Pick the Right Chart Every Time

When NOT to use a pie chart

Pie charts are among the most overused and misused chart types. Human eyes are poor at comparing angles accurately. Here is when to avoid them — and what to use instead.

• ✕
  More than 5 slices. Tiny slices become unreadable. Use a horizontal bar chart ranked by value instead.
• ✕
  Values are close to each other. Readers cannot tell if 32% vs 34% — a bar chart makes the difference obvious.
• ✕
  You need to compare across multiple time periods. Use grouped bars or a line chart so change over time is visible.
• ✕
  The parts don't add up to a meaningful whole. If the slices don't sum to 100% of something coherent, a pie chart is misleading.
• ✕
  Your audience is technical. Analysts will prefer tables or bar charts they can read precisely.
• ✓
  OK when: you have 2–4 slices, the difference is dramatic (e.g., 75% vs 25%), and you only need a quick "glance" message — not precise comparison.
• ✓
  Better alternative: A donut chart adds a label in the center for a single key number. A waffle chart is more accurate for percentages. A ranked horizontal bar is almost always clearer.