Bar Chart Guides — How-to, Comparisons, Best Practices | makebarchart.com

Skip to content

GuideHow to make a bar chartStep-by-step guide to making a bar chart: pick the right variant, prepare your data, design the chart, and export. CompareBar chart vs column chartBar chart vs column chart: are they different? Most software treats them as orientations of the same chart. CompareBar chart vs pie chartBar chart vs pie chart: when does each work, and why are bar charts almost always better for comparison? With examples and the rare case the pie wins. CompareBar chart vs histogramBar chart vs histogram: the two look identical but mean different things. CompareBar chart vs line chartBar chart vs line chart: when does each one work, and what changes when your x-axis is time? With clear rules and examples. GuideBar chart best practicesBar chart best practices: axes, sort order, color, labels, and the small design choices that separate clear charts from misleading ones. GuideWhen to use a bar chartWhen is a bar chart the right choice? When is a different chart better? Clear rules and counterexamples. GuideHow to read a bar chartHow to read a bar chart: what each part means, how to interpret bar length, what to watch out for, and common ways bar charts mislead. GuideBar chart from CSVMake a bar chart from a CSV file in seconds. GuideBar chart from ExcelMake a bar chart from Excel data in seconds. GuideBar chart from Google SheetsMake a bar chart from Google Sheets in seconds. GuideBar chart design tipsSmall bar chart design choices that make the result look considered: spacing, typography, color, labels, hierarchy, and what to leave out. GuideBar chart color choicesHow to pick colors for a bar chart: when to use one color, when to use two, when to use a palette, and how to be color-blind safe. GuideSorting bar chartsSorting is the single biggest design decision in a bar chart.