Area Chart Maker: Create Area Charts and Stacked Area Charts Online
Need to show growth and composition in the same view? Paste a CSV, map your X axis and value field, then switch between standard, stacked, and 100% stacked area charts directly on the page.
- Best for trend volume, channel mix over time, cumulative movement, and part-to-whole change
- Works with tidy CSV or TSV data and supports single-series or multi-series area charts
- Exports the finished chart as PNG or SVG after you tune the display
What an area chart is and when to use one
An area chart is a line-based trend chart with the space under the line filled in, making magnitude and accumulation easier to see.
Use an area chart when readers need to understand not just direction, but also volume:
- how a total grows over time
- how multiple channels contribute to a changing total
- whether composition shifts while the total also rises or falls
- how one trend dominates or fades relative to others
If you only need the path of a metric, a Line Chart Maker is often cleaner. If exact category totals matter more than flow over time, use a Bar Chart Maker.
Which area chart type should you choose?
| Chart type | Best for | What it emphasizes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard area chart | One series or overlapping series | trend plus magnitude |
| Stacked area chart | Several segments contributing to a total | total growth and composition |
| 100% stacked area chart | Share changes over time | percentage mix instead of raw totals |
Use the standard mode for a single filled trend. Use stacked mode when total volume matters. Use 100% stacked mode when the key question is how the mix changes rather than how large the total is.
Format your data for this area chart maker
The cleanest input is a tidy table with:
- one X axis column
- one numeric Y axis column
- one optional series column for stacked or multi-series areas
Example:
month,channel,signups
2025-01-01,Organic,180
2025-01-01,Paid,72
2025-02-01,Organic,194
2025-02-01,Paid,81If your source data contains repeated points, the tool can aggregate them before drawing the area. For adjacent workflows, see Line Chart Maker, Bar Chart Maker, Scatter Plot Maker, and CSV to Chart.
Common area chart mistakes
- Do not use an area chart when precise comparisons between many series matter more than overall shape.
- Do not stack unrelated categories if readers might misread the cumulative total as one continuous metric.
- Do not use 100% stacked mode when the actual total is the main story.
- Do not use a non-numeric Y field. Filled area size must come from numbers.
If your data needs direct point-to-point comparison instead of filled trend bands, switch to the Line Chart Maker or Scatter Plot Maker.
FAQ
What is the best data format for an area chart maker?
The best format is tidy CSV or TSV with one X axis column, one numeric Y axis column, and an optional series column for stacked or multi-series area charts.
Can this tool create stacked area charts?
Yes. If your data includes a categorical series column, you can switch between standard, stacked, and 100% stacked modes directly in the settings panel.
When should I use a 100% stacked area chart?
Use a 100% stacked area chart when you care about how proportions change over time and want to compare share, not absolute total size.
What is the difference between a line chart and an area chart?
A line chart emphasizes the path of change. An area chart adds fill under the line, which makes magnitude and cumulative contribution easier to read.