Sigma Computing vs Toucan

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Our analysts compared Sigma Computing vs Toucan based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Business Intelligence Tools, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Sigma Computing Software Tool

Product Basics

Sigma Computing is an analytics solution that directly connects to cloud warehouses and delivers real-time insights that drive data-informed decision making. With a spreadsheet-like interface, it provides a familiar experience for business users and analysts to utilize formulas to analyze and visualize their data. Through a self-service model, users can explore their data and ask and answer questions for themselves. It streamlines complex data analysis processes and promotes teamwork throughout a business with a balance of collaboration and control.

It is entirely cloud-based and enables data access without the risk of extracting, moving and storing data. Suitable for companies of all sizes, this SaaS runs on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Pros
  • User-friendly interface
  • Affordable pricing
  • Scalable for business growth
  • Cloud-based accessibility
  • Responsive customer support
Cons
  • Limited data analysis features
  • Less powerful than competitors
  • Occasional performance issues
  • Restricted data storage capacity
  • Lower customization options
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Toucan Guided Analytics (formerly branded as Toucan Toco) is a cloud-based platform consisting of two unified offerings that deliver data analytics and storytelling, as well as embedded analytics. Through data storytelling, it empowers businesses to explore their insights through visualizations and interactive dashboards. It centralizes information from disparate data sources and has a guided framework to help enterprises tell compelling stories with their data. Accessible to all, it encourages live collaboration throughout the analytics process to drive data-informed decision-making throughout an organization.

In its embedded analytics form, it allows customers to extend these accessible and actionable insights to their clients through an intuitive front-end experience.

Though it was built cloud-first, businesses can choose between the SaaS deployment via a private cloud, or an on-premise installation through Docker Image technology. It is suitable for small, medium and large businesses, and supports Windows, Mac and Linux.
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$300 Monthly
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$1,000 Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Product Assistance

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Product Insights

  • Fast Integration: Without coding experience, users can securely and directly connect to data warehouses and get started without wasting valuable time on importing their data. Analysts can lay the foundation for the entire organization to succeed with data in hours, rather than days.
  • Ease of Use: Users work with a familiar spreadsheet-like interface and formulas to generate insights, no code required. The system automatically translates all the front-end actions input by users into SQL on the back-end.
  • Real-Time Access: Users can leverage the power of the cloud to query data directly where it lives, allowing for live analysis of massive datasets and insights in real time. 
  • Keep Data Safe: Sigma never moves, stores, copies or caches users’ data, instead running queries against the data warehouses and passing the results back to the system, ensuring that data remains secure with robust data governance and platform security that exceeds industry standards. It complies with data privacy guidelines SOC 2 Type II, CSA, GDPR and CCPA.
  • Improve Collaboration: The system eliminates BI bottlenecks and inaccurate analyses by establishing a single, reusable and accessible source of truth for all users to query. Sigma transforms the data modeling process into a collaborative one; users can edit tables and create visualizations together, enabling better communication and decision making by forging a bridge between data teams and business users.
  • Self-Service BI: Users have the freedom to explore ad hoc analysis without waiting for IT teams to update models.
  • SQL Authoring: Users with SQL technical knowledge can create and edit reusable analyses to activate with one-click parsing.
  • Free Trial or Demo: Interested customers can try out the full platform for free for 14 days, or request a demo of the solution to try with their own data warehouse.
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Platform

