Data catalog software solutions are geared to handle critical data management and retrieval issues. For large enterprises that have a data lake or other big data initiative, just figuring out what data the company has available can be extremely challenging – which is a a major function of data catalogs.
Most modern data catalog tools rely heavily on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities. Often ML provides a score that shows how reliable data is. ML in data catalogs can also provide other types of recommendations and enable some basic analytics.
For more information, also see: Data Management Platforms
Table of Contents
Software | Key Features | Cons | Cost |
Alation |
ML capabilities Collaboration features |
Expensive
|
Pricing is available on request |
Alex Solutions |
Excellent lineage profiling Broad capabilities |
Challenging integration
|
Pricing is available on request |
Collibra |
Strong partner ecosystem Good complex environments |
Cloud only | Pricing is available on request |
Data.World |
Public benefit corporation Easy to use |
Limited integration | Pricing is available on request |
Erwin |
Broad data governance capabilities Good data modeling capabilities |
High pricing | Pricing is available on request |
Google Cloud Data Catalog |
Highly scalable Integration with other Google Cloud software |
Doesn’t integrate with other data sources | Storage for up to 1 MiB per month is free and costs $100 per GiB per month beyond that. The first 1 million API calls are free, and after that they cost $10 per 100,000 API calls. New customers are also available for Google Cloud’s free trials and introductory credits. |
Lumada Data Catalog |
Advanced ML and BI Excellent lineage analysis |
Limited connectors | Pricing is available on request |
Infogix |
Wide range of features Quantifies data value |
Could use better documentation | Pricing is available on request |
Informatica |
Integration with other tools Metadata intelligence engine |
High TCO | Pricing is available on request |
IBM |
Integration with other IBM products Flexible deployment options |
Challenging deployment | Pricing is available on request |
A data catalog software automates the discovery of data sources throughout an enterprise’s systems. It has capabilities to organize that data, show the relationships among different pieces of data, enables search, and tracks data lineage, which is where the data originated.
See below for the top 10 data catalog software:
A pure-play data governance and data catalog vendor, Alation is a leader in the data catalog industry. Key features of the Alation Data Catalog include behavioral intelligence, seamless collaboration, guided navigation, data governance capabilities, and connections to popular big data and BI tools, as well as APIs and an Open Connector SDK. It also offers tailored solutions for finance, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, retail, and technology companies. In addition, it has a large partner ecosystem that includes systems integrators, resellers, and complementary technology vendors.
Visit AlationPricing is available on request. The company offers a weekly live demo, as well as the opportunity to request a demo.
Australia-based Alex Solutions describes its product as a metadata management solution that incorporates both data catalog and data governance capabilities. Alex offers a data catalog, business glossary, policy-driven data quality, intelligent tagging, technology-agnostic metadata scanners, and workflow capabilities. Its metadata management capabilities are useful for data inventory, enrichment, usage analysis, sensitivity detection, data lineage support, risk management, and more. Its ML capabilities are highly advanced, and it has an intuitive interface.
Visit Alex SolutionsDemos and pricing are available on request.
For more on metadata: Top Metadata Management Tools
Collibra aims to make data meaningful with its Data Intelligence Cloud, Platform, Data Catalog, Data Governance, Data Lineage, and Data Privacy products. Collibra’s Data Catalog product includes wide-ranging native connectivity, ML-powered automation, data scoring, and embedded data governance abilities. Data catalog capabilities are also included in the company’s flagship Data Intelligence Cloud.
Visit CollibraPricing is available on request. Collibra offers a free trial as well.
Like many of the other vendors included in this list, Data.World is a pure-play vendor focused on data catalog capabilities. A cloud-native product, Data.World offers contextual data cataloging that includes metadata, dashboards, analysis, code, docs, project management, and social collaboration capabilities. It also incorporates knowledge graph technology and provides real-time integration capabilities. In addition, the company follows agile development processes, continually releasing updates and feature improvements.
Visit Data.WorldData.World offers a free demo for their customers.
Erwin focuses on products for the Enterprise Data Governance Experience (EDGE), including business process modeling, enterprise architecture, data modeling, data catalog, and data literacy. Erwin offers Data Catalog (DC) as a standalone product or as part of its Data Intelligence suite. Benefits of Erwin DC include a centralized data governance framework, a metadata-driven approach, accelerated project delivery, increased data quality, regulatory compliance, and accurate analytics. It includes a metadata manager, mapping manager, reference data manager, lifecycle manager, business data profiling, and data connectors.
