Keeping your company’s structure clear is important whether you have a tiny team or manage hundreds across multiple locations. An organizational chart quickly shows who does what, making it easier to organize roles and communication. No matter your company’s stage, using a free org chart template can simplify the process and save you time. Here are ten templates you can use, tweak, and update as your team grows and changes.
1. Org Chart for Startups and Small Teams
For companies with only a handful of employees, a straightforward chart works best. This type puts the person in charge—usually the founder or CEO—on top, with a few people handling key functions like marketing or operations just underneath. Everyone knows who they report to, and the lines of responsibility are easy to see.
Pick this template when you run a tight team of under 20 people, especially when most folks report right to the leader. It’s perfect to show in slides for investors, new hire overviews, or updates about progress. Many online graphic tools come with simple drag-and-drop org chart templates you can fill out in just a few minutes—no design skills required.
2. Functional Org Chart for Growing Small Businesses
As your small business expands and brings on more team members, you’ll want to separate staff into different categories or functions, like sales, customer service, or finance. With a functional org chart template, people are grouped by what they do, with managers heading up each team under the business owner or top manager.
This layout makes sense when your headcount is rising (think 20 to 100 employees) and you’re setting up clearer roles and responsibilities. Department heads and what they oversee become more obvious to everyone. Many free templates come as spreadsheets or slide decks, so you can rearrange structure and edit job titles on the fly.
3. Matrix Org Chart for Cross-Functional Work
Some companies organize people so that they report to more than one manager—a project manager and a functional manager, for example. Matrix org chart templates map out these overlapping structures clearly, showing who answers to whom for different projects or areas.
Go for a matrix template if your business frequently tackles complex projects where teamwork crosses many departments. These charts make it easier to map out which connections are direct report relationships and which are only temporary or dotted-line reports. Using color-coding, you can keep things neat and understandable even when roles overlap across the business.
4. Divisional Org Chart for Large Organizations
Larger businesses often break down into divisions that might be organized by location, product, or service. A divisional org chart keeps everything clear, showing how each part of the company acts almost as a mini-business, with its own leaders and support staff.
You’ll want this chart if you manage several brands, work in multiple regions, or have business units operating on their own while still reporting into a larger corporate group. It allows you and your employees to quickly see who handles what and how each division connects back to the head office.
5. Project-Based Org Chart
When you have a big or complicated project to run, it’s handy to sketch out who’s in charge of what. A project-based org chart is built just for this purpose. At a glance, you can see sponsors, project leads, team leaders for different workstreams, and everyone’s reporting lines as they relate to the project.
Choose this chart if your staff often switch between projects or if you need a clean graphic for meetings, planning documents, or updates. With a clear diagram, everyone knows who to talk to for each part of the project, avoiding confusion and missed deadlines.
6. Process-Based Org Chart
Not every company works around departments or teams. Some find it more helpful to sort people by major processes, like order handling or client onboarding. If improving efficiency is a key goal in your business, a process-based org chart will show the flow of work and visualize how different roles connect at every stage.
Pick this option when your workflows are complex, stretching over multiple teams or departments. Businesses involved in manufacturing, operations, or logistics often find these charts especially useful for optimizing and streamlining how work gets done.
7. Market or Customer-Oriented Org Chart
For companies providing services or products to very different customers or markets, it makes sense to design your org chart around who you serve. With this template, separate branches might be dedicated to different client segments—like retail versus large business—or regions.
Consider market or customer-focused org charts if each part of your company runs distinct marketing or service strategies. As your business expands into new industries or regions, it’s a practical way to direct resources and measure performance for each segment.
8. Product-Based Org Chart
Technology businesses or companies with multiple products sometimes choose to shape teams around individual products or feature lines. Each product team has its own manager plus support roles like engineering, marketing, and design.
Use a product-focused chart when different products require their own vision, roadmaps, or sales tactics. Not only does this detail clear ownership of each product, but it also helps separate responsibilities and cut down on confusion, particularly if multiple teams might otherwise work on similar tasks.
9. Departmental Org Chart
When you want to break things down further, especially inside big teams like HR, IT, or Marketing, make a department-level org chart. This template outlines all the specific roles, day-to-day leads, and working groups within one function, offering greater clarity and helping leaders see if more staffing or structural changes are needed.
Pick a department chart when you already have a company-wide diagram but need a deep dive into larger, busier departments. It’s also helpful for documentation and onboarding, showing new team members exactly how their group is set up.
10. Flat or Horizontal Org Chart
Flat org charts skip big layers of management and put everyone on a similar level. These diagrams work especially well for creative agencies, small startups, or technical teams where collaboration is valued and decision-making is more shared.
Choose a flat template if your business runs without lots of layers or if employee autonomy is encouraged. A wide visual layout keeps all team members easy to spot and shows at a glance that everyone matters to making things work.
Make Org Charts Quickly With Org Chart Studio
Static org chart formats are great for starting out, but your organization will eventually change and you’ll want the freedom to update things fast. With Org Chart Studio, you can create, rearrange, and adjust org charts visually—just add or move people where needed. There’s no charge for making, storing, or exporting charts unless you want premium, high-res images.
You can upload a spreadsheet to build out a chart automatically, edit charts on the go with your phone, and easily undo mistakes. This tool works like a virtual whiteboard, making chart management painless as your company evolves.
Tips for Choosing the Right Org Chart Template
Finding the right template is about capturing your company’s current way of working, not sticking to old structures. Start with how decisions are made and think about who’ll use the chart: executives, team leaders, or new hires.
Pick a template that’s easy for you to update as people come and go or as new teams are created. The best org chart is one that everyone can understand at a glance and can be revised without frustration, keeping the information current as your business grows.