  • Centralize Business Data: Helps teams get on the same page by creating a single source of truth. Connects to the cloud, on-premise databases, spreadsheets and more to collect all of an organization’s data into one centralized hub.
  • Speed Up Queries: Optimize data processing by minimizing queries through cache engines and custom indexes that accelerate webpage performance.
  • Automated Reporting: Takes the heavy-duty work of development, design and maintenance out of data analytics with automatically updated data and scheduled reports. 
  • Ease of Use: Explore and understand business insights through an intuitive UI – without requiring training, tutorials or coding experience. Caters to people who may not have the technical knowledge or programming skills to handle a more complicated BI tool.
  • Accelerate Adoption: Educates and guides teams on how to create compelling data stories. Encourage autonomous, skilled data analysis with self-learning tools such as a glossary and contextual tips that help in data comprehension.
  • Improve Data Literacy: Makes information accessible by displaying it visually, enabling transparency across departments and empowering all stakeholders to take BI into their own hands.
  • Made for Collaboration: Interact with other teams and share power in decision-making through workspaces. Improve communication between departments and help them align with each other by annotating, discussing, exporting and sharing dashboards. 
  • Never Say “So What?”: Support decision-making through data-driven strategies with built-in calls to action and adaptable recommendations. 
  • Fast Implementation: Save more time and resources for analysis and data storytelling by accessing on any device through the web – nothing to install.
  • Security: Protect data through no-code row-level security, custom user filters and granular permissions management for apps, dashboards, stories and datasets. The solution is hosted in a private cloud with SSL Grade A+ security certification and an infrastructure compliant with all RSSI expectations and RGPD standards. 

