DataStories vs Understand
DataStories
datastories.com
Understand
understandhq.comSide by side
| Figure | DataStories | Understand |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | $15/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 6 |
| Spec score · Data Storytelling Tools | 8.4 (#4) | 8.6 (#3) |
| API | The platform supports API access to some functionality through generated API tokens, which users can revoke along with sessions. | The pricing page offers an API add-on for creating stories at scale and shows a Python-style understand_sdk example. |
| Founded | A company press release says CEO Katya Vladislavleva founded DataStories; it does not state a founding year in the opened content. | 2021 |
| Product | DataStories describes its platform as augmented analytics and predictive analytics software for generating data insights without prior data-science experience. | Understand helps users turn static charts and complex dashboards into data stories for sharing insights and supporting decisions. |
| Sharing | Stories can be shared with other platform accounts using viewer, share, or share-and-clone permissions. | Stories can be shared publicly, embedded, exported as PDF, or distributed through Slack and email notifications. |
| What it does | DataStories is an augmented analytics platform that helps users generate insights from data and create interactive data stories without prior data science experience. | Understand turns static charts and complex dashboards into scroll-based data stories intended to improve comprehension and decisions. |
Plans
Understand
- StarterFree
- More Understand AI$15 a month
- Growth$25 a month
- Advanced connectors$99 a month
- API$199 a month
- Enterprise-readyPriced on request
In their own words
DataStories
DataStories is an augmented and predictive analytics platform for generating insights from data without prior data-science experience. It turns structured data into interactive stories that users can interpret, act on, communicate, and share. Its analysis supports regression and binary classification, including predicting multiple KPIs at once. For regression tasks with at least one numerical KPI, the optimizer can seek KPI configurations while accounting for objectives, uncertainty, and constraints. Inputs are tabular Excel, CSV, or TXT files, with at least 20 rows and a maximum size of 40 MB. Users can optionally create PowerPoint slides from story slides available in the platform. A library connects the computational engine through Python or Jupyter, and SDK tutorials cover MLflow, Databricks, and standalone dashboards. Stories can be shared with other platform accounts using viewer, share, or share-and-clone permissions. A local workstation installation starts with Pro. The maker says cloud data is hosted on AWS servers in Ireland and remains within the EU. A trial is available for an agreed evaluation period, and may have limited features.
Understand
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.