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Understand review

Freemium#5 of 22 in Data Storytelling Tools

A focused scrollytelling platform for turning connected data into guided visual stories.

8.8/10Editor score
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Understand8.8 Visit Understand

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Understand is a data storytelling platform for individuals, teams, and organizations that need to turn data into guided visual stories. It combines sequential scrollytelling cards with interactive charts, narrative annotations, presentation flow, public sharing, and embedded stories. Analytics teams can import CSV files, enter data manually, or connect spreadsheets, SQL databases, OLAP cubes, and APIs. AI-assisted analysis and anomaly finding add another way to explore insights before presenting them.

Its strongest fit is an environment with varied data sources and a need to distribute recurring analysis. Integrations include Google Sheets, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, BigQuery, Redshift, Azure, Snowflake, Excel, CSV, SQL databases, OLAP cubes, APIs, and Slack. Scheduled story updates can keep published narratives current, while email and Slack notifications help surface changes. API-based story creation also supports teams that want to generate stories programmatically rather than build every card manually.

The free Starter plan includes a single editor, unlimited stories, a fully featured story editor, CSV upload, manual data entry, public sharing, and scrollytelling. Growth costs $25 per editor per month with annual billing and adds unlimited viewers, custom themes, Google Sheets, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MariaDB connectors. Enterprise options include custom connectors, SSO, access control, and private or single-tenant deployment. Understand is a strong choice for connected, narrative reporting; teams seeking a conventional, non-narrative presentation format may prefer a different tool.

Understand pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Sequential cards turn analysis into guided, interactive stories.
    • Connects to spreadsheets, databases, OLAP cubes, APIs, and files.
    • AI analysis, scheduled updates, sharing, and notifications support distribution.
  • Where it doesn't
    • Starter supports only a single editor.
    • Growth pricing starts at $25 per editor monthly with annual billing.
    • The scrollytelling format may not suit every data presentation need.

Understand fact sheet, pricing and score →

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