How to Combine Two Charts in Excel

To combine two charts in Excel, put both sets of numbers into one chart instead of trying to merge two finished chart objects. Select the chart you want to keep, go to Chart Design > Change Chart Type, choose Combo, pick a chart type for each data series, check Secondary Axis for the series that uses a different scale, and select OK.

Applies to: Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024 and Excel 2021 on Windows, with a separate section for Excel for Mac. Checked against Microsoft Support on October 7, 2026.

What “combining two charts” means in Excel

People use this phrase for three different jobs, and each one has its own method:

• Two chart types in one chart. For example, monthly sales as columns and profit margin as a line. Excel calls this a combo chart. Microsoft describes combo charts as charts that combine two or more chart types to make the data easy to understand, especially when the data is widely varied.
• The data from a second chart added to the first chart. Both sets of numbers use the same chart type, and you only need the second set to appear as another data series. A data series is one set of related values, usually one column or one row of your table.
• Two separate charts shown next to each other. Each chart keeps its own axes, and you only arrange them so they read as one figure.

If the goal is to compare the two sets of numbers, use one of the first two options. A single chart with two series shares one set of categories, so the reader can compare values directly.

Before you start

• Put both sets of values in one table. Microsoft’s guidance for column, bar, line and area charts is to arrange the data in columns or rows. A simple layout is one column of category labels (months, products, regions) followed by one column for each series, each with a header.
• Use the same categories for both series. If one chart shows months and the other shows product names, the two do not belong on one set of axes. Keep those as separate charts side by side.
• Keep the new series next to the existing data. The quickest way to add a series relies on the new values sitting in cells directly beside or below the chart’s current source data.
• Check the chart type. Microsoft notes that for bubble charts and all 3-D charts you can only change the chart type of the whole chart, so they cannot hold a second chart type for one series.

Combine two chart types in one chart (combo chart)

Use this method when a chart already shows both series, or after you have added the second series with the steps in the next section. These steps follow Microsoft’s procedure for Excel on Windows.

1. Select the chart. Click anywhere in the chart. The chart tabs appear on the ribbon.
2. Open the chart type dialog. Go to Chart Design (shown as Design in some versions) and select Change Chart Type. The Change Chart Type dialog box opens. You can also right-click the chart area and choose Change Chart Type.
3. Choose Combo. Select Combo, then the clustered column and line on secondary axis option. Each data series is now listed with its own chart type.
4. Set the chart type for each series. Select the drop-down arrow beside a series and choose Line (or another type) for the series that should stand out from the columns.
5. Decide on a second axis. Select Secondary Axis for the series whose numbers are on a very different scale or in a different unit. Leave it cleared if both series use the same unit and a similar range.
6. Select OK. The chart redraws with both chart types in a single chart, with a second value axis if you selected one.

Microsoft lists these combo chart options: clustered column with line, clustered column with line on a secondary axis, stacked area with clustered column, and a custom combination that lets you mix and match chart types and assign them to separate axes. Start with one of the ready-made pairings and switch to the custom combination only if neither fits.

Microsoft’s own steps are in Add or remove a secondary axis in a chart in Excel.

Add the second chart’s data to the first chart

Excel has no command that merges two chart objects. Instead, you add the second chart’s numbers to the first chart as a new data series and then delete the chart you no longer need. Microsoft documents two routes, depending on where the chart sits.

The chart is on the same worksheet as its data

1. Enter the new series beside the existing data. Type or paste the second set of values in the cells directly next to or below the chart’s current source data, with a header.
2. Select the chart. The source data that is currently displayed is selected on the worksheet, with sizing handles at the corners of the range.
3. Drag the sizing handles to include the new data. Pull a handle until the outline covers the new column or row. The chart updates automatically and shows the new series.

The chart is on a separate chart sheet

1. Enter the new series on the data worksheet, next to the existing source data.
2. Open the sheet that contains the chart.
3. Right-click the chart and choose Select Data. A dialog box opens.
4. Click and drag on the worksheet to select all the data you want in the chart, including the new series.
5. Select OK to close the dialog box. The chart now includes the added series.

Once the second series is in the chart, you can leave both as the same type or follow the combo chart steps above to give one of them its own type. For a longer treatment of this task, see how to add multiple data sets to a graph in Excel, and Microsoft’s page Add a data series to your chart.

Build a combined chart from scratch

If neither chart is worth keeping, it is often faster to start again from the data.

1. Select the data, including the category labels and both series with their headers.
2. Select Insert > Recommended Charts. A dialog box opens with previews based on your data.
3. Look through the Recommended Charts tab. If a suggestion already shows both series the way you want, select it. Otherwise select the All Charts tab to see every available chart type, and choose the combo chart type there.
4. Select OK. The chart is placed on the worksheet.
5. Fine-tune it. Use the Chart Elements, Chart Styles and Chart Filters buttons beside the chart, or the Chart Design and Format tabs, to add elements, change the look, or limit which data is shown.

Microsoft also documents a shortcut: select the data and press Alt + F1 to create a chart immediately. It will not necessarily be the best chart for the data, so plan on changing its type afterward.

