Alternative of Pie Chart for Accurate Data Representation

What is the alternative of a pie chart? This question may come to mind as you look at yet another circular graph in a presentation. Pie charts, adored by many, have been a fundamental part of data representation since 1801. Nonetheless, they are not consistently the optimal selection.

Picture yourself examining customer choices for a new product range. You’ve collected data on five different features. However, when you present this data as a pie chart, your colleagues struggle to compare the segments accurately.

This scenario isn’t uncommon. While pie charts can effectively show simple proportions, they often struggle with complex data sets. Many data visualization experts criticize their overuse, sometimes even parodying them.

So, when should you consider an alternative to a pie chart? The answer depends on your data and goals. A pie chart might not cut it if you’re trying to show changes over time or compare multiple data points precisely. For instance, bar charts are more effective for comparing similar values or side-by-side comparisons.

Exploring alternatives to the pie charts can open up new possibilities for presenting your data clearly and engagingly. From treemaps that handle hierarchies to column charts that excel at precise comparisons, many options are available.

Let’s explore when and how to use pie chart alternatives effectively.

Table of Content:

1. What are the Alternatives to a Pie Chart?
2. Why Do We Need Pie Chart Alternatives?
3. Top 5 Best Alternatives to the Pie Chart
4. When Should You Use an Alternative for a Pie Chart?
5. When Should You Not Use an Alternative For Pie Chart?
6. How To Create a Better Alternative to Pie Chart?
7. Benefits of Using Alternatives to a Pie Chart
8. Most Popular Substitute For Pie Chart
9. Alternatives to Pie Chart – FAQs
10. Wrap Up

First…

What are the Alternatives of Pie Chart?

Definition: Pie charts are commonly used to show proportions, but they can become difficult to read when there are many categories or small differences between values. Several alternative chart types offer clearer and more insightful ways to visualize part-to-whole relationships and categorical data. These include:

• Spectrum Chart: Displays a range of values or categories in a linear or gradient format, useful for showing progression, intensity, or sentiment across a scale.
• Sequence Chart: Ideal for illustrating steps, stages, or chronological flows. It is often used to show process flows, timelines, or ordered data more effectively than a circular layout.
• Radial Chart: Plots data points in a circular format, making it suitable for cyclical patterns or periodic data. It’s more structured and precise than pie charts.
• Multi-Axis Spider Chart (Radar Chart): Shows multiple variables on axes starting from the same point, making it effective for comparing profiles or performance across several dimensions.
• Sunburst Chart: Visualizes hierarchical data using concentric circles. Each level of the hierarchy is represented by one ring, allowing for better structure and depth than a basic pie chart.

Video Tutorials:

How to create an Alternative to a Pie Chart in Excel?

How to create an Alternative to a Pie Chart in Google Sheets?

Why Do We Need Pie Chart Alternatives?

Pie chart alternatives are essential because they provide clearer, more accurate ways to visualize data. While pie charts are common, they often confuse more than they clarify. Here’s why alternatives work better:

• Improved Accuracy in Comparison: Bar charts and column charts allow for straightforward side-by-side comparisons of values. Unlike pie charts, which rely on estimating angles, bar charts use lengths, which are much easier to interpret visually.
• Better Handling of Multiple Categories: Charts like stacked bars or dot plots can display many categories without becoming cluttered. Pie charts, in contrast, quickly lose readability when too many slices are added.
• Enhanced Trend Visualization: Line charts and area charts are ideal for showing how data changes over time, something pie charts can’t do. These alternatives offer both clarity and context in temporal data.
• More Space-Efficient and Label-Friendly: Alternatives often offer more room for labels, legends, and additional insights. Pie charts typically cram information into a circle, limiting readability and space.

Top 5 Best Alternatives of Pie Chart

Here are the best alternatives to Pie chart created in Excel using ChartExpo.

Spectrum Chart

Sequence Chart

Radial Chart

Multi-Axis Spider Chart

Sunburst Chart

When Should You Use an Alternative for a Pie Chart?