Visit ErwinFor Erwin’s Data Intelligence and Data Catalog products, you will need to contact a representative. A free trial is available.
For more on data modeling: Types of Data Models & Examples: What Is a Data Model?
Part of Google Cloud’s Dataplex, Google Cloud Data Catalog is a fully managed cloud service with data discovery and metadata management capabilities. Key features of the service include serverless architecture, metadata as a service, a central catalog, search and discovery, schematized metadata, cloud DLP integration, on-prem connectors, cloud identity, and access management (IAM) integration and governance capabilities. It offers a faceted-search interface, metadata syncing and tagging, easy scalability, and integration with cloud data loss prevention (DLP) and other Google Cloud services.
Visit Google Cloud Data CatalogPricing is available on their website.
For more on Google Cloud’s Dataplex: Google Cloud Launches Unified Data Platform with Analytics Hub, Dataplex and Datastream
Hitachi Vantara’s Lumada Data Catalog offers very advanced machine learning and behavioral intelligence capabilities. It promises faster data tagging and includes features like AI-driven discovery, end-to-end data lineage, self-service data access, sensitive data management, and cross-functional collaboration.
Visit Lumada Data CatalogPricing is available on request. Hitachi Vantara offers a “Try Hands On Experience.”
For more on data analytics: 5 Ways Brands Underutilize Data Analytics
Infogix Data360 Analyze, now part of Precisley’s Data360 portfolio, includes data catalog, data governance, data quality, and data analytics capabilities. Key data catalog features in Data360 Analyze include automated metadata management, machine learning-based search and discovery, smart business glossary, data lineage, impact analysis, and more. It integrates with the other Precisely Data360 products, and the company also offers professional services, training, and support.
Visit Precisely Data360A demo and pricing are available on request.
One of the most well-known data catalog vendors, Informatica offers an Intelligent Data Platform that incorporates a wide range of cloud-based enterprise data management products. Informatica’s Enterprise Data Catalog provides enterprise-wide data discovery capabilities that make use of AI technology. It provides a holistic view of data within its business context. Key features include AI-powered automation, data provisioning, end-to-end data lineage, integrated data quality capabilities, and collaboration abilities.
Visit InformaticaPricing is available on request.
IBM Watson Knowledge Catalog can be deployed on the IBM Cloud or a private cloud through IBM Cloud Pak for Data. Noteworthy features include intelligent discovery recommendations, an end-to-end catalog, automated data governance, data lineage, quality scores, and self-service insights. It also includes data quality, collaboration, and compliance capabilities.
Visit IBM Knowledge CatalogFor pricing, go to the IBM Cloud pricing page. There are two options for a Free Trial and booking a consultation on IBM Watson Knowledge Catalog’s main page.
Operationalized quality: A company can track lineage and quality scores across all data, AI models, and notebooks.
End-to-end catalog: The tools can organize, define, and manage enterprise data to provide the right context and drive value.
Global search: The global search bar is available 24/7, no matter where users are in the navigation or what content they are working on.
When it comes to data catalog software, a company needs to know what features they require. Some vendors and tools will provide exactly what a company needs, some will not.
There are specific features to look for in tools:
If you are in the market for data catalog software, keep these tips in mind:
Data scientists have very different needs than chief data officers (CDOs), who have very different needs than business analysts and chief financial officers (CFOs). When selecting a tool, make sure that the software or service is designed to meet the needs of your users.
Many data catalog tools are available as a cloud-based service, but that isn’t always the best option if you have unique security or compliance needs, or if your data resides in a wide range of cloud and on-premise locations.
Your data catalog software will need to integrate with the other software you use for your data lake, and it will need to fit in with your current processes. If you purchase a tool that will require you to make huge changes in the way you conduct day-to-day activities, you may find that it gets limited use or provides limited value.
Some vendors offer upfront pricing, but many do not. Conduct a thorough total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis to make sure that you are comparing apples to apples when evaluating your options.
A data catalog software helps data professionals collect, organize, access, and enrich metadata to support data discovery and governance. It is recommended that all companies have strong data catalog software.
Data catalogs are vital due to how they allow users to access useful data and help users collaborate and maintain business data definitions.
Data catalogs are useful to all businesses, and it is recommended that all companies have some sort of data catalog software to help stay organized and keep companies safe.
Every company can find a data catalog software that fits their requirements, from industry needs to how a tool integrates with their data.
As more data catalog software is created, these software companies are some of the top data catalog providers on the market.
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