Data floods your inbox, dashboards blink incessantly and reports pile up. Yet, amidst this information tsunami, the answers you desperately need remain murky and elusive.

You’re not alone. Countless businesses are caught in an agonizing Catch-22 — most business analytics tools are too simplistic, while advanced ones are anything but user-friendly.

We understand your frustration and have handy tips to guide your software selection, along with a showcase of the top data analytics tools.

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Data analytics tools are software programs for studying available data and performing calculations to derive helpful information for academics, research and enterprise.

Basing decisions on data gives organizations better chances of success, helping them improve performance, satisfy customers and stay competitive.

Not all data analysis tools collect, clean and organize data, so definitions that say otherwise stretch it a bit. Google Data Studio, Looker and Microsoft Excel require prepared data or rely on other systems.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have data preparation capabilities in an analytic tool.

What are your needs?

Best Data Analysis Software

Our analysts curated the best analytical tools in the market based on their attributes and user reviews. Here’s a brief discussion of the top five in decreasing order of their analyst rankings.

Power BI

Microsoft Power BI is a suite of software services, apps and connectors, including a Windows desktop application and a cloud-based service. The vendor provides mobile apps on Windows, Android and iOS devices.

An intuitive query editor lets you import data, then cleanse and transform it within the platform. A free desktop version, user-friendly visualizations, Microsoft integrations and AI (artificial intelligence) make it a popular choice.

Data analytics tools turn your data into visuals, often with help from AI. Source

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Data Management – 100
• Embedded Analytics – 100
• Mobile BI – 100
• Dashboarding and Data Visualization — 94
• Data Querying — 90

Top Benefits

• Model Data: Build data models in Power BI using VertiPaq, an in-memory analytics engine, or connect live to SSAS or Azure Analytics.
• Integrate Analytics: Embed metrics, dashboards and reports into regular workflows and stay up-to-date as Power BI refreshes the data from the background.
• Automate Tasks: Trigger a Power BI presentation during a quarterly meeting. Send a customized summary of key financial metrics to select investors. Automatically generate reports for marketing analysis.
• Streamline Processes: Correct price mismatches instantly, adjust marketing budgets, update inventory levels and approve purchase orders. Analyze, adjust and update the data within Power BI.
• Scale Flexibly: Meet your business’ expanding needs — upgrade to the Premium Per User (PPU) or Premium edition.

Primary Features

• Dashboarding and Visualization: Predict what’s likely to happen using R visuals and searchable algorithms. Dashboards are available with the Power BI Service. The free desktop version is a report creation tool.
• DAX: Go beyond basic summaries — build calculations and add new information to data models. Track performance by creating custom metrics and KPIs. Learn more with dynamic and interactive reports.
• Power Automate: Delegate transformations, reports, data refreshes, alerts and error handling to the system.
• Mobile BI: View and collaborate on reports with a touch-responsive mobile app. The app delivers area-specific reports based on your location. 250 MB of data cache is available for offline data access.
• Robust Reporting: Generate ad hoc reports with assistance from Cortana. Produce canned insights with conditional formatting and auto-schedule report distribution.

Limitations

• Doesn’t allow data size over 10 GB for free Desktop licenses.
• Isn’t seamlessly performant when scaling to higher data volumes and complex models.
• Doesn’t offer advanced machine learning and predictive analytics capabilities out of the box.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• PMML (Predictive Model Markup Language) – Not Supported
• Regression Analysis – Moderately Supported Out of the Box
• Text Mining – Supported With Additional Modules
• Automated Anomaly Alerting – Not Supported
• Reports Versioning – Not Supported

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Oracle Analytics Cloud (OAC)

Oracle’s Analytics Cloud is a data analytics software tool for data preparation and reporting. With over 45 connectors and intuitive visualizations, it enables independent data access and fosters collaboration.

The analytic tool is suitable for businesses of all sizes, from small to large enterprises, needing flexible and scalable analytics solutions. Text-based natural language generation (NLG) is available in English and French.

Data analytics tools are handy assistants in cost-benefit analysis.

