Columns AI was founded in 2021 and is based in Kirkland, Washington, built around a Canva-for-data concept that lets people without a data-analyst background turn raw spreadsheets into a shareable, narrated story. The platform has grown to around 12,000 users, a niche but engaged base among data storytelling tools.
Users connect a spreadsheet, database, or API, and Columns' AI generates interactive charts, annotations, and voice-over narration to walk a viewer through the data rather than leaving them to interpret a static chart. Built-in data catalogs covering categories like technology, climate, and industry data let users blend their own numbers with reference datasets inside the same story.
Columns fits analysts, marketers, and founders who need to present data to a non-technical audience without exporting screenshots into a slide deck. A free plan covers basic use with no credit card required; Premium runs $75/year, and a lifetime license has been sold through AppSumo for $99.
