9 Built-in Color Schemes
Choose from Viridis, Plasma, Turbo, Reds, Blues, Greens, and more — or set your own min/max colors for full brand control.
Chart & Visualization Tools
Free Heatmap Maker
Our AI-powered heat map maker transforms matrices of numbers into clear visual patterns. Spot correlations, outliers, and trends at a glance — no spreadsheet squinting required.
Features
Everything You Need in a Heat Map Maker
Powerful heatmap controls wrapped in a simple, no-code interface.
Cell Value Labels
Toggle numeric values inside each cell so readers can see exact figures alongside the color gradient.
Interactive Tooltips
Hover over any cell to reveal its row label, column label, and precise value — great for dense matrices.
Flexible Cell Sizing
Adjust cell size, gap, border radius, and border width to create compact dashboards or spacious presentations.
Color Legend Control
Position the gradient legend at the top, bottom, left, or right to fit your layout perfectly.
Instant AI Generation
Describe your data scenario and the AI populates a ready-to-use heatmap — then tweak colors and labels to match your needs.
Data input
Bring Your Data, Any Way You Like
Type It In
Enter row labels, column labels, and values directly into the table — no file needed.
Paste from Spreadsheet
Copy a grid from Excel or Google Sheets and paste it straight into the heatmap maker.
Upload a File
Import CSV or Excel files to populate your heat map instantly (Pro plan).
Describe with AI
Tell the AI what pattern you want to show and it builds a sample heatmap data set for you.
Share
Share Your Heatmap Anywhere
Download as PNG or SVG
Export pixel-perfect images ready for slides, reports, or social posts.
Share a Link
Generate a shareable URL so colleagues can view your heat map instantly.
Embed on Your Site
Drop a single embed code into any webpage and your heatmap renders live.
Copy to Clipboard
Grab the image with one click and paste it directly into Notion, Docs, or Slides.
About MakeCharts Heatmap Maker
MakeCharts is a free online chart tool built to make data visualization fast and accessible. The heatmap maker is one of 50+ chart styles available — all customizable, all shareable. We believe great charts should take minutes, not days.
50+Chart styles available
<2 minTime to first heatmap
9+Color schemes for heatmaps
12+Languages supported
NoneSign-up required
Workflow
How to Make a Heatmap in 3 Steps
Add Your Data
Enter row labels, column labels, and values — or let AI generate a dataset from your description.
Choose Colors and Layout
Pick a color scheme, toggle cell values and tooltips, and fine-tune cell size and spacing.
Export and Share
Download a high-resolution PNG or SVG, copy a shareable link, or embed the heatmap on your site.
Use cases
Who Uses a Heatmap Maker
Performance Matrices
Visualize sales performance across products and time periods to instantly see top performers and problem areas.
Engagement Pattern Analysis
Map user engagement or conversion rates across campaigns, channels, and cohorts to find the highest-impact opportunities.
Correlation and Frequency Maps
Display gene expression levels, survey response frequencies, or experimental results in a compact, color-coded grid.
Student Performance Grids
Show class-wide results across subjects or assessments to identify learning gaps at a glance.
Templates
Start with professionally designed templates
Weight Conversion Matrix Heatmap — Multi‑Unit clarity in one viewheatmap
Build a weight conversion matrix heatmap in seconds. Compare mg, g, kg, oz, lb, and t with clear colors. Share, embed, and export instantly.
Calendar Heatmap Template: Reveal Activity Patterns at a GlanceheatmapVisualize activity patterns across months and weekdays with this calendar heatmap template. Spot trends, peak days, and seasonal shifts instantly.
Heatmap Template for Weekly Activity PatternsheatmapVisualize activity intensity across days and hours with this heatmap template. Spot peak times and patterns at a glance. Free, no sign-up needed.
Correlation Heatmap TemplateheatmapVisualize relationships between economic variables with a free correlation heatmap template. Spot patterns instantly with color-coded cells.
Product Engagement Heatmap TemplateheatmapVisualize weekly product feature engagement with a heatmap. Spot usage patterns, peak days, and low-traffic areas to prioritize product decisions.
