Charts / Questions

The best chart for change over time

Twenty-four charts, and when each one fits.

Short answer

For one measure over time, use a line. When the amount matters, use an area. For a day-by-day pattern, use a calendar heatmap. With several series, use a multi-line chart, and with a forecast, a forecast band.

Updated Nov 2, 2026 · SaaS sample data

Sign-ups per day, Jul 20 to Oct 11, 2026
Day	Sign-ups
Mon Jul 20	118
Tue Jul 21	127
Wed Jul 22	116
Thu Jul 23	109
Fri Jul 24	123
Sat Jul 25	73
Sun Jul 26	65
Mon Jul 27	116
Tue Jul 28	131
Wed Jul 29	126
Thu Jul 30	113
Fri Jul 31	121
Sat Aug 1	77
Sun Aug 2	70
Mon Aug 3	117
Tue Aug 4	130
Wed Aug 5	135
Thu Aug 6	120
Fri Aug 7	119
Sat Aug 8	78
Sun Aug 9	76
Mon Aug 10	121
Tue Aug 11	128
Wed Aug 12	141
Thu Aug 13	131
Fri Aug 14	120
Sat Aug 15	77
Sun Aug 16	81
Mon Aug 17	130
Tue Aug 18	126
Wed Aug 19	142
Thu Aug 20	142
Fri Aug 21	126
Sat Aug 22	75
Sun Aug 23	84
Mon Aug 24	141
Tue Aug 25	128
Wed Aug 26	140
Thu Aug 27	150
Fri Aug 28	135
Sat Aug 29	75
Sun Aug 30	84
Mon Aug 31	152
Tue Sep 1	135
Wed Sep 2	137
Thu Sep 3	153
Fri Sep 4	147
Sat Sep 5	77
Sun Sep 6	83
Mon Sep 7	159
Tue Sep 8	145
Wed Sep 9	136
Thu Sep 10	152
Fri Sep 11	188
Sat Sep 12	81
Sun Sep 13	81
Mon Sep 14	161
Tue Sep 15	157
Wed Sep 16	140
Thu Sep 17	149
Fri Sep 18	164
Sat Sep 19	88
Sun Sep 20	81
Mon Sep 21	159
Tue Sep 22	167
Wed Sep 23	149
Thu Sep 24	146
Fri Sep 25	165
Sat Sep 26	95
Sun Sep 27	84
Mon Sep 28	155
Tue Sep 29	172
Wed Sep 30	162
Thu Oct 1	147
Fri Oct 2	162
Sat Oct 3	100
Sun Oct 4	90
Mon Oct 5	153
Tue Oct 6	172
Wed Oct 7	174
Thu Oct 8	154
Fri Oct 9	158
Sat Oct 10	102
Sun Oct 11	97

010 · LineOne line, 84 days: the trend and the dips.

Sign-ups per week, Jul 20 to Oct 11, 2026
Week of	Sign-ups
Jul 20	731
Jul 27	754
Aug 3	775
Aug 10	799
Aug 17	825
Aug 24	853
Aug 31	884
Sep 7	942
Sep 14	940
Sep 21	965
Sep 28	988
Oct 5	1,010

011 · AreaThe same days summed by week: 731 in the first week, 1,010 in the last.

Sign-ups per day, by week
Week of	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Jul 20	118	127	116	109	123	73	65
Jul 27	116	131	126	113	121	77	70
Aug 3	117	130	135	120	119	78	76
Aug 10	121	128	141	131	120	77	81
Aug 17	130	126	142	142	126	75	84
Aug 24	141	128	140	150	135	75	84
Aug 31	152	135	137	153	147	77	83
Sep 7	159	145	136	152	188	81	81
Sep 14	161	157	140	149	164	88	81
Sep 21	159	167	149	146	165	95	84
Sep 28	155	172	162	147	162	100	90
Oct 5	153	172	174	154	158	102	97

025 · Calendar heatmapThe same 84 days as a calendar: weekends show as the pale rows.

Same 10,466 sign-ups

The line shows the climb, the area its size (38% more per week than in July), and the calendar the weekly rhythm: weekends bring 19% of sign-ups. The busiest day was Fri Sep 11, with 188.

If you ask

Is it going up or down?
Use a010 · Line
How much has it added up to?
Use a011 · Area
Which days of the week are busy?
Use a025 · Calendar heatmap
How do several series compare over time?
Use a012 · Multi-line
Where is it heading, and how sure are we?
Use a015 · Forecast band
What changed between two totals?
Use a042 · Waterfall

All twenty-four

TypeUse it whenData shape

010 · LineOne value, read as a trendOne value per point in time

011 · AreaA trend with weight under itOne value per point in time

012 · Multi-lineA few series on one time axisTwo to six series, one value per point

013 · Overlapping areasA few volumes, seen through each otherTwo or three series, one value per point

014 · StreamgraphHow the mix shifts through the yearThree to six parts, one value per period

015 · Forecast bandWhere it is heading, and how sure we areActuals, then a forecast with a low and a high

025 · Calendar heatmapEvery day of a season in one gridOne value per day

026 · CohortHow each group holds on over timeOne row per cohort, one share per month since start

036 · CandlestickOpen, high, low and close, per periodOpen, high, low, close and volume per period

046 · Bar and line comboAn amount and a rate on one cardOne amount and one rate per period

051 · Spiral yearA year of weeks, wound into one coilOne value per week of a year

054 · HorizonMany series, folded into thin rowsSeveral series, one value per point

056 · RenkoPrice, counted in fixed bricksA start price, a brick size and the up and down moves

080 · Underwater drawdownHow far below the last peak, and for how longDrawdown per point and the deepest point

084 · Stock sawtoothStock on hand, drawn down and refilledUnits on hand over time, a reorder point

090 · Funding stripesWho pays whom, one stripe per periodA signed rate per period and the price

094 · Radial lollipopA year of values around one ringOne value per period in a repeating cycle

101 · Budget runwaySpend to date against the budget, and where it landsDaily spend by source, a budget

104 · Runs with brushA week of runs, with the moment that matters in focusRuns and success rate per hour, events

105 · Target trendA measure against its target, and when it slippedOne value per point, a target

110 · Incident tapeOne incident, minute by minuteA measure over time and dated steps

111 · Threshold what-ifWhat a new alert threshold would have doneA measure over time, two thresholds

113 · Burn-downA budget used up through the monthMinutes left per day and numbered incidents

117 · Version ribbonEach version, scored on three measuresVersions in order, two to four measures each

Common mistakes

Bars for a long series

Eighty bars turn into a comb. Use a line for long daily series.

A cut axis on an area

A fill reads as an amount, so its axis starts at zero.

Too many lines

Past five or six series, lines tangle. Use a horizon chart or small multiples.

Get all twenty-four

Every change-over-time chart, and the other 108 types.

In Figma and React, in four sizes, light and dark. Pay once, every update.

See the twenty-four in Charts

See plans

Questions

Line or area?

A line when the direction matters, an area when the amount does.

How many points can a line chart hold?

Hundreds. The axis labels thin out at small sizes; the data does not.

Which chart shows seasonality?

A calendar heatmap for days, a spiral year for weeks, a radial lollipop for months.

Do these charts come in every size?

Yes. All of them come in XS, S, M and L, each laid out again for its size, in light and dark.

Not sure it is a change over time? Start from what the chart has to show.

Open the Chart Chooser