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Understand

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Spec score 8.6 #3 of 22 in Data Storytelling Tools

What it is

Understand turns static charts and complex dashboards into data stories for sharing insights and supporting decisions. Each story is built from cards that appear as viewers scroll through it, 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 or embedded; Growth also supports email and Slack notifications. The service describes scheduled story updates and mobile-friendly viewing. A white-label option lets users embed stories in another product with custom branding and a custom domain. Enterprise-ready options include private cloud or single-tenant deployment, SSO, and access control. The free Starter plan includes one editor, unlimited stories, CSV upload and manual entry, public sharing, and scrollytelling. Growth costs $25.00 per editor per month with annual billing. A 14-day trial is listed, and the terms limit website use to individuals aged 13 or older.

Spec sheet

What it does
Understand turns static charts and complex dashboards into scroll-based data stories intended to improve comprehension and decisions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Product
Understand helps users turn static charts and complex dashboards into data stories for sharing insights and supporting decisions.Read 30 Sep 2026 · understandhq.com
API
The pricing page offers an API add-on for creating stories at scale and shows a Python-style understand_sdk example.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Privacy
The privacy policy says Understand Labs does not sell or rent user data and that users own their data.Read 30 Sep 2026 · understandhq.com
Founded
2021Read 28 Sep 2026 · understandhq.com
Account age
The terms say the website is available only to individuals who are at least 13 years old.Read 30 Sep 2026 · understandhq.com
Acquisition
GoodData announced its acquisition of Understand Labs on September 9, 2025; Peter Fedorocko became GoodData’s Field CTO.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gooddata.ai
AI
Understand AI can analyze and summarize stories and find anomalies.Read 30 Sep 2026 · understandhq.com
AI analysis
Understand AI can analyze and summarize stories and identify anomalies.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Changelog: channels
A December 2023 release added channels and feed views, mobile channel browsing and API support for channels.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Changelog: steps editor
A November 2023 release added step-based annotations, automatic steps from data changes and drag-and-drop annotation placement.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Company size
LinkedIn lists Understand Labs at 2–10 employees and headquartered in Prague.Read 15 Oct 2026 · cz.linkedin.com
Data connections
The site says users can import data from files, Google, SQL databases, OLAP cubes, or APIs.Read 30 Sep 2026 · understandhq.com
Data rights
Users may request access, correction, deletion and portability of their personal information.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Data sources
The product advertises imports from files, Google services, SQL databases, OLAP cubes and APIs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Documentation
The documentation landing page provides a six-minute getting-started introduction and links to Markdown documentation pages.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.understandhq.com
Enterprise deployment
Enterprise-ready options include private-cloud deployment and single-tenant deployment.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Funding information
StartupSeeker reports no funding information for Understand Labs.Read 15 Oct 2026 · startup-seeker.com
Independent company estimate
StartupSeeker places the company in Prague, reports four employees and gives a 2022 founding year, while warning its overview is AI-generated.Read 15 Oct 2026 · startup-seeker.com
Independent product description
StartupSeeker describes UnderstandHQ as animated, mobile-first data explanations with a React package, SaaS embedding and GIF export.Read 15 Oct 2026 · startup-seeker.com
Legal entity
The Czech business registry lists Understand Labs s.r.o., founded September 17, 2021, with a Prague address and CZK 20,000 registered capital.Read 15 Oct 2026 · podnikatel.cz
Licence and ownership
The terms retain Understand Labs’ intellectual property, prohibit copying or reverse engineering, and grant users ownership of uploaded content subject to a broad service licence.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Limit: G2 reviewer complaints
G2 reviewers reported incorrect butterfly-view call representations, difficulty for beginners, slow loading, hangs and occasional crashes on large projects.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Maker description
LinkedIn describes UnderstandHQ as SaaS for turning data into understandable presentations and lists Understand Labs as a private software-development company.Read 15 Oct 2026 · cz.linkedin.com
Mobile viewing
The maker says data stories are designed to display well on mobile devices.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Notable news
The GoodData acquisition announcement said the combination would target explainable AI narratives, agentic workflows and guided decision support.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gooddata.ai
Praise: code-flow visualization
G2 reviewers praised the listed Understand product for showing code flow, visualizing architecture and helping with debugging and documentation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Privacy commitment
The privacy policy says Understand Labs does not sell or rent user data and that customers retain ownership of their data.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Privacy security measures
The privacy policy says the company encrypts personal information, conducts regular penetration testing, and uses physical security measures for premises where personal data is stored.Read 30 Sep 2026 · understandhq.com
Rating on G2
4.2 out of 5 from 5 reviews; G2’s listing describes a different Scientific Toolworks code-analysis product named Understand.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Registered activity
The registry records software provision, IT consulting, data processing, hosting, web portals and business consulting as company activities.Read 15 Oct 2026 · podnikatel.cz
Scheduling
The site describes scheduled delivery of updated data stories, including daily schedules.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Scheduling and mobile
The site describes scheduled story updates and says data stories look good on mobile devices.Read 30 Sep 2026 · understandhq.com
SDK evidence
GoodData says Understand Labs’ flagship SDKs powered custom storytelling solutions for ecommerce, retail, logistics and media.Read 15 Oct 2026 · gooddata.ai
Security measures
The privacy policy describes encryption, regular penetration testing and physical security for locations storing personal data.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Security options
The enterprise offering lists SSO and access-control capabilities.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Sharing
Stories can be shared publicly, embedded, exported as PDF, or distributed through Slack and email notifications.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Status
The public status page reported all listed services operational with 100% uptime over the displayed 30-day period.Read 15 Oct 2026 · status.understandhq.com
Story format
A story is built as a sequence of cards that appear as the viewer scrolls, a format the site calls scrollytelling.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Subscription limits
Paid subscriptions are billed in advance by editor seats and add-ons; reducing seats does not generate a credit and cancellation does not refund already-paid fees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Themes
Users can select or create visual themes for their stories.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
White label
The service offers embedding in another product with custom branding and a customer domain.Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
White labeling
Understand offers a white-label solution to embed stories in another product with custom branding and a custom domain.Read 30 Sep 2026 · understandhq.com

