How to Create Comparison Bar Chart in Excel & Google Sheets?

Whether you are a business person or someone in the corporate world, charts are one of the best tools that would help you create compelling visuals. And the process is quite straightforward – highlight the data points in an Excel spreadsheet and feed them into an online charting tool.

The system is a reliable way of creating various chart types where data is displayed graphically. This way, the audience gains a better understanding of the data represented. Speaking of various chart types, the comparison bar chart comes into play. In this guide, you will see lots of comparison chart examples, and take a peek into how comparison bar charts are created.

Before diving into that, here are some things you need to know about data visualization.

Whether you are preparing for a corporate presentation or a regular management meeting, data visualization will help you deliver your message in an easy-to-understand format.

With good data visuals, you can easily spot patterns and trends in your charts or graphs – and these patterns (or trends) can be spotted by merely taking a glance at the visual. It eliminates the stress of going through a bulk of raw data and trying to make sense of it.

In this guide, you will discover a kind of chart known as the comparison bar chart, and also see lots of comparison chart examples.

In this blog you will learn:

• What is a Comparison Bar Chart?
• Video Tutorial: How to Create Comparison Bar Chart in Google Sheets
• How to Create Comparison Bar Chart in Excel
• How to Create Comparison Bar Chart in Google Sheets
• Comparison Bar Chart Examples:

What is a Comparison Bar Chart?

Definition: A comparison bar chart uses a bar to represent sections of the same category, and these bars are placed adjacent to each other. It’s a great way of comparing the data visually. Bar graphs are reliable ways of comparing items between various groups. It also helps you to track the changes in these items over a period. The thing is, you would get the most out of bar graphs if the changes in the items over time are large.

If you’ve been in the data analytic industry for some time, you would realize that Excel is arguably the best tool for the creation and handling of data visualization – and it’s a great tool for people who would be comparing bundles of data. The thing is, Excel has some limitations, and sometimes you have to seek alternatives to create  visualizations.

To eliminate the limitations that come with using the Excel tool, you’ve got to opt for an Excel add-in that offers thorough insights – ChartExpo.

Video Tutorial: How to Create Comparison Bar Chart in Google Sheets?

How to Create Comparison Bar Chart in Excel?

First, you’ve got to install the Excel add-in, then navigate to the insert button and click on the My App icon.

Select ChartExpo add-in and click the Insert button.

Let’s say you want to draw a comparison bar chart for the stationary store sales order of the last four quarters, you would have to get your data similar to the one below.

You can put your data in Excel sheet and then select the ChartExpo library from the add-in installed in your tool in My Apps section. If you haven’t installed it yet, you can install ChartExpo add-in from here.

Once ChartExpo is loaded, you will see a list of charts.

You can see in the above image that there are many categories available.  Let’s find our chart in Comparison Analysis Chart category.

Under this category you will find “Comparison Bar Chart”.

After that you select your sheet data and click on “Create Chart From Selections” as shown above image.

So after clicking on Create Chart From Selection you see comparison bar chart on your screen but after that if you want to edit some properties like heading then you can click on “Edit Chart”, add heading on top of the chart as shown below:

After adding heading you click on Apply Button and then click on Save Changes.

After that you will see heading on top of the chart as shown below:

So the final comparison bar chart look will be as shown below:

How to Create Comparison Bar Chart in Google Sheets?

Let’s say you want to draw a comparison bar chart for stationary store sales for the last four quarters using ChartExpo in Google Sheets, you’ve got to get some data similar to the ones below.

Using ChartExpo to Create Comparison Bar Chart in Google Sheets. First, you’ve got to install ChartExpo in Google Sheets. After installing the add-on, click on the Extensions icon to see the various options in the drop-down menu. Next, choose Charts, Graphs & Visualizations by ChartExpo and click on the Open icon.

After clicking on the Add New Chart icon.

You would see a list of visual chart libraries as shown below.

Choose Comparison Bar Chart as shown below.

In the new box, choose your preferred sheet, and provide the information on the data metrics and dimensions after providing the details for the requirement above, click on the Create Chart button as shown below. After clicking on the Create Chart button, you would see a comparison bar chart similar to the one displayed below.

If you want to edit something in chart like heading, you can click on Edit chart button and then add it and click on save button as shown below. Finally, you’ve successfully created a comparison bar chart using ChartExpo – and the end product should be similar to the one displayed below.

