Choosing the best chart maker shouldn’t require a data science degree. However, most tools today are either too complex or too limited. In this article, I searched for the best chart maker to help you choose the right one.
What is a good chart maker?
Consider that every content creator, every marketer, every newsletter author or any coach needs a chart maker. They don’t want to use professional tools and make further analysis. They all want to upload data, and show the chart, download or export it to another app. So, as the main features of the chart makers, let’s consider:
- Customization & branding: if you or your clients need brand colors/style consistency.
- Ease of use vs flexibility: some tools are super easy (e.g., Canva) but limited for advanced analytics.
- Data import/size limits: tools differ in the size and complexity of data they handle.
- Output Types (Static Image, Interactive, Embed): Choose the output type based on how the charts will be used, whether for a blog post, report, or dashboard.
Based on these criteria, here is a list of easy chart-making tools available in 2026.
Google Looker Studio
Google Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) is a powerhouse among the best free chart maker tools. It offers a completely browser-based platform for creating dynamic, interactive dashboards and reports.
.An important feature of Google Looker Studio is the wide range of integration with the Google ecosystem. This makes it an ideal choice for marketers, analysts, and small teams already using Google Analytics, Google Ads, BigQuery, or Google Sheets.
The drag-and-drop interface is intuitive, allowing users to build professional-looking reports quickly without writing any code.
Explore Google Looker Studio and start building charts.
Grafana
Grafana is a leading open-source observability platform that excels in visualizing time-series data, making it a staple in the DevOps and IT monitoring world.
Grafana is not a traditional business intelligence tool. However, it is one of the best chart maker tools for its powerful, real-time dashboards and extensive data source integrations. The free version comes with:
- All Grafana Cloud services, with limited usage.
- Community support.
- 14 days retention for metrics, logs, traces, profiles, & k6 performance tests.
Grafana is purpose-built for monitoring metrics from servers, applications, and databases, allowing users to create dynamic charts and set up sophisticated alerts when thresholds are breached.
The platform is highly extensible through a rich plugin ecosystem.
Graphy
Graphy is a modern chart-making tool designed for creating clean, visually appealing charts with minimal effort. It runs entirely in the browser and allows users to paste data directly or import it from spreadsheets, then turn it into polished visuals in minutes.
Graphy focuses on simplicity and aesthetics, offering well-designed defaults, color control, and helpful annotations such as highlights and trend markers. This makes it especially suitable for creators, analysts, and teams who want professional-looking charts that are easy to share or embed, without having to deal with complex BI tools or manual styling.
Explore now the Graphy app.
Datawrapper
Datawrapper is a leading choice among the best chart maker tools, particularly favored by journalists and newsrooms for its speed and simplicity. It’s a browser-based application designed for quickly creating and publishing beautiful, responsive charts, maps without needing any coding skills.
The platform’s philosophy is centered on producing clean, clear, and effective visualizations with sensible defaults, making it incredibly fast to go from raw data to a shareable, embeddable graphic.
| Tool | Ease of use | Chart quality & design | Data input flexibility | Export options | Price |
| Google Looker Studio | ⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Free |
| Grafana | ⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | Free tier |
| Graphy | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Free Plan |
| Datawrapper | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Free Core |
The final decision
Datawrapper = best overall chart maker if you value speed, clarity, and publishing-ready visuals
Graphy = best pretty chart maker for non-technical creators
Looker Studio = free BI-lite tool, but not optimized for chart quality
Grafana = powerful, but fails your “ease of use” rule
If ease of use is non-negotiable, tools like Datawrapper and Graphy clearly outperform traditional BI platforms like Looker Studio and Grafana, while still delivering high-quality, shareable charts.
