Organizations are generating and consuming data at an astounding rate. The total volume of data and information worldwide rose from approximately 2 Zettabytes (ZB) in 2010 to 74 ZB in 2021, according to online data service Statistica, which predicts that number will grow to 149 ZB by 2024.
With organizations awash in data, there’s a growing need to make it digestible, understandable and actionable for humans and not just computers. Data visualization software takes data and turns it into images that can communicate concepts and ideas and in a way that words and numbers alone cannot.
Data visualization tools let users find key insights in data and display them in visual form. The practice involves pulling data from a database and creating dashboards and graphics like pie charts, bar charts, scatter plots, polar area diagrams, heat maps, timelines, ring charts, matrix charts and word clouds, to name a few.
By representing myriad data points graphically it’s possible to peer deeper into important numbers, trends, metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Not surprisingly, data visualization tools have moved from the domain of data scientists and IT departments and into the hands of business users. Organizations are now using visualization software to better understand such varied scenarios as customer sentiment and behavior, real-time sales, healthcare trends, departmental goals and market research. In addition, advertisers and media organizations use it to generate eye-catching graphics and infographics and display complex information in simple visuals.
Of course, different data visualization tools approach the task differently. Some lean toward more conventional Business Intelligence (BI) functions while others plug in live data from social media and various applications across an organization. Some also incorporate Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to deliver more advanced functionality and insights. Most data visualization packages include templates and connectors for building robust models, graphics and dashboards.
If you’re in the market for the best data visualization software, take the time to understand what various vendors and applications offer, how they work and whether they’re able to accommodate your organization’s data visualization needs and budget.
When selecting a data visualization tool, it’s important to focus on several factors to narrow down the options.
Data Visualization Software | Pros | Cons |
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databox |
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Google Data Studio |
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iDashboards |
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Infogram |
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Qlik Sense |
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Sisense |
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Tableau |
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Visme |
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Whatagraph |
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Zoho Analytics |
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See more: What is Data Visualization?
The cloud-based business analytics platform databox generates data visualizations in real-time by pulling data from a wide variety of sources, including Google Analytics, Salesforce, HubSpot, Facebook, Mixpanel and Shopify. Databox offers more than 200 built-in dashboard templates, a robust set of APIs, metrics calculators, and mobile apps for viewing data visualizations. The vendor offers a tiered pricing model.
Cloud-based Google Data Studio incorporates interactive dashboards and automated reporting and imports data from multiple sources, including Google Analytics, Google Ads and spreadsheets. It also integrates with more than 150 other cloud, SQL, e‑commerce and digital advertising platforms. Google Data Studio supports a wide array of data visualizations, including time series, bar charts, pie charts, tables, heat maps, geo maps, scorecards, scatter charts, bullet charts and area charts.
iDashboards “strives for real-time operational intelligence through rich visualization capabilities,” and combines data from upwards of 160 sources, offers hundreds of chart and design options, and builds dashboards that work on nearly any device. It also can use real-time data feeds to embed graphics and dashboard visualizations, which makes it possible to build dashboards for different organizational roles while supporting websites and mobile apps.
Infogram is a cloud-based marketing and media tool that supports more than 35 types of interactive data visualization formats, including infographics, reports, dashboards, maps and charts, as well as social media assets for such sites as Facebook, LinkedIn and Pinterest. It provides a drag-and-drop interface, real-time collaboration and the ability to publish online. There’s a basic free version as well as four other tiers for creatives, SMBs and large enterprises.
Qlik Sense is a self-service data analytics platform designed for a broad array of users, including executives, decision-makers and analysts. Available as both on-premise or cloud software, it provides drag-and-drop functionality and connects to numerous data sources, including Snowflake and other leading products. Qlik Sense generates a varied array of data visualizations through interactive dashboards, and the application includes an open API and toolsets.
The AI-powered Sisense analytics platform uses a robust set of APIs to generate data visualizations and actionable analytics. Available both in the cloud or on-premises, Sisense is highly customizable and includes data connectors for most major services including Snowflake, Salesforce, Adobe Analytics, Amazon S3, Dropbox, Facebook and numerous Microsoft applications. It’s suitable for use by non-data scientists and line-of-business users.
Popular business intelligence platform Tableau works with a broad array of data sources and services from spreadsheets and conventional databases to Hadoop and cloud data repositories. It features smart dashboards and a highly interactive interface that lets users drag and drop elements, manipulate and combine data and views, and display data in numerous formats. Tableau includes robust sharing features.
Visme is focused on creating visual brand experiences and other content, including flyers, emails, reports, e-books, embedded videos, animations and social media graphics. It incorporates a drag-and-drop interface and pulls data from numerous sources to generate illustrations, infographics, presentations and more. Visme offers a basic free service and tiered plans.
Whatagraph is designed to handle performance monitoring and reporting, and marketing professionals use it to visualize data and build cross-channel reports. The application offers a variety of pre-designed templates and widgets and offers APIs for connecting numerous data sources, including Google Analytics, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, HubSpot, Amazon Advertising and more.
The self-service BI and data analytics software is designed to ingest large volumes of raw data and transform it into actionable visuals and reports via dashboards. It is available in both on-premises and cloud versions. The platform can pull data from numerous sources, including Google Analytics, Mailchimp, YouTube, Salesforce and Twitter. It offers a tiered pricing model.
See more: Best Data Quality Tools & Software 2021
As data visualization tools become increasingly available to business users in all fields, they open up possibilities for organizations to share complex data and communicate difficult ideas in clear and interesting graphical representations. The best data visualization tool is the one that best meets the needs of the user while also working with their existing data systems and applications and fitting into their budget. Most packages include templates and connectors for building robust models, graphics and dashboards, but the choice will also depend upon ease of use and the user’s technical ability.
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