Change the chart type of one series only

You do not have to go through the combo options if only one series needs a different look.

1. Click the data series you want to change, for example one of its columns. Only that series is selected.
2. On the Chart Design tab, in the Type group, select Change Chart Type.
3. In the Change Chart Type dialog box, select the chart type you want and confirm.

Microsoft’s note on this procedure is that you can change the chart type of only one data series at a time. To change several, repeat the steps for each series. The full procedure is in Change the chart type of an existing chart.

Excel for Mac: add the secondary axis

Microsoft’s Mac steps add the second axis from the ribbon rather than from the chart type dialog.

1. In the chart, select the data series that you want to plot on a secondary axis.
2. Select the Chart Design tab.
3. Select Add Chart Element > Axes, then Secondary Horizontal or Secondary Vertical. For most column and line combinations you want the secondary vertical axis.
4. Label the new axis. With the series still selected, select Add Chart Element > Axis Titles and choose the matching secondary option, then type a title that states the unit.

Show two charts side by side instead

When the two charts do not share categories, or each one needs its own scale and title, keep them as separate objects and arrange them.

• Move a chart on the sheet: drag it to the location you want.
• Bring a chart from another worksheet: select the chart, then on the Chart Design tab, in the Location group, select Move Chart. Choose Object in and pick the worksheet where the other chart lives. (New sheet places the chart on its own chart sheet instead.)
• Make both charts the same size: select a chart, then on the Format tab, in the Size group, enter the same values in the Height and Width boxes for each chart. You can also drag the sizing handles.
• Keep them together: Microsoft’s grouping steps for shapes, pictures and other objects are to press and hold Ctrl while you select each object, then choose Group from the Arrange options. The Group button is only enabled when more than one object is selected.

Which method should you use?

Your situation	Use
Same categories, same unit, similar range	Add the second series to the first chart
Same categories, but one series should look different (columns plus a line)	Combo chart without a secondary axis
Same categories, different units or very different ranges (dollars and percentages)	Combo chart with Secondary Axis selected for one series
Different categories, or each chart needs its own title and scale	Two separate charts placed side by side

Microsoft’s rule of thumb for the secondary axis is to use it when the numbers vary widely from data series to data series, or when you have mixed types of data such as price and volume.

Check the result and undo it if needed

• Read the legend. Each series should have a clear name that comes from its header cell.
• Label both value axes. With two scales, a reader cannot tell which series belongs to which side unless each axis has a title that states its unit.
• Confirm the categories. The labels along the bottom should apply to both series and be in the order you expect.
• Compare a few points with the table. Pick two or three cells and check that the chart shows the same values against the correct axis.

To reverse a combo chart, open Change Chart Type again, set the series back to its original chart type and clear Secondary Axis. To take a series back out of the chart, select the chart and drag the sizing handles on the worksheet so the outline no longer covers that column or row.

Troubleshooting

• One series looks flat or disappears along the bottom. Its values are much smaller than the other series. Open Change Chart Type, choose Combo and select Secondary Axis for that series.
• You cannot change the type of a single series. Check whether the chart is a bubble chart or a 3-D chart. For those, Excel only changes the type of the whole chart. Switch the whole chart to a 2-D type first.
• The new data does not show up in the chart. Select the chart and look at the outlined range on the worksheet. If the new column or row is outside the outline, drag a sizing handle to include it. If the data is not next to the existing range, right-click the chart, choose Select Data and select the whole range again.
• There are no sizing handles to drag. The chart is probably on a separate chart sheet. Use the Select Data steps instead.
• The Group command is unavailable. Only one object is selected. Hold Ctrl and select the second chart as well.
• The chart shows more than you want. Use the Chart Filters button beside the chart to show only the data points you need, or hide the unwanted rows or columns on the worksheet.
• A menu name does not match. Microsoft’s pages use both Design and Chart Design for the same chart tab, depending on the version. The tab only appears while a chart is selected.

Frequently asked questions

Can I merge two existing charts into one in Excel?

Not as objects. Add the second chart’s data to the first chart as a new series, by dragging the sizing handles of the source range or by using Select Data, and then delete the second chart.

How do I put a line and columns on the same chart?

Select the chart, go to Chart Design > Change Chart Type > Combo, and set one series to a column type and the other to Line.

When should I use a secondary axis?

Use it when the two series are in different units or their values differ widely, such as price and volume. If both series share a unit and a similar range, one axis is easier to read.

Can I combine more than two series?

Yes. Add each series to the chart, then change the chart type one series at a time. The custom combination option lets you mix chart types and assign them to separate axes.

Can I add a trendline to a combined chart?

Microsoft’s steps are to select the chart, then select Chart Design > Add Chart Element > Trendline and pick a type such as Linear or Moving Average.

Why does my data need to be in one table?

A chart draws its series from a source range on the worksheet. Keeping the category labels and every series in adjacent columns or rows lets you extend that range with the sizing handles instead of rebuilding the chart.

Next, give the combined chart a title and axis titles that state each unit, then check two or three plotted values against the worksheet before you share it.

Related: How to Create an Organizational Chart in Excel from a List.

Related: how to make a stacked column chart in Excel.