Embedded Analytics

  • Build Once, Deploy Anywhere: Design one app for all devices and deploy anywhere to anyone in minutes, whether on the standard platform or as an embedded analytics product.
  • Preserve Brand Identity: Maintain business branding through full customization and white labeling options, while offering the power of data storytelling and analytics to clients. 
  • Multi-Tenancy: Handle who can see what by managing access to each embedding with granular control.
  • Focus On What Matters: Saves the company time and money by helping teams focus dedicated efforts on products, alleviating the burden of developing analytics from scratch.
  • Empower Non-Technical Teams: Build and deploy apps with a guided framework, even without coding experience.
  • No On-Boarding Necessary: Boost adoption and customer retention through a client experience that feels familiar, with access to actionable insights from day one.
  • Accelerate Time to Value: Empowers businesses to roll out robust solutions to clients in just two weeks. 
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  • Data Warehouse Connectivity:  Sigma connects directly with many popular data warehouses, including Snowflake, Google Big Query, Amazon Redshift and PostgreSQL, or users may pull their data from other partners like Matillion, Fivetran, Alooma and Stitch to create their central source of truth by indexing all the tables in those sources. 
  • Dataset Preparation: Sigma creates reusable datasets from individual or joined tables using one or more data sources. These Datasets can be edited either with a no-code worksheet-based interface, or with Sigma’s SQL Runner. 
  • Links: Users can add context to their Datasets by setting up the relationships between datasets in a guided, contextualized way. Non-technical users can preview and create pre-model joins without needing knowledge of the join creation process. The system also pulls pre-existing relationships in databases upon connection with a data warehouse.
  • Data Visualization: Users can create assorted kinds of charts and graphs from their worksheets, including bar charts, line graphs, pie graphs, tables and more. These visualizations can be formatted in various ways. 
  • Object Badges: Users can flag datasets and worksheets as Endorsed, Warning or Deprecated, guiding others to the most accurate and relevant data with a glance.
  • Shareable Workspaces: The platform has both individual and team workspaces, allowing for collaboration on data analysis. These workspaces can be shared externally, providing access to insights to partners or third parties who may benefit from them. The system also has an organization-wide workspace that everyone can search and explore through filters, descriptions and file names.
  • Role-Based Permissions: The system has tiered permission levels from highest to lowest for admins, authors and viewers, to allow different permissions and access settings on a role-by-role basis. Permissions may be granted on an individual or team level, allowing for organizations to add and remove users from access levels based on function, department or other categorization.
  • Data Security: In addition to role-based access control, the platform provides single-sign-on (SSO) and row-level security to ensure safe data analysis. The application has a secure infrastructure, with firewalls, credential and vulnerability checking, peer review, static code analysis, threat and anomaly detection and encryption in transit.
  • JSON Support: The visual interface enables business users to create views with JSON that unlock the value of semi-structured data. These strings of JSON can be stored, referenced and reused for analyses and visualizations across the ecosystem. 
  • Third Party Integrations: The system integrates with Slack and Google Sheets for enhanced collaboration.
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  • Connect Any Data Source: Connect to cloud and on-premise databases, cloud data warehouses, third-party BI solutions and REST APIs via over 100 built-in connectors, or create custom ones with an open-source library. Easily set up connectors to data sources, no programming knowledge necessary. Some supported connections include SAP, MicroStrategy, Google BigQuery, Oracle, SQL Server, Google Analytics, Salesforce and more. Pull data from CSV, Excel and static files to transform it into dynamic data.
  • Keep Data Up-To-Date: Refresh data on demand, automatically on a regular basis with a scheduler, or request it in real time. Define which sources to refresh and how often to refresh them through batch processing. Blends live and loaded data sources, tracking changes and debugging datasets with its Storytelling Tracker.
  • Integrated ETL: Extract, transform and load data, collecting it in an embedded data lake and cleaning it up before integrating it into the solution. Query data on the fly with Weaverbird, the vendor’s built-in, open-source no-code visual query builder. Integrates with existing ETL tools such as Talend, iPython, Notebook, Dataiku, Denodo and more, and is designed to be compatible with all information systems. Perform joins, slices, pivots and melts seamlessly, without the need to code. Supports ad-hoc transformation for evolution computation, date aggregation and other critical statistics.
  • Interactive Dashboards: Display KPIs in the form of an interactive story with the aid of graphic messages on ergonomic dashboards. Add additional context through comments, sources, captions, glossaries and more.
  • Toucan Toco Studio: Focus on the data story rather than design mechanics. Create charts, layouts and stories faster through guided design without needing technical skills. Add context and generate visualizations with a few clicks, all the while becoming more data-literate.
    • Data Visualization: Highlight key-value elements and add color and context to information through visualizations. Display data in visually appealing ways by creating more than 20 kinds of charts and graphs. Give context by including definitions and data sources in visualizations and annotating specific elements. Collaborate with others within the platform or in tools like Slack and MS Teams. 
    • App Gallery: Jumpstart the business by building dashboards in minutes from pre-designed templates. Choose from a gallery of ready-to-go applications; preview apps with a single click, then use as-is or customize as needed. Leverage sample data to view what the final product will look like, then download and populate data models with custom data. 
  • Collaboration: Drive action by continuing the conversation through annotations and comments on dashboards, and exchange ideas with others through the live chatbox. Ensure privacy by making direct comments visible to specific groups only. Export and share insights with others inside and outside the organization through tools like Slack and Teams.
  • Calls to Action: Decide exactly what to do with proprietary information through a built-in decision-support system that gives relevant recommendations, links to relevant insights and proposed next steps. 
  • Alerts: Add, edit and configure rules and conditions for email or push notifications through a dedicated notification environment.
  • Presentation Mode: Empower data-driven meetings by sharing insights with others in a presentation format. Schedule presentations with calendar events and invite people from anywhere to follow the data story. Identify metrics and interact with the dashboard in the presentation mode, and create a dialogue with the presenter through a chat box. 
  • Role-Based Administration: Maintain granular control of permissions across the organization. Ensure that roles and responsibilities are clear by defining roles like App Builder, App Validator, Viewer, Data Manager, Full Administrator and more. 
  • Mobile Access: Access proprietary information on any device — even on those that aren’t connected to the internet, thanks to an offline mode. With a mobile-first strategy, the vendor prioritizes the mobile version of a site and then adapts it for larger screens.
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Product Ranking

#184

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#98

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User Sentiment Summary

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Excellent User Sentiment 178 reviews
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97%
of users recommend this product

Toucan has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 97% when considering 178 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

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4.9 (84)
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5.0 (8)
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4.7 (23)
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4.8 (62)
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3.5 (1)

Awards

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Toucan stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

