Box Plot Maker
Paste a list of numbers and get a box and whisker plot instantly — with the five-number summary, IQR whiskers, optional outliers, and key statistics. Download the chart as PNG or SVG. Free, no signup, and your data never leaves your browser.
Try an example data set
Renders locally in your browser — your data is never uploaded.
Five-number summary and statistics
Count (n)
40
Minimum
48
Q1 (lower hinge)
66.5
Median
73.5
Q3 (upper hinge)
80.5
Maximum
95
IQR (Q3 − Q1)
14
Mean (x̄)
73.35
Outliers
0
Need the full step-by-step statistics? Mean, Median, Mode Calculator · Standard Deviation Calculator · Variance Calculator
Summary table
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Minimum | 48 |
| Q1 (25th percentile) | 66.5 |
| Median (Q2) | 73.5 |
| Q3 (75th percentile) | 80.5 |
| Maximum | 95 |
| Interquartile range (IQR) | 14 |
| Lower whisker | 48 |
| Upper whisker | 95 |
| Mean | 73.35 |
| Outliers | None |
- 01Make a box and whisker plot online in seconds — paste data, the chart updates live.
- 02Five-number summary (min, Q1, median, Q3, max) with IQR and mean included.
- 03Tukey whiskers at 1.5 × IQR, with optional outlier dots.
- 04Horizontal or vertical layout, custom title, labels, and colors.
- 05Download as PNG or SVG, or share a link that reproduces your chart — free, no signup.
Why Use This Box Plot Maker
Instant Live Chart
The box and whisker plot redraws as you type — no upload step, no waiting. Paste values straight from Excel, Google Sheets, or a CSV column and the five-number summary appears immediately.
Textbook Tukey Method
Quartiles use Tukey hinges (median of each half of the sorted data), and whiskers extend to the furthest points within 1.5 × IQR — the standard box plot definition taught in statistics classes.
Outliers Called Out
Points beyond the whiskers are marked as outlier dots so extreme values never hide inside the box. Toggle them on or off without changing the underlying fences.
Horizontal or Vertical
Draw a classic horizontal box plot for reports, or flip to a vertical layout to match textbook examples and slide decks.
Export and Share
Download a publication-ready chart with one click: a crisp 2× PNG for slides and homework, or a scalable SVG you can edit in any vector tool. Copy the image straight to your clipboard, or share a link that rebuilds the exact chart — data and settings included.
Free and Private
Everything runs in your browser — your data is never uploaded to a server. No signup, no limits, no paywall. Just make a box plot and go.
What Is a Box and Whisker Plot?
A box and whisker plot (or box plot) is a chart that summarizes a numerical data set with five numbers: the minimum, first quartile (Q1), median, third quartile (Q3), and maximum. A box spans Q1 to Q3, a line marks the median, and whiskers reach to the last points inside 1.5 × IQR. Values beyond the whiskers are plotted as individual outliers. Box plots make center, spread, and skew easy to compare across groups at a glance.
Whether you are checking homework, comparing lab measurements, or profiling response times, a box and whisker plot is often the clearest single-chart summary — and this free box plot generator gives you the chart and the statistics in one place.
- Box Plot vs Box and Whisker Plot
- They are the same chart. "Box and whisker plot" is the full descriptive name; "box plot" and "boxplot" are shorter synonyms used interchangeably in textbooks, software, and research papers.
- The Five-Number Summary
- Min, Q1, median, Q3, and max compress a whole sample into a compact picture of location and spread. The interquartile range (IQR = Q3 − Q1) measures the middle 50% of the data and drives the whisker rule.
- Reading Skew from a Box Plot
- If the median sits left of the box center and the right whisker is longer, the data are right-skewed. The opposite pattern means left skew. A symmetric box with equal whiskers suggests a roughly balanced distribution.
- Box Plot vs Histogram
- A box plot compresses the distribution into quartiles and outliers; a histogram shows the full shape with bins. Use this box plot maker for compact summaries and comparisons — switch to our free histogram maker when you need the detailed frequency shape of the data.
How to Make a Box and Whisker Plot Online
- 01
Paste your data
Type or paste your numbers into the data box, separated by commas, spaces, or new lines. Copying a column straight from Excel or Google Sheets works — decimals and negative values are supported.
- 02
Choose layout and outliers
The box plot appears instantly. Toggle outlier dots on or off, and switch between horizontal and vertical orientation to match your report.
- 03
Label your chart
Set the chart title and the x- and y-axis labels so the box plot is self-explanatory in a report or assignment. Pick a box color to match your document.
- 04
Download and interpret
Export the finished box plot as PNG or SVG. Use the five-number summary and summary table below the chart to describe center, spread, and outliers.
