# 33 Types of Charts and Graphs: Examples and When to Use Each

- URL: https://betteranalyst.com/blog/types-of-charts-and-graphs
- Published: 2026-08-07
- Updated: 2026-08-07
- Author: Better Analyst

Choose a chart by the question you need to answer—not by which one looks the most impressive. This guide compares 33 chart and graph types, explains when each works, and links directly to a free maker.

> **Summary:** Use a bar chart to compare categories, a line graph for change over time, a histogram for a distribution, a scatter plot for relationships, and a pie chart only for a simple part-to-whole story. This guide compares 33 chart and graph types and when each one works; when in doubt, choose the simplest chart that makes the answer obvious.

## The short answer

Use a **bar chart** to compare categories, a **line graph** for change over time, a **histogram** for a distribution, a **scatter plot** for relationships, and a **pie chart** only for a simple part-to-whole story. When in doubt, choose the simplest chart that makes the answer obvious.

[Create a chart with AI](https://betteranalyst.com/chart-maker)

## Which chart should you use?

Start with the analytical question. The chart family usually follows from it.

| What do you need to show? | Start with | Other useful choices |
| - | - | - |
| Compare categories | Bar chart | Double bar, stacked bar, radar |
| Show change over time | Line graph | Area, step line, waterfall |
| Understand a distribution | Histogram | Box plot, density plot, bell curve |
| Find a relationship | Scatter plot | Bubble chart, heatmap |
| Show parts of a whole | Bar chart | Pie, donut, treemap |
| Map a process or flow | Flow chart | Sankey, funnel, Gantt |
| Compare regions | Choropleth map | Geo map |
| Show market prices | Candlestick chart | OHLC chart |

## Chart vs. graph: what is the difference?

**Chart** is the broader term. It includes graphs, tables, diagrams, and other visual ways to organize data.

**Graph** usually describes a chart that uses axes to show a mathematical relationship or how one variable changes with another. Line graphs, scatter plots, and histograms are common examples.

In everyday analytics, the terms overlap. Searchers may call the same visualization a bar chart or bar graph, so clarity matters more than enforcing a strict label.

## Charts for comparing values

Use these charts to compare categories, groups, rankings, or performance against a target.

01

### Bar chart

A bar chart uses horizontal or vertical bars to compare values across discrete categories. The shared baseline makes differences easy to judge.

![Bar chart example created with Better Analyst](https://betteranalyst.com/screenshots/charts/bar-light.png)

Example: Compare quarterly revenue across five product lines.

- Best for

  Rankings, category comparisons, survey responses, and values with long labels.

- Avoid when

  The horizontal axis represents continuous numeric ranges; use a histogram instead.

[Create a bar chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/bar-chart)

- ### [02 Double bar graph](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/double-bar-graph)
  [Places two bars beside each category so two groups can be compared on the same scale.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/double-bar-graph)

  [**Best for:** Before-and-after results or two groups across the same categories.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/double-bar-graph)
- ### [03 Stacked bar chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/stacked-bar-chart)
  [Stacks subgroups within each bar to show both the total and its composition.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/stacked-bar-chart)

  [**Best for:** Comparing totals while retaining a small number of component categories.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/stacked-bar-chart)
- ### [04 Radar chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/radar-chart)
  [Plots multiple measures on axes radiating from a center to create a performance profile.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/radar-chart)

  [**Best for:** Comparing a few items across three to eight measures with similar scales.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/radar-chart)
- ### [05 Pareto chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/pareto-chart)
  [Combines descending bars with a cumulative-percentage line to highlight the largest contributors.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/pareto-chart)

  [**Best for:** Prioritizing defects, complaints, or causes using the 80/20 principle.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/pareto-chart)

## Charts for showing change over time

Use these charts when sequence matters and you want to reveal trends, cycles, or cumulative change.

06

### Line graph

A line graph connects ordered values to reveal direction, rate of change, seasonality, and turning points.

![Line graph example created with Better Analyst](https://betteranalyst.com/screenshots/charts/line-light.png)

Example: Track monthly revenue against target for one year.

- Best for

  Time series, trends, forecasts, and comparisons between a few continuous series.

- Avoid when

  The categories have no natural order or there are too many overlapping lines.

[Create a line graph](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/line-graph)

07

### Area chart

An area chart fills the space beneath a line, emphasizing the magnitude of change as well as the trend.

![Area chart example created with Better Analyst](https://betteranalyst.com/screenshots/charts/area-light.png)

Example: Show daily website traffic during a product launch.

- Best for

  Showing volume or cumulative change over time with one or two series.

- Avoid when

  Several filled series overlap and hide one another.

