Top 5 Data Visualization Tools in the Market Today

Data visualization has become a very important facet of business intelligence.

11:15 14 January 2021

Not just to legibly present and understand otherwise tangled data points, but also to guide future business steps. If you’re in the market for data visualization tools for your business, you should take a look at the best in the market. Here are the top five data visualization tools out there!

 

1. Tableau

 

One of the most widely used data visualization tools in several business fields, Tableau offers flexible options for users. While the free option allows the public at large to test it, it also offers online server-hosted as well as desktop versions for an on-demand visualization experience.

 

Perhaps one of the most powerful features of Tableau is its integration. It allows effortless data import from other widely used analytics and CRM tools, such as Salesforce and Google (both Ads and Analytics). Raw data can also be imported via CSV. Its powerful processing engine allows users to get visualization results quickly and in a wide variety of smart formats, all wrapped in a user-friendly UI.

 

The biggest drawback of Tableau is its fairly-steep learning curve. The masterful use of all its bells and whistles require some training, though the result is a set of very easy-to-understand chart formats that can make data analysis a breeze.

 

2. Microsoft Power BI

 

This is the top choice for businesses reliant on Microsoft’s ecosystem. As expected, it allows the user to effortlessly connect any Microsoft Office product, allowing for flawless import and export options. It also carries the software giant’s trademark ease of use, hiding its more powerful features in a sleek interface.

 

Like Tableau, Power BI offers both free and paid versions. The free version has a limited data refresh cycle, however, so it’s not best for real-time data monitoring. Most of the learning curve in using this tool goes towards preparing the data separately for the desktop and web versions, since the two are not exactly in sync. Still, Power BI offers a very powerful data visualization engine that can be an asset to your business.

 

3. Google Analytics

 

Despite being mostly an analytics-gathering platform, Google Analytics has a solid data visualization tool built in. It leverages the strength of Google’s database to deliver smart charts and other useful illustrations, though this is limited to Analytics’ only use -- gathering business intelligence for websites and mobile apps.

 

While not offering much by way of customer support and training, Google Analytics is a must-have for anyone who needs data visualization for their marketing and advertising needs. It is also free, which means that its capabilities are within reach of anyone who can set aside some training time -- unlike most of Google’s other offerings, using Analytics isn’t as intuitive to set up and use.

 

4. Sisense

 

One of the newer offerings in this list, Sisense is a strong contender in terms of natural language processing. This custom-priced product has a powerful data analysis and visualization kit under the hood, and its processing power allows for a very nimble tool.

 

As mentioned, Sisense offers a well-integrated system that responds to natural language queries even in third-party apps. This feature is somewhat undermined by its non-intuitive interface, though the product offers good customer support in case your data analysts get stuck.

 

5. Infogram

 

For those with absolutely no data analytics and visualization experience, Infographic is a godsend with its drag-and-drop interface. While not as strong in terms of visualization and data processing features as those coming before it in this list, it is adequate for the creation of marketing reports and infographics, especially those geared towards the populace (such as social media posts).

 

It is capable of producing interactive visualizations that can then be embedded into apps or websites. There are also various export formats, and a flexible pricing scheme (including a free tier). Its main downside is its data import options, which are far fewer than those of its more robust competitors.

 

Then again, sometimes, taking a product straight from the shelf may not be the best decision for a business. Depending on your needs, the products on this list can either be too overpowered, or lacking in features. If you need something that is “just perfect” for your specific needs, you’re better off checking out independent, outsourced data visualization services instead!