Plotly vs. Highchart: A Comparison of Interactive Plots

Author

James White, CDFW

Published

February 13, 2025

Load necessary libraries

library(tidyverse)
library(plotly)
library(RColorBrewer)
library(here)
library(data.table)
library(highcharter)
library(lubridate)
library(sf)
library(geojsonsf)
library(jsonlite)
library(deltamapr) #devtools::install_github("InteragencyEcologicalProgram/deltamapr")

Introduction

If you are creating R Markdown (html) or Shiny apps with your data and want to take advantage of those formats, you should consider using interactive plots to enable end-users to explore your data.

I use the R library Plotly a lot, because I can simply take an exisiting ggplot and convert it to plotly with a single line. But I recently have been exploring other interactive Javascript based libraries, such as Highchart. You can use both Plotly and Highchart with other programming languages such as Python, but we’ll play with R today.

You can read more about the Plotly and Highcharter R libraries here: Plotly & Highcharter. For even more visualization libraries, check out the list here: Shiny extensions.

Download FMWT data

I used to run the FMWT survey at CDFW and before I left that position, made the data more readily accessable in R. We’ll use this dataset for this tutorial.

#url for file download
url <- "https://filelib.wildlife.ca.gov/Public/TownetFallMidwaterTrawl/FMWT%20Data/FMWT%201967-2023%20Catch%20Matrix_updated.zip"

#file name for the file we want to grab from the zip file
fn <- "FMWT 1967-2023 Catch Matrix_updated_tidy.csv"

#Now download the catch data. It's an csv file in a zipped folder so first we have to download the zip folder and extract the file
temp <- tempfile()
download.file(url, temp)
FMWT <- fread(unzip(temp, files = fn))
unlink(temp)

#we'll rename some columns and select a few fish species to reduce the dataset a bit
#rename
FMWT <- FMWT %>%
  rename(Date = SampleDate, Survey = SurveyNumber, Station = StationCode, Latitude = StationLat, Longitude = StationLong) %>%

#subset just a few fish and variables
  select(Year, Date, Survey, Station, Latitude, Longitude, Species, Catch) %>%
  #reformat date
  mutate(Date = ymd(Date),
         Station = as.character(Station),
         Longitude = as.numeric(Longitude)) %>%
  filter(Species %in% c("American Shad", "Delta Smelt", "Longfin Smelt", "Striped Bass age-0", "Threadfin Shad", "Splittail", "Northern Anchovy"))

#We'll also grab a table of Index values
FMWT.index <- fread("https://filelib.wildlife.ca.gov/Public/TownetFallMidwaterTrawl/FMWT%20Data/FMWTindices.csv")

#also import a table of abiotic variables
abiotic <- fread("https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jamesryanwhite/Rtutorials/refs/heads/main/R%20Interactive%20charts/Sample.csv") %>%
  filter(SurveyNumber %in% 3:6L, #just currently sampled period
         MethodCode == "MWTR") %>% #just fish trawls, not zooplankton
  mutate(Date = mdy_hms(SampleDate),
         Month = case_when(SurveyNumber == 3L ~ "Sept",
                           SurveyNumber == 4L ~ "Oct",
                           SurveyNumber == 5L ~ "Nov",
                           SurveyNumber == 6L ~ "Dec"),
         Station = as.character(StationCode),
         Salinity = round((0.36966/(((ConductivityTop*0.001)^-1.07)-0.00074))*1.28156,2)) %>% #convert uS/cm to ppt
  select(Date, Month, Station, Secchi, Salinity) %>%
  arrange(Date, Month, Station)

Scatter/Line Plots

For Plotly, first we create a ggplot then apply the function ggplotly() to our ggplot object to make it interactive.

#make index table into long format
FMWT.index.long <- FMWT.index %>%
  pivot_longer(., cols = `Threadfin Shad`:Splittail, names_to = "Species", values_to = "Index") %>%
  filter(Year > 1980L) #just to remove data gaps for aesthetic reasons

#plot
lplot <- FMWT.index.long %>%
  ggplot( aes(x = Year, y = Index, group = Species, color = Species)) +
  geom_line() +
  scale_color_brewer(palette = "Dark2") +
  theme(legend.position = "none") +
  theme_minimal() +
  ggtitle("FMWT Fish Index Values")

#apply the plotly function ggplot
ggplotly(lplot)

Now let’s make the same plot with Highcharter. It has a slightly different syntax than ggplot, but nothing too complicated.

