Histogram vs box plot Two ways to show a spread.
Short answer
Use a histogram to see the full shape of one group: where values pile up and how long the tail is. Use a box plot to compare the spread of several groups side by side in five numbers each.
Updated Nov 2, 2026 · AI sample data
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The histogram shows the overall shape and the slow tail. The box plot gives up the shape to compare the four models' medians and middle halves at a glance.
If you ask
Common mistakes Histogram Too few bins. The peak flattens into a block.
Groups overlaid. Overlapping histograms hide each other; use a box plot or ridgeline.
Box plot A box for a few values. With few values, show the points.
Two peaks hidden. A box can't show two peaks; check the histogram first.
Other ways to show it Response length by model Distribution of response length in tokens for 5 models: ATLAS 3 peaks near 540, KITE 2 peaks near 380, ORION peaks near 900, VEGA peaks near 260, NOVA peaks near 620; ATLAS 3, ORION and VEGA have a second, smaller peak. ATLAS 3 KITE 2 ORION VEGA NOVA 0 500 1K 2K TOKENS Response length by model Distribution of response length in tokens for 5 models: ATLAS 3 peaks near 540, KITE 2 peaks near 380, ORION peaks near 900, VEGA peaks near 260, NOVA peaks near 620; ATLAS 3, ORION and VEGA have a second, smaller peak. Atlas 3 Kite 2 Orion Vega Nova 0 500 1k 2k tokens Response length by model Model Peak (tokens) Spread (tokens) Weight ATLAS 3 540 180 1 ATLAS 3 1250 220 0.35 KITE 2 380 140 1 ORION 900 300 1 ORION 1600 200 0.4 VEGA 260 90 1 VEGA 700 160 0.25 NOVA 620 240 1
Response length by model Distribution of response length in tokens for 5 models: ATLAS 3 peaks near 540, KITE 2 peaks near 380, ORION peaks near 900, VEGA peaks near 260, NOVA peaks near 620; ATLAS 3, ORION and VEGA have a second, smaller peak. ATLAS 3 KITE 2 ORION VEGA NOVA 0 500 1K 1.5K Response length by model Distribution of response length in tokens for 5 models: ATLAS 3 peaks near 540, KITE 2 peaks near 380, ORION peaks near 900, VEGA peaks near 260, NOVA peaks near 620; ATLAS 3, ORION and VEGA have a second, smaller peak. Atlas 3 Kite 2 Orion Vega Nova 0 500 1k 2k tokens Response length by model Model Peak (tokens) Spread (tokens) Weight ATLAS 3 540 180 1 ATLAS 3 1250 220 0.35 KITE 2 380 140 1 ORION 900 300 1 ORION 1600 200 0.4 VEGA 260 90 1 VEGA 700 160 0.25 NOVA 620 240 1
Payout time by rail Payout time in days for 6 rails over the last 30 days: Instant card pays out in 0.1 to 0.4 days, Cheque in 4.0 to 7.5 days. 0 2 D 4 D 6 D 8 D Instant card 0.1 0.4 SEPA 0.8 1.6 ACH 1.2 2.6 Wire 0.5 1.4 Cross-border 2.2 4.8 Cheque 4.0 7.5 Payout time by rail Payout time in days for 6 rails over the last 30 days: Instant card pays out in 0.1 to 0.4 days, Cheque in 4.0 to 7.5 days. 0 2d 4d 6d 8d Instant card 0.1 0.4 SEPA 0.8 1.6 ACH 1.2 2.6 Wire 0.5 1.4 Cross-border 2.2 4.8 Cheque 4.0 7.5 Payout time by rail Rail Fastest (days) Slowest (days) Sample payouts Instant card 0.1 0.4 9 SEPA 0.8 1.6 9 ACH 1.2 2.6 9 Wire 0.5 1.4 9 Cross-border 2.2 4.8 9 Cheque 4.0 7.5 9
Payout time by rail Payout time in days for 6 rails over the last 30 days: Instant card pays out in 0.1 to 0.4 days, Cheque in 4.0 to 7.5 days. 0 2 D 4 D 6 D 8 D Instant card 0.1 0.4 SEPA 0.8 1.6 ACH 1.2 2.6 Wire 0.5 1.4 Cross-border 2.2 4.8 Cheque 4.0 7.5 Payout time by rail Payout time in days for 6 rails over the last 30 days: Instant card pays out in 0.1 to 0.4 days, Cheque in 4.0 to 7.5 days. 0 2d 4d 6d 8d Instant card 0.1 0.4 SEPA 0.8 1.6 ACH 1.2 2.6 Wire 0.5 1.4 Cross-border 2.2 4.8 Cheque 4.0 7.5 Payout time by rail Rail Fastest (days) Slowest (days) Sample payouts Instant card 0.1 0.4 9 SEPA 0.8 1.6 9 ACH 1.2 2.6 9 Wire 0.5 1.4 9 Cross-border 2.2 4.8 9 Cheque 4.0 7.5 9
On-time rate by carrier On-time delivery over 30 days with 95% confidence intervals against the 95% SLA: 2 of 6 carriers are above it (Nordline, Rapida), 1 below (Lumen Post 89.8%), the rest uncertain. 85% 90% SLA 95% 100% Nordline Rapida Parcelo Swift EU Cargo One Lumen Post ABOVE SLA UNCERTAIN BELOW SLA On-time rate by carrier On-time delivery over 30 days with 95% confidence intervals against the 95% SLA: 2 of 6 carriers are above it (Nordline, Rapida), 1 below (Lumen Post 89.8%), the rest uncertain. 85% 90% SLA 95% 100% Nordline Rapida Parcelo Swift EU Cargo One Lumen Post Above SLA Uncertain Below SLA On-time rate by carrier Carrier On-time Low (95%) High (95%) Nordline 97.2% 96.4% 98% Rapida 96.4% 95.7% 97.1% Parcelo 95.8% 94.1% 97.5% Swift EU 94.1% 92.8% 95.4% Cargo One 92.6% 90.2% 95% Lumen Post 89.8% 86.5% 93.1%
On-time rate by carrier On-time delivery over 30 days with 95% confidence intervals against the 95% SLA: 2 of 6 carriers are above it (Nordline, Rapida), 1 below (Lumen Post 89.8%), the rest uncertain. 85% 90% SLA 95% 100% Nordline Rapida Parcelo Swift EU Cargo One Lumen Post ABOVE SLA UNCERTAIN BELOW SLA On-time rate by carrier On-time delivery over 30 days with 95% confidence intervals against the 95% SLA: 2 of 6 carriers are above it (Nordline, Rapida), 1 below (Lumen Post 89.8%), the rest uncertain. 85% 90% SLA 95% 100% Nordline Rapida Parcelo Swift EU Cargo One Lumen Post Above SLA Uncertain Below SLA On-time rate by carrier Carrier On-time Low (95%) High (95%) Nordline 97.2% 96.4% 98% Rapida 96.4% 95.7% 97.1% Parcelo 95.8% 94.1% 97.5% Swift EU 94.1% 92.8% 95.4% Cargo One 92.6% 90.2% 95% Lumen Post 89.8% 86.5% 93.1%
Questions Can a box plot show the mean? It shows the median; add the mean as a mark if you need it.
What counts as an outlier? Usually a value more than 1.5 times the box's height beyond the box.
Do both come in every size? Yes. Histogram and Box plot come in XS, S, M and L, each laid out again for its size, in light and dark.
Do they install the same way? Yes, one command each: npx shadcn add @chartory/histogram and npx shadcn add @chartory/box-plot.