Donut Chart Maker
Visualize proportions and parts-of-a-whole instantly with a Doughnut style.
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When to Use a Pie Chart
Pie charts are one of the most universally recognized data visualizations. They are designed to do one thing perfectly: show how individual parts make up a whole. When your data represents percentages that add up to 100%, or fractions of a single total, a pie chart is often the most intuitive choice for your audience.
Whether you are illustrating market share, budget allocation, or survey results, the circular "slices" instantly convey proportion without requiring the reader to look at specific numbers. A quick glance tells them which segment is the largest, which is the smallest, and roughly how they compare.
With this free tool, you can create professional pie charts and donut charts right in your browser. Just enter your categories and values, customize the look, and download the high-resolution image instantly.
How to Create a Pie Chart
- 1Enter your categories. Type in the labels for your pie slices (e.g., Desktop, Mobile, Tablet). You can use either commas or spaces to separate them using the separator toggle.
- 2Add the values. Enter the corresponding numbers for each category. These don't need to add up to 100; the chart will automatically calculate the percentages for you based on the total sum.
- 3Customize and download. Toggle "Use Donut Style" if you prefer a hollow center. Adjust the legend position, background color, and then export your chart as a PNG, JPEG, or scalable SVG.
Common Use Cases
Market Share
Visualize how a specific market is divided among competing companies or products. The largest slice immediately highlights the market leader.
Budget Allocation
Show how a total budget is divided across different departments like Marketing, Sales, Engineering, and Operations.
Demographic Breakdown
Display survey results showing the percentage of respondents in different age groups, locations, or professions.
Traffic Sources
Illustrate where your website visitors are coming from: Organic Search, Direct, Referral, Social Media, and Email.
Sales by Product Category
Quickly see which product lines are driving the most revenue as a percentage of total company sales.
Resource Utilization
Show how time, server capacity, or materials are being consumed across different projects or tasks.
Best Practices for Pie Charts
- Limit the number of slices. A pie chart with more than 5 or 6 slices becomes cluttered and difficult to read. If you have many small categories, group them into an "Other" slice.
- Ensure parts make a whole. Pie charts should only be used when your data points represent mutually exclusive parts of a single total. Never use a pie chart for data that doesn't add up to a meaningful whole.
- Order slices by size. If possible, order your data from largest to smallest. This makes it easier for the reader to compare the relative sizes of the slices.
- Consider a Donut Chart. Toggling the "Donut Style" option creates a hole in the center. This reduces the visual weight of the chart and can make it easier to compare slice lengths.
Pie Chart vs. Bar Chart
| Feature | Pie Chart | Bar Chart |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Showing part-to-whole relationships (percentages) | Comparing exact quantities across categories |
| Data Limit | Best with 2-6 categories | Can handle many categories (10+) |
| Precision | Harder to estimate exact values visually | Easy to read exact values from the axis |
| Data Requirement | Must sum to a total (100%) | Categories can be independent |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do my numbers need to add up to 100?+
No. You can enter any raw numbers (e.g., 500, 250, 250). The chart will automatically calculate the total sum (1000) and convert your numbers into the correct percentages (50%, 25%, 25%) for the slices.
How do I change the colors?+
The chart automatically applies a professional, high-contrast color palette to ensure distinct slices. You can change the background and text colors using the "Colors & Styling" section in the sidebar.
What is a Donut Chart?+
A donut chart is simply a pie chart with the center removed. It functions exactly the same way but offers a different aesthetic. Some designers prefer donut charts because the "ring" shape makes it slightly easier to compare the length of the arcs.
Can I import data from Excel or CSV?+
Yes. Click the "Import Excel" button. Make sure your file has your categories in Column A and your numerical values in Column B. You can also download the template to see the exact format required.
Is my data secure?+
Absolutely. This tool runs entirely in your web browser. Your data is never sent to our servers, stored in any database, or tracked. When you close the tab, your data is gone.
Explore More Chart Tools
Whether you need to show market share for a business presentation or demographic breakdown for an academic report, a pie chart gets the point across instantly. This free tool eliminates the complexity of spreadsheet software, letting you generate, customize, and export professional pie and donut charts directly from your browser in seconds.