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New: Chartory 1.0. 100 charts free in React, MIT licensed

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Charts / Questions

The best chart for flow between steps

Eleven charts, and when each one fits.

Short answer

For one path that narrows, use a funnel. When volume splits, merges or comes from several sources, use a sankey. To walk from one total to another through gains and losses, use a waterfall. For flows between peers, use a chord.

Updated Nov 2, 2026 · SaaS sample data

Trial funnel, Q3 20262,400 trials, step by step: 2,400 trials, 1,320 activated, 860 invited a teammate, 410 paid; 17% end up paying.Trials2,400Activated1,32055%Invited a teammate86065%Paid41048%
Trial funnel, Q3 2026
StepTrialsStep conversion
Trials2,400
Activated1,32055%
Invited a teammate86065%
Paid41048%

032 · FunnelOne path, four steps: 17% of trials end up paying.

Trials by source and outcome, Q3 20262,400 trials from four sources to three outcomes: Organic 190 of 1,000 paid (19%), Paid search 90 of 700 paid (13%), Referral 95 of 450 paid (21%), Partners 35 of 250 paid (14%).Organic1,000Paid search700Referral450Partners250Paid410Activated, not paid910Not activated1,080
Trials by source and outcome, Q3 2026
SourcePaidActivated, not paidNot activated
Organic190380430
Paid search90250360
Referral95190165
Partners3590125

031 · SankeyWhere each source ends: organic brings 190 of the 410 paying accounts.

From trials to paid, Q3 20262,400 trials, then the losses: not activated 1,080, no teammate 460, did not pay 450; 410 paid.2.4K1.8K1.2K6000TRIALS−1,080NOT ACTIVATED−460NO TEAMMATE−450DID NOT PAYPAID
From trials to paid, Q3 2026
StepTrials
Trials2,400
Not activated−1,080
No teammate−460
Did not pay−450
Paid410

042 · WaterfallFrom 2,400 trials to 410 paid, one loss at a time.

Same 2,400 trials

The funnel gives the rate per step, the sankey shows which source converts (referral: 95 of 450, 21%; paid search: 90 of 700, 13%), and the waterfall shows which step loses the most: 1,080 trials never activate.

If you ask

All eleven

TypeUse it whenData shape
031 · SankeyWhere things come from and where they goAmounts from each source to each outcome
032 · FunnelHow many make it to each stepA label and a share per step, and the stage widths
042 · WaterfallOpening to closing value, one step at a timeOpening total, signed steps, closing total
048 · ChordFlows between peers, around a circleAmounts between every pair of groups
075 · ReconciliationTwo lists matched line by lineTwo lists of items with amounts
083 · Deal pipelineValue at each stage, and how fresh it isValue per stage, split by age
087 · BowtieWin the customer, then grow the revenueCounts before the win, revenue after
096 · Shipment journeyOne shipment, stage by stageStages with a date and a mode
098 · Cash cycle ringHow long cash is tied up, in one ringDays of inventory, receivables and payables
115 · Dependency mapWhat a service relies on, and what is failingServices in layers, links, health
116 · Money flowWhere the spend went, useful or wastedAmounts from models to agents to outcomes

Common mistakes

A funnel with skippable steps

The funnel then shows a drop that never happened.

Too many thin links

Group small sources into Other so the main flows read.

A waterfall out of order

The steps of a waterfall run in the order they happen.

Get all eleven

Every flow chart, and the other 121 types.

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

See the eleven in Charts

See plans

Questions

Funnel or sankey?

A funnel for one path, a sankey when paths split and merge.

Can a funnel show where people go?

No, only how many are left. Pair it with a sankey.

When is a waterfall a flow chart?

When one total turns into another through steps, like trials into paid accounts.

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 flow between steps? Start from what the chart has to show.

Open the Chart Chooser