How to make a pie chart
Creating a pie chart with ChartMake takes under a minute. Here is the exact process:
- Enter your data. Type category labels and values into the table, or click Paste CSV and import rows in the format
label,value— one per line. - Select pie chart. Click the pie chart icon in the chart type toolbar at the top of the panel.
- Choose a colour palette. Pick from five curated palettes. The legend is shown by default — move it or hide it using the Legend control.
- Add a title. Click the title field above the chart and type a heading. It will be included in your export.
- Download your pie chart. Click Download PNG to save a high-resolution image instantly, ready to paste into any document or presentation.
When to use a pie chart
Pie charts are designed to show how a whole is divided into parts. They are the right choice when your categories are mutually exclusive, they add up to a meaningful total, and you want readers to grasp the proportional relationship at a glance.
Good uses include: market share between competitors, survey response breakdowns, budget allocation, demographic splits, or time spent across activities.
Pie charts work best with five or fewer slices. When you have more categories than that, consider grouping smaller ones into an "Other" slice, or switching to a bar chart which handles many categories more clearly.
Tip: If you are not sure whether to use a pie or bar chart, ask yourself: do readers need to see exact values, or just a rough sense of proportion? For exact comparisons, a bar chart is almost always clearer. For a quick proportional snapshot, a pie chart wins.
Pie chart design tips
- Start your largest slice at 12 o'clock and arrange slices clockwise in descending order — this is the most intuitive reading path.
- Avoid using more than five or six colours. Too many slices make the legend hard to match back to the chart.
- Label slices directly whenever possible rather than relying on a legend — it reduces eye movement and speeds up comprehension.
- Never use 3D pie charts. The perspective distortion makes some slices appear larger than they are, which is visually misleading.
- If one slice dominates (over 70%), consider a different chart type entirely — a single large slice tells a simpler story that text alone can convey.
Pie chart vs doughnut chart
A doughnut chart is a pie chart with the centre removed. They show identical data; the choice is purely visual. Doughnut charts are often considered more modern and work well in dashboards where you want to place a summary number in the centre. Pie charts have a stronger tradition in printed reports and academic work. ChartMake supports both — switch between them in one click using the chart type selector.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a pie chart for free?
Yes. ChartMake is completely free to use. You can create a pie chart and download a PNG without creating an account or entering payment details.
How many slices can my pie chart have?
ChartMake supports as many data rows as you need, but pie charts are most readable with five or fewer slices. Beyond that, the chart becomes difficult to interpret and a bar chart is usually a better choice.
What is the difference between a pie chart and a doughnut chart?
A doughnut chart is a pie chart with the centre cut out. They display the same data. Doughnut charts are considered more modern and are popular in dashboards; pie charts are more traditional. Switch between them instantly using the chart type icons in ChartMake.
Do I need to log in to download my pie chart?
No. ChartMake requires no login or account. Download a PNG of your pie chart immediately after creating it.
Can I embed a pie chart on my website?
Yes, with a Pro plan. ChartMake Pro ($5/month) generates an embeddable iframe code for any chart you create, which you can paste directly into your site's HTML.
Can I import data from Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Copy your two-column data from a spreadsheet, click Paste CSV in the tool, and paste it in. ChartMake parses the labels and values and updates the chart instantly.