ChartBeauty / Pie chart maker
Pie chart maker
Type your categories, and the percentages, slice angles and legend work themselves out. Download it sized for a post, a story or a slide.
Quick answer: Enter each category and its number. The maker divides each value by the total and prints the percentage on every slice. Pick “Percentage + value” in Slice labels to show both. Then download a PNG or SVG.
Alt text for accessibility
Pie chart titled “Where my week of content time goes”. Filming 9 h (27%), Editing 12 h (36%), Writing captions 4 h (12%), Replying to DMs 5 h (15%), Planning 3 h (9%).
Start from a template
How to make it
- Replace the sample rows with your own categories and numbers, or paste two columns from Google Sheets or Excel.
- Write a title that states the takeaway (“Editing eats 36% of my week”), not just the topic.
- Pick an export size and a palette; turn on “Sort largest first” so slices read clockwise from 12 o’clock.
- Download the PNG, or copy the image straight into your post, and paste the alt text into the accessibility field.
When it works, and when it doesn’t
Use it for
- Parts of one whole that add up to 100%: a budget, a time split, audience sources.
- Two to five categories where one or two clearly dominate.
- A single snapshot, not a change over time.
Pick something else for
- More than about six slices: group the small ones into “Other” or use a bar graph.
- Values that are close together (23% vs 26%): angles are hard to compare, so bars read better.
- Numbers that do not add up to a meaningful whole, such as survey questions with multiple answers.
How a slice gets its angle
Every slice is its share of the whole circle. Pick a slice and drag its value: the other slices shrink, because the total grows.
45 ÷ 100 × 360° = 162°
That is 45.0% of the pie. A quarter of the circle (90°) is always 25%, which is why readers judge pies best around quarters and halves.
Design tips
Start at 12 o’clock, largest first
Readers scan clockwise from the top. Ordering slices from biggest to smallest makes the ranking obvious without anyone reading the legend.
Label with percentages on the slice
On a phone nobody cross-references a legend. ChartBeauty prints the share on every slice of 6% or more and lists exact values underneath.
Consider a donut instead
A donut is a pie with the middle cut out, which gives you a spot for the headline number. See the donut chart maker if you want that.
Questions
How do I calculate the percentages for a pie chart?
Divide each value by the total of all values and multiply by 100. The maker does this for you, so you can enter raw numbers such as hours, dollars or votes and the percentages appear on the slices.
How many degrees is each slice?
Each slice is its share of 360 degrees: value ÷ total × 360. A 25% slice is 90 degrees, a quarter of the circle. The interactive explainer on this page shows the calculation live.
Can I make a pie chart from Excel or Google Sheets data?
Yes. Select two columns (label and value) in your sheet, copy, then use “Paste from sheet” in the studio. Tabs, commas and semicolons are all understood.
Is the pie chart maker free, and is there a watermark?
It is free with no sign-up and no watermark. Add your own @handle in the footer if you want credit when the image is shared.
How do I show both percentages and values on a pie chart?
Set “Slice labels” to “Percentage + value” in the Style panel. Large slices then show the share and the raw number; the legend below always lists exact values.
What size should a pie chart be for Instagram?
Use 1080×1350 (4:5 portrait) for feed posts and carousels because it takes up the most screen space, or 1080×1920 for stories and Reels covers. Both are one click in the export size menu.