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Dashboarding and Data Visualization – 97
• Data Management – 95
• Reporting – 93
• Mobile BI – 90
• Advanced Analytics — 89

Top Benefits

• Get Oracle Services: Get data modeling support with Oracle Machine Learning. Perform data mining with the Oracle Data Miner. Inherit governance rules from the Oracle BI server.
• Monetize Data: Anticipate opportunities with guided analysis and prediction models, thanks to machine learning. Automatically generate visualizations with the Explain feature.
• Stay Connected: Build reports on mobile devices with its native app, Day by Day. Add location data and share insights with your team. Never miss an update with offline data persistence and sync.
• Globalization: The vendor offers localized interfaces on web, desktop and mobile, with support for 28 languages.
• Dig Deep: Build live connections, perform complex querying and run multiple jobs in parallel. Schedule task runs and allow end users to modify SQL queries from the interface.

Primary Features

• Advanced Analytics: Generate predictions using classification and regression techniques, what-if scenarios and time-series analysis.
• Data Modeler: Simplify data access, improve the quality of insights and uncover meaningful information. Build and manage semantic data models in the OAC environment with the data modeler.
• In-Memory Processing: Maintain performance while working with large datasets. Add columnar storage on top of the traditional row storage format.
• Data Enrichment: Add context to market insights — include external data with its built-in enrichment technology.
• IoT Analytics: Aggregate IoT data into your insights. The vendor offers Oracle Stream Analytics, IoT Asset Monitoring Cloud Service, Oracle IoT Cloud Service, Oracle Integration Cloud and Autonomous Database.

Limitations

• Isn’t cost-effective for small businesses and budget-constrained projects.
• There’s a learning curve for less technical users.
• Restricts storage for shared data files to 250 GB.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Scenario and What-If Analysis — Supported With Additional Modules
• Text and Sentiment Analysis — Moderately Supported Out of the Box
• Reports Versioning — Not Supported
• IoT Analytics — Supported With Additional Modules
• Animations -Moderately Supported Out of the Box

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MicroStrategy

It’s an analytics tool providing data management and interpretation capabilities. AI-ML integration enables advanced analytics for automating data mining, predictive analytics and ad hoc reporting tasks.

Live data is available thanks to its integration with data warehouses like Oracle, Teradata, Snowflake and Amazon Redshift. A mobile app is available, and you can customize data displays to suit your target audience.

Customization and real-time insights are the highlights of modern data analytics tools. Source

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Dashboarding and Data Visualization – 100
• Data Management – 100
• Mobile BI – 100
• Advanced Analytics — 98
• Reporting — 89

Top Benefits

• Target Customers: Personalize outreach after segmenting customers and analyzing their preferences and feedback. Combine market insights by moving data models seamlessly across CRM databases and BI tools.
• Uncover Trends: Learn about what’s trending with advanced, up-to-date visualizations using animations and auto-charting. Present your findings with embeddable and branded dashboards.
• Satisfy Customers: Deliver live insights on customer preferences and buying history to staff as they interact with buyers. Capture store browsing patterns using an augmented module, HyperVision.
• Secure Data: Keep your digital assets secure with row and column-level access restrictions.
• Stay Up-To-Date: Streamline workflows with real-time data. Keep your data stores updated with secure writebacks, even from mobile devices, a feature that differentiates it from traditional analytic tools.

Primary Features

• Dossiers: Interact with data in tables and visualizations. Give a logical flow to your data stories by organizing information into pages.
• HyperIntelligence: Get information within search results pages and websites.
• Custom Tags: Invoke MicroStrategy functionality from anywhere. Call its functions without writing integration code using custom tags.
• Voice Searches: Get instant replies to your data queries from Alexa and Google Home while working with the analytical tool.
• Animations: Show progression in visualizations via a custom visualization plugin or directly within MicroStrategy via Flash mode.

Limitations

• Doesn’t support scheduled queries, background processing, batch updates and edge analytics.
• Doesn’t provide key driver analysis.
• Doesn’t have augmented data prep, automated predictions, algorithm selection, model tuning and anomaly alerting.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Scenario and What-If Analysis – Moderately Supported Out of the Box
• Sentiment Analysis – Supported With Workarounds
• Geospatial Functions and Calculations – Supported With Partner Integrations
• Web Map Service (WMS) Integration – Moderately Supported Out of the Box
• IoT Analytics – Supported With Workarounds

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Qlik Sense

It’s a data analytic tool available for download and through a browser. The vendor provides a mobile app and support for code-free app building, a primary attraction for organizations with unique needs.

