Free Doughnut Chart Maker — Create Doughnut Charts From CSV Data

A doughnut chart is a pie chart with the center cut out. That hollow center is more than cosmetic — it makes the chart easier to read by reducing the visual weight of each slice and giving you space to add a label or total in the middle.

Create a doughnut chart from a CSV file free in your browser. Upload, pick your label and value columns, select Doughnut as the chart type, download PNG.

Doughnut Chart vs Pie Chart — Which to Use?

Both charts show parts of a whole — each segment represents a category and its size reflects its proportion of the total. The structural difference is the hollow center of the doughnut chart.

When doughnut charts work better than pie charts:

• More than 4-5 categories — the hollow center reduces visual clutter from too many slices meeting at a point
• When you want to show the total in the center — presentations often place the total value or percentage in the doughnut's hole
• Dashboard and report contexts where charts are small — doughnuts read more clearly at small sizes because the segments have more defined edges
• When the chart will be displayed alongside other charts — the cleaner design integrates better in multi-chart layouts

When pie charts work better:

• Fewer than 4 categories with very different proportions — a classic pie with 2-3 large segments is immediately readable
• Simple "majority vs minority" comparisons — one slice is clearly dominant

For most modern data visualization contexts, doughnut charts are the better default choice for proportion data.

How to Make a Doughnut Chart From CSV Data

The process is the same as any chart type in the tool:

1. Format your CSV. You need at least two columns: one for category labels and one for values. Example: Category, Count. Or: Region, Revenue. Or: Product, Units Sold.
2. Upload or paste your data. Drag the CSV file onto the tool, or use the Paste Data tab to paste comma-separated content directly.
3. Set X-axis to your label column. This is the column with your category names — "Q1", "North", "Mobile", etc.
4. Set Y-axis to your value column. This is the numeric column — counts, revenue, percentages, whatever you are measuring.
5. Select Doughnut from the chart type dropdown. The chart updates instantly.
6. Choose a color palette. Vibrant is a popular choice for doughnut charts — distinct colors help distinguish segments. Pastel works well for lighter, editorial presentations.
7. Download PNG. White background, ready to drop into any document or slide.

Your CSV values do not need to add up to 100% — the chart calculates proportions automatically from the raw values you provide.

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CSV Data Format for Doughnut Charts

Doughnut charts work with simple two-column data. Here is what that looks like:

Category,Sales
North,42000
South,28000
East,35000
West,19000

The tool reads the first row as headers and uses them for labels. Each subsequent row becomes one segment of the doughnut.

Things to avoid:

• Too many segments. Doughnut charts break down visually with more than 7-8 slices. If you have more categories, group small ones into an "Other" category.
• Very small slices. Segments under about 3% of the total are too small to label or distinguish. Combine minor categories.
• Zero values. A zero-value category produces an invisible segment. Either remove it or keep it if you want to show that the category exists but has no data.

If you have more data per category (multiple metrics per region, for example), doughnut charts are not the right fit — use a bar chart to compare multiple values per category.

Reading and Presenting Doughnut Charts

Doughnut charts are proportional — the size of each arc represents that category's share of the total. The largest segment is the biggest category, the smallest arc is the smallest.

In presentations, doughnut charts work well as summary visuals. A common pattern: the chart shows the breakdown at a glance, and the surrounding slide text or bullet points explain the "so what." The chart does not need to tell the whole story — it establishes the proportional picture so you can focus your words on the insight.

For digital reports and dashboards, doughnut charts are often paired with a number in the center (the total, or the dominant percentage). You can add this detail in your slide editor or design tool after exporting the PNG — add a text box over the center of the chart with the key number.

Color choice matters for clarity. If one segment is your main story — the category you want to draw attention to — use a saturated, prominent color for that slice and more muted tones for the rest. The Vibrant and Warm palettes in the tool both provide color contrast that makes individual segments distinguishable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a donut chart the same as a doughnut chart?

Yes. "Donut chart" and "doughnut chart" refer to the same visualization — a pie chart with a hollow center. The spelling varies by region and tool (American English tends to use "donut," British English uses "doughnut") but they are identical chart types.

Can I make a doughnut chart with percentages in my CSV?

Yes, but strip the % symbol first. Use plain numbers: 42, 28, 35 instead of 42%, 28%, 35%. The chart calculates proportions from the raw values automatically — you do not need to pre-calculate percentages, and if you do use percentages, make sure they add up to 100 or the proportions will be off.

How many segments can a doughnut chart have before it becomes unreadable?

Roughly 6-8 segments is the practical maximum. Beyond that, arcs become too thin to distinguish by color or label. If you have more categories, group the smaller ones into an "Other" category and note the breakdown in a table below the chart.

Can I add a label in the center of the doughnut chart?

The browser tool exports a clean PNG without center labels. If you need a number or percentage in the center, add it as a text overlay in Google Slides, PowerPoint, Canva, or any image editor after inserting the PNG. This gives you full control over the font, size, and positioning.