Venn Diagram Maker

Make a Venn diagram in seconds

A Venn diagram uses overlapping circles to show what different groups have in common and what makes each one unique. Each circle is a set; the area where circles overlap is the intersection, containing items that belong to more than one set. It is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to compare and contrast.

This Venn diagram maker builds the diagram from text. Name your sets, list the items that belong to each region, and the circles are sized, positioned and labelled automatically. There is no fiddling with transparent shapes or text boxes — just type, preview and export a clean PNG or SVG.

How to create a Venn diagram

1. Start with `venn-beta`. The first line tells the tool to draw a Venn diagram. Add an optional title line.
2. Define your sets. Write set Cats["Cats"] for each circle. The first word is an ID; the text in brackets is the label shown on the diagram.
3. Describe the overlap. Use union Cats,Dogs["Both"] to label the area the sets share. For three circles, you can describe each pairwise overlap and the centre where all three meet.
4. Add items. Indent text lines under a set or union to place items in that region, such as text Furry. Wrap items with spaces in quotes: text "Need a vet".
5. Export. Click Export PNG for documents and slides, or Export SVG for print-quality output.

Empty Venn diagram templates

Need a blank Venn diagram for a worksheet, a classroom activity or a whiteboard session? Just define the sets without any text items and export the result. You get an empty Venn diagram with labelled circles that you can print or drop into Google Slides, Canva or PowerPoint and fill in by hand. Paste one of these templates into the editor above:

venn-beta
  title Empty 2-circle Venn diagram
  set A["Group A"]
  set B["Group B"]
  union A,B["Both"]

Three-circle Venn diagram

Three overlapping circles create seven regions: three areas unique to each set, three pairwise overlaps, and one centre region shared by all. That is enough to compare three products, three historical periods or three career options at once. A classic example is the “sweet spot” diagram for choosing a career — what you love, what you are good at, and what pays well:

venn-beta
  title Finding your sweet spot
  set Love["What you love"]
  set Good["What you are good at"]
  set Paid["What pays well"]
  union Love,Good,Paid["Sweet spot"]

Venn diagram uses and examples

• Compare and contrast essays: map out similarities and differences between two books, characters or historical events before you write.
• Maths and logic: visualise set theory, unions, intersections and probability problems.
• Business strategy: compare competitors, find overlaps between customer segments, or show where your product's strengths meet market demand.
• Science: compare plant and animal cells, mammals and reptiles, or renewable and non-renewable energy.
• Decision making: weigh up options by showing what each one offers and where they overlap.

Tips for clear Venn diagrams

Keep each item short — a word or a brief phrase — so it fits neatly inside its region. Two or three circles are ideal; with four or more, the overlaps become hard to read and a table or a concept map may communicate the relationships better. Label every set clearly and give the diagram a title that states what is being compared.

Venn diagrams show membership, not process or structure. If you need to show steps and decisions, use the online flowchart maker; to show how data in a system connects, use the ER diagram tool.

Frequently asked questions