Chart Types
ApexCharts supports 20+ chart types. Each is controlled by the chart.type option and has its own data format and configuration namespace under plotOptions.
Axis charts
These charts plot data against an x-axis and one or more y-axes.
| Type | chart.type | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Line | 'line' | Trends over time or ordered categories |
| Area | 'area' | Same as line, with filled region under the curve |
| Bar | 'bar' | Horizontal comparison of values across categories |
| Column | 'bar' (vertical orientation) | Vertical comparison across categories |
| Scatter | 'scatter' | Correlation between two numeric variables |
| Bubble | 'bubble' | Three-variable data: x, y, and size |
| Heatmap | 'heatmap' | Magnitude across a two-dimensional grid |
| Candlestick | 'candlestick' | OHLC financial data |
| Box Plot | 'boxPlot' | Statistical distribution with quartiles |
| Violin | 'violin' | Continuous distribution shape |
| Range Bar | 'rangeBar' | Horizontal bars spanning a start-to-end range |
| Range Area | 'rangeArea' | Filled region between two value lines |
| Treemap | 'treemap' | Hierarchical data as nested rectangles |
| Mixed | 'line' (base) | Combining line, column, and area in one chart |
Non-axis charts
These charts do not use an x/y axis system.
| Type | chart.type | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Pie | 'pie' | Part-to-whole with a small number of categories |
| Donut | 'donut' | Same as pie, with a center cutout for a label |
| Radial Bar | 'radialBar' | Progress or score as an arc |
| Gauge | 'gauge' | Single value on a dial |
| Radar | 'radar' | Multi-variable comparison on a spider web |
| Polar Area | 'polarArea' | Categories as sectors of equal angle, varying radius |
| Funnel | 'funnel' | Progressive reduction through stages |
| Pyramid | 'pyramid' | Hierarchy where the base is the largest group |
Choosing a chart type
Comparing categories: Column or bar. Use column for up to ~10 categories, bar when category labels are long.
Showing change over time: Line or area. Use area when the filled region adds meaning (total volume). Use line when multiple overlapping series would make filled areas unreadable.
Part-to-whole: Pie or donut for 2-5 slices. Avoid for more than 5 categories — a bar chart is easier to read.
Distribution: Box plot shows quartiles and outliers. Violin shows the full distribution shape. Scatter shows individual data points.
Financial: Candlestick for OHLC. Range bar for timeline or Gantt-style data.
Correlation between two variables: Scatter. Add a third variable (like market share) with bubble.