Pie Chart Maker
Enter labels and values (or paste them from a spreadsheet) and get a clean pie or donut chart with percentages, a legend and your own colors. It is drawn in your browser, so your data stays on your device.
Data
Paste CSV / spreadsheet data
Chart
Labels & legend
How to use the Pie Chart Maker
- Enter your data: type a label and value in each row, or open Paste CSV and paste two columns from Excel or Google Sheets.
- Choose the chart type: Pie or Donut, and set the hole size, start angle and slice gap.
- Set the labels: show the name, value and percentage outside with leader lines or inside the slices, and pick a legend position.
- Style it with a palette or a color per slice, and add a title.
- Download PNG for documents and slides or Download SVG for a scalable vector file.
Pie chart formula with a worked example
A pie chart turns each value into a share of the whole circle:
- Percentage = value ÷ total × 100
- Slice angle = value ÷ total × 360°
Take the sample monthly budget (total $3,360):
| Category | Amount | Percent | Angle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $1,450 | 43.2% | 155.4° |
| Food | $620 | 18.5% | 66.4° |
| Savings | $500 | 14.9% | 53.6° |
| Transport | $310 | 9.2% | 33.2° |
| Fun | $260 | 7.7% | 27.9° |
| Utilities | $220 | 6.5% | 23.6° |
The angles add up to 360° and the exact percentages to 100%. After rounding, the displayed percentages can be off by a tenth, which is normal.
When to use a pie or donut chart
- Use it to show how a single total splits into parts: a budget, market share, survey answers to one question, time spent on activities.
- Keep it to 2–7 slices. Group tiny categories into "Other" so labels stay readable.
- Sort the slices from largest to smallest and start at 12 o'clock (0°), so readers can compare sizes easily.
- Avoid it for values that do not add up to a meaningful whole, for negative numbers, or for comparing many categories or changes over time. A bar or line chart in the Chart Maker works better there.
- Donut charts free up the center for the total, which is handy in dashboards and reports.
Tips for readable labels and colors
Outside labels with leader lines work for almost any data, because each label gets space of its own; overlapping labels are pushed apart automatically. Inside labels look clean for a few large slices and are hidden on slices too thin to hold them. Pick colors with enough contrast between neighboring slices; the Color Palette Generator and Color Contrast Checker help with brand colors. For print or very large displays, download the SVG: it stays sharp at any size.
Frequently asked questions
How are pie chart percentages calculated?
Each slice's percentage is its value divided by the total of all values, multiplied by 100. For example, values 30, 50 and 20 add up to 100, so the slices are 30%, 50% and 20%. Its angle is the same share of 360 degrees: 30% is 108 degrees.
Why do my percentages add up to 99.9% or 100.1%?
Percentages are rounded to the number of decimals you choose, so the rounded parts can add up to slightly more or less than 100%. Increase the decimals to reduce the effect. The slices themselves are always drawn from exact values.
What is the difference between a pie chart and a donut chart?
A donut chart is a pie chart with the center removed. The hole leaves room for a total or a short label, and many people find arc lengths in a donut slightly easier to compare. Both show parts of a whole.
Can I use negative numbers or zeros?
No. A pie chart shows parts of a whole, so only positive values can be drawn. Rows with zero, negative or non-numeric values are skipped and a note tells you which ones.
How many slices should a pie chart have?
Pie charts read best with about 2 to 7 slices. If you have many small categories, sort by size and group the smallest into an Other row, or use a bar chart in the Chart Maker instead.
How do I paste data from Excel or Google Sheets?
Select two columns (labels and values) in your spreadsheet, copy, open Paste CSV here, paste and press Import data. Tab, comma and semicolon separators all work, and a header row is detected automatically. An optional third column can hold a hex color.
Is my data uploaded?
No. The chart is rendered with SVG directly in your browser and the PNG is created locally from that SVG. Your rows are only saved in your browser's local storage.