14 BEST Data Analytics Tools (2024)
David Carter
Data analytics involves analyzing data to gain insight into customers, products, or sales. Companies collect unstructured data and use data analytics to structure and interpret it. It is important to select a good data analytics tool so that you do not face data security issues, incorrect data generation, limited data visuality, and other inaccuracies.
Hence, after intensive research, I have selected the 14 best data analytics tools based on type, free trial period, framework, and platform. This list contains free (open source) and paid software. You can now read my firsthand, thoroughly researched, unbiased review to make a well-informed decision. Read more…
Using Zoho’s data analytics tool, you can instantly access your business data for key decisions. It offers advanced business intelligence (BI)- bundled with Zoho Analytics. Helpdesk, email & social media marketing, surveys, and analytics are all built around your Analytics.
Best Data Analytics Tools & Software: Top Picks!
| Name | Data Visualization | Free Trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 👍 Zoho | Charts and graphs | 15-Day Free Trial | Learn More |
| 👍 Two Minute Reports | Reports and graphs | 14-Day Free Trial (No Credit Card Required) | Learn More |
| Python | Matplotlib, Seaborn, and Bokeh. | Free software | Learn More |
| Tableau | Charts, graphs, and maps. | 1-year Free Trial | Learn More |
| Qlikview | Interactive graphs, charts, and maps. | 30-Day Free Trial | Learn More |
1) Zoho
Best for robust insights
Using Zoho’s data analytics tool, you can instantly access your business data to make key decisions. You can also use its AI-powered assistant, which lets users ask questions and get intelligent answers from relevant reports. It offers advanced business intelligence (BI) bundled with Zoho Analytics. The helpdesk, email, social media marketing, surveys, and analytics are all built around your analytics.
Zoho offers a comprehensive platform that integrates seamlessly with over 500 tools, including Google, Zapier, GitHub, and Dropbox. I liked its powerful data visualization features, which helped me create detailed charts and graphs. Zoho is widely trusted by companies like 6e Technologies, Ackerman & Co, and AcuTech Consulting Group. It is available across Windows, Mac, and Linux, making it a versatile choice for any organization.
Integration: Zendesk, Jira, Salesforce, HubSpot, Mailchimp, and Eventbrite
Real-Time Reporting: Yes
Supported Platforms: Windows, iOS and Android
Free Trial: 15 Days Free Trial (No Credit Card Required)
Features:
- Data Connectivity: Zoho’s easy-to-use connectors allow you to link files, feeds, business apps, and custom cloud databases. It also lets you filter and clean the data with its smart-cleanse feature.
- Data Preparation: Zoho’s self-service data module effortlessly cleanses, transforms, enriches, and catalogs data. I noticed that it can automatically identify data sets, remove duplicates, format data without coding, and much more.
- Report Creation: With Zoho’s drag-and-drop interface, I could easily create insightful reports and dashboards.
- Data Visualization: You can visualize your data using charts, widgets, pivot tables, and tabular views for comprehensive analysis.
- Collaboration: I was able to hold meaningful conversations by securely sharing reports and managing permissions with fine-grained control.
Pros
- I found the low-code embedded BI Tool to be a phenomenal feature
- It offers an impressively low total cost of ownership
- Easy to deploy and simplifies the process
- It is fully security compliant, which is reassuring
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Plan to start at $14.29 per month.
- Free Trial:15-day free trial (No credit card required).
15-Days Free Trial
2) Two Minute Reports
Best data analytics tool for actionable reporting
Two Minute Reports is an effective data analytics tool that uncovers potential growth opportunities. During my research, I tested its ability to integrate 30+ data sources in Google Sheets and Looker Studio. It seamlessly enables me to track everything holistically so I can focus on strategizing important decisions with my clients.
With over 100+ templates on my side, I was able to customize my reporting dashboards quickly. As a result, I could perform cohort analysis, track multi-channel performance, and predict ongoing trends to make the right decision. I would recommend this tool for busy marketers who want to navigate the clutter and focus on what matters.
Integration: 30+ data sources like Facebook Ads, Google Ads, Shopify, Google Analytics 4, Twitter Ads, Klaviyo, Apple App Store, Amazon Ads, etc.
