data visualizations on your WordPress site.In this post, well share four great free plugins that you can start using right away. While all the core plugins are free, you sometimes might need the premium version to unlock the best charts and graphs functionality. 1. TablePressFirst on our list of tools for data visualization is a much-loved plugin,  TablePress. It allows you to create any number of tables and embed them in any post, page, or widget using shortcodes. TablePress Author(s): Tobias Bà ¤thgeCurrent Version: 1.9.2Last Updated: May 6, 2019tablepress.1.9.2.zip 100%Ratings 4,752,393Downloads 4.9.1Requires The tables c an have any number of rows and columns. Additionally, youll be able to add, delete, insert, hide, or duplicate rows and columns, and combine individual cells.Key Features include:A spreadsheet-like interface, including drag and drop reorderingImport and export tables from/to Excel, CSV, HTML, and JSON filesUse imported data to replace data in an existing table or to create a new tableInsert images and linksJavaScript library support that helps to filter, paginate and sort at the front-endFormula supportWe have a complete tutorial on using TablePress, so Ill not go into details here. But for a quick peek into the easy interface that you get to type directly into, view the screenshot below:I was able to create a table on my very first attempt with fictitious data, and this is how it appears.Rainfall over 5years20112012201320142015Australia3548534440Argentina5258663540China7966586554France2625382420Uganda3244254932 Whats important to note here is that the appearance of the table depend s a great deal on the theme you use. However, you can customize your tables using simple CSS. Besides, there are a number of extensions (free, though you can donate) that help you add custom features to your table (including responsiveness).And with the third-party Chartist extension for TablePress, you can use your table data to create gorgeous WordPress responsive charts using Chartist.js: TablePress Extension: Chartist Author(s): Silsha FuxCurrent Version: 0.9Last Updated: November 27, 2017charts-for-tablepress-chartist.0.9.zip 100%Ratings 9,227Downloads WP 4.7+Requires TablePress enjoys a 5-star rating from 3,000+ users. It also boasts well over a half a million active installations, so clearly the plugin works, and works well.2. WordPress Charts and Graphs LiteNext on our list of tools for data visualization is the popular WordPress Charts and Graphs Lite (Visualizer) that enjoys 30,000+ active installs. Visualizer: Tables and Charts Manager for WordPress Author(s): ThemeisleCurrent Version: 3.3.2Last Updated: October 3, 2019visualizer.zip 90%Ratings 614,496Downloads WP 3.5+Requires Available in both Lite and Pro versions, its great not only for tables but for other display formats as well 9 in Lite, plus an additional 3 in Pro.The plugin is responsive, light and fast, and the charts are cross-browser and cross-platform compatible. While the basic setup is good to go, you also have options to customize the charts extensively.Key features include:Interactive WordPress charts reveals additional info on hoverThe plugin works both with data from files uploaded from your computer as well as hosted onlineImport data from Google spreadsheets, CSV file and other charts. (Pro feature import from WordPress)Each chart type comes with a number of basic as well as advanced customization optionsCreate charts from your WordPress posts, pages, products or any other post typeEdit and clone any existing chartThe Advanced link on each chart type opens up a number of customization options. Youll be able to add titles, change fonts, font size, color, and much more.Once the chart is complete, copy the generated shortcode and insert it in any post or page. To illustrate, heres one of the ready-made demo charts:The Premium plugin includes some time-saving features such as syncing with online files and a live editor. Chart data can be updated based on a set time interval by overwriting current data with data from a URL, or by uploading another file. But whats really cool is that you can switch from one chart type to another easily.Packages start at $70 (suitable for bloggers) to $294 for Agency (suitable for Professional sites and portals).Learn more about how to create charts with this plugin.3. wpDataTables LitewpDataTables Lite  is another option that helps you to quickly create tables in WordPress from existing data sources Excel, CSV, Google Spreadsheet, MySQL query, XML, JSON and serialized PHP array. Data will be read from the s ource on each page load. wpDataTables Tables Table Charts Author(s): TMS-PluginsCurrent Version: 2.0.14Last Updated: September 25, 2019wpdatatables.2.0.14.zip 72%Ratings 133,553Downloads WP 4.0+Requires The plugin is responsive, though you may have to specify the columns or rows that should collapse on mobile. And since it does not support MySQL, Excel-like editing is not possible with the lite version. On the other hand, the pro version allows data import to MySQL. That allows editing in WP admin, or even at the front-end.Key Features include:Choice of interface languageChoice of three skinsHide the table until it is fully loadedEnable a horizontal scrollbar below the tableTables are sortable, searchable and can be paginatedTable can be copied to clipboard, or exported to CSV, PDF, XLS functionsAdd images and linksHeres a screenshot of available settings:Using some made-up data, I was able to create a table and this is how it appears in Preview modeand from the front-end. What can be a dampener is that tables can have only up to 150 rows in the free version. This may not be sufficient to present large amounts of data.The Pro version is popular on CodeCanyon and permits manual data entry. Not only that, it supports formulas and allows front-end editing. Youll be able to highlight cells and rows based on values, apply advanced filtering and link dynamic charts to tables.The lite plugin offers only a table format, while the premium plugin (at $44) can display 35 dynamic chart types. It works well for huge datasets. You can achieve even more with premium add-ons.4. Data Tables Generator by SupsysticTo round things out, lets look at  Data Tables Generator by Supsystic. It automatically creates WordPress responsive tables by default, though you can also disable the responsive feature to adjust the dimensions of your tables. Data Tables Generator by Supsystic Author(s): supsystic.comCurrent Version: 1.9.81Last Updated: October 2, 2019data-tables-gener ator-by-supsystic.zip 96%Ratings 699,911Downloads Requires Tables are sortable and can have any number of rows and columns. While in the editor, youll be able to choose text and background color, and specify vertical and horizontal alignment. Besides, a right-click on any cell opens up more editing options such as Read Only mode for any cell. Or, a right click can turn the cursor into a resize cursor to adjust row and column boundaries.Key Features include:Support for formulasInserts links, images or commentsTitle, header, and footerPagination and searchChoice of loader icon and colorCompact mode option which reduces white spaceEnable borders, highlight alternate rows, highlight by mouse hoverAdd custom CSS for each tableUsing mostly default settings, heres the preview of the chart I created with made-up data using the pluginand the front-end view of the same.Pro features  include options to change font family and addition of front-end editable fields. Moreover, youll be able to restrict front-end editing to only logged in users or selected user roles. Export and import of tables, auto update from Google sheets and access to table history are additional pro features.If youve got to pick one standout feature, it has to be the Diagrams that help to convert your completed table into any chart format area, line, pie, bar, column or bubble. Surely, this plugin is one of the better tools for data visualization.Prices start at $29 for one site, and go up to $99 for unlimited sites.Final thoughtsThough you might need to pay for the premium version in some cases, all these WordPress charts plugins make great options for visually displaying data on your site.Have any other questions about creating tables, charts, or graphs on your WordPress site? Leave a comment and well try to help! Check out these 4 great #plugins that help you create #WordPress charts