Free Pie Chart & Pie Graph Maker

Pie chart, pie graph, and circle chart all describe the same thing: a circle divided into slices, where each slice's angle is proportional to its share of the total. Which name gets used mostly comes down to context. "Pie chart" is standard in business analytics and dashboard software. "Pie graph" is more common in education and science textbooks. "Circle chart" is the casual catch-all — the name someone uses when they do not know which of the first two applies.

William Playfair invented the pie chart in 1801 alongside the bar chart, and it has stuck around ever since because it communicates "parts of a whole" faster than any other chart type. The circle itself reads as "the total"; the slices read as "the components". No legend needed for the big picture.

Our tool produces all three from the same Pie Chart widget. Drop it in, enter your data, and style it. The terminology you use with your audience is whatever feels natural — the chart is identical.

Reach for a pie chart when your data represents a complete whole that breaks into a small number of categories, and the reader cares about each category's relative share. Budget splits, market share, and survey response distributions are the textbook fits.

Two things need to be true. First, the values must sum to a meaningful whole — 100% of total revenue, 100% of survey respondents, 100% of budget. If they do not sum to anything meaningful, a pie chart misleads. Second, you need few categories — three to six. Beyond that the slice angles get close in size and humans struggle to compare them visually.

If you have many categories or if the values do not represent a whole, use a bar chart (at bar chart maker) instead. Bars give precise length comparisons that pies cannot match.

Pie chart: solid circle, slice angle encodes value. Best for three to six categories summing to a whole.

Donut chart: pie with the middle cut out. Same data logic as pie, but the hole in the middle is useful real estate for a total, a headline number, or an icon. Available at donut chart maker or by adjusting the inner radius on the pie widget.

Polar area chart (also called a Nightingale rose or coxcomb): every slice has the same angle, but the radius encodes the value. Use this when the categories are equal-weight but the quantities differ — it is not a "parts of a whole" chart. Available at polar area chart maker.

Order slices by size. Largest slice at 12 o'clock, then clockwise in descending order. This makes the ranking readable without the viewer having to measure every angle.

Use a distinct, restrained color palette. Every slice gets a unique color, but avoid rainbow palettes — pick three to six colors that pair well and stick with them.

Label both the name and the percentage on each slice when space allows. For small slices, move the labels outside the circle with leader lines rather than trying to cram them inside.

Combine tiny slices into "Other". Slices under about 3–5% of the total are visually negligible; they clutter the chart without adding information. Aggregating them into an "Other" bucket cleans up the design.