# Candlestick vs line

> Two ways to show a price.

**Short answer.** Use candlesticks when the range inside each period matters: open, high, low and close. Use a line when only the closing price matters and you want the trend at a glance.

Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Crypto sample data

## 036 · Candlestick

Ten days with their range: 8 closed higher than they opened.

Spot price, candlestick. Daily spot price, Oct 1 to Oct 10, 2026: 8 of 10 days closed higher than they opened; from $140.00 to $150.69.

| Day | Open | High | Low | Close | Volume (K) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 1 | $140.00 | $141.49 | $139.22 | $140.24 | 4.2 |
| Oct 2 | $140.24 | $143.82 | $138.73 | $143.31 | 3.8 |
| Oct 3 | $143.31 | $147.26 | $141.70 | $146.60 | 5.1 |
| Oct 4 | $146.60 | $148.50 | $145.34 | $147.92 | 6.4 |
| Oct 5 | $147.92 | $151.24 | $145.97 | $149.84 | 4.9 |
| Oct 6 | $149.84 | $150.82 | $147.22 | $147.94 | 3.6 |
| Oct 7 | $147.94 | $150.83 | $146.26 | $148.48 | 4.4 |
| Oct 8 | $148.48 | $152.17 | $146.49 | $150.90 | 7.2 |
| Oct 9 | $150.90 | $151.98 | $146.76 | $148.61 | 5.5 |
| Oct 10 | $148.61 | $152.03 | $147.93 | $150.69 | 4.8 |

## 010 · Line

The same ten closes as one line: from $140.24 to $150.69.

Spot price, line of closes. Daily close, Oct 1 to Oct 10, 2026: from $140.24 to $150.69.

| Day | Close |
| --- | --- |
| Oct 1 | $140.24 |
| Oct 2 | $143.31 |
| Oct 3 | $146.60 |
| Oct 4 | $147.92 |
| Oct 5 | $149.84 |
| Oct 6 | $147.94 |
| Oct 7 | $148.48 |
| Oct 8 | $150.90 |
| Oct 9 | $148.61 |
| Oct 10 | $150.69 |

**Same 10 days.** The candles show how wide each day swung and which way it closed. The line drops the range and keeps the trend: $140.24 on Oct 1 to $150.69 on Oct 10.

## If you ask

| Question | Use a |
| --- | --- |
| How much did it swing each day? | Candlestick |
| Which way is it trending? | Line |
| Did buyers or sellers win the day? | Candlestick |
| Is the card small? | Line |

## Candlestick and Line compared

|  | Candlestick | Line |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Answers | The range inside each period | The trend of one value |
| Shows | A body and wicks per period | One joined line |
| Best when | Trading, intraday ranges | Closing prices, long ranges |
| Avoid when | Only the close matters | The daily range matters |
| Data shape | Open, high, low, close and volume per period | One value per point in time |

## Common mistakes

### Candlestick

- **Too many candles.** Past about sixty, bodies thin to lines; use weekly candles.
- **Colours against convention.** Keep up and down in the preset's success and danger colours.

### Line

- **Hiding big swings.** A calm line can hide a wild day; check the range.
- **A cut axis with no label.** Say where the axis starts.

## Other ways to show it

- [056 · Renko](https://usechartory.com/charts/renko): Change over time · Crypto data
- [053 · Order book depth](https://usechartory.com/charts/order-book-depth): Distribution · Crypto data
- [011 · Area](https://usechartory.com/charts/area): Change over time · Crypto data

## Candlestick, line and the other 130 types.

In Figma and React, in four sizes, light and dark. Pay once, every update. [See plans](https://usechartory.com/pricing). [Candlestick type page](https://usechartory.com/charts/candlestick) · [Line type page](https://usechartory.com/charts/line)

## Questions

### What do the wicks mean?

The highest and lowest price in the period.

### Can a line show the range?

Not by itself; add a band, or use candlesticks.

### Do both come in every size?

Yes. Candlestick and Line come in XS, S, M and L, each laid out again for its size, in light and dark.

### Do they install the same way?

Yes, one command each: npx shadcn add @chartory/candlestick and npx shadcn add @chartory/line.

## More comparisons

- [Bullet vs gauge](https://usechartory.com/compare/bullet-vs-gauge)
- [Radar vs parallel coordinates](https://usechartory.com/compare/radar-vs-parallel-coordinates)
- [Funnel vs sankey](https://usechartory.com/compare/funnel-vs-sankey)
- [Line vs area](https://usechartory.com/compare/line-vs-area)

Still not sure? Start from what the chart has to show. [Open the Chart Chooser](https://usechartory.com/chooser)