Line Charts vs. Bar Charts: Which One to Choose?

Welcome to our Weekly Data Visualization blog series!

When it comes to data visualization, choosing the right chart type is crucial. Two of the most commonly used charts are line charts and bar charts. Each has its strengths and is best suited for specific types of data.

This blog will explore the differences between line and bar charts and provide practical examples using the Syncfusion Angular Charts.

Line Chart

A line chart is used to display trends over time. It consists of a series of data points connected by a continuous line, making it ideal for showing patterns and trends. This chart type is commonly used for financial data, sales trends, and time-series analysis.

To get started with our Angular Charts component, refer to our getting started guide. For a deeper understanding and technical implementation details of the line chart, refer to this documentation.

Let’s analyze the monthly changes in gold prices from January to December 2024 using our Angular Line Chart. We can collect the monthly rate of gold in USD for 2024 data from this GitHub repository. The line chart requires data, xName, and yName for it to render. The xName represents the months of 2024 from January to December, and yName represents the price of gold in USD.

Refer to the following code examples.

app.component.html

<ejs-chart [primaryXAxis]='primaryXAxis' [primaryYAxis]='primaryYAxis' >
    <e-series-collection>
        <e-series [dataSource]='data' type='Line' xName='Month' yName='Price'></e-series>
    </e-series-collection>
</ejs-chart>

app.component.ts

import {Component, ViewEncapsulation } from '@angular/core';
import { ILoadedEventArgs, ChartTheme, ChartAllModule } from '@syncfusion/ej2-angular-charts';
import {Browser } from '@syncfusion/ej2-base';

@Component ({
    selector: 'app-root',
    templateUrl: 'app.component.html',
    styleUrls: ['app.component.css'],
    encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation.None,
    standalone: true,
    imports: [ChartAllModule]
})
export class AppComponent {
    public data: Object[] = [
        {Month: '2024-01-01', Price: 2057.40},
        {Month: '2024-02-01', Price: 2054.70},
        {Month: '2024-03-01', Price: 2227.10 },
        {Month: '2024-04-01', Price: 2302.90 },
        {Month: '2024-05-01', Price: 2333.90 },
        {Month:'2024-06-01', Price: 2350.90 },
        {Month:'2024-07-01', Price: 2449.30 },
        {Month: '2024-08-01', Price: 2516.00 },
        {Month: '2024-09-01', Price: 2647.90 },
        {Month: '2024-10-01', Price: 2761.60 },
        {Month: '2024-11-01', Price: 2681.00 },
        {Month: '2024-12-01', Price: 2653.30 }
    ];
     public primaryXAxis: Object = {
        valueType: 'DateTimeCategory',
        majorGridLines: {width: 0},
        labelFormat: 'MMM',
        intervalType: 'Months',
        interval: 1,
    };
    public primaryYAxis: Object = {
        title: 'Gold Price (USD / troy ounce)',
        lineStyle: {width: 0 },
        majorTickLines: {width: 0 },      
        minimum: 1500 };}

Refer to the following image.

Note: For more details, refer to the Angular Line Chart demo on Stackblitz.

When to use a Line Chart?

• To show trends over time.
• To analyze patterns in stock prices, weather, and sales.
• When visualizing continuous data.

Do’s and don’ts of Line Charts

Do’s

• Do use line charts to show trends over time. Line charts excel at visualizing data that changes continuously, such as stock prices, temperature changes, or sales over months.
• Do ensure the x-axis represents a consistent time interval or sequential data. This helps in maintaining the continuity of the data points.
• Do use clear markers on the line. Adding markers can make individual data points more visible, especially when highlighting key events or anomalies.

Don’ts

• Don’t use line charts for categorical data. Line charts are not ideal for comparing distinct categories or non-continuous data. A bar or column chart is better for categorical comparisons.
• Don’t overcrowd the chart with too many data points. Too many data points can make the chart hard to read and interpret, especially on small screens.
• Don’t omit gridlines or labels. Clear labels and gridlines help the user understand the scale and units of the data, ensuring the chart is readable.

