How do I choose the right chart in Excel?

Name the relationship first. Use bars for category comparison and ranking, lines for continuous trends, scatterplots for relationships between numeric variables, histograms for distributions, and hierarchy charts only for genuinely hierarchical data.

What is the best chart for comparing actual versus target?

A bar or dot plot with a target marker usually shows actual versus target clearly. For a time series, use a line for actual and a restrained reference line for the target.

When should I use a pie or donut chart?

Use one only for a small number of distinct parts that add to a meaningful whole and when rough composition is more important than precise comparison. Use bars when differences between categories need to be compared accurately.

When should I use a sunburst chart in Excel?

Use a sunburst chart for hierarchical data with categories nested inside parent categories, where both structure and approximate size matter. Do not use it for a flat category list or precise comparisons.

Excel chart decision guide

Choose the chart from the question, not the gallery

Excel offers a long menu of chart types. The useful choice becomes much smaller once you name the relationship the reader needs to understand.

By Joshua Cottrell-Schloemer, 2× Microsoft Excel MVP and data communication designer.

Use a bar chart for category comparison, a line chart for a continuous trend, a scatterplot for the relationship between two numbers, a histogram or box plot for distribution, and a sunburst or treemap only for hierarchical data. Use pie and donut charts sparingly, and replace a gauge with a more compact actual-versus-target display when space or precision matters.

Quick chooser

What relationship are you showing?

The reader needs to see	Start with	Avoid when
Category comparison or ranking	Horizontal bar chart	The x-axis is continuous time; a line may show the pattern better.
Change over continuous time	Line chart	There are too many series or irregular categories masquerading as time.
Actual versus target	Bar or dot plot with target marker	A decorative gauge consumes space without improving the comparison.
Part-to-whole composition	Stacked bar; pie/donut for very few parts	Categories do not add to a meaningful whole or precise differences matter.
Distribution	Histogram or box-and-whisker chart	An average alone hides spread, skew, and outliers.
Relationship between two measures	Scatterplot; bubble chart for a third magnitude	The axes are categories rather than numeric variables.
Hierarchy	Treemap or sunburst	The data is flat or the audience needs precise value comparison.
Progress across time	Line, bar, or variance view	A progress ring hides the pace or path behind one percentage.

The useful families

Seven chart jobs

Compare

Bar and column charts

Bars make length easy to compare. Use horizontal bars for long category labels and rankings; use columns for a small number of ordered periods or categories.

Best for: products, teams, regions, variance

Trend

Line and area charts

Lines show continuous movement and turning points. Use area only when the filled magnitude adds meaning and does not obscure another series.

Best for: months, days, rates, forecasts

Compose

Stacked bars, pie and donut

Stacked bars handle composition across categories. A pie or donut can show a simple whole with a few obvious parts, but is weak for close comparisons.

Best for: share, allocation, mix

Distribute

Histogram and box plot

A histogram shows the shape of values across bins. A box plot summarizes median, spread, and outliers across one or more groups.

Best for: response time, salary, quality

Relate

Scatter and bubble charts

Scatterplots reveal correlation, clusters, and outliers between numeric measures. Bubble size can add a third measure, but area is harder to compare precisely.

Best for: price vs volume, risk vs return

Organize

Treemap and sunburst

These display nested categories. Treemaps use rectangular area efficiently; sunbursts emphasize levels radiating from the center.

Learn sunburst charts →Track

Progress and comparison charts

Use compact bars, dots, rings, or variance marks based on whether the audience needs status, comparison, or movement.

Choose a progress chart →

A small decision tree

Ask these questions in order

What sentence should the chart make obvious?“Sales peaked in March” is more useful than “sales data.” Write the comparison in words first.

Are the values categories, dates, or continuous numbers?This separates bar, line, and scatterplot decisions before styling begins.

Does the audience need precise comparison or overall shape?Bars support precision. Area, circles, and radial segments are better for pattern and approximate magnitude.

Is every series necessary?A chart with twelve lines often needs filtering, small multiples, a highlight, or a different question.

What could the chart cause someone to misunderstand?Check baselines, unequal time intervals, missing values, dual axes, totals, and whether color implies meaning it does not have.

Specialized charts

Use unusual charts for unusual relationships

A specialized chart can be the clearest option when the data structure truly matches it. A sunburst communicates nested levels. A waterfall shows how sequential positive and negative contributions move a starting value to an ending value. A radar chart can display a profile across a small number of shared dimensions, but it is poor for precise comparison and easy to overload.

The problem is not that these charts look different. The problem is choosing them because they look different. If a bar chart communicates the answer faster, novelty is an extra cost the audience has to pay.

Sunburst chart

When and how to visualize a category hierarchy in Excel.

Read the tutorial →

365-day bubble chart

A calendar-like view for a year of daily magnitude.

See the template →

Geo bubble chart

A map-based bubble chart driven by a simple table.

See the template →

Violin-style chart

A bubble-based view of minimum and maximum spread.

See the template →

What breaks charts

Common selection mistakes

Starting with “I want a cool chart”That reverses the process. Start with the relationship and the audience's decision.

Using a pie for many close valuesAngles are difficult to compare. Sorted bars reveal small differences much faster.

Adding a second axis to force two stories togetherDual axes can make unrelated movement look connected. Separate charts or index the series when appropriate.

Using color for every categoryOne accent can highlight the series that matters; neutral context keeps the message visible.

Decorating before labelingA title, unit, timeframe, and source often add more credibility than gradients, shadows, or 3-D effects.

Learn from working Excel chart files

Browse chart templates built for specific reporting jobs, including progress, forecast, annotation, small data, geographic data, and unconventional visual styles.

Browse Excel templates →

FAQ

Choosing Excel charts

How do I choose the right chart?

Name the relationship first. Use bars for category comparison and ranking, lines for continuous trends, scatterplots for numeric relationships, histograms for distributions, and hierarchy charts only for genuinely hierarchical data.

What is best for actual versus target?

A bar or dot plot with a target marker usually works well. For a time series, use a line for actual and a restrained reference line for target.

When should I use a pie or donut?

Use one for a small number of distinct parts that add to a meaningful whole and when rough composition matters more than precise comparison. Use bars when differences need to be compared accurately.

When should I use a sunburst chart?

Use it for categories nested inside parent categories when both structure and approximate size matter. Do not use it for a flat list or precise comparison.