[Create a area chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/area-chart)

- ### [08 Stacked area chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/stacked-area-chart)
  [Stacks filled time series to show how several components contribute to a changing total.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/stacked-area-chart)

  [**Best for:** Part-to-whole trends with a small number of stable categories.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/stacked-area-chart)
- ### [09 Step line chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/step-line-chart)
  [Uses horizontal and vertical segments to show values that remain constant until a discrete change.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/step-line-chart)

  [**Best for:** Pricing tiers, inventory levels, rates, and state changes.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/step-line-chart)
- ### [10 Spline chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/spline-chart)
  [Uses a smoothed curve to present an ordered series with a softer visual flow.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/spline-chart)

  [**Best for:** Presentation-focused trend displays where the overall pattern matters.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/spline-chart)
- ### [11 Calendar heatmap](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/calendar-heatmap)
  [Colors calendar cells by value to reveal daily patterns, streaks, and seasonality.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/calendar-heatmap)

  [**Best for:** Daily activity, attendance, contributions, or operational volume.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/calendar-heatmap)
- ### [12 Waterfall chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/waterfall-chart)
  [Shows how sequential positive and negative changes bridge a starting value to a final total.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/waterfall-chart)

  [**Best for:** Budget variance, profit bridges, cash flow, and headcount changes.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/waterfall-chart)

## Charts for understanding distributions

Use these charts to see how numeric values are spread, centered, grouped, or affected by outliers.

13

### Histogram

A histogram groups continuous numeric values into bins so you can see the shape, center, and spread of a distribution.

Example: See how customer order values are distributed across $25 ranges.

- Best for

  Response times, ages, order values, test scores, and other continuous measurements.

- Avoid when

  You are comparing named categories; use a bar chart instead.

[Create a histogram](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/histogram)

14

### Bell curve

A bell curve represents a normal distribution, with most values near the mean and fewer values toward either tail.

Example: Show exam scores with the mean and 68–95–99.7 probability bands.

- Best for

  Normally distributed measurements, probability bands, standardized scores, and process variation.

- Avoid when

  The observed data is skewed, multimodal, categorical, or not approximately normal.

[Create a bell curve](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/bell-curve-maker)

15

### Box plot

A box plot summarizes a distribution through its median, quartiles, range, and potential outliers.

Example: Compare delivery-time distributions across three regions.

- Best for

  Comparing several distributions side by side without showing every observation.

- Avoid when

  The audience needs to see clusters, multiple peaks, or the exact distribution shape.

[Create a box plot](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/box-plot)

- ### [16 Density plot](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/density-plot)
  [Shows a smoothed estimate of a continuous distribution rather than fixed histogram bins.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/density-plot)

  [**Best for:** Comparing distribution shapes or revealing multiple peaks.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/density-plot)
- ### [17 Frequency bar graph](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/frequency-bar-graph)
  [Counts how often distinct values or categories occur and displays those counts as separated bars.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/frequency-bar-graph)

  [**Best for:** Discrete values, categories, ratings, and survey-answer frequencies.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/frequency-bar-graph)

## Charts for finding relationships

Use these charts to look for correlation, clustering, patterns, and interactions between variables.

18

### Scatter plot

A scatter plot positions observations using two numeric variables to reveal correlation, clusters, and outliers.

![Scatter plot example created with Better Analyst](https://betteranalyst.com/screenshots/charts/scatter-light.png)

Example: Compare advertising spend with revenue for each campaign.

- Best for

  Testing whether two measurements move together and spotting unusual observations.

- Avoid when

  One axis contains unordered categories or overlapping points make the pattern unreadable.

[Create a scatter plot](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/scatter-plot)

19

### Heatmap

A heatmap uses color intensity across a matrix to expose high and low values, patterns, and correlations.

![Heatmap example created with Better Analyst](https://betteranalyst.com/screenshots/charts/heatmap-light.png)

Example: Find the busiest support hours for each weekday.

- Best for

  Correlation matrices, activity by day and hour, and dense comparisons across two dimensions.

- Avoid when

  Readers must retrieve exact values or the color scale cannot be interpreted consistently.

[Create a heatmap](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/heatmap)

- ### [20 Bubble chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/bubble-chart)
  [Adds bubble size to a scatter plot so a third numeric variable can be compared.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/bubble-chart)

  [**Best for:** Portfolio analysis and relationships involving three numeric measures.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/bubble-chart)
- ### [21 Combo chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/combo-chart)
  [Combines chart forms, usually bars and a line, to compare related measures with different roles.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/combo-chart)

  [**Best for:** Actual versus target, volume versus rate, or totals alongside a trend.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/combo-chart)

## Charts for showing composition

Use these charts to explain how individual parts contribute to a whole or fit within a hierarchy.

22

### Pie chart

A pie chart divides a whole into slices, making the largest and smallest shares easy to recognize.

![Pie chart example created with Better Analyst](https://betteranalyst.com/screenshots/charts/pie-light.png)

Example: Show the percentage of revenue from four product lines.

- Best for

  A single total split into two to five clearly different categories.

- Avoid when

  There are many slices, similar values, negative numbers, or totals that do not equal a whole.