Qlik Sense supports globalization by automatically detecting the system language. An AI chatbot answers data queries in natural language. A seamless upgrade is available for users willing to switch from QlikView.

Modern data analytics tools make conversational insights accessible. Source

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• Dashboarding and Data Visualization – 100
• Data Management – 100
• Advanced Analytics — 95
• Mobile BI – 93
• Data Querying – 92

Top Benefits

• Integrate: Boost data analytics with server-to-server data exchange with third-party tools. Include advanced calculations and machine learning into analyses and visualize this data in Qlik Sense.
• Scale Flexibly: Deploy anywhere — on-premise, virtually or on the cloud. Scale to add resources as your business grows.
• Empower Teams: Enable self-service BI. Qlik Sense auto-generates charts and forecasts with conversational insights.
• Acquire IoT Insights: Preempt equipment failures and optimize resource allocation in the field with IoT connectors. Plan maintenance with intelligent updates from your internet-connected machinery.
• Manage Data: Prepare data in memory and configure data governance protocols. The vendor provides regular system performance updates. Qlik Catalog maintains a record of organizational data.

Primary Features

• Set Analysis: Create temporary filters without impacting the underlying data. Perform segmentation and what-if analysis by defining custom subsets within data.
• Associative Engine: Get instant responses to data queries thanks to a performant engine that keeps data up-to-date, recalculating the results with each new click.
• Cognitive Engine: Use AI-generated insights and data stories and load data intelligently according to the user’s search history.
• Central Hub: Design applications, create content and control data access from the Qlik Sense Management Console in this analytical tool.
• Open APIs: Embed Qlik Sense content into web applications and build visualizations beyond what the platform offers via third-party integrations. Automate data loading, manipulation and export.

Limitations

• Isn’t available as a desktop client on Mac and Linux, only via supported browsers on these environments.
• Doesn’t provide ready-to-go report templates.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• PMML – Supported With Workarounds
• Regression Analysis – Moderately Supported Out of the Box
• Sentiment Analysis – Moderately Supported Out of the Box
• Time-Series Analysis and Forecasting – Supported With Workarounds
• Key Driver Analysis – Moderately Supported Out of the Box

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TIBCO Spotfire

It’s a data analytic tool for business intelligence, visual analysis and reporting, including mobile BI. Built-in statistical functions, machine learning algorithms, rich graphics and predictive models enable advanced analytics.

You can connect to popular relational databases, cloud platforms, web services, APIs, sensor and Twitter feeds, and market data providers. In-memory analytics optimizes system performance in this data analytic tool.

Data analytics tools inform enterprise performance analysis. Source

Highest Rated Modules According to Our Data

• IoT Analytics – 100
• Mobile BI – 100
• Data Management – 99
• Geospatial Visualizations and Analysis — 94
• Dashboarding and Data Visualization – 91

Top Benefits

• Conduct Analytics: Perform in-depth analysis with the data science module and a runtime engine that integrates the power of R programming language into Spotfire.
• Add Text Data: Analyze buyer sentiment with Azure and AWS integrations. Gain text-based insights by connecting with Attivio, a cognitive insights platform.
• Explore Flexibly: Combine, cleanse, modify, sort and manipulate data as desired. Generate insights automatically with Spotfire X, its AI-driven module.
• Integrate GeoSpatial: Use geocoding, geospatial functions, external mapping providers, multilayered maps and spatial file connectivity.
• Stay Up-to-Date: Incorporate streaming data with over 80 pre-built connectivity options to IoT, MQTT and message buses like Kafka.

Primary Features

• Advanced Services: Add servers to manage additional data loads, schedule data refreshes and reports, brand dashboards, and enforce audit trails and security.
• In-Memory Analysis: Get a satisfying user experience with the platform reflecting changes and calculations instantly in visualizations.
• Alerting Extension: Register for and monitor alerts via a native extension.
• Connectors: Draw data from SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redshift and Google BigQuery. The vendor provides connectors for SAP HANA, Salesforce and NetSuite.
• Mobile UI: Swipe left/right to navigate between report pages. Long press to use freeform marking and maximize/minimize visualizations using touch.

