Charts / Questions

The best chart to compare items

Nineteen charts, and when each one fits.

Short answer

To compare amounts, use bars; with long names or many items, horizontal bars. For two values per item, use a dumbbell; for before and after, a slope chart. Against a target, use a bullet chart.

Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Fintech sample data

New deposits by region, Q3 2026
Region	Q3
South	$596K
East	$478K
Midwest	$386K
North	$301K
West	$174K

007 · Horizontal barsOne value per region, sorted: South leads Q3 with $596K.

New deposits by region, Q2 and Q3 2026, $K
Region	Q2	Q3
East	$412K	$478K
Midwest	$398K	$386K
South	$471K	$596K
West	$203K	$174K
North	$255K	$301K

002 · Grouped barsQ2 and Q3 side by side in each region.

Change in new deposits, Q2 to Q3 2026
Region	Q2	Q3	Change
East	$412K	$478K	+$66K
Midwest	$398K	$386K	−$12K
South	$471K	$596K	+$125K
West	$203K	$174K	−$29K
North	$255K	$301K	+$46K

066 · DumbbellThe gap is the story: South grew the most, +$125K.

Same $1,935K

The bars rank Q3, the grouped bars put it next to Q2, and the dumbbell shows the change: deposits rose from $1,739K to $1,935K, but Midwest and West fell.

If you ask

Which item is biggest?
Use a001 · Bars
Which of many items lead, with long names?
Use a007 · Horizontal bars
How do two values per item compare?
Use a066 · Dumbbell
What changed between before and after?
Use a044 · Slope
How far is each from its target?
Use a008 · Bullet
Who leads, period by period?
Use a045 · Bump

All nineteen

TypeUse it whenData shape

001 · BarsOne value per item, side by sideOne value per item or period

002 · Grouped barsA few series, side by side in each periodTwo to four series, one value per period

004 · Diverging barsIn and out, from one zero lineA positive and a negative value per period

007 · Horizontal barsRanked items with room for their namesOne value and a scheduled total per item

008 · BulletEach number against its targetActual, target and ranges per measure

009 · LollipopA slim bar with a marker at the valueOne value per item

021 · GaugeOne reading on a dial, with a limit markedOne value from 0 to 100%, a threshold and a label

023 · RadarTwo profiles across the same axesScores on five to eight shared axes

044 · SlopeBefore and after, one line per itemTwo values per item, at two points

045 · BumpWho leads, week by weekItems with a rank per period

065 · Ring gridOne small ring per site, in a gridA rate and a count per item

066 · DumbbellTwo values per item, and the gap between themTwo values per item

073 · Term cloudThe words people use, sized by countTerms with a weight from 0 to 1 and an optional tone

078 · Battery cellsCharge per unit, like a row of batteriesA charge level and a state per unit

102 · Eval suite barsPass rate per eval suite, against its own targetPassed and total per suite, a target

108 · Case strip dumbbellWhere the new version fixed or broke casesTwo scores per area, case outcomes

114 · Burn-rate tracksBurn rate in four windows, against the paging rulesA burn rate and a rule per window

119 · Traffic vs setReal traffic against the test set, cluster by clusterTwo shares per cluster, an optional gap or under flag

128 · Limit tracksEach plan limit, used so far and forecastUsed, limit and forecast per item

Common mistakes

Bars that don't start at zero

Length carries the value. Start bars at zero, or use dots.

Unsorted bars

Sort by value unless the order means something, such as time.

Two series as two charts

Put them on one chart, grouped or as a dumbbell, so the eye compares directly.

Get all nineteen

Every comparison chart, and the other 113 types.

In Figma and React, in four sizes, light and dark. Pay once, every update.

See the nineteen in Charts

See plans

Questions

Bars or horizontal bars?

Vertical bars for a few items or periods, horizontal bars for long names or many items.

When is a dumbbell better than grouped bars?

When the change between the two values is the point.

How many items can a bar chart hold?

About twelve vertical bars; many more as horizontal bars.

Do these charts come in every size?

Yes. All of them come in XS, S, M and L, each laid out again for its size, in light and dark.

Not sure you are comparing items? Start from what the chart has to show.

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