#define color palette
cols <- brewer.pal(7, "Dark2")

hchart(FMWT.index.long, type = "line", hcaes(x = Year, y = Index, group = Species),
       marker = list(enabled = FALSE)) %>% #remove line points
    hc_title(text = "FMWT Fish Index Values") %>%
    hc_colors(cols)

Boxplots

Plotly version:

#create sum of annual fish species catch
a.catch <- FMWT %>%
  group_by(Year, Species) %>%
  summarize(Annual.Catch = sum(Catch)) %>%
  ungroup()

bplot <- a.catch %>%
  ggplot(., aes(fill = Species, y = Annual.Catch, x = Species)) +
  geom_boxplot(alpha = 0.5) +
  geom_jitter(alpha = 0.1, width = 0.15) +
  scale_fill_brewer(palette = "Dark2") +
  theme_minimal() +
  xlab("Year") +
  ylab("Annual Catch")

ggplotly(bplot)

Highcharter version:

dat <- data_to_boxplot(
          data = a.catch,
          variable = Annual.Catch,
          Species,
          group_var = Species,
          add_outliers = FALSE,
          fillColor = cols,
          color = "black")

highchart() %>%  
hc_xAxis(type = "category") %>%
hc_add_series_list(dat) %>%
hc_xAxis(title = list(text = "Species"))%>%
hc_yAxis(title = list(text = "Summed Annual Catch"))%>%
  hc_legend(enabled = TRUE)

Heatmap

Plotly version:

#create monthly table of Secchi for 2022
m.abiotic <- abiotic %>%
  filter(year(Date) == 2022) %>%
  mutate(Month = factor(Month, levels = c("Sept", "Oct", "Nov", "Dec"))) # set proper order of x axis

heatmap <- m.abiotic %>%
  ggplot(., aes(x = Month, y = Station)) +
  geom_tile(aes(fill = Secchi)) +
  scale_fill_distiller(palette = "Spectral", direction = -1, na.value = "grey40") +
  theme_minimal() +
  theme(axis.text.y = element_text(size = 7)) +
  xlab("Month") +
  ylab("Station") +
  labs(fill = "Secchi depth (cm)")

ggplotly(heatmap)

Highcharter version:

stops <- brewer.pal(10, "Spectral") #define color palette
stops <- rev(stops)

#tooltip
tt <- JS("function(){
 return this.series.xAxis.categories[this.point.x] + ' ' + this.series.yAxis.categories[this.point.y] + ': ' +
  Highcharts.numberFormat(this.point.value, 2);
}")


hchart(
  m.abiotic,
  type = "heatmap",
  hcaes(x = Month, y = Station, value = Secchi)) %>%
hc_colorAxis(
    stops = color_stops(10, colors = stops)) %>%
  hc_yAxis(
    title = list(text = "Station"),
    reversed = FALSE, 
    tickLength = 0,
    gridLineWidth = 0, 
    minorGridLineWidth = 0,
    labels = list(style = list(fontSize = "9px"))
  ) %>%
   hc_tooltip(
    formatter = tt
    ) %>%
  hc_legend(
    layout = "vertical",
    verticalAlign = "top",
    align = "right",
    valueDecimals = 0,
    title = list(
      text = "Secchi Depth (cm)",
      style = list(
        textDecoration = "underline")))

Choropleth Map

Plotly version:

