Free Online Donut Chart Maker
Make a donut chart free online, no signup — a ring-shaped pie whose open center draws the eye to the part-of-whole split. Paste, recolor, export.
Create Your Donut Chart Now — It's FreeWhat Is a Donut Chart?
Research suggests the ring shape can be easier to compare across multiple charts because arcs are more uniform than pie wedges. Key components include the colored arc segments, the central label area, percentage or value annotations, and a legend. The hollow center also reduces the visual dominance of larger segments compared to full pie slices, creating a more balanced aesthetic.
What Data You Need for a Donut Chart
A donut chart reads exactly two columns: one category column (the slice labels) and one numeric column (the value per category) whose values sum to a meaningful whole, like counts, revenue, or shares of 100%. Each row becomes one ring segment, sized by its share of the total; slices show a percent and label, and the open center stays empty to focus the eye on the part-of-whole split. Keep it to roughly 10 categories or fewer for a readable ring. Example: Pro 48000, Business 31500, Enterprise 18000, Starter 7500 — four ring segments around an open center.
When to Use a Donut Chart
Donut charts are popular in SaaS dashboards, mobile analytics, and modern web design. They work best with 2-6 categories. Choose donut charts over pie charts when you want the ring aesthetic or a central metric. Choose them over bar charts when part-to-whole is more important than precise value comparison.
Where a Donut Chart Works Best
- Revenue or budget breakdown across departments or subscription plans as shares of one total
- Market share split among three or four competing products in a single quarter
- Survey results such as Satisfied / Neutral / Dissatisfied shown as proportions of all respondents
- Website traffic by acquisition channel shown as a clean ring for a dashboard or slide
Donut Chart Example: SaaS Revenue by Plan
A SaaS team wants to see how last month's $105,000 in monthly recurring revenue splits across its four subscription tiers. They paste the plan names and amounts as two columns, and each plan renders as a ring segment with its percent and label shown. The hollow center draws the eye to the part-of-whole split, while hovering any arc reveals its exact value and percent in the live preview.
Sample data: Pro: $48,000 | Business: $31,500 | Enterprise: $18,000 | Starter: $7,500
Pro alone drives nearly 46% of MRR ($48,000 of $105,000), and Pro plus Business together account for about 76% — so the mid-tier plans, not Enterprise (just 17%) or Starter (only 7%), are the revenue engine to protect and upsell from.
How to Create a Donut Chart Online
- Step 1: Open ChartLoad and select the Donut Chart type from the chart picker, or click an example tag in Step 1 to load sample data instantly
- Step 2: Enter your data: type or paste two columns straight from Excel, Google Sheets, or any CSV — category names in the first column and numeric values in the second
- Step 3: The donut ring is generated automatically, with each slice sized by its share and labeled with its percent and name
- Step 4: Recolor the slices, edit the chart title, and toggle the legend and data labels to match your design
- Step 5: Use the live interactive preview to hover over each slice and confirm its exact value and percent
- Step 6: Click Download and export as PNG, SVG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF — or grab the embed code to drop the chart on your site
Donut Chart Best Practices & Tips
- Lean on the hollow center as the donut's main advantage over a pie — pair the ring with the total or headline metric you read in the preview.
- Keep slices to 2-6 segments for clarity; donut arcs are harder to compare than pie slices, so let the percent-and-label text carry the precise numbers.
- Recolor with a harmonious palette — complementary or analogous schemes look professional and stay easy to read.
- Use consistent color coding when the same categories appear across multiple donuts in a dashboard.
- Click an example tag in Step 1 to load sample data, then swap in your own numbers — it's the fastest way to start.
- Grab the embed code to share the live, interactive version (hover for exact values) on a webpage instead of a flat image.
Common Donut Chart Mistakes to Avoid
- Cramming in too many slices — past 5 or 6 categories the ring segments become slivers that are impossible to compare; roll the small ones into a single 'Other' segment.
- Using categories that don't sum to a coherent whole (overlapping or double-counted values), which makes the part-of-whole proportions meaningless.
- Relying on the donut alone for precise comparisons; arcs are even harder to read by eye than pie wedges, so lean on the percent-and-label text the chart shows on each slice.
- Mixing positive and negative or zero values — a donut only represents shares of a positive total, so negatives won't render as meaningful arcs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this donut chart maker free?
Yes. ChartLoad's donut chart maker is 100% free with no signup, no watermark, and no limits. Your data stays in your browser, and you can export the finished chart as PNG, SVG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF, download the data as CSV or Excel, grab an all-formats ZIP, or copy an embed code.
What is the difference between a donut chart and a pie chart?
Both show parts of a whole as proportional slices, but a donut chart has a hollow center. Many people find the ring a little easier to compare across multiple charts because the arcs read more uniformly than full pie wedges.
Is it 'donut chart' or 'doughnut chart'?
They're the same chart — 'doughnut chart' is the spelling Excel and Microsoft use, while 'donut chart' is more common in web and dashboard tools. This maker builds either; the names are interchangeable.
How do I make a doughnut chart in Excel?
In Excel, select your category and value columns, go to Insert > Charts > Pie, and choose Doughnut. ChartLoad is faster for the web: paste the same two columns, recolor, toggle labels and legend, and export — no manual chart setup needed.
How many categories should a donut chart have?
Aim for 2 to 6 segments, and keep it to about 10 at most. Beyond that the arcs become too thin to compare, so group smaller values into an 'Other' slice and consider a bar chart if you need exact comparisons.
Related Chart Types
Ready-Made Donut Chart Templates
Skip the blank canvas — open a free, editable Donut Chart template, swap in your own data, and export. Browse all templates.
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