Charts and graphs are effective tools to convey information in a simple and visual way. They're also a great way to track trends and help explain complex datasets. Following are my top favorite sites for creating a chart or graph.
- Rich Chart Live - An excellent site for created animated flash based charts that can be embedded into a site. Also, a user has the ability to add links to a chart.
- iCharts - A wonderful site/network for creating charts that you can embed into a site. Also, a user can share charts on social networking sites and browse/save other iCharts from the web.
- Chartle - A great site for creating online interactive charts. What makes Chartle so unique and impressive is the ability to create more than your standard graphs such as: venn diagrams, maps, gauges, and more.
- Hohli - A very user-friendly site, similar to Chartle. Users can create a variety of charts, such as pie, scatter plots, and radar, then embed them into a site.
- Lucid Chart - A nice site for creating a variety of different charts and diagrams. Also, it is a very easy site to use with a drag-n-drop interface. Best of all, Lucid Chart has an educational portal which allows chart creation free for education.
- ChartGo - ChartGo is a neat site for creating charts that's very easy to use. All a user has to do is fill out the pre-determined sets of data and select the type of chart they want to create.
- Pretty Graph - A simple site to use to make a wide variety of graphs, such as: line charts, histograms , and more. Also, a user can embed into a site, share with others users via email, or save as template.
- Diagramly - A cool site for creating diagrams, flow charts, and more that is similar to Lucid Chart. Users of Inspiration should feel right at home w/ this online tool as there are plenty of shapes and clip art to choose from.
- Cacoo - A great site for creating online charts and diagrams. A great feature is the ability to collaborate with others in real-time while creating a chart via a chat.
- Lovely Charts - A easy site to use to make very polished charts. While not free, there are three paid versions to choose from, such as: iPad, online, or desktop.
Bonus -
Useful Charts - While not a chart creation tool, this site has some of the best-looking charts for every subject. Also, laminated charts can be ordered for the classroom.
David Kapuler is an educational consultant with more than 10 years of experience working in the K-12 environment. For more information about his work, contact him at dkapuler@gmail.com and read his blog at
cyber-kap.blogspot.com.