Waterfall charts, also called bridge charts

The waterfall chart maker that does the arithmetic.

List the steps, mark the subtotals and the total, and Szum calculates every running balance. Download a PNG or SVG for your slides, or publish it as a live chart.

Make a waterfall chartSee examples

Same data. Pick a theme.

Start from a real waterfall.

Income statements, cash flows, and population change, each from a published source. Open one in the editor, then paste your own numbers over it.

Looking for another chart type? Browse all chart examples.

A waterfall is a sum with a story.

Use one when the order of the changes is the point. If the steps don’t add up to the last bar, it’s a bar chart in disguise.

Good fit.

  • Profit and loss, from revenue to net income
  • Cash, from the opening to the closing balance
  • Budget against actual, one variance at a time
  • Headcount or population, from one date to the next

Wrong chart.

  • Parts of one whole with no running balance: use a bar chart
  • A trend across many periods: use a line chart
  • Changes that don’t share one balance: use bars with signed values, like the national park visits

Three columns. Szum does the rest.

Each row is one step, in order. Say what kind of step it is and leave the calculated rows empty. Paste it into the web editor as it is.

step,kind,amount
Opening,start,100
Receipts,change,40
Costs,change,-25
Before tax,subtotal,
Tax,change,-15
Closing,total,

Comma-, tab-, and semicolon-separated data all work.

start

The opening balance. Optional, and only ever first.

change

A signed amount. Positive adds, negative subtracts.

subtotal

The balance so far. Leave its amount empty.

total

The closing balance. Exactly one, last, amount empty.

The arithmetic can’t drift.

Subtotals and totals are calculated from the steps above them, so a chart can never disagree with its own numbers. Szum stops these mistakes before anything is drawn.

Typing the closing total by hand.

Subtotal and total steps require an explicit null amount; Szum calculates their balance.

waterfall_computed_amount_present

Leaving out the total.

A waterfall must end with a total step.

waterfall_total_missing

Putting a subtotal before anything changed.

A subtotal must follow a change step.

waterfall_subtotal_misplaced

Naming two steps the same.

Waterfall step categories must be unique.

waterfall_category_duplicate

The details are already decided.

Every waterfall gets the treatment a graphics desk would give it, in any theme.

Running balances

Reorder a row and every balance after it is recalculated. A subtotal reports the balance so far; it never resets the count.

Focus on the changes

When small changes sit on a large balance, totals become labeled points so the changes stay readable. See US population change.

Labels and connectors

Signed value labels and the lines between steps are on by default. Turn either off when the chart is small.

Colors that mean something

Each theme has its own increase, decrease, and total colors, so a decrease never passes for a gain.

Below zero

A balance may open below zero or cross it. Each bar takes its color from the sign of its change, not the balance.

Six themes

Switch the look without touching the data. Browse the themes.

From the editor to the slide.

Make the chart once, then put it where the audience is.

PowerPoint, Keynote, and Slides.

Download a PNG or SVG and place it on the slide. It’s an image, not an editable PowerPoint chart: change the numbers in Szum and export again.

Figma.

Insert the same waterfall as named, editable layers with the Figma plugin.

Apps and agents.

Render it from JSON with the Image API, ask for one in ChatGPT or Claude through the MCP server, or embed it as an interactive chart.

Waterfall chart questions.

The short answers, before you paste anything.

What is a waterfall chart?
It shows how a starting value becomes an ending value through a series of increases and decreases. Each bar starts where the previous one ended, and totals are drawn from zero.
Is a bridge chart the same as a waterfall chart?
Yes. Finance teams often call it a bridge chart because it bridges two balances, such as last year’s profit and this year’s. Szum makes both as a waterfall chart.
Is the waterfall chart maker free?
Yes. Paste your data and download a PNG or SVG without an account. Without one, downloads are limited to 100 a month per IP address and carry a small Szum credit. A free account adds chart links and interactive embeds. See pricing.
How do I add a subtotal?
Add a row with the kind subtotal where you want the running balance shown, and leave its amount empty. A subtotal reports the balance so far; it doesn’t reset the count.
Can I edit the chart in PowerPoint?
Not as a native PowerPoint chart. Szum exports PNG and SVG images, so change the numbers in Szum and export again. In Figma, the plugin inserts the chart as editable layers.
Can a waterfall chart show negative values?
Yes. Changes can be negative, the opening balance can be negative, and the balance can cross zero. Each change takes its color from its own sign, not from the balance.
How do I make a waterfall chart with the API?
Send a chart document with type: "waterfall", a category field for the step names, a values field for the amounts, and a stepKind field. Subtotal and total rows carry null amounts. The chart type reference has every property.

Make your waterfall chart.

Open the editor, paste three columns, and download the chart. No signup needed.

Make a waterfall chartSee examples