[Create a pie chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/pie-chart-maker)

- ### [23 Donut chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/donut-chart)
  [A pie-style chart with a central opening that can hold a total or key label.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/donut-chart)

  [**Best for:** Simple part-to-whole summaries in dashboards.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/donut-chart)
- ### [24 Treemap](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/treemap)
  [Uses nested rectangles to display hierarchical categories, with area representing magnitude.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/treemap)

  [**Best for:** Large part-to-whole hierarchies where ranking matters more than exact values.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/treemap)
- ### [25 Polar area chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/polar-area-chart)
  [Uses equal-angle circular sectors whose radii change with the values.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/polar-area-chart)

  [**Best for:** Cyclical categories or visually emphasizing differences around a circle.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/polar-area-chart)

## Charts for flows, processes, and plans

Use these charts to map movement, stages, dependencies, or work scheduled across time.

26

### Gantt chart

A Gantt chart places tasks on a timeline so durations, overlaps, milestones, and dependencies are visible.

![Actual synthetic website-launch Gantt: Research August 4–7, Design August 7–13, Development August 12–22, QA August 21–26, launch milestone August 28, 2026.](https://betteranalyst.com/examples/gantt/betteranalyst-gantt-example.png)

Example: Plan research, design, development, QA, and launch dates.

- Best for

  Project schedules, launch plans, dependencies, and resource coordination.

- Avoid when

  The project changes constantly or the main question is process logic rather than timing.

[Create a gantt chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/gantt-chart)

- ### [27 Sankey diagram](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/sankey-diagram)
  [Uses proportional bands to show quantities moving between sources, stages, and destinations.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/sankey-diagram)

  [**Best for:** Customer journeys, budgets, energy flows, and material movement.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/sankey-diagram)
- ### [28 Funnel chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/funnel-chart)
  [Shows counts or rates narrowing through consecutive stages in a process.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/funnel-chart)

  [**Best for:** Sales, recruiting, onboarding, and conversion pipelines.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/funnel-chart)
- ### [29 Flow chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/flow-chart)
  [Uses connected shapes to explain process steps, decisions, and branching paths.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/flow-chart)

  [**Best for:** Procedures, decision logic, approval paths, and troubleshooting.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/flow-chart)

## Charts for geographic data

Use these charts when location is part of the question and regional patterns matter.

- ### [30 Choropleth map](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/choropleth-map)
  [Shades defined geographic regions according to a normalized value.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/choropleth-map)

  [**Best for:** Rates, percentages, or per-capita measures across states, counties, or countries.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/choropleth-map)
- ### [31 Geo map](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/geo-map)
  [Places points, symbols, or values at specific geographic locations.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/geo-map)

  [**Best for:** Store locations, incidents, deliveries, and geographic clusters.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/geo-map)

## Charts for financial markets

Use these charts to display open, high, low, and close prices across trading periods.

- ### [32 Candlestick chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/candlestick-chart)
  [Encodes open, high, low, and close values as candle bodies and wicks for each trading period.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/candlestick-chart)

  [**Best for:** Reading price direction, volatility, and trading patterns.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/candlestick-chart)
- ### [33 OHLC chart](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/ohlc-chart)
  [Uses vertical ranges and side ticks to display open, high, low, and close prices.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/ohlc-chart)

  [**Best for:** Compact technical analysis of market price movement.](https://betteranalyst.com/free-chart-graph-maker/ohlc-chart)

## How to choose the right chart

1. Step 1**Define the question**Write the decision or comparison the chart must make easier.
2. Step 2**Check the data type**Separate categories, continuous measurements, dates, locations, and process stages.
3. Step 3**Choose the simplest match**Start with a bar, line, histogram, or scatter plot before reaching for a specialized chart.
4. Step 4**Remove unnecessary encoding**Avoid extra colors, dimensions, dual axes, and decoration that do not answer the question.
5. Step 5**Test the takeaway**Ask someone to describe the main finding without additional explanation.
6. Step 6**Label the evidence**Use a clear title, units, scale, legend, and source so the chart can stand on its own.

Better Analyst AI charts

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## Frequently asked questions

What are the main types of charts and graphs?

The main chart families are comparison, change over time, distribution, relationship, composition, flow and planning, geographic, and financial charts. The right family depends on the question you want the data to answer.

What is the difference between a chart and a graph?

A chart is the broader term for a visual representation of data. A graph is a type of chart that usually shows mathematical relationships or changes between variables using axes. In everyday data work, people often use the terms interchangeably.

Which chart is best for comparing values?

A bar chart is usually the clearest choice for comparing values across categories because every bar starts from a shared baseline. Use grouped bars for two series and stacked bars only when the total and its components both matter.

Which graph is best for showing change over time?

A line graph is the standard choice for showing change over time. Use an area chart when magnitude matters, a step line when values change in discrete jumps, and a Gantt chart when the timeline represents scheduled tasks and dependencies.

Which chart should I use to show a distribution?

Use a histogram to see the detailed shape of one numeric distribution, a box plot to compare several distributions compactly, and a bell curve only when you are modeling data that is approximately normally distributed.

Which graph is best for showing relationships between variables?

Use a scatter plot to see the relationship between two numeric variables. Use a bubble chart when a third numeric measure matters, or a heatmap when you need to compare relationships across a dense matrix.

How do I choose the right chart for my data?

Start with the question: are you comparing categories, showing change, examining a distribution, finding a relationship, explaining composition, or mapping a process? Then choose the simplest chart that answers that question without requiring extra explanation.