Limitations

• Doesn’t provide auto-generated predictions or contextualized insight.
• Doesn’t support voice searches.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Sentiment Analysis – Supported With Partner Integrations
• Text Mining – Supported With Partner Integrations
• Automated Algorithm Selection and Model Tuning – Supported With Additional Modules
• Automated Feature Generation – Supported With Additional Modules
• Animations – Supported With Custom Development

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How We Choose Products

Our team of writers and analysts at SelectHub is committed to giving you the best recommendations based on our data. To make our list, products had to meet two criteria:

1. Closely match the topic
2. Earn a top-5 analyst score in our selection platform

Our analyst scores are based on an in-depth research process using primary and secondary sources. This includes SelectHub Analyst Briefings, direct communication with vendors, and reviewing materials such as user reviews, product brochures, specification sheets, case studies, user manuals, and technical documentation.

Our platform’s Scoring Engine processes the research and computes the analyst score. The score also factors in platform settings such as industry and company size.

Learn more about our research methodology and editorial standards

Software Selection Tips

Define Your Needs and Goals

Your choice of a data analytic tool will depend on the data types. Will you analyze buyer sentiment? Is streaming data critical for insights?

Determining your must-have and nice-to-have functionalities at the onset requires team and senior management buy-in.

A requirements checklist helps speed up the selection process, else you risk analysis paralysis, software mismatch and wasted time.

You might end up overspending on unused features, neglecting essential capabilities or acquiring a too-technical solution few people can master.

Research Potential Products

Ask these questions when considering a data analytics software tool.

• Is it easy to use? How much of a learning curve can you expect?
• Does it handle the required volumes and complexity?
• What are its data transformation and visualization capabilities?
• Does it offer robust connectivity and data security?
• Are reporting and sharing available?
• How much wiggle room is there in your budget?

User reviews paint a picture of how the product might perform, and free trials and demos give you a front-row seat, so don’t skip them. You don’t want to end up with usability issues, adoption pangs and training nightmares.

Check For Integration and Support

• Does the product integrate with the existing tech stack?
• Is training and support available?
• What are the vendor’s upgrade plans? Is the system scalable?

Avoid siloed data and operational bottlenecks by opting for a free trial. Asking discerning questions about the available support options can save your team heartburn later.

Read our Lean Software Selection article for guidance on the buying process.

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Cost Considerations

• A Microsoft Power BI Pro license costs $9.99 per user monthly, while the Premium edition is $4,995 per month.
• The Standard edition of Qlik Sense costs $20 per user monthly with a 10-user minimum, while the Enterprise edition is $2,700 per month.
• An Oracle Cloud Analytics Professional Edition license costs $16 monthly, while the Business edition comes at $80 per month.

Request a price quote for MicroStrategy and TIBCO Spotfire.

Factors Influencing Price

Besides functionality, the mode of deployment, licenses, storage and computing requirements add to the cost of data analytic tools.

• Deployment Model: Cloud-based solutions tend to be subscription-based (monthly/yearly fees), while on-premise licenses usually involve an upfront payment with potential maintenance fees.
• User Licenses: The more users there are, the greater the cost. Some vendors offer tiered pricing based on user access needs.
• Features and Functionality: Advanced features like AI-powered analytics, complex data management capabilities and customizability typically drive up the price.
• Data Volume and Processing Needs: Tools supporting large data volumes and intensive processing requirements may incur additional costs.

General Price Range Categories

• Open-Source tools: They aren’t always free to use but may require technical expertise for installation and maintenance. Examples: R and Python.
• Freemium tools: They offer basic functionalities for free with paid upgrades for advanced features and capabilities. Examples: Tableau Public and Power BI Desktop.
• Mid-Range tools: They’re subscription-based models with tiered pricing based on features and user licenses. Examples: Looker, QlikView and Microsoft Power BI Pro.
• Enterprise-Grade tools: They’re high-end solutions with robust capabilities, often involving complex integrations and customized deployments. Examples: SAP BusinessObjects and SAS.

Additional costs of data analytics software tools may include implementation, training, support, data migration and customization.

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Next Steps

Armed with the knowledge of these top 5 analytical tools and the key software selection tips, you’re equipped to embark on your analytical journey confidently.

Remember, the perfect tool is not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Prioritize your needs, test-drive the software and invest in a solution that empowers your organization to uncover actionable insights and thrive in a data-driven world.

Need help in your software search? Get our free comparison report to analyze your preferred products with a feature-wise description, including what’s missing in each platform.

Which data analytics tool have you used? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments below.