Free Online Gauge & Half Donut Chart Maker

Create semicircular donut charts for gauge-style part-of-whole displays. Clean, modern, and space-efficient.

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What Is a Half Donut Chart?

A half donut chart (semicircle donut) displays data in a 180-degree arc rather than a full 360-degree circle. The half-circle format combines the part-of-whole clarity of a donut chart with the directional, left-to-right reading of a gauge. The open space below the arc is often used for a central KPI value or label.

Key components include the semicircular segments, proportional arc lengths, a center area for labels or metrics, a color legend, and optional percentage labels on each segment. Half donut charts are popular in modern dashboard design because they look clean, use vertical space efficiently, and feel like progress indicators — implying performance or completion status.

What Data You Need for a Half Donut Chart

A short list of category-value pairs (typically 2-5 slices) whose totals fill a 180-degree arc, with an optional hollow center for a headline number. Example: [{label:"Used", value:68}, {label:"Free", value:32}] rendered left-to-right across the semicircle.

When to Use a Half Donut Chart

Use a half donut chart when you want a compact, gauge-style part-of-whole display that saves vertical space compared to a full donut. Common applications include KPI dashboards showing completion percentages, customer satisfaction score breakdowns, budget utilization gauges, and progress indicators in project management tools.

Half donut charts work best with 2-4 segments. More segments make the narrow arc slices hard to read. Choose a half donut over a full donut when vertical space is limited or when the gauge metaphor strengthens the message. For single-metric progress display, a progress ring or gauge chart may be even simpler.

Where a Half Donut Chart Works Best

A single KPI gauge showing progress toward a goal, e.g. 72% of a quarterly sales target reached.
A storage, battery, or capacity meter where 'used vs. remaining' needs a fuel-gauge feel at the top of a dashboard.
A satisfaction or NPS breakdown (Promoters / Passives / Detractors) sitting in a compact dashboard tile.
A budget-spent indicator on a financial report header, fitting in a short, wide space a full circle would waste.

Half Donut Chart Example: Storage Capacity Gauge

A cloud dashboard shows how much of a 500 GB plan is consumed. The half donut fills clockwise across the top arc, with the remaining capacity shown as a muted slice and the percentage placed in the open center.

Sample data: Used: 340 GB (68%), Available: 160 GB (32%)

The semicircle reads like a fuel gauge: the arc passing the midpoint instantly signals the plan is two-thirds full, prompting an upgrade nudge well before the 500 GB ceiling.

How to Create a Half Donut Chart Online

Step 1: Open ChartLoad and select the Half Donut Chart type from the chart picker on the main page
Step 2: Enter your segment labels in the first column and values in the second column
Step 3: ChartLoad renders a 180-degree semicircular arc with segments proportional to their values
Step 4: Customize segment colors, center label text, and the open-space layout below the arc
Step 5: Add percentage labels, adjust inner radius, and set a chart title for context
Step 6: Click Export and download your half donut chart as PNG, PDF, SVG, JPEG, or WebP

Half Donut Chart Best Practices & Tips

Half donuts use less vertical space than full donuts — perfect for dashboard rows with limited height.
Place a KPI number or percentage in the space below the arc to combine the visual with a precise value.
Limit segments to 2-4 in a half donut — more segments makes the narrow arc slices impossible to compare.
Use a half donut for single-metric progress display: one filled segment for progress, one for remaining.
Use a half donut in mobile dashboard designs where the semicircle fits naturally into a card component layout.
Add a subtle animation that fills the arc on page load to draw the user's attention to the current metric value.

Common Half Donut Chart Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting that the values must sum to 100% of the 180-degree arc — if slices don't total the whole, the semicircle reads as a misleading partial gauge rather than a complete part-of-whole.
Cramming 6+ slices into the half circle, where the compressed arc makes thin wedges nearly invisible; the half donut only works for 2-4 categories.
Leaving the open center empty instead of using it for the headline figure (the percentage or KPI), wasting the half donut's biggest advantage over a full donut.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the advantage over a full donut chart?

Half donuts use less vertical space, leaving room for labels or KPIs below the chart. They also feel more like a gauge, implying progress or performance.

Can I show a single percentage?

Yes — enter a value and a remainder to show a single metric as a filled vs. unfilled arc.

How many segments work well in a half donut?

Two to four segments are ideal. With more segments the slices become very narrow in the semicircular arc and are difficult to label and compare. For many categories, a full donut or a bar chart is more readable.

Related Chart Types

Ready-Made Half Donut Chart Templates

Skip the blank canvas — open a free, editable Half Donut Chart template, swap in your own data, and export. Browse all templates.

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