Free Waterfall Chart Maker

How to make a waterfall chart

1. Enter each step in order. Give the first row the type start and its opening value.
2. Enter increases as positive amounts and decreases as negative amounts, leaving Type blank.
3. Add a row with type subtotal or total wherever you want a bar showing the running total. You can leave its amount blank.
4. Choose colors for increases, decreases and totals, and toggle connector lines and labels.
5. Download your chart.

Data format

Up to 100 rows. Type “start” for an opening balance, leave Type blank (or “change”) for increases and decreases, and “total” or “subtotal” for a bar showing the running total so far. Amounts on total rows are optional — if you enter one, it is checked against the calculated total.

Customization options

• Increase, decrease and total colors.
• Connector lines linking each step to the next.
• Signed value labels (+340, −210) and bold totals.
• Number prefixes and suffixes such as $ and K.
• Automatic checks: if you type a total that doesn’t match the calculated running total, the tool warns you.

Downloading and exporting

• PNG: best for slides, documents and the web. It supports transparent backgrounds, and you can choose standard, 2×, 4× or slide-sized (1920 × 1080) output.
• JPEG: a smaller file with a solid background.
• SVG: a true vector file. It stays sharp at any size and can be edited in Illustrator, Inkscape or Figma.
• PDF: vector PDF sized to the chart, A4 or US Letter. If your labels use characters outside the standard PDF fonts (for example Chinese, Arabic or emoji), the PDF uses a high-resolution image instead and tells you.
• CSV and .json: your data, or the whole chart with its settings, to re-open later.

When to use a waterfall chart

• Financial bridges: opening to closing cash, budget to actual, last year’s to this year’s profit.
• Explaining contributions to a change: why did headcount go from 120 to 135?
• Inventory movements: opening stock, receipts, sales, write-offs, closing stock.

When to choose a different chart

• There is no meaningful start and end. Use a bar graph for independent values.
• The changes happen over continuous time. A line graph of the running total may be clearer.
• You need to rank causes. A Pareto chart sorts them.

Common mistakes to avoid

Forgetting the sign

Costs must be entered as negative numbers, for example −210. A positive cost is drawn as an increase.

Typed totals that don’t add up

The tool always draws the calculated running total and warns you if your typed total differs, which catches spreadsheet errors.

Too many small steps

More than about 12 steps makes the chart hard to follow. Group minor items into “Other”.

Practical examples

Cash-flow bridge

Opening cash $120K, plus sales and services, minus salaries, rent and marketing, a gross position subtotal, minus taxes, and closing cash.

Price walk

List price → discount → promotions → freight → net price.

Headcount change

Start of year → hires → resignations → transfers → end of year.

How the steps are calculated

The tool keeps a running total. A start row sets it to the amount you enter. A change row (Type blank or change) draws a floating bar from the current total to the total plus the amount. A total or subtotal row draws a full bar from zero to the current running total. If the running total becomes negative, bars extend below the zero line.

Frequently asked questions

Your data stays private

Charts are drawn by your browser. Your data isn’t uploaded to our servers; it is kept only in this browser’s storage, for autosave and saved charts, until you clear it. See our privacy policy.