{"id":3510,"date":"2013-06-21T16:55:32","date_gmt":"2013-06-21T11:25:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.fusioncharts.com\/?p=3510"},"modified":"2026-01-20T14:40:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T09:10:58","slug":"line-charts-vs-area-charts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing the Right Chart Type: Line Charts vs Area Charts 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"The Line and Area charts appear to be very similar. They even facilitate the same type of analysis, but their functions are not interchangeable.\r\n\r\nIn this post, you&#8217;ll learn how to choose the right chart type for your chart type, and how a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/features\/axis-and-gridlines\">graph maker<\/a> made by fusioncharts can help you create the chart you need.\r\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_71 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#When_to_Use_Line_Chart_vs_Area_Chart\" title=\"When to Use Line Chart vs. Area Chart\">When to Use Line Chart vs. Area Chart<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#When_There_are_Multiple_Data_Sets\" title=\"When There are Multiple Data Sets\">When There are Multiple Data Sets<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#When_the_Area_Under_the_Plotted_Line_Represents_a_Summation\" title=\"When the Area Under the Plotted Line Represents a Summation\">When the Area Under the Plotted Line Represents a Summation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#When_You_Want_to_Establish_a_Part-to-Whole_Relationship\" title=\"When You Want to Establish a Part-to-Whole Relationship\">When You Want to Establish a Part-to-Whole Relationship<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_to_Use_Line_Chart_vs_Area_Chart\"><\/span>When to Use Line Chart vs. Area Chart<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\r\nLine charts are usually for observing trends over a certain period. The Y-axis shows numeric values, and the X-axis represents the essential measurements. Line charts are clear and easy to understand since you can see the specific trend for the individual data group.\r\n\r\nArea charts have a pattern similar to line charts. However, the space between each line and the X-axis is filled with a specific color. Area charts are ideal for indicating a change among different data sets.\r\n\r\nA line chart connects discrete but continuous data points by using straight line segments. It is effective in facilitating trend analysis. An example of applying line charts in real life is by financial managers to check trends for profits and other business factors.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3511\" title=\"Example of line chart facilitating trend analysis\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png\" alt=\"Example of line chart facilitating trend analysis\" width=\"619\" height=\"513\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png 619w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart-362x300.png 362w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart-400x332.png 400w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart-300x249.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 619px) 100vw, 619px\" \/><\/a><!--more-->\r\n\r\nAn area chart does the same except that the area below the plotted line is filled with color.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3512\" title=\"Example of area chart\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart.png\" alt=\"Example of area chart\" width=\"613\" height=\"513\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart.png 613w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-150x126.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 613px) 100vw, 613px\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s understand the scenarios where these charts shine through in their own right.\r\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_There_are_Multiple_Data_Sets\"><\/span><strong>When There are Multiple Data Sets<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\nLine charts can easily display multiple data sets.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart-many-data-sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3513\" title=\"Line chart with multiple data sets\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart-many-data-sets.png\" alt=\"Line chart with multiple data sets\" width=\"613\" height=\"511\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart-many-data-sets.png 613w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart-many-data-sets-150x125.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 613px) 100vw, 613px\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nHowever, we cannot clearly show multiple data sets in area charts as the upper layer hides the layers below (occlusion). This issue becomes especially bad when you have more than two data categories.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-many-data-sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3514\" title=\"Area chart with many data sets (occlusion)\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-many-data-sets.png\" alt=\"Area chart with many data sets (occlusion)\" width=\"613\" height=\"511\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-many-data-sets.png 613w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-many-data-sets-150x125.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 613px) 100vw, 613px\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nYou can minimize occlusion by increasing the transparency of the different layers, but it persists.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-many-data-sets-transparent.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3515\" title=\"Area chart with many data sets in transparent layers\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-many-data-sets-transparent.png\" alt=\"Area chart with many data sets in transparent layers\" width=\"625\" height=\"515\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-many-data-sets-transparent.png 625w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-many-data-sets-transparent-150x124.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 625px) 100vw, 625px\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nIncreasing the transparency works best for up to two data sets.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-2-data-sets-transparent.