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Grace review

Free#68 of 98 in Data Visualization Software

A focused desktop plotting tool for scientific analysis, without dashboards or collaboration features.

3.0/10Editor score
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Grace is a free, open-source desktop application for creating two-dimensional plots from numerical data. It is aimed at scientific and technical users who work with columnar text files, disk files, data pipes, and, when compiled with support, 1D NetCDF files. Its WYSIWYG graphical interface supports graph, chart, polar, fixed, and pie chart types, while a built-in language supports programmable plotting, calculations, and automated tasks. Linux and Windows users can export results to EPS, PDF, MIF, SVG, PNG, PNM, and JPEG formats.

The strongest case for Grace is its concentration of scientific analysis tools in a desktop workflow. Users can apply linear and nonlinear least-squares curve fitting, FFT, integration, differentiation, histograms, interpolation, smoothing, convolution, correlation, covariance, sorting, and other data transformations. This makes it suitable for researchers and technical analysts who need reproducible plot preparation and analysis from file-based numerical data. The open-source model also makes it available without a paid plan or subscription tier.

Grace is less suited to teams that need browser-based dashboards, embedded charts, integrations, or collaborative workflows. Its documentation is largely legacy, with the FAQ and User's Guide dated 2008, and version 5.1.25 identified as the latest stable release from 2015. That profile favors users who value established desktop plotting and programmable analysis over a modern web ecosystem. Choose Grace for focused scientific visualization on Linux or Windows; choose an alternative when interactive reporting, platform integrations, embedding, or current collaboration features are central requirements.

Grace pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Free, open-source desktop software for Linux and Windows
    • Curve fitting, transformations, statistics, and scientific chart types
    • Exports to EPS, PDF, SVG, PNG, JPEG, and other formats
  • Where it doesn't
    • No interactive dashboards or embedded visualizations
    • No integrations or modern collaboration features
    • Legacy documentation and a latest stable release from 2015

Grace fact sheet, pricing and score →

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