Columns
Columns is an AI-powered data visualization and collaboration platform that allows teams to work together in real-time to create stunning visualizations using n...
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What is Columns?
Columns is an AI-powered data storytelling platform that transforms raw data into compelling visual narratives in just 5 minutes. Often called 'Canva for data,' it allows users to connect live data from multiple sources, visualize it through AI chat, design stunning narratives with customizable charts, and share them seamlessly with teams or publish them publicly.
Key features include: Auto visual recommendations where AI suggests the best chart types; drag-and-drop UI for multi-dimensional data analysis; fully customizable SVG canvas where you can click any element to style it differently; integrations with Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, Notion, Airtable, Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Slack, GitHub, MySQL, and PostgreSQL; Slack integration for starting insights discovery from Slack messages; embedding capabilities with auto-updatable stories; fine-grained access controls for sharing; and AI chat interface that preserves conversation history to learn user preferences.
Columns is designed for data consultants and freelancers, data storytellers and scientists, data and business analysts, SMB owners, media publishers, content creators, developers, and influencers. It serves professionals in data analytics and BI who need to move faster from data to impactful insights without juggling multiple disconnected tools.
Columns pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Columns offers 3 pricing tiers: Free tier with basic features; Premium plan at $75/year (or $79 license) including AI data storytelling, unlimited visual graphs and embedding, secure data sharing, and up to 10 slide decks; Platinum plan at $180/year with unlimited slide decks, unlimited API calls, and hourly data synchronization; Enterprise/custom tier for huge use cases with dedicated cluster provisioning. A lifetime deal is available at $79 (regularly $900, 91% discount). Starting price is US$75.00 with flat rate pricing model. Free version and free trial available.
Columns pros
- AI-powered auto visual recommendations for chart types
- Simple AI chat interface to visualize data without complex tools
- Drag-and-drop UI for multi-dimensional fast data analysis
- Fully customizable SVG canvas - click any element to style it
- Works with Google Sheets, Excel, Notion, Airtable seamlessly
- Connects to SQL databases: Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery
- Slack integration for instant insights discovery and collaboration
- Stories are fully embeddable with auto-updatable data sync
- Fine-grained access controls for flexible sharing options
- AI chat history learns your preferences for better recommendations
- Export charts to images for sharing when needed
- Canva-like design tools for beautiful data storytelling
- Real-time analytics and real-time data support
- No performance lag even with large datasets
- 60-day money-back guarantee for risk-free trial
Columns cons
- Complex to master due to powerful feature set
- Missing some advanced visualizations compared to competitors
- Limited complex interactivity in charts
- Roles and Rights features missing for team access control
- Many standard options from other products are missing
- UI design not particularly visually appealing
- Requires cloud data upload due to integration limitations
- Cannot embed auto-updating tables in internal documents
- Still in active development with missing essential functions
- Learning curve for new users initially
Frequently asked questions about Columns
What is Columns AI?
Columns is an AI-powered data visualization and collaboration platform that allows teams to work together in real-time to create stunning visualizations using natural language inputs. It's called 'Canva for data' because it empowers creativity in data storytelling, making insights more engaging. You can seamlessly connect live data from Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable, SQL databases, CSV files, visualize it effortlessly through AI chat, design stunning narratives, and share them with ease.
Who uses Columns?
Columns targets professionals in data analytics and BI including: Data consultants and freelancers, Data storytellers and scientists, Data and business analysts, SMB owners, and Media publishers. It's also best for content creators, developers, and influencers who need to transform data into compelling visual stories.
What data sources does Columns support?
Columns supports a wide range of data sources: Data services like Google spreadsheets, Microsoft Excel, Notion, Airtable; Data uploads via CSV/TSV files to cloud storage; SQL Databases including Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery; and HTTP API connections with just a few clicks. It integrates with Airtable, Databricks, GitHub, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Slack, and Snowflake.
How does the AI chat visualization work?
Columns offers the most intuitive UI to visualize data simply through AI chat. The AI provides auto visual recommendations to generate visualization suggestions for you to start with. As you chat more with it, the conversation is preserved in history and it learns your preferences to provide better recommendations. You get well-crafted charts with a drag-and-drop UI for multi-dimensional fast data analysis.
Can I customize my charts and designs?
Yes, Columns visualization is fully customizable. You can click any item on the SVG canvas and get it styled differently. You can move elements around by clicking and dragging. Storytelling tools include: highlighting metrics with contrast color and opacity, adding annotations, adding images/icons/emojis, adding shapes, and resizing charts while customizing axes, title, legends, and more.
How do I share and publish my data stories?
Columns enables seamless communication through Slack integration where you can start insights discovery from Slack messages, collaborate with teams, and message your story to Slack anytime. You can publish your story for wider sharing like presentations. Stories are fully embeddable and auto-updatable to keep in sync with your data. Fine-grained access control gives full flexibility to share or publish with access control.
What's the difference between Columns and BI tools like Tableau?
Columns helps you analyze and visualize data into a beautiful story rather than just creating charts. It's not just a chart tool - design tools allow you to style every single element in the canvas like Canva. Columns is a storytelling platform focused on simplifying data analysis, visualization, storytelling, and communication in one cohesive platform, making the journey simple and enjoyable with less time to achieve more.
Is there a free tier or trial available?
Yes, Columns offers a Free tier with basic features and a Free Trial option. There's also a 60-day money-back guarantee so you can try it out for 2 months to make sure it's right for you. The Free version is available alongside the paid Premium and Enterprise tiers.
Can I use Columns API for my applications?
Yes, Columns Ai offers the simplest API to build fast, reliable, and scalable real-time analytics applications. You create an API endpoint and pump your data in, then call the Columns API to query live data for your app. For huge use cases, you can contact [email protected] for direct support to provision a dedicated cluster. The Platinum plan includes unlimited API calls.
What integrations does Columns have?
Columns has 7 total integrations: Airtable, Databricks, GitHub, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Slack, and Snowflake. It also supports Google spreadsheets, Microsoft Excel, Notion, BigQuery, and HTTP API connections. The Slack integration is particularly powerful for starting insights discovery sessions from Slack messages, collaborating on data analysis, and sharing stories instantly to your team.