Real-Time Reporting: Yes
Supported Platforms: Cloud-based
Free Trial: 14 Days Free Trial (No Credit Card Required)
Features:
- Data connectivity: Integrates with 30+ data sources like Facebook Ads, Google Ads, Shopify, LinkedIn Ads, Google Analytics 4, Twitter Ads, YouTube Analytics, Klaviyo, Google Search Console, Facebook Insights, Apple App Store, Amazon Ads, HubSpot, etc.
- Report Creation: You can pick any relevant template, customize it per your needs, and start generating reports instantly.
- Team Collaboration: Share reports and dashboards with unlimited users.
- Data Visualization: Build multi-channel dashboards, reporting dashboards, campaign performance dashboards, and client-specific dashboards to craft compelling data stories.
- Automated Reporting: You can send automated reports to your clients regularly, informing them about key updates.
- Workflow management: Streamline and automate measuring and optimizing data under a single dashboard.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Pricing starts at $10/month, depending on the number of users, data sources, and accounts per data source type.
- Free Trial: 14-day free trial (no credit card required).
14-Day Free Trial (No Credit Card Required)
3) Python
Best open-source data analytics tool
Python started as an object-oriented programming language, but I discovered that it now excels in data science. During my analysis, the Pandas library, built on NumPy (an early Python library used for data science), helped me efficiently perform complex data manipulations and numeric analyses.
Features:
- Advanced Data Analysis: I could utilize Python’s machine learning and text mining features to conduct advanced data analysis.
- Integration Flexibility: Python allows easy integration with C/C++, Java, PHP, and C#, which I found essential for my projects.
- Industry Adoption: According to industry standards, companies like Google and Facebook rely on Python for crucial tasks.
- Data Visualization Tools: Python’s libraries like Matplotlib, Seaborn, and Bokeh provided me with a perfect solution for visualizing data.
- Programming Language Type: It is a versatile and effective programming language, perfect for solving various coding challenges.
- Web Frameworks: Python frameworks like Django and TurboGears are great for creating robust and scalable web applications.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: It allows seamless development across different platforms, which is great for diverse projects.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Free Software
Link: https://www.python.org/
4) Tableau
Best reporting dashboards
Tableau is a remarkable data analytics tool with an interactive dashboard that helps you build clear data visualizations easily. As per my review, it is one of the easiest tools for working with big data, Excel files, and SQL databases. Tableau allowed me to analyze predictive data and identify real-time trends.
Tableau stands out as a leading visual analytics platform that offers enhanced wildcard union features and powerful data visualization capabilities. I find its ability to create compelling charts, graphs, and maps particularly useful. Moreover, Tableau is available on both Windows and MacOS. Hence, it provides a seamless experience for visualizing complex data across different platforms.
Features:
- Comprehensive Data Access: Tableau provides the ability to connect databases, Excel files, and web applications concurrently. I also noticed that it turns the data into actionable insights and helps with better decision-making.
- Relationship Mapping: I could establish relationships between different data sources in Tableau to ensure cohesive data analysis. You can also prepare data and visualize it faster with its conversational AI.
- Smart Navigation: Tableau’s smart navigation allows you to access relevant content more efficiently.
- User Security: I benefitted from Tableau Cloud’s seamless authentication process, which provided me with secure access.
- Editing Tools: It has a pop-up window in for editing virtual connections and checking revision history.
- Prestigious Clients: Tableau is utilized by top brands such as The World Bank and The New York Times.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Contact sales for pricing
- Free Trial: 1-year free trial. Has a free community edition as well.
Link: https://www.tableau.com/
5) Qlikview
Best for machine learning
QlikView is great for data visualization and analytics. I reviewed its ad hoc query features, which allowed me to make quick decisions with easy-to-access data. During my research, I found out that it uses the associative model to customize searches for answers. Additionally, its in-memory storage allows you to access data quickly on Windows.
Features:
- Data Source Integration: I could combine data from hundreds of sources. This gave me a comprehensive overview of analytics. It also allows you to scale and integrate data seamlessly with transparent reporting.
- AI-Powered Insights: Its AI-generated insights provide automatic and actionable suggestions that might be helpful to avoid data misinterpretations.
- Implementation and ROI: I could quickly see a return on investment thanks to its fast and efficient implementation.
- Data Visualization Features: It offers great options for creating interactive graphs, charts, and maps to visualize complex data.
