Pie charts get a bad reputation, mostly from being used for the wrong job. Here's the same data both ways, and a simple rule for choosing.
Both work here. There are only six parts, they add up to a whole, and the message is "search is the biggest share", which the donut makes obvious. Use a pie or donut when:
- the parts add up to a meaningful whole (100%, a budget, a total);
- there are about six parts or fewer;
- the point is roughly how big a share is ("about a third"), not precise comparisons.
When the pie falls apart
With ten slices of similar size, nobody can tell Plum from Kiwi. Eyes judge length far better than angle or area, so the bars win. Bars also handle values that don't add up to a whole, negative numbers, and comparisons across groups, which pies can't do at all.
The rule
Default to a bar chart. Reach for a pie or donut only when you're showing a few parts of one whole and the share is the story. If in doubt, paste your data into the chart finder and compare.