Guide
Birth chart vs natal chart
'Birth chart' and 'natal chart' are two names for exactly the same thing: a map of where the Sun, Moon and planets were at the precise moment and place you were born. The word natal simply means 'relating to birth', so the terms are interchangeable. The real distinctions worth knowing are between a natal chart and the other chart types built on top of it.
The short answer
A birth chart and a natal chart are the same chart. Both freeze the sky at your exact birth moment and location, showing your planetary signs, rising sign, houses and aspects. 'Natal' comes from the Latin for birth, so 'natal chart' is just a slightly more technical way of saying 'birth chart'.
Why two names exist
'Birth chart' is the everyday, plain-language term. 'Natal chart' is the more traditional term used in astrological writing, alongside relatives like 'natal astrology' — the branch that studies the chart of an individual's birth. You'll also see 'nativity' in older texts. Same idea, different register.
What both charts contain
Whichever name you use, the chart includes the same components: the planets and their zodiac signs, the rising sign and chart angles, the twelve houses, and the aspects between planets. All of it is calculated from your birth date, exact time and place.
Charts that are genuinely different
The terms that actually describe different charts are things like the transit chart (where the planets are now, compared to your natal chart), the synastry chart (two people's charts compared for compatibility), and the composite chart (a single blended chart for a relationship). These build on the natal chart rather than replacing it.
Which term should you use?
Use whichever you prefer — they're equivalent. If you're searching for tools or reading interpretations, 'birth chart' and 'natal chart' will point you to the same thing. What matters far more than the label is the accuracy of the birth data behind it.
Calculate your chart
Whether you call it a birth chart or a natal chart, generate yours from your birth date, time and place to see your full set of placements.
Calculate your birth chart