- Company Endorsements: Companies like Alliance Data Systems Corporation consider it a reliable tool for their operations.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Plan to start at $825 per month.
- Free Trial: 30-day free trial.
Link: https://www.qlik.com/us/products/qlikview
6) SAS
Best BI and data analytics tool
SAS excels at providing robust data analytics with features like creating and sharing pinboards, real-time keyword validation, and cross-source analysis. I found the drill-anywhere capability particularly effective for in-depth data exploration. The tool’s data sharding and replication ensure data integrity and reliability, hence making it a powerful solution for complex data needs.
Features:
- Comprehensible Language: The tool features a very comprehensible language. Thus making debugging tasks simple and straightforward. It is also a no-code and low-code tool, so you can simply use its drag-and-drop functionality to find insights.
- Data Visualization: I noticed that it provides powerful data visualization options, including reports, graphs, charts, and plots. It also provided me with AI-powered insights that explained the data with context for better understanding.
- Tool Type: The tool is classified as data analysis and reporting software, which is perfect for comprehensive data insights.
- Framework: It incorporates the Life Science Analytics Framework; hence, it is great for specialized data analysis in life sciences.
- Platform Compatibility: I found it compatible with the Windows platform.
- Used by Companies: It is widely adopted by industry leaders like SurveyMonkey, HubSpot, Microsoft, Asana, and SAP Concur.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Contact customer care for pricing.
- Free Trial: 14-day free trial.
Link: https://www.sas.com/en_us/solutions/business-intelligence.html
7) IBM Cognos
Best in-memory streaming analytics
IBM Cognos is one of the most effective tools for data analytics. I evaluated its capabilities in data aggregation, and it helped me create detailed, user-friendly reports. According to my research, it allows you to export reports in XML or PDF format. It also includes features like scenario modeling, real-time monitoring, and predictive analytics.
Features:
- Streaming Analytics: It offers industry-leading in-memory streaming analytics to help you make informed, timely decisions. I also received an interactive dashboard with enterprise reports.
- Data Visualization: IBM Congo provides a range of visualizations, such as charts, plots, and animations, for comprehensive data insights.
- Scalability and Reliability: This platform-independent tool is one of the most scalable and reliable available tools. It uses industry-proven technologies such as XML, SOAP, and WSDL
- Content Sharing: I received seamless sharing and modification of Cognos BI content using widely recognized applications.
- Type of Tool: It is an effective business intelligence and performance management software that is ideal for strategic planning.
- Trusted by Companies: IBM Congo is utilized by leading companies such as Acxiom, Adobe, and ANZ Bank for data-driven strategies.
- Platform Compatibility: I found it compatible with Windows OS.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Contact customer care for pricing.
- Free Trial: 30-day free trial.
Link: https://www.ibm.com/products/cognos-analytics
8) Spark
Best Data processing framework
Apache Spark is ideal for data engineering, data science, and machine learning tasks. I explored its ability to run on both single-node machines and clusters and noticed that it is great for running fast and distributed ANSI SQL queries. Throughout my evaluation, I noticed that it is perfect for dashboarding and ad-hoc reporting, and it supports multiple programming languages, thus enhancing its versatility.
Features:
- Real-Time Processing: Spark supports both batch and real-time processing and allows you to build microservices quickly. It allows me to efficiently create microservices for various tasks.
- Programming Language: Apache Spark uses Scala, which is a functional and easy-to-use programming language. I find Scala to be both functional and user-friendly for my projects.
- Scalability: You can create machine learning algorithms on a laptop and use the same code to scale fault-tolerant clusters.
- Data Processing Framework: It is a robust data processing framework that facilitates efficient large-scale data processing tasks.
- Industry Adoption: Apache Spark is utilized by companies like UC Berkeley AMPLab, Agile Lab, Alibaba Taobao, and others.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Free software
Link: https://spark.apache.org/
9) SAP Data Intelligence
Best predictive models
SAP Data Intelligence is great for data analytics, and it has a user-friendly interface. It also integrates well with other SAP products to leverage its capability. Throughout my assessment, it proved to be perfect for self-service analytics and supports data-driven business decisions.
Features:
- Predictive Modeling: It is one of the best tools for publishing predictive models. Hence, I found it perfect for business applications and forecasting.
