Excel Combo Chart: Two Stacked Columns Side by Side

Yes. In Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, you can make a combo chart with two separate stacked columns per category by arranging each stack as its own category row, then assigning the component series to Stacked Column and any comparison series to a line or another chart type. Excel does not provide a one-click option for two independently stacked groups inside a single category, so the data layout is the key workaround.

What Excel Means by a Combo Chart

A combo chart combines different chart types in one chart, most commonly columns and a line. For example, you might show monthly sales as columns and a target as a line. A stacked column chart, by contrast, places several component series on top of one another within each category. These chart types can be combined, but Excel assigns a chart type to each series; it does not automatically create two separate stacks within one category.

That distinction matters. If you select four component series and set all four to Stacked Column, Excel normally stacks them together into one column at each category. It does not infer that the first two series belong in one stack and the next two belong in a second stack. To show two stacks side by side, give Excel two category positions per reporting period and put values only in the series that belong to each position.

This approach is useful when comparing two compositions, such as actual versus budget, product group A versus product group B, or this year versus last year. A line can then add a target, rate, or other measure to the same chart.

Set Up the Data for Two Separate Stacks

Use two label columns: one for the main category, such as month, and one for the stack group, such as Actual or Budget. Give each stack its own component columns. In the example below, the first two component columns build the Actual stack, and the next two build the Budget stack. The Target column will become a line.

Month: the reporting period, repeated for each stack.
Group: the label that distinguishes the two stacks.
Actual Product and Actual Service: the components of the first stack.
Budget Product and Budget Service: the components of the second stack.
Target: the comparison measure to display as a line.

A small sample might have January / Actual with values in the two Actual columns and blanks or zeros in the Budget columns, followed by January / Budget with values in the Budget columns and blanks or zeros in the Actual columns. Repeat that pair of rows for February, March, and the remaining months. This creates two adjacent category positions for each month while keeping the two stacks separate.

For example, if January Actual is 60 product and 40 service, and January Budget is 55 product and 50 service, the chart shows one Actual stack totaling 100 and one Budget stack totaling 105. The category labels can show January as the parent label, with Actual and Budget beneath it.

Create the Stacked Column and Combo Chart

Select the complete table, including both label columns, all component columns, and the target series. Include the headings.
Choose Insert > Insert Column or Bar Chart > 2-D Stacked Column. The chart should show a separate stack at each Month-and-Group row, because only the relevant component columns have values on that row.
With the chart selected, choose Chart Design > Change Chart Type. In the dialog, choose Combo or Custom Combination, depending on the dialog layout.
Set each of the four component series to Stacked Column. Set Target to Line. If the target uses a different scale from the columns, select Secondary Axis for that line.
Confirm the chart type changes and check that the two stacks appear side by side within each month grouping.

The exact wording and placement of the Combo option can vary slightly with the Excel update and the way the chart was created. The reliable route is to select the chart and use Chart Design > Change Chart Type, rather than expecting Excel to identify the intended stack groups from the series names.

Format the Category Labels and Series

Because Month and Group are separate label columns, Excel can use a multi-level category axis. If the chart displays only one level, right-click the horizontal axis and choose Format Axis. In Axis Options, check that the axis label range includes both label columns and that multi-level category labels are enabled if that option appears. You should then see each month grouping the Actual and Budget positions.

Use consistent colors for comparable components. For instance, use the same color for Product in both stacks and a second shared color for Service. This makes the composition easier to compare than assigning four unrelated colors. If the two stacks need stronger separation, use different shades or borders, but keep the legend clear: series names should identify both the group and component, such as Actual Product and Budget Product.

To add a chart title, select the chart and use Chart Design > Add Chart Element > Chart Title. Axis titles and a legend can be added from the same menu. Labeling the vertical axis with the unit, such as dollars or units, is especially helpful when readers might otherwise mistake totals for percentages.

