Image-Charts — Free Chart, Graph, and QR Code Image Generation API (No Key)

TL;DR

Image-Charts replaces the deprecated Google Image Charts API with a drop-in compatible replacement that turns chart parameters in the URL into PNG images. Specify chart type (line, bar, pie, radar), size, data series, colors, labels, and axis — everything goes in the query string. The response is a ready-to-use chart image, no JavaScript rendering library needed. Works for QR codes too.

Quick start: https://image-charts.com/chart?cht=lc&chs=300x100&chd=s:abcdefgh

No API key needed — just make a request!

Try a line chart: https://image-charts.com/chart?cht=lc&chs=300x100&chd=s:abcdefgh

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How to Use This API

1. Line Chart

cht=lc for line chart, chs for dimensions, chd for data:

https://image-charts.com/chart?cht=lc&chs=400x200&chd=a:10,25,35,45,60,55,70&chxt=x,y&chxl=0:|Mon|Tue|Wed|Thu|Fri|Sat|Sun

2. Bar Chart

https://image-charts.com/chart?cht=bvg&chs=300x200&chd=a:30,50,80&chco=4CAF50&chtt=Sales+by+Quarter

3. QR Code

https://image-charts.com/chart?cht=qr&chs=200x200&chl=https://example.com&choe=UTF-8

4. JavaScript — Dynamic Chart

const chartUrl = new URL('https://image-charts.com/chart');
chartUrl.searchParams.set('cht', 'lc');
chartUrl.searchParams.set('chs', '500x250');
chartUrl.searchParams.set('chd', `a:${[20, 35, 55, 40, 70, 85].join(',')}`);
chartUrl.searchParams.set('chtt', 'Weekly Website Traffic');

const img = document.createElement('img');
img.src = chartUrl.toString();
document.getElementById('chart-container').appendChild(img);

5. Python — Save Chart to File

import requests

params = {
    'cht': 'bhs',      # Horizontal bar chart
    'chs': '400x150',
    'chd': 'a:85,60,45',
    'chl': 'Python|JavaScript|Go',
    'chco': 'FF6B6B'
}
resp = requests.get('https://image-charts.com/chart', params=params)
with open('language_chart.png', 'wb') as f:
    f.write(resp.content)
print(f'Saved chart ({len(resp.content)} bytes)')

Frequently Asked Questions

What chart types are supported?: Line (lc), bar (bvg/bhs), pie (p/p3), radar (r), scatter (s), Venn (v), QR codes (qr), and more. See the documentation for the full list.
How do I encode chart data?: Use chd=a:val1,val2,... for simple numeric data, chd=s: for simple encoding (single characters), or chd=e: for extended encoding with larger ranges.
What's the maximum image size?: The free tier supports chart sizes up to a reasonable limit (typically 1000px in either dimension). Very large images may be rejected.
Do I need an API key?: No. Image-Charts has a free tier that works without authentication for basic usage.
Can I add multiple data series?: Yes. Separate series with the pipe character: chd=a:10,20,30|40,50,60. Use chco for per-series colors.
Does the API support labels and titles?: Yes. chtt for chart title, chxl for axis labels, chl for data point labels, chxt for visible axes, and chdl for legend series names.

API Details

API URL: https://image-charts.com/chart
Documentation: image-charts.com
Category: Development
Authentication: Not Required (free tier)
Geographic Coverage: Global

What You Can Build

Server-side chart generation for email reports and PDF invoices
Static site dashboard with chart images that update via scheduled rebuilds
GitHub README badge generator that embeds live chart images
QR code API combined with GoQR for barcode generation on the fly
Admin panel for non-technical users to visualize CSV data as charts