- Machine Learning API: You get a robust API that helps you seamlessly integrate machine learning capabilities into data science projects.
- Real-Time Business Intelligence: I received real-time business intelligence, which I consider essential for timely decision-making.
- Dynamic Information Access: It provides simplified and personalized data consumption that aims to improve user interaction and data usability.
- Data Visualization: I received a comprehensive data visualization using charts, graphs, and maps to simplify complex information.
- Popular Users: It is used by leading companies like Mahindra, MRF, Tata Motors, and Bajaj Auto to drive success.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Contact customer care for pricing.
- Free Trial: Free demo videos.
Link: https://www.sap.com/products/technology-platform/bi-platform.html
10) Tibco
Best multivariate analysis
Tibco is excellent for self-service data visualization. I tested its ability to speed up insights and enhance analytics adoption within organizations. In my experience, it is one of the best tools for matching users’ data analysis preferences, thus helping you access quick insights. It also supports real-time, historical data analysis with native streaming and Windows OS.
Features:
- Multivariate Analysis: It provides quick multivariate analysis as it aims to offer AI-powered recommendations for strategic decisions. As per my observation, this tool is designed to help beginners use advanced analytics and embedded data science with ease.
- Data Visualization: The charts and graphs feature allows you to visualize data effectively, thus aiding in better interpretation. You can also view the changing data in real-time using this tool.
- Privacy Compliance: In order to maintain legal compliance, the tool supports robust data privacy protocols.
- Tool Classification: It is classified as a data management and analytics tool, thus making it one of the best solutions available.
- Trusted by Companies: I observed that companies like United Airlines, Amgen, and Pfizer trust this tool for their data operations.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Contact customer care for pricing.
- Free Trial: 30-day free trial.
Link: https://www.tibco.com/
11) Sisense
Best for start-ups to established enterprises
Sisense’s AI-driven analytics platform supplies intelligence when and where it is needed. I could connect and securely import data into cloud warehouses, thus creating a unified data store. Sisense is an ideal business intelligence software that supports Windows and Linux.
Features:
- Data Handling: I could import and export data with ease. Hence, this tool is great for simplifying financial reporting tasks. It is a pro-code, low-code and no-code tool.
- Team Collaboration: It supports multi-user collaboration, hence offering a great way to enhance productivity in team environments. I could embed and collaborate easily with my time on data visualization.
- Custom Dashboards: The tool offers customizable dashboards that allow you to focus on the most critical data points.
- Visualization Features: Its charts, graphs, indicators, and maps are available, which helped me visualize data in various formats.
- Adopted by Companies: I discovered that companies like Allscripts and Untitled Firm find this tool essential for their operations.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Contact customer care for pricing.
- Free Trial: 30-day free trial.
Link: https://www.sisense.com/
12) PowerBI
Best business analytics suite
Power BI is a business intelligence and data analytics app that converts data from different sources into interactive dashboards and reports. I checked its cloud-based services and found that they are great for visualizations. The simple interface allowed me to design my reports and dashboards efficiently on Windows.
Features:
- Database Connectivity: The extensive database connectivity capabilities provide seamless integration with various data sources.
- Natural Language Queries: I could explore data easily using natural language queries. This also simplifies the data retrieval process.
- Data Wrangling: It offers many tools for wrangling and cleaning data. This is required for accurate data analysis.
- Business Insights: Its quick Insights are designed to help you make better business decisions based on the most important data.
- Visualization Interface: The tool provides charts, graphs, and maps through a simple, intuitive dashboard interface for visualization.
- Corporate Use: I discovered that companies like Capgemini, WNS, and Hexaware Technologies trust this tool for analytics.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Plan to start at $15 per month
- Free Trial: 60-day free trial
Link: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-au/
13) Thoughtspot
Most easy-to-use data analytics platform
ThoughtSpot is a search-driven analytics platform that enables you to monitor business metrics without needing a professional analyst. I tested its features, including accurate real-time reports and insights collection. I found that its search and artificial intelligence are great for improving analytics. ThoughtSpot is a top-of-the-line business intelligence and analytics platform with natural language search and robust documentation.
Features:
- Self-Service Analytics: It provides accurate self-service analytics with Search and AI. Which I found essential for quick data insights.
- Business App & Live Analytics Integration: I found out that it enhances your favorite business apps by integrating data insights effectively. It also allows you to monitor data in real time through live analytics.
