Donut Chart Maker

Transform your data into beautiful and professional donut charts with our Donut Chart Maker for free.

Drag & Drop files here or

Supported formats: Excel, CSV

Enter your categories and values below. You can also paste data directly from Excel or Google Sheets anywhere in the table.

Customization

  Donut Thickness

50%
Donut Chart Maker

Made with DataViz Kit

Check out what you can build with our free chart tool.

Donut Chart Example Donut Chart
Multi-category Donut Chart Example Multi-category Donut Chart
Thin Ring Donut Chart Example Thin Ring Donut Chart

What is a Donut Chart?

A donut chart (frequently spelled doughnut chart) is essentially a pie chart with a hollow center. This central space is incredibly valuable in data visualization, as it can be used to display a total sum, an average, or a key performance indicator (KPI).

Whether you need a clean visual for a client presentation or an interactive donut chart for your business dashboard, our platform delivers. As a privacy-first tool, all data is processed locally in your browser, allowing you to visualize proportions instantly without uploading sensitive information to external servers.

When to Use Donut Charts

  • Showing part-to-whole relationships for a small number of categories
  • Displaying progress toward a goal (using the center space for the key metric)
  • Creating clean, minimalist dashboard visuals
  • Modern presentations where a pie chart feels too traditional

When to Avoid Donut Charts

  • Showing exact value comparisons โ€” use a bar chart instead
  • Displaying small value differences that are hard to read as arc lengths
  • Presenting to audiences unfamiliar with circular charts
  • Visualizing time-series or sequential data
  • More than 6โ€“7 categories (causes visual clutter)

Donut Chart vs. Pie Chart

Many users search for a donut pie chart maker without realizing the distinct cognitive advantages of the "hollow" design. While standard pie charts force viewers to compare the overall area of solid slices, a donut graph encourages the human eye to compare the length of the outer arcs. This subtle shift makes reading the data significantly easier and faster.

Furthermore, when you generate a donut chart using our tool, you have full control over the inner radius (the hole size). This flexibility lets you create a thick ring for bold emphasis or a thin, elegant ring for modern data reports.

Key Features of Our Donut Chart Maker

Multi-Source Data Input

  • Upload Excel (.xlsx, .xls) or CSV files directly
  • Paste data from Excel or Google Sheets with Ctrl+V
  • Edit values directly in the interactive data table

Advanced Styling

  • 7 professional color palettes with per-slice override pickers
  • Real-time donut thickness adjustment from 0% (pie) to 100% (ring)
  • Interactive legend with per-slice toggle
  • Hover tooltips showing exact values and percentages

Export Options

  • High-resolution PNG with transparent background
  • JPEG for smaller file sizes in presentations
  • True vector SVG with slices, legend, and percentage labels

100% Free

  • No account or sign-up needed
  • Unlimited exports with no watermarks
  • Commercial use allowed

Best Practices for Donut Charts

  • Limit to 3โ€“5 categories per chart for best readability
  • Use consistent color schemes if showing multiple donut charts side-by-side
  • Leverage the center space for totals or key metrics
  • Maintain sufficient contrast between adjacent slices
  • Start the largest slice at the 12 o'clock position for a natural reading order

How to Make a Donut Chart Online

Wondering how to make a donut chart without downloading complex software? Our online donut chart maker simplifies the process into four easy steps:

1

Input Your Data

Launch the doughnut chart generator by providing your data:

  • Upload Excel/CSV files directly into the grid
  • Paste data from Excel or Google Sheets with Ctrl+V
  • Manually edit the labels and values in the table
2

Customize Design

  • Adjust the central hole size (0โ€“100%)
  • Set 0% to convert to a standard pie chart
  • Apply a color preset or pick custom colors per slice
3

Interactive Preview

  • Hover for exact values and percentages
  • Show/hide specific slices via the legend
  • Test different color schemes in real time
4

Export & Share

  • Download as high-quality PNG or JPEG
  • Export true vector SVG for presentations

Why Choose Our Donut Chart Creator?

  • Instant Processing: Render complex charts in under a second
  • Smart Calculations: Auto-calculates percentages and totals for every slice
  • Client-Side Privacy: Your data is never uploaded or stored on our servers
  • True SVG Export: Unlike other tools that export a rasterized canvas, ours generates real vector paths

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Transform your data into compelling visuals with our free donut chart maker. Whether you need to make a donut chart online for a business report or an academic presentation, our tool delivers professional results in seconds.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Donut Charts

The only structural difference is the hole in the center of a donut chart. This hole reduces the emphasis on the total area of each slice (which our brains aren't good at judging anyway) and focuses attention on the arc length, which is easier to compare. The central space can also be used to display a key metric, such as a total or percentage.

Ideally between 3 and 6 categories. With fewer than 3 slices, a simpler visualization might be clearer. With more than 6โ€“7 slices, the chart becomes cluttered and the thin segments are hard to distinguish. If you have many categories, consider grouping smaller ones into an "Other" slice.

Yes. Drag the Donut Thickness slider all the way to the left (0%). This removes the central hole entirely, converting the visualization into a standard pie chart. Drag it right again to restore the donut style.

Yes. Drag and drop any .CSV or .XLSX file directly onto the upload zone, or copy a two-column range from Excel or Google Sheets and paste it with Ctrl+V into the data table. The tool automatically fills in the Category and Value columns.

Yes. Our SVG export is built from the raw chart data โ€” not a screenshot of the canvas. It includes the donut slices, a side legend with labels, raw values, and calculated percentages, all as true scalable vector elements you can open and edit in any design tool.

Yes, DataViz Kit is 100% free. You can create unlimited donut charts, use all customization features, and download PNG, JPEG, and SVG files without creating an account or paying any fees.

No installation is required. DataViz Kit is a completely web-based tool. You can build, customize, and export your charts directly from your browser on any device without downloading heavy desktop applications.