User-friendly interface: Sigma's intuitive design and drag-and-drop functionality make it easy for users with limited technical expertise to get started and create insightful reports.
Affordable pricing: Sigma offers a competitive pricing model with a free tier for individual users and small teams, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.
Scalable for business growth: Sigma's cloud-based architecture scales seamlessly to accommodate growing data volumes and user bases, ensuring your BI solution can grow with your business.
Cloud-based accessibility: Access your data and insights from anywhere, anytime with Sigma's cloud-based platform, eliminating the need for on-premise infrastructure.
Responsive customer support: Sigma provides responsive and helpful customer support via email, phone, and live chat, ensuring you get the assistance you need when you need it.
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Data Storytelling: Almost 96% of the users who mention data visualization say that they can create high-quality, interactive dashboards seamlessly.
Integrations: All users who discuss the tool’s integration capabilities say that it connects seamlessly to tools in their existing tech stacks, including cloud databases.
Ease of Use: The software’s intuitive interface offers an excellent user experience for report builders and consumers alike, according to all users who review its ease of use.
Support: Technical support is responsive and competent, as discussed by all users who mention support services.
Functionality: Around 56% of the users who review the solution’s capabilities say that it reduces the time to insight and embeds into enterprise applications seamlessly.
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Limited data analysis features: Compared to more robust BI solutions, Sigma offers a less extensive range of advanced data analysis capabilities.
Occasional performance issues: Some users have reported encountering occasional performance issues, such as slow loading times and data refreshes.
Restricted data storage capacity: Sigma's free and lower-tier plans offer limited data storage, requiring upgrades for larger datasets.
Lower customization options: While Sigma offers some customization options, its capabilities are not as extensive as other BI platforms.
Less powerful than competitors: Although Sigma excels in user-friendliness, it may lack the power and flexibility required for complex data analysis needs.
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There are no cons for this product at the time of publishing this review synopsis.
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While Sigma Computing receives praise for its user-friendly interface and affordability, some users feel it lacks compared to similar BI tools like Tableau and Power BI. One user noted, "Sigma is great for beginners, but I quickly outgrew its capabilities. It just doesn't offer the depth of analysis I need." Another echoed this sentiment, stating, "The lack of advanced features was a dealbreaker for me. While Sigma is easy to use, it's not powerful enough for complex data analysis." However, others find Sigma's strengths outweigh its weaknesses. One user commented, "For the price, Sigma is a fantastic tool. It's simple to use and allows me to create insightful reports quickly and easily. I don't need all the bells and whistles offered by other platforms." Another user praised its scalability, saying, "Sigma has grown with my business. As my data volume increased, Sigma seamlessly scaled to accommodate my needs." One differentiating factor is Sigma's focus on real-time data and collaboration. One user highlighted this, saying, "Sigma's ability to work with real-time data is a game-changer. It allows me to make decisions based on the latest information, not outdated data." Another user noted the benefits of collaboration, stating, "Sigma's collaborative features make it easy to work with my team on data analysis. We can share insights and brainstorm ideas in real-time." Ultimately, the suitability of Sigma Computing depends on individual needs and priorities. If you're a small business or individual user who needs a basic, affordable BI tool, Sigma is a great option. However, if you require advanced data analysis capabilities or extensive customization options, you may be better served by a more powerful BI platform.

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Toucan Toco is a cloud-based data communications tool that provides analytics and storytelling capabilities to enterprises. All users who discuss integration say that the tool aligns with their organizations’ cloud-first strategies, integrating with their existing tech stacks with ease. All users who review accessibility are unanimous in their reviews that its user-friendly interface provides an excellent user experience. All of the users who say they’ve contacted customer support say the team’s quick and informative responses are a plus. Almost 96% of users who review dashboarding say that they can create interactive and easy-to-understand data stories through its visualization module, Toucan Studio. 56% of the users who mention functionality say that the solution has a rich feature set and the vendor releases weekly updates, astutely incorporating users’ feature requests. In summary, Toucan Toco helps businesses increase revenue opportunities for businesses to differentiate themselves in the market through data visualization.

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