Chart Types Overview

What You'll Learn

• Different chart types in Power BI
• When to use each chart
• How to choose the right visual

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Power BI Chart Types

Power BI offers many chart types. Here's when to use each:

Bar & Column Charts

• Best for: Comparing categories
• Bar (horizontal): Long category names
• Column (vertical): Time-based data
• Examples: Sales by product, Revenue by region

Line Charts

• Best for: Trends over time
• Examples: Monthly sales, Growth trends

Pie & Donut Charts

• Best for: Parts of a whole (percentages)
• Rule: Use only 3-5 slices
• Examples: Market share, Budget split

Cards & KPIs

• Best for: Big important numbers
• Examples: Total Revenue, Customer Count

Tables & Matrices

• Best for: Exact numbers, detailed data
• Examples: Transaction lists, Reports

Scatter Charts

• Best for: Finding relationships between measures
• Examples: Price vs Sales, Profit vs Revenue

Maps

• Best for: Geographic data
• Examples: Sales by country, Store locations

Gauge Charts

• Best for: Progress toward a goal
• Examples: Sales target, Performance score

Treemap

• Best for: Hierarchical data
• Examples: Product categories, File sizes

Waterfall Charts

• Best for: Step-by-step changes
• Examples: Profit breakdown, Budget changes

Funnel Charts

• Best for: Process stages
• Examples: Sales pipeline, Conversion funnel

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Quick Reference: Which Chart to Use?

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Best Practices

Do:

• Keep it simple
• Use consistent colors
• Start bar charts at zero
• Limit to 5-7 visuals per page

Don't:

• Use 3D effects
• Use pie for many categories
• Clutter with too many colors

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Try This

Create a simple dashboard:

1. Card → Total Sales
2. Bar Chart → Sales by Product
3. Line Chart → Monthly Trend
4. Pie Chart → Sales by Region

Tip: When unsure, use a bar chart. It works for almost everything!