Chart Types Explained

TradingView offers a variety of chart types, each presenting price data in a different way. Choosing the right chart type depends on your trading style and what information you're trying to extract from the price action.

Candlestick Charts (Most Popular)

Candlestick charts are the gold standard for most traders. Each candlestick shows four data points: Open, High, Low, and Close (OHLC). The body of the candle represents the range between open and close, while the wicks (shadows) show the high and low. Green/hollow candles indicate the close was above the open (bullish), while red/filled candles indicate the close was below the open (bearish).

Bar Charts (OHLC Bars)

Bar charts display the same OHLC data as candlesticks but in a different visual format. Each bar is a vertical line (high to low) with small horizontal ticks on the left (open) and right (close). Some traders prefer bars because they reduce visual noise and make it easier to see overall trends.

Line Charts

Line charts connect closing prices with a continuous line. They're the simplest chart type and are excellent for identifying overall trends quickly. They remove the "noise" of OHLC data, making support and resistance levels easier to spot. Many investors and longer-term traders prefer line charts.

Area Charts

Area charts are essentially line charts with the area below the line filled with color. They provide a clean visual of price trends and are commonly used in financial media and reports. The filled area makes it easy to visualize the magnitude of price movements.

Heikin Ashi

Heikin Ashi candles use a modified formula that averages price data to create a smoother appearance. They're excellent for identifying trends because they filter out market noise. In a strong uptrend, you'll see consecutive green candles with no lower wicks. In a downtrend, consecutive red candles with no upper wicks.

Renko Charts

Renko charts use fixed-size bricks instead of time-based candles. A new brick is only drawn when price moves by a specified amount. This completely removes the time element, making trends and reversals crystal clear. They're popular for swing trading and identifying support/resistance levels.

Kagi Charts

Kagi charts use a series of vertical lines connected by short horizontal lines. The line thickness or color changes when price reverses by a predetermined amount. Like Renko, Kagi charts filter out time-based noise and focus purely on significant price movements.

Point & Figure Charts

Point & Figure charts use columns of X's (rising prices) and O's (falling prices). They ignore time entirely and only record significant price changes. They're one of the oldest charting methods and are excellent for identifying support/resistance levels and price targets.