What Graph is best for Comparing Data?

Comparison is one of the significant events in any data analysis project.

You get to discover in-depth insights into patterns and trends by comparing key data points. And this means you won’t be scratching the surface of your data. Instead, you’ll be digging deeper to uncover hidden but actionable insights.

To compare variables in your data set, you need access to a wider variety of comparison-based charts, such as Bar Graphs. Besides, you need a tool that has the best charts to show comparison.

How do I compare data in Excel charts/Google Sheets?

Well, Excel is a very handy tool, especially due to its simplicity. However, the spreadsheet application comes with very basic charts, which need significant amounts of time to edit. Besides, Excel’s library is stocked with limited types of charts you can use to compare two sets of data.

Here’s the kicker.

You don’t have to do away with Excel. It turns out you can transform it into a reliable data visualization tool by downloading and installing a specific add-in.

In this blog, you’ll have:

• What is the Purpose of Comparison Charts?
• The Best Charts to Use to Compare Two Sets of Data
• How Do I Compare Data in Excel Chart/Google Sheets?
• How to Compare Two Sets of Data using ChartExpo for Google Sheets?

What Graph is Best for Comparing Data During Analysis?

Before we answer the question mentioned above, let’s explore the purpose and benefits of Comparison-based charts.

What is the Purpose of Comparison Charts?

In every field and industry, reliable decision-making is one of the main building blocks to success.

Whether you are a high or low-level decision-maker at your company, it’s crucial to have data-backed insights to communicate ideas effectively.

You need a solid visualization strategy to display hidden insights.

This is where the best charts to show comparison come in.

You can use Comparison-based Charts to compare key variables in your data.

For instance, you can use a Comparison Chart to check how key data points stack up against each other.

You can also leverage types of Comparison Charts to compare different products and services before committing to a purchase. In digital marketing, you can compare the performance of various attribution sources for optimization purposes.

The list of practical applications of types of Comparison Charts is incredibly massive.

In the coming section, you’ll learn about the best charts to show comparison.

Also, don’t forget the objective of the blog is to answer the question: what graph is best for comparing data?

The Best Charts to Use to Compare Two Sets of Data

The list of recommended charts you can use to compare two sets of data is quite massive.

• Comparison Bar Chart
• Slope Chart
• Progress Chart
• Tornado Chart
• Pie Chart
• Double Bar Graph
• Sentiment Comparison Chart

However, our main focus will be on Double Bar Graph and Sentiment Comparison Chart. And this is because they’re arguably among the best charts you can leverage in the representation of data.

How Do I Compare Data in Excel Chart/Google Sheets?

Excel lacks a significant chunk of the Comparison Charts. But we’re not recommending you to stop using Excel. We do love using Excel because it supports to have add-in if you need some additional feature by third part, which is not available by default in this tool.

There’s an easy-to-use and amazingly affordable tool that comes as an add-in you can install in your Excel to access the best graph for comparing data.

The tool in question is called ChartExpo. 

So what is ChartExpo?

ChartExpo is a trusted tool that 28,000-plus professionals across the world use to create insightful and easy-to-understand Comparison Charts.

Besides, it comes as an add-in you can easily install in your Excel to get the most from your data.

It gets better. ChartExpo has 50-plus advanced data visualization designs to ensure you never struggle to select the best graph for comparing data.

What graph is best for comparing data? Well, some of the best charts to show comparison you can find in ChartExpo.

To enjoy unlimited access to the best charts to show comparison, follow the steps below:

• You can directly install ChartExpo add-in.
• Open your Excel (2013 with sp1 or newer) desktop application.
• Open the worksheet and click the Insert button to access the My Apps option.
• Click the My Apps button and then click the See All button to view ChartExpo, among other add-ins.

• Select ChartExpo add-in and click the Insert button.

• The add-in will be added to the Excel application, as shown.
• If you will not be logged in, it will prompt you to login for the first time.
• Provide ChartExpo with all the necessary permission for it to function reliably within your Excel.

If it is logged in successfully, you will find a following screen.

What graph is best for comparing data? You will have list of charts available as shown in the image above.

Search your preferred Comparison Chart variant on the Search box:

For instance, to visualize your data using the Bar Graphs, just type “Bar” in the search box all the charts will be filtered with this name.

Let’s use the Double Bar Graph to visualize the tabular data below.