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3516\" title=\"Area chart with two data sets\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-2-data-sets-transparent.png\" alt=\"Area chart with two data sets\" width=\"623\" height=\"515\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-2-data-sets-transparent.png 623w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-2-data-sets-transparent-150x124.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 623px) 100vw, 623px\" \/><\/a>\r\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_the_Area_Under_the_Plotted_Line_Represents_a_Summation\"><\/span><strong>When the Area Under the Plotted Line Represents a Summation<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\nLet\u2019s say you visualize your Revenue vs. Expenses data using an area chart.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-2-data-sets-summation.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3517\" title=\"Area chart summation\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-2-data-sets-summation.png\" alt=\"Area chart summation\" width=\"617\" height=\"513\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-2-data-sets-summation.png 617w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Area-chart-2-data-sets-summation-150x125.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 617px) 100vw, 617px\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nFrom this chart, we can get an approximate idea of the profits for the period by visually subtracting the expenses from the revenue.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-2-data-sets-summation.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3518\" title=\"Line chart summation is not possible\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-2-data-sets-summation.png\" alt=\"Line chart summation is not possible\" width=\"615\" height=\"513\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-2-data-sets-summation.png 615w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-2-data-sets-summation-150x125.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nThere is no visual element (a colored area) in a line chart to support such cognitive relationships.\r\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_You_Want_to_Establish_a_Part-to-Whole_Relationship\"><\/span><strong>When You Want to Establish a Part-to-Whole Relationship<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\r\nSimilar to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/explore\/charts\/gallery\/#stacked-charts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">stacked column chart<\/a>, a stacked area chart displays part-to-whole relations by showing the constituent parts of a whole one over the other.\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s say you want to visualize your sales per region.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/area-chart-stacked.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3519\" title=\"Stacked area chart\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/area-chart-stacked.png\" alt=\"Stacked area chart\" width=\"615\" height=\"511\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/area-chart-stacked.png 615w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/area-chart-stacked-150x125.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nUsing a stacked area chart, you can get an idea of the total sales for a month and the contribution of each region. It is, however, difficult to interpret the area of each region precisely. This issue is because the height of each region is affected by the pattern below it.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, a line chart is more effective in facilitating an understanding of your monthly region-wise sales trend.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-stacked-trend.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3520\" title=\"Line chart trend analysis\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-stacked-trend.png\" alt=\"Line chart trend analysis\" width=\"615\" height=\"511\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-stacked-trend.png 615w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-stacked-trend-150x125.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 615px) 100vw, 615px\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nHowever, the trend for the total sales has to be obtained manually (by adding the monthly region-wise values and then plotting it as a separate line).\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-stacked-total.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3521\" title=\"Line chart with trend and total\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-stacked-total.png\" alt=\"Line chart with trend and total\" width=\"621\" height=\"517\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-stacked-total.png 621w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-stacked-total-150x125.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 621px) 100vw, 621px\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\nIf the user does not refer to the chart legend, there is room for misinterpretation of the total sales line as another regional sales line. To avoid this, make your total sales line visually distinct from the regional sales lines.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-stacked-total-distinct.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3522\" title=\"Line chart with distinct total sales\" src=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-stacked-total-distinct.png\" alt=\"Line chart with distinct total sales\" width=\"617\" height=\"515\" srcset=\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-stacked-total-distinct.png 617w, \/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/line-chart-stacked-total-distinct-150x125.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 617px) 100vw, 617px\" \/><\/a>\r\n\r\n<span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While both the\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/explore\/charts\/gallery\/#line-and-area\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">line and the area charts<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0facilitate trend analysis, it is better to use the area chart when there is a summation relationship between the data sets or when you want to show a part-to-whole relationship (along with trend).