Chart maker

Waterfall Chart Maker

Show how a value builds up step by step

A waterfall chart is a bar chart variant where each bar starts where the previous one ended, so you can see how a starting value grows and shrinks through a series of positive and negative steps to a final total. InstaCharts builds one from your spreadsheet, ideal for profit-and-loss and budget reconciliations.

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Open the Demo

A live waterfall chart example

An interactive waterfall chart built and embedded with InstaCharts.

Your data

What data you need for a waterfall chart

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

X

X-Axis

Categorical steps in order, such as line items or stages

Y

Y-Axis

Numerical values, the positive or negative contribution of each step

Use cases

When to use a waterfall chart

Best uses

  • Show a running cumulative total across a sequence of steps
  • Break down a profit-and-loss statement from revenue to net
  • Reconcile a budget from its starting to its ending value
  • Explain what drove the change between two totals

When another chart fits better

  • Unordered categories belong in a standard bar chart
  • Part-to-whole at a single point in time suits a pie or stacked bar chart
  • Continuous trends read better as a line graph

How it works

How to make a waterfall chart

  1. Step 1

    Add your data

    Paste a spreadsheet, or upload a CSV, Excel, TSV, or JSON file.

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

  2. Step 2

    Pick the waterfall chart

    InstaCharts auto-suggests a chart; switch to this type in one click.

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

  3. Step 3

    Map your columns

    Choose which columns drive each axis, or accept the smart defaults.

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

  4. Step 4

    Customize styling

    Adjust colors, labels, and titles to match your brand or report.

    InstaCharts colors panel with a color scheme picker beside a grouped bar chart

  5. Step 5

    Export or embed

    Download as PNG, SVG, or PDF, share a link, or embed a live, auto-updating chart.

    InstaCharts export dialog with PNG, SVG, JPG, WebP, PDF, and PowerPoint image formats

FAQ

Waterfall Chart maker FAQ

Answers to common questions about making a waterfall chart with InstaCharts.

Is the waterfall chart maker free?

Yes. Creating and exporting a waterfall chart is free with no account. The free tier supports up to 500 rows and adds a watermark; paid plans from $10 user/mo remove it.

What is a waterfall chart used for?

Waterfall charts explain how an initial value reaches a final value through a series of positive and negative steps. They are most common for profit-and-loss breakdowns, budget reconciliations, and showing what drove the change between two numbers.

What data do I need for a waterfall chart?

A column of ordered step labels for the X-axis and a numeric column of contributions, where increases are positive and decreases are negative. InstaCharts plots each step from where the last one ended.

Can a waterfall chart show negative values?

Yes. Unlike pie, stacked bar, and area charts, a waterfall chart is designed for mixed positive and negative steps, which is exactly what makes it suited to gains-and-losses analysis.

Want the full reference?

Read the waterfall chart documentation.

Explore

Related chart makers

Compare related chart types, or browse every InstaCharts chart maker below.

Bar Chart Maker

Compare values across categories online

Stacked Bar Chart Maker

Show totals and composition in one chart

Line Graph Maker

Plot trends over time online

All InstaCharts chart makers

See every option on the chart maker page.

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