#assign stations to regions for geospatial data
#fmwt
mapidf <- data.frame("Station" = as.character(c(101:113, 201:211, 301:339, 340:341, 401:408, 409:419, 501:513, 515:519, 601:604, 605:609, 514, 801:802, 803:815, 904:906, 908:912, 902, 915:916, 918, 917, 913:914, 907, 924, 919, 923, 920:922, 925, 901, 701:711, 717, 71:73, 724, 735:736, 70, 712, 713, 715:716, 721, 723, 719, 799, 794:797, 903)),
                    "Region" = c(rep("SAN FRANCISCO BAY",24), rep("SAN PABLO BAY",39), rep("NAPA RIVER",2), rep("SUISUN BAY",8), rep("GRIZZLY BAY",33), rep("MONTEZUMA SLOUGH", 5), rep("BROAD SLOUGH",3), rep("SAN JOAQUIN RIVER",21), "SHEEP SLOUGH", rep("OLD RIVER",3), "VICTORIA CANAL", rep("MIDDLE RIVER", 2), "LITTLE CONNECTION SLOUGH", "POTATO SLOUGH", "LITTLE POTATO SLOUGH", "NORTH MOKELUMNE RIVER", rep("SOUTH MOKELUMNE RIVER", 3), "SYCAMORE SLOUGH", "FALSE RIVER", rep("SACRAMENTO RIVER", 18), "GEORGIANA SLOUGH", "STEAMBOAT SLOUGH", rep("CACHE SLOUGH",4), rep("SACTO. R DEEP WATER SH CHAN", 7), "MOKELUMNE RIVER"))
mapidf <- filter(mapidf, !is.na(Region))

#join with catch and abiotic data, just use 2022
map.data <- FMWT %>%
  filter(Year == 2022 & Survey == 6L) %>%
  left_join(., mapidf, by = "Station") %>%
  left_join(., m.abiotic, by = c("Date", "Station"))

#create a df of average Dec monthly salinity by region to use for choropleth scaling
avg <- map.data %>%
  group_by(Month, Region) %>%
  summarize(Salinity = round(mean(Salinity), 1)) %>%
  ungroup() %>%
  filter(Month == "Dec")

#merge data with shapefile
spdf <- deltamapr::WW_Delta %>%
 filter(HNAME %in% unique(avg$Region)) %>%
 right_join(. , avg, by= c("HNAME" = "Region"))

#read other water bodies w/o stations
other <- deltamapr::WW_Delta

#plot choropleth
map <- ggplot(
  # define main data source
  data = spdf
) +
  #draw non-sampled water bodies transparent
  geom_sf(
    data = other,
    fill = "transparent",
    color = "transparent"
  ) +
  # add main fill aesthetic
  # use thin black stroke for region borders
  geom_sf(
    mapping = aes(
      fill = Salinity
    ),
    color = "grey40",
    size = 0.001
  ) +
  # use the predefined color scale
scale_fill_distiller(palette = "Spectral", direction = -1, na.value = "white") +
    # add titles
  labs(x = NULL,
       y = NULL,
       title = "2022 Dec Average Water Salinity") +
  theme_minimal()

ggplotly(map)

Highcharter version:

# Ensure correct coordinate reference system (CRS) is WGS84 (EPSG:4326)
spdf <- st_transform(spdf, crs = 4326)

# Convert sf object to GeoJSON format
geojson_data <- geojsonsf::sf_geojson(spdf)

# Parse the GeoJSON into a list (Highcharts requires this format)
geojson_list <- jsonlite::fromJSON(geojson_data, simplifyVector = FALSE)

# Prepare data for Highcharter
region_data <- spdf %>% select(HNAME, Salinity) %>% st_drop_geometry()

# Create Highcharter choropleth map
map.h <- highchart(type = "map") %>%
  #salinity choropleth layer
  hc_add_series_map(
    map = geojson_list,  # Use the parsed GeoJSON
    df = region_data,
    joinBy = "HNAME",
    value = "Salinity",
    name = "Salinity (ppt)",
    tooltip = list(valueDecimals = 2)) %>%
  hc_colorAxis(stops = color_stops(10, colors = stops)) %>%
  hc_legend(
    layout = "horizontal",
    verticalAlign = "bottom",
    align = "center",
    valueDecimals = 0,
    title = list(
      text = "Salinity (ppt)",
      style = list(
        textDecoration = "underline"))) %>%
  
  #title
  hc_title(text = "2022 Dec Average Water Salinity") %>%
  #make zoomable/moveable
  hc_mapNavigation(enabled = TRUE)

map.h