Understand

Understand turns charts and complex dashboards into data stories for sharing insights and supporting decisions. A story consists of cards shown as viewers scroll through them, a format the product calls scrollytelling. Users can import data from files, Google, SQL databases, OLAP cubes, or APIs. Understand AI can analyze and summarize stories and identify anomalies. Stories can be shared publicly, embedded, or sent through email and Slack notifications on Growth. The service also describes scheduled story updates, mobile-friendly viewing, and white-label embedding with custom branding and a custom domain. Enterprise-ready options list private cloud or single-tenant deployment, SSO, and access control. The free Starter plan includes one editor, unlimited stories, CSV upload and manual data entry, public sharing, and scrollytelling. Growth costs $25 a month per editor with annual billing. The site lists a 14-day trial, and the terms limit website use to individuals at least 13 years old.

Understand is focused on presenting data as scrollable stories, with import, sharing, and AI analysis options. Its free Starter plan allows one editor, while Growth adds unlimited viewers and email and Slack notifications.

Understand suits users who want to present data as scrollable stories and share insights with viewers. Growth may suit teams needing email or Slack notifications, while Enterprise-ready options include SSO and access control.

Understand is a data-storytelling tool that turns charts and dashboard data into scroll-through narratives. It is best suited to analysts and teams who want to guide an audience through an insight rather than hand over a dashboard. Its free tier makes it possible to start small, but team distribution and broader data access come with recurring costs.

Overview

Stories unfold as viewers scroll through a series of cards, letting authors place context alongside data instead of presenting charts without a narrative. That guided format can support decisions when an audience needs help following the reasoning behind a finding. Stories can be shared publicly or embedded, and scheduled updates can support recurring reporting.

Understand says stories are designed to look good on mobile devices, a useful fit for readers who may not be at a desk. The platform supports interactive visualizations, narrative annotations, and presentation flow. Data can be imported from files, Google, SQL databases, OLAP cubes, or APIs, although access to particular connections depends on the plan.

Key features

Data stories and sharing

Scrolling cards give authors a deliberate sequence for presenting information, rather than relying on viewers to explore a dashboard on their own. Starter includes public sharing; Growth adds unlimited viewers, custom themes, and email and Slack notifications. That makes the free plan more suitable for an individual publishing stories than for a team that needs to distribute updates through established channels.

AI and data connections

Understand AI can analyze and summarize stories and find anomalies. Growth includes AI for 30 cards, with additional usage sold in 30-card increments. Growth also connects to Google Sheets, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MariaDB. BigQuery, Redshift, Azure, and Snowflake require the Advanced connectors add-on, so teams using those sources should account for a separate connector charge.

Branding and deployment

Custom themes on Growth give teams more control over a story's presentation. For stories embedded in another product, Understand offers a white-label solution with custom branding and a custom domain. Enterprise-ready adds options including private cloud or single-tenant deployment, SSO, and access control, which better suit organizations with deployment and access requirements beyond a standard team plan.

Privacy and account eligibility

Understand Labs says it does not sell or rent user data and that users own their data. Its privacy policy also describes encryption of personal information, regular penetration testing, and physical security measures for premises where personal data is stored. Users can request account deletion and request access, correction, erasure, and portability of personal information. The website is available only to people aged 13 or older.

Pricing

Starter is free and includes one editor, unlimited stories, CSV uploads, manual data entry, public sharing, and scrollytelling. Its single-editor limit and narrower import options make it a sensible way for an individual to publish, but not a substitute for team seats or the integrations in Growth.

Growth costs $25 per editor per month with annual billing, with a stated 20% saving. It adds unlimited viewers, custom themes, Google Sheets and three SQL database connections, 30 cards of Understand AI, and email and Slack notifications. It is the relevant step up for teams that need shared distribution and those connections; the annual billing term matters for buyers who want month-to-month flexibility.

Additional Understand AI costs $15 per 30 cards per month. Advanced connectors cost $99 per connector per month for BigQuery, Redshift, Azure, or Snowflake. The API plan costs $199 per month and supports creating stories at scale using the API. Enterprise-ready has custom pricing and includes OLAP connectors, a custom API, custom connectors and charts, private cloud or single-tenant deployment, SSO, and access control. A 14-day trial is offered.

Platforms

Understand supports Android, iOS, web, and API access. That breadth pairs with mobile-oriented story presentation, while API access also has a separate paid plan for creating stories at scale.

Who it's for

Understand is a good fit for analysts and teams that want a guided, shareable story around data, especially when viewers should follow a sequence rather than navigate a dashboard. Starter suits a single editor with CSV or manual data; Growth fits teams that need unlimited viewers, notification channels, or its included connections. Organizations needing advanced connectors, API-scale creation, or private deployment should compare the add-on and custom-priced options carefully.

It is a weaker fit for a team that needs multiple editors without committing to annual Growth billing, or for a buyer whose essential data connector is among the separately priced options. Readers looking primarily for a conventional charting or mapping tool may prefer an alternative built around that emphasis.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Scroll-through cards pair data with narrative annotations, giving authors a way to guide interpretation.
• Pros: Starter includes unlimited stories and public sharing, so one editor can publish without a subscription.
• Pros: Growth combines unlimited viewers, notifications, custom themes, and several common data connections.
• Cons: Starter is limited to one editor, CSV uploads, and manual entry, which restricts collaboration and connected-data workflows.
• Cons: Advanced connectors and extra AI usage are monthly add-ons, so needs beyond Growth can raise the bill.
• Cons: Growth is billed annually, and Enterprise-ready uses custom pricing.

Alternatives

Data Storytelling Tools is the broader category to browse when you want to compare products in this format.

Datawrapper is worth considering when charts, maps, and tables with web publishing and embedding are the priority; its free plan includes those outputs and PNG downloads with attribution.

DataStories is another option to compare if you are considering a paid data-storytelling product.

BStreams may suit a small web-based collaboration need: its free Basic plan allows one collaborator with 50 MB storage and a 3 MB upload cap, while its Professional monthly plan is €23.00 per month and allows five collaborators.

Flourish is a stronger fit when a free publishing workflow with unlimited projects and stories, a full template range, and public embeds with attribution meets the need.

Infogram is an alternative to compare for interactive charting; its Basic plan lists one user, 35+ chart types, up to 10 projects, and up to five pages per project.

Mimasa AI offers a free tier with five credits per day, one user, and 100 MB of data and file storage; consider it when those limits align better with the task.

ArcGIS StoryMaps is another web-based option, with a free public account subject to usage limits.

ChartWeave may appeal when a small chart project fits its free allowance of five projects, 18 chart types, and 1 GB storage.

Verdict

Choose Understand if you need to turn data into a guided story that viewers can follow on mobile, share publicly, or embed. Its clearest advantage is the combination of narrative presentation and team distribution on Growth. Look elsewhere if you need multiple editors or advanced data connectors without the annual plan or add-on costs.