# Funnel vs sankey

> Two ways to show flow.

**Short answer.** Use a funnel when the same people drop out step by step and only the count matters. Use a sankey when volume splits, merges or comes from several sources, and you need to see where each part goes.

Updated Nov 2, 2026

## 032 · Funnel

One rate per step: 21% of the 10,000 sessions end in a purchase.

Session funnel. 10,000 e-commerce sessions: 10.0K sessions, 7.8K viewed products, 4.7K added to cart, 2.1K purchased.

| Stage | Sessions | Step conversion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sessions | 10.0K |  |
| Viewed products | 7.8K | 78% |
| Added to cart | 4.7K | 60% |
| Purchased | 2.1K | 45% |

## 031 · Sankey

Where each source ends: search brings 1,100 of the 2,100 purchases.

Sessions from source to outcome. 10,000 e-commerce sessions from search, social, email and direct to purchased, abandoned cart, browsed and bounced.

| Source | Outcome | Sessions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Search | Purchased | 1,100 |
| Search | Abandoned cart | 1,200 |
| Search | Browsed | 1,200 |
| Search | Bounced | 700 |
| Social | Purchased | 300 |
| Social | Abandoned cart | 600 |
| Social | Browsed | 900 |
| Social | Bounced | 800 |
| Email | Purchased | 500 |
| Email | Abandoned cart | 500 |
| Email | Browsed | 600 |
| Email | Bounced | 300 |
| Direct | Purchased | 200 |
| Direct | Abandoned cart | 300 |
| Direct | Browsed | 400 |
| Direct | Bounced | 400 |

**Same 10,000 sessions.** The funnel gives the rate; the sankey shows where it comes from. Social and direct lose the most at the door: 31% of their sessions bounce, against 17% from search.

## If you ask

| Question | Use a |
| --- | --- |
| How many make it to the end? | Funnel |
| Which step loses the most people? | Funnel |
| Where does each source end up? | Sankey |
| Which channel brings the buyers? | Sankey |

## Funnel and Sankey compared

|  | Funnel | Sankey |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Answers | How many are left after each step | Where each part of the volume goes |
| Shows | One path, shrinking at each step | Many paths, splitting and joining |
| Best when | Signups, checkouts, onboarding | Traffic sources, budgets, energy, flows |
| Avoid when | People can skip or repeat steps | There is only one path |
| Data shape | Ordered steps with a count each | Source, target and a value per link |

## Common mistakes

### Funnel

- **Steps people can skip.** The funnel then shows a drop that never happened.
- **Stages out of order.** The narrowing reads as loss even where there is none.

### Sankey

- **One source, one target.** A sankey with a single path is a thick bar: use a funnel.
- **Many thin links.** Group small sources into Other so the main flows stay readable.

## Other ways to show flow

- [042 · Waterfall](https://usechartory.com/charts/waterfall): Flow between steps · Fintech data
- [048 · Chord](https://usechartory.com/charts/chord): Flow between steps · Crypto data
- [087 · Bowtie](https://usechartory.com/charts/bowtie): Flow between steps · SaaS data

## Funnel, Sankey 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). [Funnel type page](https://usechartory.com/charts/funnel) · [Sankey type page](https://usechartory.com/charts/sankey)

## Questions

### Can a funnel show where people go when they drop out?

No. It shows how many are left after each step. To see where the rest go, use a sankey, or put one next to the funnel.

### Can a sankey show conversion rates?

Not on its own: it shows volumes. Write the rate on the target, or pair it with a funnel for the rate per step.

### Do both come in every size?

Yes. Funnel and Sankey 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/funnel and npx shadcn add @chartory/sankey.

## More comparisons

- [Line vs area](https://usechartory.com/compare/line-vs-area)
- [Sankey vs chord](https://usechartory.com/compare/sankey-vs-chord)
- [Stacked vs grouped bars](https://usechartory.com/compare/stacked-vs-grouped-bars)
- [Treemap vs sunburst](https://usechartory.com/compare/treemap-vs-sunburst)

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