<\/span>\r\n\r\nFor more insights on charting best practices, check <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/resources\/#charting-best-practices\">out this space<\/a>.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n{\r\n  &#8220;@context&#8221;: &#8220;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,\r\n  &#8220;@type&#8221;: &#8220;FAQPage&#8221;,\r\n  &#8220;mainEntity&#8221;: [{\r\n    &#8220;@type&#8221;: &#8220;Question&#8221;,\r\n    &#8220;name&#8221;: &#8220;When to Use Line Chart vs. Area Chart&#8221;,\r\n    &#8220;acceptedAnswer&#8221;: {\r\n      &#8220;@type&#8221;: &#8220;Answer&#8221;,\r\n      &#8220;text&#8221;: &#8220;Line charts are usually for observing trends over a certain period. The Y-axis shows numeric values, and the X-axis represents the essential measurements. Line charts are clear and easy to understand since you can see the specific trend for the individual data group.\r\nArea charts have a pattern similar to line charts. However, the space between each line and the X-axis is filled with a specific color. Area charts are ideal for indicating a change among different data sets.\r\nA line chart connects discrete but continuous data points by using straight line segments. It is effective in facilitating trend analysis. An example of applying line charts in real life is by financial managers to check trends for profits and other business factors.An area chart does the same except that the area below the plotted line is filled with color.&#8221;\r\n    }\r\n  },{\r\n    &#8220;@type&#8221;: &#8220;Question&#8221;,\r\n    &#8220;name&#8221;: &#8220;When There are Multiple Data Sets&#8221;,\r\n    &#8220;acceptedAnswer&#8221;: {\r\n      &#8220;@type&#8221;: &#8220;Answer&#8221;,\r\n      &#8220;text&#8221;: &#8220;Line charts can easily display multiple data sets.However, we cannot clearly show multiple data sets in area charts as the upper layer hides the layers below (occlusion). This issue becomes especially bad when you have more than two data categories.You can minimize occlusion by increasing the transparency of the different layers, but it persists.Increasing the transparency works best for up to two data sets.&#8221;\r\n    }\r\n  },{\r\n    &#8220;@type&#8221;: &#8220;Question&#8221;,\r\n    &#8220;name&#8221;: &#8220;When the Area Under the Plotted Line Represents a Summation&#8221;,\r\n    &#8220;acceptedAnswer&#8221;: {\r\n      &#8220;@type&#8221;: &#8220;Answer&#8221;,\r\n      &#8220;text&#8221;: &#8220;Let\u2019s say you visualize your Revenue vs. Expenses data using an area chart.From this chart, we can get an approximate idea of the profits for the period by visually subtracting the expenses from the revenue.There is no visual element (a colored area) in a line chart to support such cognitive relationships.&#8221;\r\n    }\r\n  },{\r\n    &#8220;@type&#8221;: &#8220;Question&#8221;,\r\n    &#8220;name&#8221;: &#8220;When You Want to Establish a Part-to-Whole Relationship&#8221;,\r\n    &#8220;acceptedAnswer&#8221;: {\r\n      &#8220;@type&#8221;: &#8220;Answer&#8221;,\r\n      &#8220;text&#8221;: &#8220;similar to a stacked column chart, a stacked area chart displays part-to-whole relations by showing the constituent parts of a whole one over the other.Let\u2019s say you want to visualize your sales per region.Using a stacked area chart, you can get an idea of the total sales for a month and the contribution of each region. It is, however, difficult to interpret the area of each region precisely. This issue is because the height of each region is affected by the pattern below it.\r\nOn the other hand, a line chart is more effective in facilitating an understanding of your monthly region-wise sales trend.However, the trend for the total sales has to be obtained manually (by adding the monthly region-wise values and then plotting it as a separate line).If the user does not refer to the chart legend, there is room for misinterpretation of the total sales line as another regional sales line. To avoid this, make your total sales line visually distinct from the regional sales lines.While both the line and the area charts facilitate trend analysis, it is better to use the area chart when there is a summation relationship between the data sets or when you want to show a part-to-whole relationship (along with trend).&#8221;\r\n    }\r\n  }]\r\n}\r\n\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Line and Area charts appear to be very similar. They even facilitate the same type of analysis, but their functions are not interchangeable. In this post, you&#8217;ll learn how to choose the right chart type for your chart type, and how a graph maker made by fusioncharts can help you create the chart you [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":3511,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[35,230,396],"coauthors":[674],"class_list":["post-3510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-charting-guidelines","tag-area-chart","tag-line-chart","tag-when-to-use-line-chart-vs-area-chart"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Choosing the Right Chart Type: Line Charts vs Area Charts 2026 - FusionCharts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Line charts vs. Area charts: learn why they aren&#039;t interchangeable and how to choose the right one for your 2026 data. Master correct visual selection.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Choosing the Right Chart Type: Line Charts vs Area Charts 2026 - FusionCharts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Line charts vs. Area charts: learn why they aren&#039;t interchangeable and how to choose the right one for your 2026 data. Master correct visual selection.