Tips for Better Box Plots
Know What the Whiskers Mean
Whiskers are not always min and max. In the Tukey definition used here they stop at the furthest points still inside Q1 − 1.5·IQR and Q3 + 1.5·IQR; points outside are outliers.
Pair with a Histogram for Shape
Box plots hide multi-modality. If you suspect two peaks or heavy tails, also draw a histogram of the same data so the full shape is visible.
Use Enough Data
With fewer than about 5–8 values a box plot is mostly noise. Quartiles and whiskers become stable as the sample grows into the tens and beyond.
Label the Units
An axis that says "Score" or "Time (ms)" makes the chart readable on its own. Include the units in the axis label, not just in the title.
Report the IQR and Outliers
When you write up results, mention the median, IQR, and any outliers by name — the chart shows them, but prose makes the story clear for readers who skip the figure.
Compare Mean and Median
If the mean is clearly larger than the median, expect right skew; if smaller, left skew. The statistics strip under the chart lets you verify the pattern you see in the box.
Box Plot Concepts and Formulas
Definition of a box and whisker plot
A box and whisker plot is a graphical summary of numerical data built from the five-number summary (min, Q1, median, Q3, max). The box spans the interquartile range; whiskers reach the furthest non-outlier points; outliers are plotted individually.
What a box plot tells you
- Center: the median line inside the box.
- Spread: the box width (IQR) and the whisker length.
- Skew: an off-center median or unequal whiskers.
- Outliers: dots beyond the whiskers that flag extreme values.
Tukey hinges and fences
Quartiles here are Tukey hinges: the median of the lower half and the median of the upper half of the sorted data (the overall median is excluded from both halves when n is odd). Fences at Q1 − 1.5·IQR and Q3 + 1.5·IQR define which points are outliers.
Key Formulas
Interquartile range
IQR = Q3 − Q1
Q1 = 64, Q3 = 81 → IQR = 17.
Lower fence (outlier rule)
Lower fence = Q1 − 1.5 × IQR
Q1 = 64, IQR = 17 → fence = 64 − 25.5 = 38.5.
Upper fence (outlier rule)
Upper fence = Q3 + 1.5 × IQR
Q3 = 81, IQR = 17 → fence = 81 + 25.5 = 106.5.
Whisker endpoints
Whiskers end at the most extreme data values still inside the fences.
If the largest in-fence value is 95, the upper whisker stops at 95 even if the fence is higher.
Tukey hinge (Q1 / Q3)
Q1 = median of lower half; Q3 = median of upper half
Odd n: drop the overall median, then take each half's median.
Box Plot Maker FAQ
Q01How do I make a box and whisker plot from my data?
Paste your numbers into the data box — separated by commas, spaces, or new lines — and the box plot is drawn instantly. Toggle outliers, pick horizontal or vertical layout, add a title and axis labels, then download the chart as PNG or SVG.
Q02Is a box plot the same as a box and whisker plot?
Yes. "Box plot," "boxplot," and "box and whisker plot" all refer to the same chart: a box from Q1 to Q3 with a median line and whiskers that mark the outer range of non-outlier values.
Q03How do I read the five-number summary on a box plot?
From left to right (horizontal) or bottom to top (vertical): the lower whisker tip is the smallest non-outlier, the left/bottom of the box is Q1, the thick line is the median, the right/top of the box is Q3, and the upper whisker tip is the largest non-outlier. Min and max of the raw data are listed in the statistics strip; outliers appear as separate dots beyond the whiskers.
Q04How are outliers defined (1.5 × IQR)?
This tool uses Tukey's rule. Compute IQR = Q3 − Q1. Any value below Q1 − 1.5·IQR or above Q3 + 1.5·IQR is an outlier. Whiskers extend only to the most extreme data points that still fall inside those fences.
Q05What is the difference between a box plot and a histogram?
A box plot summarizes center, spread, and outliers with the five-number summary; a histogram shows the detailed frequency shape across bins. Use a box plot to compare groups compactly. For the full distribution shape of one sample, try our free histogram maker on the same data.
Q06Can I copy data from Excel or Google Sheets?
Yes. Copy a column (or row) of numbers and paste it straight into the data box — values separated by new lines, tabs, spaces, commas, or semicolons are all understood, including decimals and negative numbers.
Q07How do I download or share the box plot?
Click PNG for a high-resolution raster image (rendered at 2× for crisp slides and documents) or SVG for a scalable vector file you can edit in Figma, Illustrator, or Inkscape; exported files carry a small kanaries.net credit in the corner. You can also copy the PNG straight to your clipboard, or click Share link to copy a URL that reproduces your exact chart — the data travels in the link itself and is never uploaded to a server.
Q08Is this box plot maker free and is my data private?
Yes on both counts. The tool is completely free with no signup and no limits, and it runs entirely in your browser — your data is never uploaded to any server, so it is safe to use with private or sensitive numbers.