Diagrams are a great way to get a better feel for information and data that would normally exist as nothing more than numbers. If you’ve ever wanted to get a better feel for your spending and finances, then a Sankey diagram is a great way to do so.
But generating diagrams can be difficult and time-consuming if you don’t have the right tools. Luckily, there are plenty of online solutions that allow you to freely and easily create these diagrams without any fuss.
What Is a Sankey Diagram?
A Sankey diagram is a type of diagram that shows the flow of one set of values to another. This is done by depicting a branching line or arrow, with the width of each line being proportional to the quantity of the branch.
They are commonly used in material flow accounts and analysis, as well as energy accounts. If you’ve never heard of them before, however, then you’re most likely to be able to use them for cost breakdowns. Being able to see where and how your money is flowing can be a great visual indicator of what you’re spending things on.
Regardless of their purpose, Sankey diagrams act as a useful way to easily visualize branching or diverging data.
1. SankeyMATIC Online Sankey Builder
First up on this list, we have SankeyMATIC’s Sankey diagram maker. This Sankey diagram generator is a great option to get started with, with plenty of tools to generate a great-looking diagram regardless of familiarity.
There’s no tutorial for SankeyMATIC, although there are a couple of different sample diagrams that you can use to get an idea of how you might use it. The way that the data is input in order to generate the diagram can be a bit confusing if you’ve never used anything like this before, however.
Once you get the hang of it, using SankeyMATIC is actually quite simple. On top of being able to input your data manually, you can also get it from a file. From there, there are a bunch of customization options that you can use to adjust the appearance of your diagram.
You can manually change the overall color scheme or set the color of individual flows, as well as change how much they curve, how opaque they are, how far apart, and more. If you've already tried some of the best budgeting apps to get your finances in order, then this is a great next step.
Once you’re all done, exporting is super easy, with plenty of options to adjust the appearance of your final image being available as well.
2. The Sankey Diagram Generator by Acquire Procurement Services
Next up, we have the Sankey Diagram Generator from Acquire Procurement Services. This Sankey generator is a great way to create simple, easy-to-use diagrams to help better visualize the flow of data.
If you prefer something more visual than text-based, then this is a great option to consider trying. All you need to do to create a great-looking diagram is click on the diagram that’s first generated in order to edit it to your liking. This can include adding new connections, linking to other nodes, and color adjustments.
When you’ve put together the outline of your diagram, this Sankey diagram generator also features different layouts and spacing options to find the most natural depiction of your data. This is a great way how to optimize productivity with a diagram.
If you prefer to input your own data instead of creating a diagram manually, you can also paste your data into the website directly in order to create a Sankey diagram. This website accepts data in the form of JSON, CSV, and Excel pivot tables, so you should be able to find a way to express your data that works here.
3. SankeyDiagram.net Sankey Diagram
If you’re looking for something a little simpler to work with, then SankeyDiagram.net is a great option for just that. This Sankey diagram generator updates quickly as you work and automatically takes a lot of the formatting and aesthetics out of your hands and handles it for you.
To get started with SankeyDiagram.net, all you need to do is input your data. There’s an example given here, and it’s not too hard to get a handle on, but if it’s entirely unfamiliar this may take you a moment to get comfortable with.
You can import your data from a Text File as well, but this is the same as copying and pasting your data into the text box, so it is more of a convenience than a feature. From there, SankeyDiagram.net handles most of the rest of your options.
There’s a little bit more you can do here with decimal adjustments and output sizes, but most of the work is done for you. There’s also an interesting anonymize data function which replaces the values of your labels and data with random values that retain the same flow, which could potentially be useful to some.
4. Sankey Diagram Generator
Finally, we have Sankey Diagram Generator. If you’re looking for something that has a little more of a UI that you can use while still having plenty of options to adjust the overall appearance of your diagram, then Sankey Diagram Generator is a great little tool to help you accomplish just that.
To use Sankey Diagram Generator, all you need to do is input your data on the right of the screen in the form of nodes and links. There are also options here to add colors and values as you go.
From there, Sankey Diagram Generator features options to adjust the density, opacity, values, text, and more. It’s a different way of inputting your data than some of the other entries on the list, but useful if you prefer it.
Use Diagrams to Get More Out of Your Data
There are a variety of different online options out there for creating Sankey diagrams that you can use. If you’re trying to visualize your cash flow or spending more easily, then this is a great way to do so.
There are a ton of different ways that you can more easily introduce diagrams into your day-to-day life, and once you learn how easy they are to integrate, you’ll be wondering why you didn’t do so sooner.