Violin Plot Maker
Paste one numeric column per group to build violin plots. A violin plot shows the full shape of each group's distribution — a mirrored kernel-density curve — with the median marked, so you can compare spread and modality, not just quartiles.
How it works
A violin plot shows the distribution of a group as a smoothed density curve mirrored around a central axis — the wider the violin at a given value, the more data points lie near it. Unlike a box plot, which reduces a group to five numbers, a violin reveals the full shape, including whether the data are skewed or have more than one peak. The horizontal line inside each violin marks the median. Paste one numeric column per group, with an optional header row naming each group.
The density is estimated with a Gaussian kernel and Silverman's bandwidth rule, and the violins are scaled to a common width so groups are comparable. The chart re-colours for light and dark themes; paste comma-, tab- or space-separated columns and screenshot the comparison.
Examples
- Each column of numbers becomes one violin showing that group's distribution.
- A wide bulge marks where values cluster; the line is the median.
- Two bulges in one violin reveal a bimodal distribution a box plot would hide.
Frequently asked questions
- What is a violin plot?
- It is a distribution plot that shows a smoothed density curve for each group, mirrored to form a violin shape. It combines the summary of a box plot with the full shape of the distribution.
- How is it different from a box plot?
- A box plot shows only quartiles and range; a violin plot shows the entire density, so it reveals skew and multiple peaks (modality) that a box plot cannot.
- How is the density estimated?
- With a Gaussian kernel density estimate using Silverman's rule-of-thumb bandwidth, the standard default used by most statistical software.
- What data does it need?
- One numeric column per group, optionally with a header row of group names. Each column is summarised into its own violin.