Website Traffic Heatmap TemplateheatmapVisualize website traffic patterns across pages and days with this heatmap template. Spot peak hours, low-engagement days, and optimize your content strategy.
Related Tools
Create similar charts with these tools
Heatmap for Tone Intensityheatmap
Create a heatmap that compares word tone intensity in seconds. Free online, fully customizable colors, labels, and legend. Show values as % and export or embed easily.
Create Heatmaps InstantlyheatmapCreate stunning heatmaps in minutes with our free Heatmap Creator. Visualize data intensity, patterns, and correlations instantly. No design skills needed.
Build Heatmaps in SecondsheatmapBuild professional hexbin heatmaps instantly. Reveal density patterns, correlations, and intensity across rows and columns — no design skills needed.
Free Correlation Heatmap MakerheatmapCreate correlation heatmaps instantly. Map data relationships with color-coded cells, custom schemes, and AI generation. Free, no signup required.
Comparison
Heatmap Maker vs. Building One Manually
See why teams choose MakeCharts over DIY spreadsheet heatmaps.
MakeCharts Heatmap Maker
- Nine color schemes ready in one click
- Custom min/max colors for full brand alignment
- Shareable link and embed code generated instantly
- Tooltips, legends, and labels toggled with a switch
- One-click PNG or SVG export at full resolution
- AI generates sample data or refines your heatmap on demand
Spreadsheet Conditional Formatting
- Requires manual color-scale setup every time
- Limited to a handful of built-in color gradients
- No easy way to share or embed outside the file
- Tooltip and legend customization is tedious
- Exporting a clean image takes multiple steps
- No AI assistance for data generation or refinement
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a heatmap maker?
A heatmap maker is an online tool that converts a grid of numeric values into a color-coded matrix. Each cell's color intensity represents its value relative to the min and max in your dataset, making patterns and outliers immediately visible.
Is MakeCharts heatmap maker free?
Yes — the core heat map maker is completely free with no sign-up required. You can create, customize, and download heatmaps at no cost. AI-assisted generation uses free credits included with every account, and paid plans unlock more AI credits and advanced features.
What is the difference between a heatmap and a heat map?
'Heatmap' and 'heat map' refer to the same visualization. Both terms describe a data grid where cell color encodes a numeric value. The single-word form is more common in data and software contexts, while the two-word form appears frequently in UX and analytics discussions.
Can I use my own color scheme?
Yes. You can choose from nine built-in color schemes — including Viridis, Plasma, Reds, Blues, and Greens — or enable custom colors to set your own hex values for the minimum and maximum ends of the gradient.
How do I make a heatmap from a spreadsheet?
Copy your data grid from Excel or Google Sheets and paste it into the heatmap maker table. Row labels go in the first column and column labels go in the header row. For larger files, Pro users can upload a CSV or Excel file directly.
Can I embed the heatmap on my website?
Yes. Plus and Pro plans include embed codes you can paste into any webpage. The heatmap renders live and stays up to date if you edit the underlying data.
What file formats can I download?
You can download your heatmap as a high-resolution PNG for presentations and social media, or as an SVG for scalable use in design tools and print materials.
Does the heatmap maker work on mobile?
Yes. MakeCharts is fully responsive, so you can build and view heatmaps on smartphones and tablets as well as desktop computers.
Built for Everyone
- No design experience needed — plain-language controls guide every step
- Works entirely in the browser — nothing to install or configure
- Available in 12+ languages so your team can work in their own language
- Accessible on any device, from laptop to smartphone
- Free tier gives full access to all heatmap styles and customization
- AI assistance levels the playing field for users new to data visualization
Your Data Stays Yours
- Data you enter is used only to render your chart — not stored or analyzed beyond that
- We do not sell your data to third parties
- You control what you share via links and embeds
- Download or delete your charts anytime
- No account required for basic heatmap creation
Start now
Make Your Heatmap Now
Spot patterns in your data instantly — free, no sign-up needed.
- No sign-up required
- 9 color schemes included
- Download PNG or SVG
- AI-assisted generation
- Shareable link in one click
- Works on any device
Free to use. No sign-up required.