Free Online Nested Donut Chart Maker

Stack multiple donut rings to compare part-of-whole breakdowns across groups. Rich, layered, and informative.

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What Is a Nested Donut Chart?

A nested donut chart (multi-ring donut) stacks two or more concentric donut rings, each representing a different data group or hierarchy level. The outermost ring is the largest and easiest to read, while inner rings show deeper breakdowns or comparisons. This layered structure packs multiple part-of-whole stories into one compact visual.

Key components include the concentric rings, proportional segments within each ring, distinct color palettes per ring, a legend mapping colors to categories, and optional center-area labels. Unlike sunburst charts that enforce parent-child relationships, nested donuts allow each ring to have completely independent segments — making them versatile for year-over-year or cross-group comparisons.

What Data You Need for a Nested Donut Chart

Each ring needs a set of category-value pairs sharing a common total, with rings ordered from inner (broad/parent) to outer (detailed/child). Example: inner ring = Region (North 60, South 40); outer ring = Channel within each region (North-Online 35, North-Store 25, South-Online 22, South-Store 18).

When to Use a Nested Donut Chart

Use a nested donut chart when you want to compare part-of-whole breakdowns across two or three groups in a single view. Common applications include comparing market share across regions, budget allocation across departments over consecutive years, revenue breakdown by product line for different quarters, and survey response distribution by demographic group.

Nested donut charts work best with 2-3 rings and 3-6 segments per ring. More rings make inner circles too narrow. Choose a nested donut over side-by-side donuts when you want a direct spatial comparison. Choose a sunburst chart when parent-child hierarchy is the primary relationship.

Where a Nested Donut Chart Works Best

Showing budget allocation by department (inner ring) broken down into line items (outer ring) for the same fiscal total.
Comparing two time periods in one figure, e.g. last year's revenue mix on the inner ring versus this year's on the outer ring.
Visualizing website traffic by channel (inner) split into device types (outer) so both the channel total and device share are readable at once.
Displaying a product portfolio by category (inner) and sub-category (outer) to show how each segment contributes to overall sales.

Nested Donut Chart Example: Sales by Region and Channel

A retailer wants one chart showing how regional sales split, and how each region breaks down by sales channel. The inner ring holds the two regions; the outer ring holds online versus in-store within each region.

Sample data: Inner: North 60%, South 40%. Outer: North-Online 38%, North-Store 22%, South-Online 16%, South-Store 24%.

North drives more total sales, but its growth is online-led (38% vs 22% in-store), while South still leans on stores (24% vs 16%) — signaling where to shift channel investment.

How to Create a Nested Donut Chart Online

Step 1: Open ChartLoad and select the Nested Donut Chart type from the chart picker on the main page
Step 2: Add a dataset for each ring — the first dataset forms the outermost ring, subsequent ones form inner rings
Step 3: Enter segment labels and values for each ring independently
Step 4: ChartLoad renders concentric rings with proportional segments and automatic spacing between layers
Step 5: Customize segment colors per ring, center label text, ring thickness, and legend placement
Step 6: Click Export and download your nested donut chart as PNG, PDF, SVG, JPEG, or WebP

Nested Donut Chart Best Practices & Tips

Limit to 2-3 concentric rings — inner rings become too narrow beyond that and are hard to read.
Use a consistent color scheme across rings when the same categories appear in each breakdown.
Label only the outer (widest) ring directly; use hover tooltips for the narrower inner rings.
Nested donuts are ideal for year-over-year comparison — each ring represents a different time period.
If rings represent a hierarchy (parent/child), consider a sunburst chart instead for clearer nesting semantics.
Add ring labels (e.g., "2024" and "2025") near each ring so viewers know which ring represents which group.
Nested donuts are a compact way to show year-over-year or quarter-over-quarter proportion changes in a single chart.
Animate each ring sequentially on page load so viewers absorb one breakdown level completely before the next concentric ring appears for a layered understanding of the proportions.

Common Nested Donut Chart Mistakes to Avoid

Comparing slice sizes between rings by eye — because outer rings have a larger radius, an outer arc spanning the same angle looks visually bigger, so a 20% outer slice appears larger than a 20% inner slice even though the percentages match.
Stacking too many rings (4+) so the inner rings collapse into thin, unreadable bands; nested donuts stay legible at 2-3 rings before the center hole and label space run out.
Letting outer-ring segments fail to align with their parent inner segment, breaking the hierarchy — each child group must sit within the angular span of its parent, or the chart implies relationships that don't exist.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many rings should I use?

Two to three rings work best. More than four rings makes the inner rings too narrow to read.

Is this the same as a sunburst chart?

Similar but different. Sunburst charts show parent-child hierarchies; nested donuts show independent breakdowns stacked concentrically.

Do all rings need to have the same categories?

No. Each ring is an independent breakdown, so they can have completely different segment names and counts. This flexibility lets you compare different classification schemes side by side in one compact visual.

Related Chart Types

Ready-Made Nested Donut Chart Templates

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

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