- Workflow Management: The workflow management tools are easy to use and help streamline and optimize business processes.
- Deployment Options: The platform offers on-premises and SaaS deployment, thus, making it adaptable to various business environments.
- Data Visualization: Maps, charts, tables, and graphs help visualize complex data through a simple, intuitive dashboard.
- Industry Use: Companies like Washington University and Comcast Corporation rely on this platform for their analytics needs.
- Platform Support: I could use it on Windows, Mac, and web-based platforms.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Plan to start at $1250 per month.
- Free Trial: 30-day free trial.
Link: https://www.thoughtspot.com/
14) Talend
Best for collecting data in a single platform
Talend is data integration software that runs both on the cloud and on-premises. As per my review, it is one of the best data analytics tools for public, private, and hybrid cloud environments. I particularly liked its data integration features that ensure quality and smooth management. Talend supports major platforms like Google Cloud, AWS, and Azure.
Features:
- Setup: The tool offers a free initial setup with no required training. This makes it beginner-friendly and leads to quick implementation in organizations.
- Report Sharing: I observed that it provides shareable reports and datasets, thus allowing seamless team collaboration.
- Publishing Capability: I was able to publish data directly from the service using the publish-to-web feature for enhanced accessibility.
- Visualization Features: It offers charts, graphs, and map types through a simple, intuitive dashboard for effective data visualization.
- Industry Trust: Companies like Capgemini, Accenture, and Ernst & Young trust this tool for their data analytics needs.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Contact sales for pricing
- Free Trial: 14-day free trial
Link: https://www.talend.com/products/talend-open-studio/
15) Splunk
Best for monitoring, analyzing, and visualizing machine-generated data
As I carried out my evaluation, Splunk proved to be a great tool for searching, monitoring, and analyzing real-time machine data. It captures, indexes, and connects data, creating valuable graphs, alerts, dashboards, and visualizations. I recommend Splunk for teams looking to cut down on hardware management and manual upgrades.
Features:
- Development & Testing: It accelerates the organization’s development and testing processes. Thus helping my team speed up project timelines.
- Agile Reporting: I noticed that it provides agile statistics and reporting with real-time architecture for more dynamic analysis.
- Real-Time Applications: You can build real-time data applications, which I found essential for immediate data-driven decision-making.
- Data Visualization: It offers tables, line and area charts, choropleth maps, and single-value visualizations for diverse data presentations.
- Industry Usage: Companies like Zendesk Inc. and Lewis Inc. rely on this platform for their data needs.
- Tool Type: The platform is a comprehensive data solution designed for the hybrid world, offering flexibility and scalability.
Pros
Cons
Pricing:
- Price: Contact sales for Quote
- Free Trial: 14-day free trial (No credit card required)
Link: https://www.splunk.com/
What are the factors to consider when selecting a Data Analytics tool?
Here are essential factors that I’d suggest considering for selecting data analysis tools.
- Type of data: When you first begin using your tool, you will likely need to import the data into it from different sources. So, you need to make sure that the tool you choose can easily handle large volumes of data effortlessly.
- Complexity level: The complexity level of the analytic tools depends on how deep you want to go into your Analysis. If you’re just starting, a simpler tool may be more appropriate.
- Performance: It is essential to consider how well your chosen tool performs in terms of reliability, usability, and supported features.
- Integration: You must also make sure that the platform integrates easily with other systems within your organization so that all data can be processed together as one entity.
- Research: Take time to evaluate each tool thoroughly by using its free trial feature before deciding, so that you can find the best solution for your needs.
- Pricing: You also need to consider the final budget when selecting your data analytics tool. It should be able to offer the maximum benefit at a lesser price.
Verdict
As per my review, the above platforms are reliable data analytics software. These tools have their own advantages and disadvantages; however, the following tools are the most capable when it comes to data analytics.
- Zoho Analytics is the right choice for quickly accessing business data. It also offers customizable dashboards and robust integrations across multiple platforms.
- Python is best for users who require powerful data analysis capabilities and integration with multiple programming languages. Additionally, its extensive libraries make data manipulation and visualization straightforward.
- Tableau stands out as a highly reliable platform for visualizing data. Its because it offers real-time analytics and intuitive dashboard creation for businesses of all sizes.
