Chart maker

Budget vs Actual Chart Maker

Compare planned spending with what was actually spent

A budget vs actual chart places planned figures next to what was actually spent or earned, so gaps between the plan and the results stand out. InstaCharts builds it from a sheet with a month column, a Budgeted or Actual label column, and an amount column, using grouped bars, grouped lines, or grouped areas.

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Open the Demo

A live budget vs actual chart example

An interactive budget vs actual chart built and embedded with InstaCharts.

Templates

Budget vs Actual Chart templates

Choose the Templates tab when you create a new sheet in InstaCharts. Each template loads a sample dataset with a finished chart, so you can replace the sample rows with your own numbers.

Budget vs Actual Expenses

Grouped area chart

Budgeted and actual expenses by month, useful for tracking spending against a plan.

MonthExpense TypeAmount
2026-01-01Budgeted85000.00
2026-01-01Actual82500.00
2026-02-01Budgeted85000.00
2026-02-01Actual87200.00
2026-03-01Budgeted88000.00

Your data

What data you need for a budget vs actual chart

Paste your spreadsheet, upload a CSV or Excel file, or connect a Google Sheet, and InstaCharts detects your column types and builds the budget vs actual chart automatically.

X

X-Axis

Months or periods, the timeline of the plan

Y

Y-Axis

Numerical values, the amount planned or spent

B

Breakdown

A label column with the values Budgeted and Actual, each drawn as its own series

Use cases

When to use a budget vs actual chart

Best uses

  • Track monthly spending against an approved budget
  • Spot the months where actual spending rose above the plan
  • Compare forecast and actual revenue for a sales team
  • Add an average or custom value line to mark the monthly budget target

When another chart fits better

  • Breaking one budget into its parts suits a stacked bar chart or pie chart
  • A single series of actual values suits a plain bar chart or line graph
  • Cumulative totals over the year read better as a line graph or waterfall chart

How it works

How to make a budget vs actual chart

  1. Step 1

    Add your budget data

    Use one row for each month and label, with columns for the month, a label such as Budgeted or Actual, and the amount.

    InstaCharts new sheet dialog with options to upload a file, connect a data source, or start a blank sheet

  2. Step 2

    Pick a grouped chart

    Choose a grouped bar chart to compare each month side by side, or a grouped line chart to follow the two series over time.

    InstaCharts chart type menu listing line, grouped line, bar, stacked bar, scatter plot, area, and pie charts

  3. Step 3

    Map your columns

    Set the month as the X-axis, the label as the breakdown, and the amount as the Y-axis.

    InstaCharts chart tab with chart type, X-axis, and Y-axis selectors above an area chart of demo site earnings

  4. Step 4

    Add a target line

    Open the Annotate panel and add a Custom Value trend line to mark a target, or an Average line for the typical month.

    InstaCharts annotate panel with trend line settings for average and custom value lines

  5. Step 5

    Export or embed

    Download as PNG or SVG, share a link, or embed a live chart in a finance report or dashboard.

    InstaCharts share dialog showing an embed URL and embed tag for adding a chart to a webpage

FAQ

Budget vs Actual Chart maker FAQ

Answers to common questions about making a budget vs actual chart with InstaCharts.

What is a budget vs actual chart?

A budget vs actual chart compares planned amounts with the amounts that really occurred, usually by month or quarter. Placing the two series side by side shows where spending or revenue landed above or below the plan.

What is the best chart for budget vs actual data?

A grouped bar chart works well for a small number of periods because each month shows a budget bar next to an actual bar. A grouped line chart suits longer time series where the trend matters.

How do I make a budget vs actual chart?

Arrange the data with a month column, a label column with Budgeted and Actual values, and an amount column. Choose a grouped chart type and InstaCharts plots the two series together. The Budget vs Actual Expenses template shows the layout.

Can I use an area chart for budget vs actual data?

Yes. Choose a grouped area chart and set it to No Stack in the area options, so each series draws from zero instead of stacking on top of the other. The Budget vs Actual Expenses template is built as a grouped area chart.

How do I add a budget target line to the chart?

Open the Annotate panel, click Add Trend Line, and choose Custom Value. Enter the target amount and a label, and the line draws across the chart.

Is the budget vs actual chart maker free?

Yes. The free plan lets you create and export budget vs actual charts with up to 500 rows per sheet, and charts include a small watermark. Paid plans starting at $10 per user per month remove the watermark.

Want the full reference?

Read the budget vs actual chart documentation.

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