What is a bar chart maker?
A bar chart is a chart that uses rectangular bars to compare values across discrete categories. The length of each bar is proportional to the value it represents — making side-by-side comparison unambiguous. Bars can be oriented vertically (often called a column chart) or horizontally, and multiple series can be grouped or stacked on top of each other.
Everything you need
Built for analysts, students, and researchers who need publication-quality charts in minutes — not hours.
Grouped or stacked layout
Vertical or horizontal orientation
Value labels on bars (inside or outside)
9 colour palettes incl. colour-blind safe
Custom bar width, gap, and corner radius
PNG, SVG, and CSV export — publication quality
How it works
From data to a publication-ready chart in 2 minutes.
- 1
Paste or upload your data
Copy from Excel/Google Sheets and paste in. First column = category labels (e.g. quarters, months); every subsequent column becomes its own series rendered as bars.
- 2
Pick layout & group mode
Choose vertical or horizontal bars, and grouped (side by side) or stacked. All four combinations supported.
- 3
Style & label
Pick a palette, adjust bar width, add rounded corners, toggle value labels on top of each bar, set the chart title.
- 4
Export your chart
Download as PNG for slides, SVG for publication, or CSV for the underlying numbers.
Real charts from the community
Every chart you make is shared as a public template so others can remix it. Click any to open it with your own data.
Common questions, direct answers
Plain-language answers to the questions people most often ask about bar chart makers.
When should I use a bar chart?
Use a bar chart when comparing values across a small number of named categories (typically 2–15) — for example, revenue by quarter, votes by candidate, or sales by region. Bars are the most precise visual encoding for value comparison because the eye reads length accurately.
What's the difference between a bar chart and a column chart?
Strictly, a bar chart has horizontal bars and a column chart has vertical ones — but in practice the two terms are used interchangeably. Use vertical (column) when category labels are short or you're showing time on the X axis; use horizontal when labels are long or you have many categories.
When should I use grouped bars vs stacked bars?
Use grouped bars (side-by-side) when comparing values of individual series across categories — each series stays comparable to the others. Use stacked bars when the totals matter and you also want to show composition. Don't stack when comparing individual series is the primary task; the eye can't accurately compare middle segments.
How many bars are too many for one chart?
Up to about 15 categories work cleanly in a single bar chart. Beyond that, consider sorting and showing only the top N, switching to a horizontal orientation, or using a different chart type (lollipop, dot plot, or a heatmap if you have multiple series).
Frequently asked questions
Is the bar chart maker free?+
Yes — 3 graphs per month are free across every tool, with no signup needed to try. Subscribe to Pro for $10/month for unlimited graphs and private templates.
What's the difference between grouped and stacked bars?+
Grouped places each series' bars side by side within each category (good for direct comparison). Stacked stacks each series on top of the previous (good for showing totals + composition). Switch between them with one click in the Marks tab.
Can I make horizontal bar charts?+
Yes — set Orientation to Horizontal in the Marks tab. Useful when category labels are long or you have many categories.
Can I add value labels on top of each bar?+
Yes — set Value labels to 'Outside' (above each bar) or 'Inside' (inside the bar) in the Marks tab. Font size and colour configurable.
Other charts you might need
Same paste-and-publish workflow — different chart type.