Choosing a bar chart or line chart out of habit can obscure the point you want to communicate.
Each chart type has a particular strength. This guide explains what five common charts reveal and when to use each one.
Relationship → Scatter plotTrend → Line chartComparison → Bar chartDistribution → Box plotProportion → Pie chart
A scatter plot helps you examine the relationship between two numeric variables, as well as clusters, variation, and outliers.
3-1. Good Uses
Examining the relationship between manufacturing conditions and a quality measure
Comparing advertising spend with sales, or study time with test scores
Checking whether two variables tend to increase together or move in opposite directions
Scatter plot created with Sakura Chart
3-2. Compare Groups with a LEVEL Column
Add a LEVEL column to color points by group and see whether the relationship differs across conditions.
Scatter plot colored by LEVEL
4. Line Chart
A line chart is best for showing change over time. It makes direction, seasonality, and sudden changes easy to see.
4-1. Good Uses
Monthly, weekly, or daily trends in sales, traffic, temperature, or other measurements
Tracking results before and after an improvement
Finding the time at which an unusual change occurred
Line chart created with Sakura Chart
5. Bar Chart
A bar chart is ideal for comparing values across categories. It clearly shows which item is larger and by how much.
5-1. Good Uses
Comparing products, departments, regions, or production lines
Showing differences more precisely than a pie chart
Communicating a conclusion quickly in a report or presentation
Bar chart created with Sakura Chart
5-2. Grouped Comparisons
A LEVEL column lets you compare categories across groups such as years, regions, or conditions.
Grouped bar chart created using a LEVEL column
6. Box Plot
A box plot summarizes a distribution, including its spread, skewness, and possible outliers.
It reveals differences that an average alone can hide.
6-1. Good Uses
Comparing variation in measurements across groups
Checking whether unusual values are present
Showing differences in medians and interquartile ranges
Box plot created with Sakura ChartBox plots grouped using a LEVEL column
7. Pie Chart
A pie chart shows each category's share of a whole. It is useful for communicating a broad composition at a glance.
7-1. Good Uses
Showing the composition of sales or costs
Presenting shares of survey responses
Showing how time or resources are allocated
Pie chart created with Sakura Chart
7-2. Keep the Number of Categories Small
Pie charts become hard to read when they contain many slices. Aim for about five or six categories, combine small values into “Other,” and use a bar chart when exact differences matter.
8. Quick Chart-Selection Guide
What you want to show
Recommended chart
Why it works
Relationship or correlation
Scatter plot
Shows the direction, strength, clusters, and outliers
Change over time
Line chart
Makes trends and turning points easy to follow
Differences across categories
Bar chart
Makes rankings and value differences clear
Spread, distribution, or outliers
Box plot
Reveals patterns that averages can conceal
Share or composition
Pie chart
Communicates the overall balance quickly
9. How to Create a Chart with Sakura Chart
Prepare a table in Excel or a spreadsheet and copy the data range.