Sunburst Chart
Free Online Sunburst Chart Maker
What is a Sunburst Chart?
A sunburst chart is a radial diagram that displays hierarchical data as concentric rings, where each ring represents a level in the hierarchy and each segment shows a share of its parent. It is ideal for revealing how a whole breaks down across multiple layers — from broad categories to granular subcategories. Use a sunburst chart when your data has two or more levels of nesting and you need to show proportions at every level at once.
Key Features
Multi-level hierarchy
Display nested categories of any depth — root at the center, expanding outward ring by ring.
Proportional arcs
Each segment's arc length reflects its value relative to its parent, making share comparisons instant at every level.
Color by category or depth
Apply consistent colors per top-level category or shade by ring depth to guide readers through the hierarchy.
Flexible labeling
Show names, values, or both on each segment — labels auto-hide on arcs too small to display cleanly.
AI-powered generation
Describe your hierarchy in plain text and the AI builds the nested structure and proportional values for you.
Best For
When to Use
- Your data has two or more levels of parent-child relationships
- You need to show proportion at every level, not just the top level
- You want readers to trace how a total breaks down step by step
- A flat pie chart would hide important subcategory detail
- You have fewer than 40 leaf nodes so outer rings stay legible
Common Mistakes
- !Adding too many leaf nodes, making outer rings too thin to read
- !Nesting more than 4-5 levels, which compresses inner rings into slivers
- !Using colors that repeat across unrelated branches, obscuring category relationships
- !Omitting a root node, which breaks the hierarchical structure
- !Choosing a sunburst when a grouped bar chart would show comparisons more directly
- !Allowing child values that do not sum to the parent value, distorting proportions
Related Tools
Create similar charts with these tools
Free Nested Ring Chart Maker - Sunburst
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Hierarchical Pie Chart Maker - Free Sunburst
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Free Sunburst Diagram Maker — MakeCharts
Create stunning sunburst diagrams instantly. Visualize hierarchical data with nested rings, custom colors, and AI-powered generation. Free, no sign-up needed.