Datastory

Datastory is a web workspace for turning datasets into interactive charts, applications and presentations. It is a strong fit for analysts, journalists, NGOs and research teams that need to explain evidence and publish it in several formats. The free tier is useful for small projects, while continuing team work generally calls for Professional.

Overview

Datastory combines data import, visual analysis and story-style publishing in one workflow. You can publish a visualization as a standalone link, embed it in a website or export a high-quality image. That range suits organizations that need both interactive material for the web and fixed artwork for reports, newsletters or presentations.

Its Open Data catalog includes statistics from the OECD, WHO, Eurostat, World Bank and the UN. Those sources give a public-data project a useful starting point, and unlimited open-data downloads are included in Starter. Datastory was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

Key features

AI can interpret uploaded data, suggest visualizations, identify insights and draft captions based on workspace data. This can shorten the path from a spreadsheet to an explainable story, but suggestions still need editorial checking: an automatically selected chart or caption may not express the intended comparison.

The chart picker reads column types and recommends encodings for categorical, temporal, geographic and hierarchical data. That guidance is particularly valuable when a team works across different kinds of datasets. Datastory also supports brand kits, interactive publishing and both link-based and embedded publishing.

Embeds are supported in Notion, Webflow, newsletters and content management systems, making the output practical for editorial and communications teams. Linked data is an Enterprise feature: it connects datasets in a knowledge graph and lets teams reuse consistent metric definitions, which is more relevant to larger, governed data programs than to occasional chart makers.

Security controls are substantial for a web service. Data is encrypted in transit with TLS 1.3 and at rest with AES-256; accounts have role-based access control and multi-factor authentication. Datastory says it complies with GDPR as a processor and platform provider, uses EU/EEA primary data centers, and can offer residency options to enterprise customers. Contrast is checked, but color-blind-safe palettes are still in progress, while keyboard and screen-reader support remain on the roadmap. That makes accessibility a current limitation for teams with strict inclusive-publishing requirements.

Pricing

Starter — free. This plan allows 10 data visualizations, up to three team members, 100 AI credits per month and unlimited Open Data downloads. It includes email support. The visualization cap and small team allowance make it appropriate for a personal portfolio, pilot or occasional project, not a busy newsroom or expanding research group.

Professional — $15 a month, billed per user. You get unlimited data visualizations, unlimited collaborators, 1,000 AI credits per month, priority support, custom logo and theming. Paying per user is sensible when several contributors need access, and the removal of the visualization cap is the main operational upgrade. AI-heavy workflows should still monitor the monthly credit allowance.

Enterprise — custom pricing, billed Custom. It adds unlimited visualizations and collaborators, custom data integration and modeling, custom visualizations, a dedicated account manager and AI credits on demand. This is the plan for organizations that need governed data connections, bespoke work and managed support rather than a published per-user price.

The project limit is 15. Datastory offers a free plan, while Professional and Enterprise provide the capacity and support expected for sustained collaboration.

Platforms

Datastory runs on the web. That keeps publishing and collaboration centered in a browser, but the listed platform does not include native desktop or mobile applications.

Who it's for

Choose Datastory if you are an analyst, journalist, NGO, researcher or data storyteller who needs to move from source data to an interactive, publishable explanation. It is especially suitable when the same work must appear as an embed, link and image, or when public statistics from established international sources are central to the project.

It is less suitable for teams that require finished accessibility coverage today, or for users seeking a dedicated static-infographic tool without a data-publishing workflow.

Pros and cons

• Pros: AI interpretation, chart recommendations and caption drafting can accelerate data storytelling.
• Pros: Links, embeds and high-quality image export cover multiple publishing destinations.
• Pros: Open Data sources and unlimited downloads on Starter help public-statistics projects get moving.
• Pros: TLS 1.3, AES-256, role controls, MFA and GDPR positioning support organizational use.
• Cons: Starter stops at 10 visualizations and three members, limiting ongoing team production.
• Cons: Accessibility is incomplete, with color-blind-safe palettes and assistive-technology support still unfinished.
• Cons: Professional's 1,000 monthly AI credits may constrain particularly intensive automated analysis.

Alternatives

Visme is the better choice when you need a broader cross-platform design tool, including Windows, macOS and iOS, plus slide and page limits rather than Datastory's data-story workflow.

Infogram suits users who prioritize a large library of interactive chart types, map types and online publishing, with API access also listed.

MilleMots is aimed at mobile infographic creation on Android and iOS, with a free allowance of three infographics per month.

Piktochart is a strong alternative for teams wanting a web infographic editor with storage, downloads and AI credits in its free plan.

GetInfographic is an option for users seeking API, browser-extension and web access with credit-based generation.

InfographicMaker.org focuses on infographic drafts, templates, brand kits and vector export across its paid tiers.

Jeda.ai offers a web-based AI workspace with a free trial and daily processing actions.

MakeInfographic.ai is a credit-based web option with a free tier for limited monthly infographic generation.

For broader discovery, see the Data Storytelling Tools, AI Infographic Makers and Infographic Software lists.

Verdict

Datastory is a good recommendation for professionals who need data interpretation, chart guidance and flexible publication in one browser workspace. Its strongest reason to choose it is the combination of AI-assisted analysis, credible open-data access and link, embed and image output. Look elsewhere if accessibility completeness, native apps or a purely design-first infographic workflow matters more than data-driven publishing.