diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f105d33..884e420 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -426,7 +426,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "git-heatmap"
-version = "1.0.3"
+version = "1.0.4"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "chrono",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 11a9de6..c28d144 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ cargo-features = ["codegen-backend"]
 
 [package]
 name = "git-heatmap"
-version = "1.0.3"
+version = "1.0.4"
 edition = "2021"
 authors = ["Wynd <wyndftw@proton.me>"]
 description = "A simple and customizable heatmap for git repos"
@@ -31,4 +31,4 @@ incremental = true
 opt-level = 3
 strip = true
 lto = true
-codegen-units = 1
+codegen-units = 1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index a02df9f..3dbb4e7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -65,6 +65,11 @@ $ git-heatmap --split-months
 # the amount of commits in that day
 $ git-heatmap --counting by-amount
 
+# by default the format uses characters to represent days and colors them based on how many commits
+# that day has, using the numbers format replaces those characters with the actual number of commits
+# maxed at 99
+$ git-heatmap --format numbers
+
 # filter by one or multiple authors (respecting the .mailmap settings) 
 # without an -a flag all authors will be checked
 $ git-heatmap -a "username" -a "other"
diff --git a/rust-toolchain.toml b/rust-toolchain.toml
index f27b9a0..5d56faf 100644
--- a/rust-toolchain.toml
+++ b/rust-toolchain.toml
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 [toolchain]
-channel= "nightly"
\ No newline at end of file
+channel = "nightly"
diff --git a/src/cli.rs b/src/cli.rs
index 4b20d0e..dd8e600 100644
--- a/src/cli.rs
+++ b/src/cli.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ use std::path::PathBuf;
 use chrono::{Duration, Local};
 use clap::{arg, Parser, ValueHint};
 
-use crate::heatmap::{ColorLogic, HeatmapColors};
+use crate::heatmap::{ColorLogic, Format, HeatmapColors};
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, Parser, PartialEq, Eq)]
 #[command(version, about, author, long_about = None)]
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ pub struct CliArgs {
 
 	#[arg(long("counting"), value_enum, default_value_t = ColorLogic::ByWeight)]
 	pub counting: ColorLogic,
+
+	#[arg(short, long("format"), value_enum, default_value_t = Format::Chars)]
+	pub format: Format,
 }
 
 fn get_since_date() -> String {
diff --git a/src/heatmap.rs b/src/heatmap.rs
index 23ee9c9..2f23fd6 100644
--- a/src/heatmap.rs
+++ b/src/heatmap.rs
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ pub struct Heatmap {
 	months: Vec<(usize, String)>,
 	highest_count: i32,
 	repos: usize,
+
+	format: Format,
 }
 
 impl Heatmap {
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ impl Heatmap {
 		repos: usize,
 		commits: Vec<Commit>,
 		split_months: bool,
+		format: Format,
 	) -> Self {
 		let mut heatmap = Self {
 			data: [vec![], vec![], vec![], vec![], vec![], vec![], vec![]],
@@ -32,6 +35,7 @@ impl Heatmap {
 			months: vec![],
 			highest_count: 0,
 			repos,
+			format,
 		};
 
 		let mut grouped_commits = BTreeMap::new();
@@ -95,9 +99,15 @@ impl Heatmap {
 		let mut row = "   ".to_string();
 
 		let mut last_index = 0;
+		let mul = match self.format {
+			Format::Chars => 2,
+			Format::Numbers => 3,
+		};
 
 		for (index, month) in &self.months {
-			let range_size = (index * 2).saturating_sub(last_index * 2).saturating_sub(3);
+			let range_size = (index * mul)
+				.saturating_sub(last_index * mul)
+				.saturating_sub(3);
 			for _i in 0..range_size {
 				row.push(' ');
 			}
@@ -116,11 +126,12 @@ impl Display for Heatmap {
 		let commits = self.commits.len().to_string();
 		let authors = self.commits.iter().unique_by(|c| &c.author.name).count();
 
-		write!(f, "{} - {}\n", start_date, end_date).unwrap();
-		write!(f, "{} repo(s)\n", self.repos).unwrap();
-		write!(f, "{} author(s)\n", authors).unwrap();
-		write!(f, "{} commit(s)\n\n", commits).unwrap();
-		write!(f, "{}\n", self.months_row()).unwrap();
+		writeln!(f, "{} - {}", start_date, end_date).unwrap();
+		writeln!(f, "{} repo(s)", self.repos).unwrap();
+		writeln!(f, "{} author(s)", authors).unwrap();
+		writeln!(f, "{} commit(s)\n", commits).unwrap();
+
+		writeln!(f, "{}", self.months_row()).unwrap();
 
 		for (day, row) in DAYS.iter().zip(&self.data) {
 			write!(f, "{day} ").unwrap();
@@ -128,22 +139,29 @@ impl Display for Heatmap {
 				match val {
 					x if *x >= 0 => {
 						let color = &get_color_map()[get_color(*val, self.highest_count)];
-						write!(f, "{color}{}{RESET} ", get_char()).unwrap();
-					}
-					x if *x < 0 => {
-						write!(f, "{RESET}  ").unwrap();
+						match self.format {
+							Format::Chars => write!(f, "{color}{}{RESET} ", get_char()).unwrap(),
+							Format::Numbers => {
+								let val = val.min(&99);
+								write!(f, "{color}{:0>2}{RESET} ", val).unwrap();
+							}
+						}
 					}
+					x if *x < 0 => match self.format {
+						Format::Chars => write!(f, "{RESET}  ").unwrap(),
+						Format::Numbers => write!(f, "{RESET}   ").unwrap(),
+					},
 					_ => {}
 				}
 			}
-			write!(f, "\n").unwrap();
+			writeln!(f).unwrap();
 		}
 
 		write!(f, "\nLess ").unwrap();
 		for color in get_color_map() {
 			write!(f, "{color}{}{RESET} ", get_char()).unwrap();
 		}
-		write!(f, " More\n").unwrap();
+		writeln!(f, " More").unwrap();
 
 		Ok(())
 	}
@@ -160,3 +178,9 @@ pub enum ColorLogic {
 	ByAmount,
 	ByWeight,
 }
+
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, ValueEnum)]
+pub enum Format {
+	Chars,
+	Numbers,
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index a14fffd..20f1286 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -84,10 +84,11 @@ fn main() -> Result<()> {
 	let until = NaiveDate::parse_from_str(&until, "%Y-%m-%d").unwrap();
 
 	let split_months = args.split_months;
+	let format = args.format.clone();
 
 	let commits = get_commits(args, since, until).with_context(|| "Could not fetch commit list")?;
 
-	let heatmap = Heatmap::new(since, until, commits.0, commits.1, split_months);
+	let heatmap = Heatmap::new(since, until, commits.0, commits.1, split_months, format);
 
 	println!("{heatmap}");