Plans and prices

Starter Free Single editor · Unlimited stories · Full story editor · CSV upload/manual entry · Public sharing · Scrollytelling Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
More Understand AI $15 a month + $15 per 30 cards/month Additional AI usage Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Growth $25 a month Annual billing (Save 20%) Per editor · Unlimited viewers · Custom themes · Google Sheets · PostgreSQL · MySQL · MariaDB · 30 AI cards · Email/Slack notifications Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Advanced connectors $99 a month + $99 per connector/month BigQuery · Redshift · Azure · Snowflake Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
API $199 a month + $199 per month Create stories at scale through API Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com
Enterprise-ready Priced on request Book a call OLAP connectors · Custom API/connectors/charts · Private cloud · Single tenant · SSO · Access control Read 15 Oct 2026 · understandhq.com

Every Understand plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Starter includes unlimited stories.
  • Imports can come from files, databases, or APIs.
  • AI can summarize stories and find anomalies.
  • Stories can be embedded or shared publicly.
  • Enterprise-ready options include private cloud deployment.

Limits

  • Starter includes a single editor.
  • Email and Slack notifications are listed for Growth.
  • Website use is limited to individuals aged 13 or older.

Who it suits

Understand suits people who want to present dashboard or chart insights as scrollable stories. Starter offers one editor and public sharing; teams needing notifications, custom themes, or additional connectors can consider paid options.

Understand in depth

Read the full write-up

Understand is a tool for turning data into scroll-through stories, best suited to analysts and teams who want to guide an audience through findings. Its narrative format and sharing options are useful, but the free plan is limited to one editor and CSV or manual data.

Overview

Instead of asking readers to make sense of a dashboard on their own, Understand presents a story as cards that unfold as they scroll. Authors can pair data with narrative annotations and interactive visualizations, shaping a presentation that supports sharing insights and decisions. Stories can be shared publicly or embedded; Growth adds email and Slack notifications.

Understand supports scheduled story updates and says its stories display well on mobile. Those features suit recurring updates and audiences reading on phones, though the plan details make clear that richer data connections come at additional cost.

