What is a box plot?
A box plot (or box-and-whisker plot) lets you compare distributions across categories by summarizing a dataset using five key values: the minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum. The box shows the middle 50% of the data, while the whiskers show the overall range, making it easy to spot unusual values.
With Flourish, creating box plots takes just minutes – no coding required. Simply upload your data, and the template automatically calculates medians, quartiles, and ranges. Every chart is mobile-friendly, responsive, and ready to share.
USE CASES
Identify outliers with interactive box plots
See variation at a glance, uncover hidden patterns, and highlight unusual values with clarity
Compare groups side by side
See how categories stack up at a glance — from test scores and salaries to demographic factors across regions.
Spot unusual results
Outliers show up as dots outside the whiskers, making it easy to catch errors or highlight standout performers.
Show how values spread
Box plots reveal if results are close together or widely spread out, helping you explain patterns in your data.
FEATURES
Everything you need to create online box plots
Powerful features that make data visualization easy and beautiful
No coding required
Build interactive box plots in minutes, without writing a single line of code.
Automatic calculations
Automatically calculate and display key values like the median and range.
Interactive filters
Let viewers explore categories themselves with filter controls and time sliders.
Custom whiskers
Choose how far whiskers extend or remove them completely.
Mobile-ready design
Charts are responsive and animated, so they look great on any screen.
Classic scatter plot
Animate horizontal bars to show categories competing in real time.
RESOURCES
Data visualization resources
Tips, guides, and resources to make your interactive box plots even more effective
Frequently asked questions
A box plot is a chart that shows how data is distributed. It highlights the median, quartiles, and range, with whiskers marking the spread and dots for outliers.
Use box plots when you want to compare the spread of values across groups or categories. They’re ideal for showing differences, patterns, and unusual data points.
Scatter plots show individual data points and are great for spotting relationships or clusters. Box plots group data into quartiles, making it easier to see the overall spread, median, and outliers at a glance.
For example – use a scatter plot to show all student test scores; use a box plot to compare how scores spread across different classes.
Flourish lets you create and customize box plots in minutes — no coding needed. You can switch between scatter, box, violin, or beeswarm views with a single click, add filters and popups, and share responsive, branded charts anywhere.
Our box plots automatically calculate medians, quartiles, and ranges for you, making it simple to compare categories and highlight outliers. Flexible templates let you choose vertical or horizontal layouts, adjust whiskers, and bring your story to life with smooth animations.
Flourish offers a free plan that’s perfect for exploring interactive data storytelling. You’ll get access to the full range of visualization types available in Flourish (including box plots), unlimited projects, full privacy for your unpublished work, plus helpful support resources.
If you’re an individual creating presentations and reports, our Presenter plan might be the right fit. It includes access to the Flourish app within Canva, along with image and SVG export options for your visualizations.
And if you’re ready to create fully branded visuals without attribution, collaborate across teams, connect your systems via API, and unlock advanced storytelling features like scrollytelling, our premium plans are designed for you. Reach out to our team to find the best option for your business.
Once you publish your Flourish visualization, you’ll get a responsive embed code you can paste anywhere HTML is supported – from WordPress and Medium to custom CMS platforms. Your chart will look great on any screen size, no extra setup needed.
Every project also comes with a unique URL, so you can easily share your work on social media or link to it directly.
