A Free Online Alternative to Golden Software Grapher
Graphium is a free, browser-based scientific graphing studio. If you want to make publication-quality graphs without buying or installing desktop software, it covers the everyday plotting most researchers and engineers need — and your data never leaves your browser.
Why look for a Grapher alternative?
Golden Software Grapher is a powerful, mature Windows application for scientific 2D and 3D graphing. But it is paid, Windows-only, and needs to be installed and licensed. For many tasks — turning a CSV into a clean line, scatter, bar, histogram, or pie chart and exporting a vector figure — that is more than you need. Graphium fills that gap: it opens instantly in any browser, costs nothing, and keeps the same “every element is an editable object” model that makes Grapher feel precise.
We think it is fair to be upfront: Grapher has a deeper catalogue built up over many years, and Graphium is actively growing. The table below shows exactly where each tool stands so you can pick the right one.
Graphium vs. Golden Software Grapher
| Feature | Graphium | Golden Software Grapher |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Paid license |
| Installation | None — runs in your browser | Windows desktop install |
| Platforms | Any OS (Windows, macOS, Linux, Chromebook) | Windows only |
| Data privacy | Files parsed in your browser, never uploaded | Local desktop files |
| Core 2D graphs (line, scatter, bar, histogram, pie, bubble, step, function) | Yes | Yes |
| Grouped / stacked / horizontal bars | Yes | Yes |
| Error bars, log & dual-Y axes, axis breaks | Yes | Yes |
| Editable object model + property inspector | Yes | Yes |
| Vector export | SVG and PNG (PDF planned) | PDF, SVG, EMF |
| Templates & project files | Project save / open (templates planned) | Yes |
What you can make in Graphium today
- Line, scatter, and line + scatter plots
- Bar charts — vertical, horizontal, grouped, and stacked
- Histograms with adjustable bins
- Pie and doughnut charts
- Bubble and step plots
- Function plots, y = f(x)
- Error bars, log scales, dual-Y and broken axes
- Vector SVG and PNG export
Every graph lives on a print-oriented page, and every line, symbol, axis, and label is an object you can select and edit — the same way Grapher’s Object Manager and property editor work.
When to choose each
Choose Graphium if you want a free, no-install tool that runs on any operating system, keeps your data private, and handles the common 2D scientific graph types with vector export.
Stick with Golden Software Grapher if you specifically need EMF export or its deep template library today, or you already work entirely inside its desktop ecosystem.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Graphium the same as Golden Software Grapher?
- No. Graphium is an independent, browser-based graph maker built by Datavisly. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Golden Software, LLC. It aims to cover the most common scientific graphing tasks for free, online.
- Is Graphium really free?
- Yes. There is no account, no email, no installation, and no watermark. You open it in your browser and start plotting.
- Do I need to install anything or use Windows?
- No. Graphium runs entirely in a modern web browser, so it works on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebooks alike. Golden Software Grapher is a Windows desktop application.
- Is my data uploaded to a server?
- No. Your CSV is read and processed directly inside your browser using JavaScript. It never leaves your device and is never sent to or stored on a server, so even sensitive data stays private.
- Can I export publication-quality vector graphics?
- Yes. Graphium renders to SVG, so you can export crisp, scalable vector files (plus PNG). Because the canvas and the export share one render path, what you see is exactly what you export. Vector PDF export is on the roadmap.
- Can Graphium open Golden Software Grapher (.grf) files?
- No. Graphium uses its own browser-based project format and imports tabular data from CSV. It does not read proprietary .grf project files.
Try it now — nothing to install
Open Graphium, import a CSV, and have a publication-quality graph in minutes. Free, in your browser, with no sign-up.
Graphium is an independent product by Datavisly and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Golden Software, LLC. “Grapher” and “Golden Software” are trademarks of their respective owners, used here only for identification and comparison.