Courses	Class A	Class B
Computer Programming	85	82
Information Science	95	75
Networking	81	79
Operating Systems	65	55
Artificial Intelligence	60	43
Theory, Logic and Design	55	49
Multimedia	59	20
Automata Theory	40	60
Data Logic	69	35

• Copy the data into your Excel to get started with ChartExpo add-in. Select the double bar chart from the chart list.

Once you click on that select the data in Excel and then click on Create Chart From Selection.

• Your Double Bar Graph should resemble the one below.

To give better look to this chart you can click on Edit Chart.

Then find the pencil icon

You can set the min and max height properties and then click on Apply All and Save Changes.

You can also add header on this chart through properties.

You can also change different properties like to show postfix to show % sign in bar text you will have final look as below.

Insights

• Computer Programming is the leading course in Class A with regard to students ‘performance.
• Information Science (95%) is Class A’s favorite course.
• Multimedia (20%) is the worst-performed course in Class B.
• Automata theory (40%) is the worst-performed course in Class A.

How to Compare Two Sets of Data using ChartExpo for Google Sheets?

In this example, we’ll visualize the data below using the Sentiment Comparison Chart.

Let’s dive in.

Year	Questions	Positive	Negative
2019	Quality of food	11	12
2019	Ease of ordering	29	50
2019	Services	20	33
2019	Parking	2	4
2019	Cleanness	55	12
2019	Ease of reading the menu	12	7
2019	wait time to be seated	16	11
2019	Seating space in waiting area	8	8
2019	menu and drink choices	4	3
2019	Attitude of Waiter	3	5
2019	Payment method	12	15
2020	Quality of food	15	12
2020	Ease of ordering	51	1
2020	Services	28	12
2020	Parking	4	2
2020	Cleanness	45	11
2020	Ease of reading the menu	12	8
2020	wait time to be seated	16	18
2020	Seating space in waiting area	13	18
2020	menu and drink choices	4	1
2020	Attitude of Waiter	3	8
2020	Payment method	17	16
2021	Quality of food	18	12
2021	Ease of ordering	59	20
2021	Services	30	10
2021	Parking	2	0
2021	Cleanness	55	7
2021	Ease of reading the menu	18	10
2021	wait time to be seated	22	14
2021	Seating space in waiting area	13	16
2021	menu and drink choices	4	1
2021	Attitude of Waiter	2	4
2021	Payment method	13	14

• To visualize the data (above) using the Comparison Sentiment Charts; export it into your Google Sheets.

• Click the Add-on button>ChartExpo — Best Data Visualization Tool button>Open.

• Click the Create New Chart button to access your fully stocked library of charts.

• Click the Search Box and type Sentiment Comparison Chart.
• Select the sheet holding your data and select the Metrics option. Fill in the numerical numbers (in our scenario, we’ll fill in negative and positive).
• Select the Dimensions button and fill in the dimensional data (in our example, we’ll use year and questions).

What graph is best for Comparing data? Keep reading to discover more.

• Finish the simple process by clicking the Create Chart button.

Insights

• The ease of ordering and cleanness were the main key areas rated positively by the customers between 2016 and 2018.
• In 2016, the ease of reading menu and seating space in waiting areas were rated negatively by the customers.
• Between 2017 and 2018, payment methods and the ease of reading menu were among the issues highly disliked by the customers.

FAQs:

What is a Comparison Chart?

A Comparison Chart is a visualization design you can use to draw comparison insights into two or more key metrics in your data.

You can use a Comparison Chart to check how key data points stack up against each other in a given context.

How can you compare two sets of data?

Freemium data visualization tools, such as Google Sheets and Excel lack ready-made Comparison-based Graphs. To get around this problem, we recommend you to download and install ChartExpo add-in/add-on for Excel and Google Sheets.

ChartExpo does not require you have to have coding or programming skills.

What are the best charts to show comparison?

The best charts you can use to display comparison insights into your data includes:

• Comparison Bar Chart
• Slope Chart
• Progress Chart
• Tornado Chart
• Pie Chart
• Double Bar Graph
• Sentiment Comparison Chart
• Donut Chart
• Matrix Chart
• Stacked Bar Chart
• Dual Axis Grouped Bar Chart

Wrap Up:

Displaying comparison insights from raw data is one of the key steps towards tracking growth in your business or workplace.

What graph is best for comparing data?

Well, we’ve rounded up some of the expert-recommended visualization designs you can leverage to compare two sets of data by giving you answer of this question How do I compare data in Excel Chart/Google Sheets?

We recommend you install third-party apps, such as ChartExpo into your Excel and Google Sheets to access ready-to-use Comparison Charts, such as Double Bar Graph and much more.