# 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

## 032 · Funnel

One path, four steps: 17% of trials end up paying.

Trial funnel, Q3 2026. 2,400 trials, step by step: 2,400 trials, 1,320 activated, 860 invited a teammate, 410 paid; 17% end up paying.

| Step | Trials | Step conversion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Trials | 2,400 |  |
| Activated | 1,320 | 55% |
| Invited a teammate | 860 | 65% |
| Paid | 410 | 48% |

## 031 · Sankey

Where each source ends: organic brings 190 of the 410 paying accounts.

Trials by source and outcome, Q3 2026. 2,400 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%).

| Source | Paid | Activated, not paid | Not activated |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Organic | 190 | 380 | 430 |
| Paid search | 90 | 250 | 360 |
| Referral | 95 | 190 | 165 |
| Partners | 35 | 90 | 125 |

## 042 · Waterfall

From 2,400 trials to 410 paid, one loss at a time.

From trials to paid, Q3 2026. 2,400 trials, then the losses: not activated 1,080, no teammate 460, did not pay 450; 410 paid.

| Step | Trials |
| --- | --- |
| Trials | 2,400 |
| Not activated | −1,080 |
| No teammate | −460 |
| Did not pay | −450 |
| Paid | 410 |

**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

| Question | Use a |
| --- | --- |
| How many make it to the end? | 032 · Funnel |
| Where does each source end up? | 031 · Sankey |
| Which step loses the most? | 042 · Waterfall |
| Who gains and who loses between peers? | 048 · Chord |
| What does it bring after the sale? | 087 · Bowtie |
| Where is one shipment now? | 096 · Shipment journey |

## All eleven

| Type | Use it when | Data shape |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [031 · Sankey](https://usechartory.com/charts/sankey) | Where things come from and where they go | Amounts from each source to each outcome |
| [032 · Funnel](https://usechartory.com/charts/funnel) | How many make it to each step | A label and a share per step, and the stage widths |
| [042 · Waterfall](https://usechartory.com/charts/waterfall) | Opening to closing value, one step at a time | Opening total, signed steps, closing total |
| [048 · Chord](https://usechartory.com/charts/chord) | Flows between peers, around a circle | Amounts between every pair of groups |
| [075 · Reconciliation](https://usechartory.com/charts/reconciliation) | Two lists matched line by line | Two lists of items with amounts |
| [083 · Deal pipeline](https://usechartory.com/charts/deal-pipeline) | Value at each stage, and how fresh it is | Value per stage, split by age |
| [087 · Bowtie](https://usechartory.com/charts/bowtie) | Win the customer, then grow the revenue | Counts before the win, revenue after |
| [096 · Shipment journey](https://usechartory.com/charts/shipment-journey) | One shipment, stage by stage | Stages with a date and a mode |
| [098 · Cash cycle ring](https://usechartory.com/charts/cash-cycle-ring) | How long cash is tied up, in one ring | Days of inventory, receivables and payables |
| [115 · Dependency map](https://usechartory.com/charts/dependency-map) | What a service relies on, and what is failing | Services in layers, links, health |
| [116 · Money flow](https://usechartory.com/charts/money-flow) | Where the spend went, useful or wasted | Amounts 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.

## 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](https://usechartory.com/charts#flow-between-steps)

## 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.

## Other questions

- [Change over time](https://usechartory.com/questions/change-over-time)
- [Compare items](https://usechartory.com/questions/compare-items)
- [Part of a whole](https://usechartory.com/questions/part-of-a-whole)
- [Distribution](https://usechartory.com/questions/distribution)
- [Relationship](https://usechartory.com/questions/relationship)
- [Schedule and status](https://usechartory.com/questions/schedule-and-status)
- [Space and place](https://usechartory.com/questions/space-and-place)

Not sure it is a flow between steps? Start from what the chart has to show. [Open the Chart Chooser](https://usechartory.com/chooser)