What is an area chart?
An area chart is a line chart with the space below the line filled in, emphasizing volume and magnitude alongside the overall trend over time. The filled area adds a clear sense of scale, common in business, finance, and research.
With Flourish, you can create an animated area chart by simply uploading a spreadsheet. Customize the color and opacity of lines and areas, add annotations or custom popups, and include filter controls to let your viewers explore a rich dataset.
USE CASES
Reveal trends with area charts
Show how values change over time, compare categories, and highlight totals in a clear, impactful way
Track change over time
Show how values rise and fall to reveal long-term patterns and trends.
Show totals and breakdowns
Visualize overall amounts while highlighting how each category contributes.
Highlight part-to-whole relationships
Emphasize when one part dominates or changes significantly compared to the whole.
FEATURES
Everything you need to create online area charts
Powerful features that make data visualization easy and beautiful
No coding required
Build interactive area charts in minutes, without writing a single line of code.
Interactive elements
Add filters, popups, and legends so viewers can explore and understand your data.
Responsive design
Charts automatically adapt to any screen size for a smooth viewing experience.
Switch chart types
Move between area, line, column, pie or bump charts with a single click.
Small multiples
Create a grid of area charts to compare groups side by side and spot patterns at a glance.
Stacked area chart
Track both the total value and the breakdown of the total by groups.
RESOURCES
Data visualization resources
Tips, guides, and resources to make your interactive area charts even more effective
Frequently asked questions
An area chart is a line chart with the space below the line filled in. It helps you see both the trend and the magnitude of your data.
Use stacked area charts to show cumulative totals and category contributions. Use unstacked charts to compare series individually.
An easy and fast way to make an area chart is with Flourish. To get started, use the Flourish Connector (MCP) through a compatible AI tool, or select an area chart from the template chooser and upload your data. Customize the colors, labels, and annotations — the AI-powered Assistant can help you make changes using plain-language requests. You can also create a grid of area charts to compare groups side by side, then share your chart with a link or embed it on your website.
Flourish offers a free plan that’s perfect for exploring interactive data storytelling. You’ll get access to the full range of visualization types available in Flourish (including area charts), unlimited projects, full privacy for your unpublished work, plus helpful support resources.
If you’re an individual creating presentations and reports, our Presenter plan might be the right fit. It includes access to the Flourish app within Canva, along with image and SVG export options for your visualizations.
And if you’re ready to create fully branded visuals without attribution, collaborate across teams, connect your systems via API, and unlock advanced storytelling features like scrollytelling, our premium plans are designed for you. Reach out to our team to find the best option for your business.
Once you publish your Flourish visualization, you’ll get a responsive embed code you can paste anywhere HTML is supported – from WordPress and Medium to custom CMS platforms. Your chart will look great on any screen size, no extra setup needed.
Every project also comes with a unique URL, so you can easily share your work on social media or link to it directly.