Key features

Connections, AI, and branding

Data can be imported from files, Google, SQL databases, OLAP cubes, or APIs. In practice, the included connectors vary by plan: Starter permits CSV uploads and manual entry, while Growth adds Google Sheets, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MariaDB. BigQuery, Redshift, Azure, and Snowflake are charged separately per connector. Enterprise-ready adds OLAP and custom connectors.

Understand AI can analyze and summarize stories and find anomalies. Growth includes AI for 30 cards; additional usage costs $15 per 30 cards per month. Custom themes are included with Growth, while the white-label solution supports embedding stories in another product with custom branding and a custom domain.

Privacy and security

Understand Labs says it does not sell or rent user data, and users own their data. Its privacy policy 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. Enterprise-ready includes private cloud or single-tenant deployment, SSO, and access control. The website is available only to people aged 13 or older.

Pricing

Starter is free and allows one editor, unlimited stories, CSV uploads and manual data entry, public sharing, and scrollytelling. It is a useful way for an individual to create and publish stories, but it lacks the Growth connectors, themes, viewer allowance, and notifications that make team distribution more practical.

Growth costs $25.00 per editor per month with annual billing (save 20%). It includes unlimited viewers, custom themes, Google Sheets and PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MariaDB connections, Understand AI for 30 cards, and email and Slack notifications. This is the clearest fit for teams publishing stories regularly, but per-editor billing means costs rise as the author group grows.

Additional Understand AI usage costs $15.00 per month per 30 cards. Advanced connectors cost $99.00 per connector per month for BigQuery, Redshift, Azure, or Snowflake. The API plan costs $199.00 per month to create stories at scale using the API. Enterprise-ready has custom pricing and adds OLAP connectors, custom API, custom connectors and charts, as well as private deployment and access controls. A 14-day trial is offered.

Platforms

Understand is available on Android, iOS, and the web, with API access also listed. Mobile display support is useful for readers on phones, while the API option is relevant to teams creating stories at scale.

Who it's for

Understand is a good match for analysts and teams that need to wrap data in a guided narrative, share it with viewers, and refresh stories on a schedule. Starter suits an individual working with CSVs or manual data. Teams needing named data connections, branded themes, or notifications will be better served by Growth; organizations needing single-tenant deployment, SSO, or custom integrations should consider Enterprise-ready.

It is less compelling for a team that only needs standalone charts or dashboards and does not need a narrative presentation: the paid connectors and per-editor Growth charge may be unnecessary for that use.

Pros and cons

Pros: Card-based scrollytelling combines visualizations with narrative annotations, giving authors a structured way to lead readers through data.

Pros: The free plan supports unlimited stories and public sharing, with no editor charge for a solo author.

Pros: Growth supports unlimited viewers and scheduled distribution through email and Slack notifications.

Cons: Starter is restricted to one editor and CSV or manual data entry, so collaboration and direct database connections require paid plans.

Cons: Several important connections and extra AI use carry separate monthly charges on top of Growth.

Alternatives

Data Storytelling Tools is a useful category to browse if you want to compare options beyond Understand.

Choose Datawrapper if you want charts, maps, and tables with web publishing and embedding, PNG downloads, and attribution on its free plan. Graphtelling is another freemium web option, with a free tier limited to three charts, 50 one-time AI actions, JPEG export, and branding.

Unmapped may suit someone who wants to publish up to three branded stories with 500 MB of storage on a free plan, while Infogram offers a freemium option with interactive charts and maps. Consider BStreams if its free plan's one collaborator, 50 MB storage, 3 MB upload limit, and watermark fit your needs.

DataStories is a paid alternative if you prefer a product without a free plan. Flourish offers unlimited projects and stories, public publishing, and embeds on its free plan, with attribution. Mimasa AI is another freemium alternative, with five credits per day and one user on its free tier.

Verdict

Choose Understand if you need to turn data into a guided story and share it with an audience, especially if Growth's connectors and notifications match your workflow. Look elsewhere if your priority is a lower-cost team setup or straightforward chart publishing: its per-editor pricing and separately charged connectors can make that format expensive.

Verdict

Understand combines data connections with a card-based narrative format and story sharing. The free plan is for one editor; Growth costs $25.00 per editor per month with annual billing.

Where Specifiction places it

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