You would see that the chart above clearly showcases the data analysis of sales orders for four quarters. By now, you would agree that the various comparison bar chart examples as shown in this guide clearly show how comparison bar charts are. Furthermore, you’ve discovered how to create comparison bar charts using ChartExpo in Excel and Google Sheets.
Any questions? Well, here are some frequently asked questions about comparison bar charts, and how to create one using ChartExpo in Google Sheets and Excel.

Comparison Bar Chart Examples:

ChartExpo not only helps you draw compelling bar graphs, but it also helps users dive into their search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns. This way, you get to quickly connect the dots and fill in the gaps in your data story.

There are lots of comparison bar charts found in the ChartExpo tool. As an analyst, you would probably find the comparison chart for sentiment and non-sentiment most useful. For now, let’s have an in-depth look at what the comparison bar chart has to offer.

The comparison bar chart is similar to the comparison sentiment chart. But it does not show ratings or sentiments – it compares services, products, or campaigns, and also displays real-time differences between the items.

There is also a way of using links to show the relationships between the item’s performances over time. For instance, if you want to compare the quarterly stationary products of data in a stationary store, here is what to do.

First, compute the data of the stationary products you want to compare as shown below.

Above data when visualize with ChartExpo library with comparison bar chart, it will appear as below:

From the chart above, you would see that to get the most out of a comparison bar chart, you’d have to compare stationary data. This way, you would gain more insights and probably make better business decisions moving forward.

Secondly, here is how to analyze the data of your stationary product sales for the last three quarters using a comparison bar chart.

Above data when visualize with ChartExpo library with comparison bar chart, it will appear as below:

Analyzing a bundle of data is no easy task, especially if you desire to gain meaningful insights from it. To gain meaningful insight from any bundle of data, you would need an efficient method like the comparison bar chart. With a comparison bar chart, you can easily analyze data like the one above without losing sweat.

From the various comparison bar charts above, you would see that the best way of effectively handling bundles of data is by using a comparison bar chart.

The term ChartExpo has been used in this guide. The big question is – what is ChartExpo? Well, here is what you need to know.

What is ChartExpo?

ChartExpo is a data visualization add-in that can be installed in Excel. It’s one of the best ways of transforming your Excel into an excellent data visualization tool. With the ChartExpo add-in, you can easily perform lots of visualization operations and reporting.

That’s not all…

There is an option of sharing your work with your colleagues and clients. But why should you use ChartExpo? Well, here are some money-saving benefits of using ChartExpo.

Money-Saving Benefits of Using ChartExpo:

• The built-in library of 50+ custom charts can help you save time and money.
• ChartExpo add-in comes with a 7-day free trial. That is, if you are not satisfied with the tool within the first seven days, you can easily opt-out
• The tool is just $10 per month after the trial period. You see, it’s quite cheaper than a cup of coffee
• ChartExpo is a cloud-based tool. That adds to its flexibility and lightness. You are 100% guaranteed that it won’t slow down your Excel or Google Sheets.
• There is an option for you to export your charts in PNG and JPEG formats. These formats are widely used across the globe for image sharing.

FAQs:

Why is it important to visualize data?

Data visualization uses graphs or maps to offer visual contexts of an idea. It offers clear meaning to the information displayed. This way, the data becomes more natural, and your audience gets to understand it better. What’s more, visualization shows patterns, trends, and outliers in a given data set.

Why charts and graphs are useful?

Graphs and charts distill a large amount of data into digestible visual. It communicates vital points to the audience. Simply put, pie charts, bar graphs, and line graphs are reliable ways of showcasing categorical data. If you want to measure continuous data, then you’ve got to opt for a continuum (like a test or weight scores) or scale.

Wrap Up:

To succeed in business, you’ve got to make better decisions – and making better decisions is a function of the information at your disposal. To get quality information, you’ve got to perform good surveys and translate the raw data into digestible information – and that’s where data visualization comes into play.

Data visualization helps your mind’s eyes to capture and retain valuable information about your business. It’s also a reliable way of effectively communicating your message to your target audience. Speaking of data visualization, one of the ways of visualizing your data is through comparison bar charts.

With comparison bar charts, you can easily compare two or more items without losing sweat. Also, business persons can boost their conversion rate by using comparison bar charts to compare their best-selling products or recommended products.

What’s more, you can use ChartExpo to create comparison bar charts in Excel or Google Sheets. Now you understand what comparison bar charts are, and have seen numerous comparison bar chart examples, which products will you be comparing using the tool?