Pie charts can be handy, but they’re not always the best choice. Here are scenarios where another type of chart might serve you better:

• Too many categories: A pie chart can become cluttered and hard to read if you have more than a few categories. Consider a bar chart or a treemap instead.
• Similar-sized segments: When the segments of your pie chart are similar in size, it can be not easy to distinguish between them. A bar chart can provide clearer comparisons.
• Exact values needed: Pie charts aren’t great for showing precise values. A table or bar chart would be more effective if exact numbers are important.
• Time series data: Pie charts are static and don’t show changes over time. Line charts or bar charts are better for illustrating trends and patterns across periods.
• Data with negative values: Pie charts can’t display negative values. Use a bar chart or line chart to represent datasets with positive and negative numbers.
• Need for ranking and multiple data series: Pie charts aren’t suitable for ranking data or displaying multiple data series. Bar charts are more appropriate for rankings. Consider using grouped bar charts or stacked bar charts for multiple data series.

When Should You Not Use an Alternative For Pie Chart?

While pie chart alternatives offer more precision, there are moments when pie charts are the better choice. Here’s when to use them:

• Simple Part-to-Whole Relationships: Pie charts work best when showing 2–4 categories that add up to 100%. They make it easy to see proportions at a glance.
• Familiarity for General Audiences: Non-technical viewers often find pie charts more intuitive than bar or treemap charts. They quickly convey a sense of distribution.
• Emphasizing One Dominant Segment: When one category makes up a majority (e.g., 70% of sales), a large pie slice immediately highlights it in a visually strong way.
• Design and Visual Appeal: In reports, infographics, or slides, a clean pie chart can be more engaging than a bar chart, especially when the data is minimal.
• Quick Insights, Not Precision: Use pie charts when you want to give a general impression rather than exact comparisons between values.

How To Create a Better Alternative to Pie Chart?

Pie charts: the data world’s equivalent of a one-hit wonder. They’re everywhere, but let’s face it, they’re getting stale.

Data visualization is the rockstar of data analysis. It turns boring numbers into eye-catching stories. But Excel? It’s like using a flip phone in the age of smartphones. Sure, it works, but where’s the allure?

Enter ChartExpo, the cool kid on the block. It’s here to shake things up. Think of it as Excel’s cooler, more talented cousin. ChartExpo doesn’t just visualize data; it makes it dance.

It’s time to say goodbye to pie and hello to “oh-my!”

Ready to give your data a makeover? Install ChartExpo.

Let’s learn how to install ChartExpo in Excel.

1. Open your Excel application.
2. Open the worksheet and click the “Insert” menu.
3. You’ll see the “My Apps” option.
4. In the Office Add-ins window, click “Store” and search for ChartExpo on My Apps Store.
5. Click the “Add” button to install ChartExpo in your Excel.

ChartExpo charts are available both in Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel. Please use the following CTAs to install the tool of your choice and create beautiful visualizations with a few clicks in your favorite tool.

Example

Let’s create an alternative of pie chart from the data below in Excel using ChartExpo.

Tickets	Channel	Status	Assignment	Numbers
Total Tickets	Email	Open		102
Total Tickets	Email	Overdue		57
Total Tickets	Email	Closed		77
		Open	Team 1	50
		Open	Team 2	62
		Overdue	Cancel	37
		Overdue	Conflict	20
Total Tickets	Social Media	Open		65
Total Tickets	Social Media	Overdue		32
Total Tickets	Social Media	Closed		42
		Open	Team 3	65
Total Tickets	Live Chat	Open		55
Total Tickets	Live Chat	Closed		30
		Open	Team 4	55

• To get started with ChartExpo, install ChartExpo in Excel.
• Now, click on My Apps from the INSERT menu.

• Choose ChartExpo from My Apps, then click Insert.

• Once it loads, choose the “Sunburst Chart” from the charts list.

• Click the “Create Chart From Selection” button after selecting the data from the sheet, as shown.

• ChartExpo will generate the visualization below for you.

• If you want to have the chart’s title, click Edit Chart, as shown in the above image.
• Click the pencil icon next to the Chart Header to change the title.
• It will open the properties dialog. Under the Text section, you can add a heading in Line 1 and enable Show.
• Give the appropriate title of your chart and click the Apply button.

