Best Data Storytelling Tools in 2026
Updated
In short: Understand is ranked #1 of 22 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of Datawrapper and Graphtelling. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Datawrapper. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Graphtelling at €10/mo.
Turning data into a narrative means considering both what people see and how they move through it. Interactive visualizations and narrative annotations are useful comparison points, alongside presentation flow and share mode. Data source limits and live data refresh can help you assess whether a tool suits the data you work with and how current it should be. Free plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. Understand, Datawrapper, and Infogram are among the tools included. Compare the listed criteria with your sources, sharing needs, and preferred way of guiding an audience through a data presentation.
22 data storytelling tools ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
Data Storytelling Tools, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 16 of the 22 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 UnderstandPaid from $15/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 DatawrapperPaid from $21/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 GraphtellingPaid from €10/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 4 InfogramFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 5 BStreamsPaid from €21.08/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 6 FlourishFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 7 Mimasa AIPaid from $29/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 8 ArcGIS StoryMapsFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 9 DatastoryPaid from $15/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 10 ObservablePaid from $2,225/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 11 ChartWeavePaid from $19/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 12 EvidencePaid from $2,500/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 13 MapjiFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 14 Storyline JSFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 15 DataStories
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 16 ToucanPaid from €445/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 17 TalkingMaps
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 18 Juicebox
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 19 MachEye
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 20 TimelineJSFree plan
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 21 UnmappedPaid from $29/mo
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 22 MotionMap
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
Compare all 22 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Interactive visualizations | Narrative annotations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Understand | 7.9 | Free plan | $15/mo | Yes | 25 /user/mo | Yes | Yes |
| 2 | Datawrapper | 7.6 | Free plan | $21/mo | Yes | 21 /user/mo | — | — |
| 3 | Graphtelling | 7.6 | Free plan | €10/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Infogram | 7.2 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 5 | BStreams | 7.1 | Free plan | €21.08/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | Flourish | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | Mimasa AI | 7.1 | Free plan | $29/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | ArcGIS StoryMaps | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | Datastory | 7.0 | Free plan | $15/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 10 | Observable | 7.0 | Free plan | $2,225/mo | Yes | 22 /user/mo | — | — |
| 11 | ChartWeave | 6.9 | Free plan | $19/mo | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 12 | Evidence | 6.9 | No | $2,500/mo | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 13 | Mapji | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | Storyline JS | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | DataStories | 6.4 | No | — | No | — | Yes | — |
| 16 | Toucan | 6.1 | No | €445/mo | Yes | — | — | — |
| 17 | TalkingMaps | 6.0 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | Juicebox | 5.8 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 19 | MachEye | 5.8 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 20 | TimelineJS | 5.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 21 | Unmapped | 5.8 | Free plan | $29/mo | Yes | — | Yes | Yes |
| 22 | MotionMap | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which data storytelling tool is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
Understand is ranked #1 of 22 with a score of 7.9. Datawrapper is second and Graphtelling third.
How many of these have a free plan?
15 of the 22 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Graphtelling has the lowest first paid tier we found: €10/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.