Bar Chart

A bar chart is useful for comparing values across different categories. It represents data using rectangular bars, where the length of each bar is proportional to the value it represents. Bar charts are ideal for categorical data and comparisons.

To explore additional capabilities and options for customization of the Angular Bar Chart, refer to this documentation.

Let’s compare the gold production of the top 5 countries for 2024 using our Angular Bar Chart. We’ll use data from the gold production statistics provided by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to display these figures. Here, the bar chart requires the data, xName, and yName for the series to render. In this case, the xName represents the countries and yName represents the gold production in metric tons for 2024.

Refer to the following code example.

app.component.html

<ejs-chart id='chartcontainer' [primaryXAxis]='primaryXAxis' [primaryYAxis]='primaryYAxis'>
  <! -- Chart Series -->
  <e-series-collection>
      <e-series [dataSource]='data' name="Gold" type='Column' xName='Country' 
 yName='GoldProduction' > </e-series>
  </e-series-collection>
</ejs-chart>

app.component.ts

import { Component, ViewEncapsulation } from '@angular/core';
import { ILoadedEventArgs, ChartTheme, ChartAllModule } from '@syncfusion/ej2-angular-charts';
import { Browser } from '@syncfusion/ej2-base';

@Component({
    selector: 'app-root',
    templateUrl: 'app.component.html',
    styleUrls: ['app.component.css'],
    encapsulation: ViewEncapsulation.None,
    standalone: true,
    imports: [ ChartAllModule, ]
})
export class AppComponent {
    public data: Object[] = [
       { Country: 'China', GoldProduction: 380 },
       { Country: 'Russia', GoldProduction: 310 },
       { Country: 'Australia', GoldProduction: 290 },
       { Country: 'Canada', GoldProduction: 200 },
       { Country: 'United States', GoldProduction: 160 },
    ];

    public primaryXAxis: Object = {
        valueType: 'Category',
        majorGridLines: { width: 0 },
    };

    public primaryYAxis: Object = {
        title: 'Gold Production (Metric Tons)',
        lineStyle: { width: 0 },
        majorTickLines: { width: 0 },
    };
}

Refer to the following image.

Note: For more details, refer to the Angular Bar Chart demo on Stackblitz.

When to use a Bar Chart?

• To compare different categories.
• To compare the sales performance of different products across various regions.
• When displaying discrete data.

Do’s and don’ts of Bar Charts

Do’s

• Do use bar charts to compare quantities across different categories. Bar charts work best when you want to compare different items or groups in terms of magnitude.
• Do apply different colors or patterns for each category. This makes each data series stand out and improves clarity when comparing multiple groups.
• Do add data labels where appropriate. Displaying data labels can help the audience understand the exact values at a glance, reducing the need to refer back to the axis.

Don’ts

• Don’t use bar charts for time-series data. When you’re dealing with continuous data over time, a line chart is more appropriate, as a bar chart might distort the trends.
• Don’t make the bars too narrow or too wide. Narrow bars can make the chart look crowded, while overly wide bars can make the chart less readable. Choose the appropriate bar width.
• Don’t clutter the chart with excessive categories. Too many categories can result in overlapping or unreadable bars. Limit the number of categories or consider grouping them if necessary.

Line Chart vs. Bar Chart: Which one should you choose?

Feature	Line Chart	Bar Chart
Data type	Continuous (time-series data)	Categorical (comparisons)
Use case	Showing trends over time	Comparing different categories
Example	Stock prices, temperature trends	Sales figures, product comparisons
Best for	Highlighting patterns and trends	Displaying differences between groups

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Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Both the Line and Bar Charts play vital roles in data visualization. Line Charts are the best choice if your goal is to analyze trends and observe changes over time. Conversely, if your objective is to compare different categories, Bar Charts are more effective. Understanding when to use each type allows you to create clear and insightful visualizations for your data.

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