We are living in the era of data. Without data, no business can achieve its goal. However, all the data in the world can’t help your business if you don’t understand what those data mean. The data visualization tools are software that takes data from a specific source and turns it into visual charts, graphs, tables, dashboards, and the like. They provide designers with an easier way to create visual representations of large data sets. Whether you’re a data scientist, marketer, product manager, sales rep, or HR executive, data visualization tools can take raw data and turn it into something easy to interpret for you quickly and effectively. It empowers businesses to recognize trends, conduct analyses, make informed decisions, and set realistic goals.
There are a lot of data visualization tools out there, choosing them for your business can be a daunting task. In this article, we will discuss the 7 best data visualization tools according to their features and pricing structure. So let’s check the list.
Tableau is one of the most popular data visualization tools on the market, and for good reason. It’s not only relatively easy to use but also incredibly powerful. It is an advanced data visualization and management tool capable of handling massive data sets with thousands of data points and producing the required data visualization output in a very short time. With a huge arsenal of maps, graphs, and charts, it is a firm favorite for the non-developer audience.
Tableau has a variety of options available, including a desktop app, server and hosted online versions, and a free public option. It provides a 14-day free trial but the free version doesn’t allow you to keep data analyses private. The pricing plans start from $12 per user/month and range up to $70 per user/month. There aren’t any hidden fees nor are any features hidden behind a paywall after you sign up. Plus, you don’t have to purchase any additional software. It’s all yours, depending on the type of license you choose.
Datawrapper is an open-source solution that offers extremely simple techniques to create web charts and maps. Almost anyone can create charts, tables, graphs, and more, without possessing any software or design skills. All you need to do is copy and paste data from Google Sheets and Excel, upload CSV files, or link to URLs to create live updating charts. Then, pick your chart or map type, customize them to create a highly-responsive and effective representation, and embed it wherever you want. Datawrapper is an excellent choice for data visualizations for news sites. Journalists often use Datawrapper to embed live charts into their news articles.
Datawrapper has no cost for designing some basic charts. Their paid plan starts at $599 per month and Enterprise pricing is upon request.
Infogram was rated #1 on Forbes’ list of “The Best Infographics Tools for 2017”. It is one of the versatile data visualization tools that offer extensive options with an easy-to-use interface. Its drag-and-drop editor feature allows even non-designers to create effective visualizations of data. Moreover, Infogram allows entire teams to work on a project in real-time, and permissions of team members can be set by role. The pricing plans also vary based on the type of use, so you don’t have to worry about paying extra.
There is a free version of Infogram with limited capabilities, which is great for trying out the tool. Paid plans start at $19 for Personal plans and go as high as $149 for team plans.
Google Chart is a powerful freemium data visualization tool for browsers and mobile devices. It is not only compatible with all browsers and platforms but also very user-friendly. It uses HTML5/SVG technology to provide cross-browser and cross-platform compatibility. Also, it gives you more control over the charts you create and will enable you to zoom the charts. There are a variety of chart types, such as maps, bar charts, histograms, and more. These charts can be customized completely, via simple CSS editing.
Google Charts is completely free of charge.
Zoho Analytics brings analysis and insight to the business data and eliminates the need for any IT assistance or data analysts. It simplifies the complex processes such as data splitting, formatting, merging, feed calculation and ensures optimal productivity. Zoho Analytics allows you to share or publish your reports with your colleagues and add comments or engage in conversations as required. Moreover, you can import data from a dizzying array of sources, including everything from Excel, Hubspot, and QuickBooks to your cloud storage services, Google Ads, Stripe, and email marketing platforms.
Zoho Analytics has several paid options- Basic ($24/month), Standard ($48), Premium ($115), and Enterprise ($455). There’s also a free version that allows you to build a limited number of reports, which can be helpful if you’re testing to determine which tool is best for your business. You can add more users to any plan for an extra $6.40 per user per month. You can also add more viewers for $3.20 per month.
D3.js is one of the premier frameworks when compared to other libraries. It allows you to manipulate elements of a webpage in the context of a data set. It also offers rare functions such as curve-generation, associating data with an HTML element, and code reusability.
D3.js pricing depends upon the type of need and the number of people using the library. For a developer, D3.js pricing starts from $ 7 per user/month. On the other hand, for a team with an organization account, D3.js pricing starts from $ 9 per month.
Sisense is a Business Intelligence (BI) based software that helps you to prepare, analyze, and visualize multiple complex datasets quickly. It allows you to create unlimited dashboards which can be shared with other users by email. Its fault-tolerant architecture makes sure that your data is secure and consistent. It also provides full-time customer support services whenever users face any issues.
Sisense offers “no-surprise” pricing, where every plan is custom to fit your situation. In other words, if someone wants to use the tool, they would have to schedule a call with the Sales team who will understand the requirements and make a custom model based on them.
There are so many data visualization tools on the market so it can be hard to decide which one is right for you. Selecting the most powerful tool available in the market isn’t always a good idea. Spend some time exploring the various available options then choose the one best for your business.
The enlisted tools above are great and cover several possible purposes and use cases. If you have a small business and a tight budget you can choose Zoho Analytics as its paid plans are affordable even for the smallest businesses. Or if you require advanced features and have a decent budget, then you might want to try out more credible and popular data visualization and business intelligence tools like Tableau, and Datawrapper.
However, most data visualization tools include free trials so it’s worth taking the time to try out a few before opting for the tool. Don’t forget to let us know which of the above data visualization tools you are planning to use. Also, if you are already using any of these tools give a short review in the comment section below.
Moreover, data visualization software can go a long way in making your presentations smart and interactive, along with engaging your audience. But if data is incorrect, it can lead to misleading visualizations or, worse, misleading insights. So you should gain a basic understanding of data science before trying any data visualization tool.
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