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"FusionBrew - The FusionCharts Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-06-21T11:25:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-20T09:10:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"619\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"513\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shilpi Choudhury\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shilpi Choudhury\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"Shilpi Choudhury\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ab2dc777afd2fd131d3a768d38a3933f\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Choosing the Right Chart Type: Line Charts vs Area Charts 2026\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2013-06-21T11:25:32+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-01-20T09:10:58+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1141,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 2,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png\",\n\t            \"keywords\": [\n\t                \"Area chart\",\n\t                \"Line chart\",\n\t                \"when to use Line chart vs Area chart\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Charting Guidelines\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Choosing the Right Chart Type: Line Charts vs Area Charts 2026 - FusionCharts\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2013-06-21T11:25:32+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-01-20T09:10:58+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Line charts vs. Area charts: learn why they aren't interchangeable and how to choose the right one for your 2026 data. Master correct visual selection.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png\",\n\t            \"width\": 619,\n\t            \"height\": 513,\n\t            \"caption\": \"Line chart\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Choosing the Right Chart Type: Line Charts vs Area Charts 2026\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"FusionBrew - The FusionCharts Blog\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Get tips and tricks on how to build effective Data Visualisation using FusionCharts\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"FusionCharts\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/idera-fc-logo.svg\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/idera-fc-logo.svg\",\n\t                \"width\": 1,\n\t                \"height\": 1,\n\t                \"caption\": \"FusionCharts\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ab2dc777afd2fd131d3a768d38a3933f\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Shilpi Choudhury\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/bf8a4bd895cb5c45a49c34fd0010a41d\",\n\t                \"url\": \"\/blog\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/0f7\/0f7446649fc462a222b2c07e27fe4317x96.jpg\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"\/blog\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/0f7\/0f7446649fc462a222b2c07e27fe4317x96.jpg\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Shilpi Choudhury\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/author\/shilpi\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Choosing the Right Chart Type: Line Charts vs Area Charts 2026 - FusionCharts","description":"Line charts vs. Area charts: learn why they aren't interchangeable and how to choose the right one for your 2026 data. Master correct visual selection.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Choosing the Right Chart Type: Line Charts vs Area Charts 2026 - FusionCharts","og_description":"Line charts vs. Area charts: learn why they aren't interchangeable and how to choose the right one for your 2026 data. Master correct visual selection.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/","og_site_name":"FusionBrew - The FusionCharts Blog","article_published_time":"2013-06-21T11:25:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-20T09:10:58+00:00","og_image":[{"width":619,"height":513,"url":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Shilpi Choudhury","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Shilpi Choudhury","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/"},"author":{"name":"Shilpi Choudhury","@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ab2dc777afd2fd131d3a768d38a3933f"},"headline":"Choosing the Right Chart Type: Line Charts vs Area Charts 2026","datePublished":"2013-06-21T11:25:32+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-20T09:10:58+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/"},"wordCount":1141,"commentCount":2,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png","keywords":["Area chart","Line chart","when to use Line chart vs Area chart"],"articleSection":["Charting Guidelines"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/","url":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/","name":"Choosing the Right Chart Type: Line Charts vs Area Charts 2026 - FusionCharts","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png","datePublished":"2013-06-21T11:25:32+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-20T09:10:58+00:00","description":"Line charts vs. Area charts: learn why they aren't interchangeable and how to choose the right one for your 2026 data. Master correct visual selection.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#primaryimage","url":"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png","contentUrl":"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Line-chart.png","width":619,"height":513,"caption":"Line chart"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/line-charts-vs-area-charts\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Choosing the Right Chart Type: Line Charts vs Area Charts 2026"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/","name":"FusionBrew - The FusionCharts Blog","description":"Get tips and tricks on how to build effective Data Visualisation using FusionCharts","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"FusionCharts","url":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/idera-fc-logo.svg","contentUrl":"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/idera-fc-logo.svg","width":1,"height":1,"caption":"FusionCharts"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/ab2dc777afd2fd131d3a768d38a3933f","name":"Shilpi Choudhury","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/bf8a4bd895cb5c45a49c34fd0010a41d","url":"\/blog\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/0f7\/0f7446649fc462a222b2c07e27fe4317x96.jpg","contentUrl":"\/blog\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/0f7\/0f7446649fc462a222b2c07e27fe4317x96.jpg","caption":"Shilpi Choudhury"},"url":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/author\/shilpi\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3510"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3510\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3510"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fusioncharts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=3510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}