Pie Chart
Share of a whole, when there are very few parts. A pie chart divides a circle into wedges whose angles are proportional to each part's share of the total.
| Slice | Value |
|---|---|
| Scale | 46 |
| Growth | 34 |
| Starter | 20 |
What is a pie chart?
A pie chart divides a circle into wedges whose angles are proportional to each part's share of the total.
Why is a pie chart useful?
It has one genuine strength: it makes 'these are parts of one whole' unmistakable, in a way that separate bars do not. That is worth something when the part-of-whole relationship is the actual point.
How RetainCLM uses it
Show what share of revenue each plan tier contributes. With three or four plans the wedges are instantly legible and the 'this sums to all revenue' framing is correct.
The chart above is drawn from illustrative demo data chosen to make the visualization legible. It does not describe real RetainCLM customers. On a live account the same chart is drawn from your own customer, usage, billing and support data.
How to read it
Start the largest wedge at twelve o'clock and go clockwise by size. Label every wedge with its percentage - people read the numbers, not the angles.
Limitations to keep in mind
Angle is one of the least accurately-judged visual channels. Past four or five wedges, or when several are similar in size, a pie stops being able to answer 'which is bigger' and a bar chart should replace it.
Related concepts
A pie chart is most useful alongside revenue retention, customer segmentation, the full visualization library. RetainCLM builds these views on one unified customer record, so a pattern you notice in one visualization can be followed into the next without exporting anything.
Questions about the pie chart
When is a pie chart appropriate?
When you have three or four clearly different parts that genuinely sum to a meaningful whole, and the part-of-whole relationship is the message.
Why do analysts criticise pie charts?
Because people compare angles poorly. Similar-sized wedges are effectively indistinguishable, and comparing wedges across two pies is unreliable.
Related visualizations
See a pie chart built on your customers
Book a demo and we will build this chart, and the rest of the library, against your own retention and revenue data.
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