Choose Whether the Line Needs a Secondary Axis

A secondary axis is appropriate when the line and columns measure different quantities or have substantially different scales. A sales total in dollars and a conversion rate in percent, for example, cannot be interpreted sensibly from one shared scale. In the Combo settings, place the line on the secondary axis, then label that axis with its unit and scale.

Do not add a secondary axis just because Excel offers one. If the target and stacked totals are measured in the same units and are in a similar range, a shared axis is easier to read and compare. A secondary axis can make a modest change in the line appear dramatic, or make a large change appear small, depending on its bounds. If you use one, make the scale and units visible and avoid implying that the line’s height is directly comparable to the column height.

Because each month has two category rows, a line series may need a value on both rows. Repeating the monthly target across the Actual and Budget rows makes the line run across both stack positions for that month. That is suitable for a monthly benchmark. If a line should instead have one point per month, consider whether a separate chart would communicate it more clearly; forcing one point onto a two-position category axis can produce awkward alignment.

Common Problems and How to Fix Them

All components appear in one stack. Check that the data uses two rows per main category and that each row contains values only for its own group. Merely naming series Actual and Budget does not create separate stacks.
The stacks are not labeled by group. Include both Month and Group in the selected category-label range. Check the multi-level category labels setting in Format Axis.
A component appears in the wrong stack. Inspect the row values and the series ranges in Chart Design > Select Data. A shifted range or a value entered in the other group’s row is a common cause.
The chart has gaps or unexpected markers in the line. Check how missing line values are handled. Excel can display empty cells as gaps, zeroes, or connected points depending on chart settings. For a benchmark intended to span both stacks, repeat the monthly value rather than leaving one of the pair blank.
The line hides the columns or looks misleading. Check whether a secondary axis is needed, confirm the axis units, and consider a thinner line or markers. Do not rely on color alone to explain a series.
Category labels are crowded. Reduce the number of periods shown, widen the chart, or shorten group labels. Rotating labels can help, but a crowded axis may signal that a small table or separate charts would be clearer.

When a Different Chart Is Better

Two stacked columns per category are useful when the reader needs to compare both totals and the makeup of each total. They are less effective when the main task is to compare individual component values across many categories. Stacked segments that do not start at zero are harder to compare precisely, so a clustered column chart or a small table may be better if component-by-component differences matter most.

If the purpose is to compare proportions rather than totals, consider a 100% Stacked Column chart. It scales each stack to 100%, making the mix easier to compare while hiding differences in total size. You may want to show totals as labels or in a separate measure, because a 100% chart cannot communicate both total volume and percentage composition as clearly at once.

For a presentation with only a few periods, two separate charts can be clearer than a complex combo chart. Separate panels avoid a crowded axis and make it easier to give each measure an appropriate scale. For a dashboard where both totals and a target are important, the combo chart is useful as long as the line, axis, and stack labels are explained.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Excel make two stacked columns side by side in one category?
Not directly as two independent stacks within a single category using the standard chart controls. The practical workaround is to create two category rows per main category, label them with a second grouping column, and use blanks or zeros in the component series that do not belong to each row.

Can I add a line to the two-stack chart?
Yes. In Chart Design > Change Chart Type, assign the component series to Stacked Column and the comparison series to Line. Use a secondary axis only when its scale or unit differs enough to require one, and label that axis clearly.

Should I use blank cells or zeros for the unused component series?
For the column stacks, either can leave a component with no visible height, but zeros make the table’s intention explicit. For a line series, blanks can create gaps depending on the chart’s empty-cell setting, so repeat a benchmark value across both group rows if it should span both positions.

Why are my two groups stacking together?
Excel stacks series that share the Stacked Column chart type at each category. If all four component values are present on the same row, Excel will put them into one stack. Separate the groups into separate category rows and leave the other group’s component cells empty or zero.

Does this work in Excel for Mac or Excel for the web?
The same data-layout principle applies, but menu locations and available chart-formatting controls can differ by platform and update. In Excel for Mac, select the chart and look for the chart design or chart type controls; in Excel for the web, some advanced formatting options may be more limited than in Microsoft 365 for Windows.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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