Datawrapper is an enterprise solution that allows users to create Charts, Tables and Maps and embed these on websites. It is a feature rich application that will be great for some use-cases but it also might be overwhelming for new or less experienced users.
Data visualization is essential for making sense of complex information, and Datawrapper has been a go-to tool for many professionals. However, while it offers a range of features, it isn’t necessarily the best fit for everyone. If you’re looking for an alternative that’s easier to use and more budget-friendly, apiwidgets.com provides a compelling option.
Datawrapper Data Sources
In Datawrapper you can use the following methods as your data source:
- Copy/Paste CSV data
- XLS/CSV Upload
- Connect to Google Sheets
- External CSV file
- External JSON file
This provides methods for adding static files and static data.
Unlike API Widgets, there is no option to connect to an API and keep the data updated from an API. The closest they have is the external JSON file but this needs to be manually edited to keep it updated.
Datawrapper Pricing
Datawrapper has a great free plan that includes unlimited visualization embeds, but the free plan has some limitations with customizations and some of these are only available in their paid plans.
The starting price for a paid plain is a whipping $599 per month! Not a typo – $599 a month.
Datawrapper also has a higher tiered plan but there is no price shown for this plan.
Datawrapper Features
Datawrapper has a TON of features and out-of-the-box, their tables and charts look just okay. It takes a fair bit of fiddling and customizing to get really nice looking charts and tables.
But you can get extremely fine-grained control over your visualizations if you wish to spend the time.
Where Datawrapper Falls Short
Datawrapper is feature packed for sure, but it falls short in a number of areas.
High Pricing for Premium Features
Datawrapper’s free plan is limited (as is ours). To access more customization, users must pay $599 per month for the “Custom” plan – an amount that may be excessive for small businesses, bloggers, or independent creators. For enterprise users who want more features or additional support, pricing isn’t even publicly available, meaning it can get even more expensive.
Complexity in Customization
While Datawrapper provides a variety of customization options, they come at the cost of usability. Making a chart or table look exactly how you want requires understanding the platform’s settings and, in some cases, working with custom themes (which are only available on the higher-tier plans). For those who just want to embed data quickly without worrying about tweaking endless design options, this level of complexity is unnecessary.
Not Ideal for API-Based Automation
Datawrapper is built with manual data uploads in mind – copying and pasting from spreadsheets or linking to Google Sheets. While it has live-updating capabilities, it lacks seamless automation for working with dynamic API data. If you need a tool that connects directly to APIs without extra configuration, Datawrapper won’t work for you.
Why Choose API Widgets Instead?
Unlike Datawrapper, apiwidgets.com is built with automation in mind, making it easier to take live API data and turn it into shareable tables, charts, and HTML elements. It’s designed to be cheaper, simpler, and more accessible – without unnecessary complexity or extremely high pricing tiers.
If you’re looking for an affordable, user-friendly way to create visualizations without the drawbacks of Datawrapper, apiwidgets.com is the alternative you’ve been searching for.