• Click the “Save Changes” button to persist the changes.

• Your Sunburst Chart will appear as below.

Insights

Email Tickets:

• 112 open
• 57 overdue
• 77 closed
• Managed by Teams 1 and 2

Social Media Tickets:

• 65 open
• 32 overdue
• 42 closed
• Managed by Team 3

Live Chat Tickets:

• 55 open
• 30 closed
• Managed by Team 4

Benefits of Using Alternatives to a Pie Chart

Pie charts can be handy, but sometimes alternative charts offer clearer insights. Here are the key benefits of using alternatives to pie charts:

• Improved clarity: Alternatives to a pie chart can provide a clearer view, especially when dealing with many categories or similar-sized segments. This helps avoid clutter and makes your data easier to understand.
• Better comparisons: Bar charts, for example, make it easier to compare different categories side by side. This is particularly useful when the small differences between segments must be clearly distinguished.
• Precision: When exact values are important, tables or bar charts offer more precise data presentation. Unlike pie charts, these alternatives can display exact numbers, making them ideal for detailed analysis.
• Handling complexity: Alternative charts can handle more information effectively for complex data sets with many variables. Stacked bar charts, for instance, can display multiple layers of data, providing a more comprehensive view.
• Showing trends over time: Line charts or bar charts excel at illustrating trends and changes over time, which pie charts cannot do. This makes them perfect for time series data and showing how data evolves.
• Accommodating negative values and multiple data series: Pie charts can’t handle negative values, but bar and line charts can. Additionally, alternatives like grouped bar charts or stacked bar charts are more suitable for displaying multiple data series. They effectively show relationships and comparisons between different sets of data.

Most Popular Substitute For Pie Chart

The Sunburst chart is a popular substitute for pie charts, especially when you need to show hierarchical part-to-whole relationships.

• Displays multiple levels of data in a circular layout.
• Maintains the visual appeal of a pie chart but adds depth.
• Great for showing categories and subcategories clearly.
• Ideal for interactive dashboards and drill-down analysis.

Alternatives to Pie Chart – FAQs

What can be used in place of a pie chart?

Bar charts, radial charts, sunburst charts, spectrum charts, sequence charts, and multi-axis spider charts can all be used instead of pie charts for clearer and more detailed data comparisons.

Is the pie chart outdated?

Pie charts are not outdated. They are still useful for simple data comparisons. However, other charts, like bar or line charts, are often better for more complex data. It depends on the context and the data being presented.

How to show percentages other than pie charts?

Use bar charts for clear percentage comparisons. Stacked bar charts can show parts of a whole. Donut charts are similar to pie charts but more modern. Consider using bullet charts for precise percentage targets. Histograms also effectively display percentage distributions.

What chart is better than a pie chart?

Bar charts are often better than pie charts. They provide clear comparisons and exact values. Stacked bar charts show parts of a whole effectively. Line charts are ideal for trends over time. Donut charts offer a modern alternative to pie charts.

Wrap Up

Choosing the right chart for your data is crucial. While pie charts can effectively display simple part-to-whole relationships, alternatives work better in various scenarios.

Pie charts become cluttered and hard to read when you have too many categories. In such cases, bar charts or treemaps provide clearer visuals, allowing you to see each category distinctly.

Pie charts struggle with similar-sized segments, making it difficult to compare segments of nearly the same size. With their side-by-side format, bar charts make these comparisons more straightforward and easier to understand.

If you need precise values, pie charts aren’t ideal. They’re great for showing proportions but fall short in accuracy. Tables or bar charts can display exact numbers, making them better choices when precision is necessary.

Pie charts also fail to represent data over time. Line charts or bar charts are much more effective for time series data. Why? They can clearly show trends and changes.

Lastly, pie charts can’t accommodate negative values or multiple data series. Bar and line charts handle negative values well and can display various data sets comprehensively. This makes them versatile options for complex data.

In summary, while pie charts have their place, consider alternatives for clearer, more accurate data visualization. ChartExpo has all the alternatives you need. Just install ChartExpo in Excel and enjoy its benefits firsthand.