Zansa › Answers › Integration and BI tools
Which chart type should I use for different business questions?
Use line charts for trends over time, bar charts for comparing categories, tables for exact values, and simple numbers with comparisons for key metrics. Avoid pie charts with many slices and avoid dual axes unless carefully explained, because they make comparison harder.
Quick guide:
- Trend: line chart.
- Ranking or comparison: horizontal bar chart.
- Part of a whole with few categories: stacked bar or a simple pie.
- Relationship between two measures: scatter plot.
- Distribution: histogram.
- Exact figures, such as invoices: table.
- Single KPI: big number with change versus prior period.
Start bar charts at zero, order categories meaningfully, and keep scales consistent between charts that viewers will compare.
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