An area chart is a line chart with the area below the line filled with color. It not only shows data trends but also visually represents the magnitude of data through the filled area, making it especially suitable for showing cumulative trends over time.
Stacked area charts add each series on top of the previous one, showing how each part contributes to the total and how the total changes over time. Overlap area charts draw each series independently, which may cause later series to obscure earlier ones, but is better for comparing individual trends.
Area charts are widely used in website traffic analysis, sales trend reporting, user growth tracking, and resource monitoring. Stacked area charts are especially useful for showing how different channels contribute to total traffic or how product lines contribute to total revenue.