Data visualization software can take vast amounts of data and turn them into simple, easy-to-read data points. The data visualization tool you implement in your business will help you create dashboards and reports you can understand if you’re not a technical person. Understanding your data is essential when trying to get actionable insights and develop new revenue-enhancing strategies.
The human brain can process visual information 60,000 times faster than it takes to decode text. You will need the best software to help you create these visualizations. That’s why I put this list together. You will find the best data visualization software to help you display and share your most crucial business information.
Best Data Visualization Software Shortlist
Here’s the shortlist of the best tools that I’ll cover in this article.
- SAP Crystal Server - Best for sharing personalized dashboards.
- Tableau - Best intuitive data analysis.
- Splunk Enterprises - Best scalable data visualization tool.
- Qlik - Best for beginners.
- Inforgram - Best for creating infographics.
- Domo - Best customizable data dashboards.
- Looker - Best for creating accessible data platforms.
- MicroStrategy - Best for drag-and-drop visualizations.
- Sisense - Best self-service data visualizations.
- Klipfolio - Best for data connections.
- Zoho Analytics - Best for Zoho customers.
- Datawrapper - Best open source data visualization tool.
How I Selected the Best Data Visualization Software
Perhaps you’re wondering how I selected the best data visualization software for this list? To build this list, I evaluated and compared a wide range of data visualization software with positive user ratings.
After determining my long list of top choices, I further honed my list by using the selection criteria below to see how each platform stacked up against the next one. I also drew on my years of RevOps experience to pinpoint the features that add a lot of value.
If you have general questions about data visualization software or how to pick the best data visualization software for your organization, take a look at our frequently asked questions section below. Or, you can skip directly to my detailed software summaries, if that’s what you need the most.
Selection Criteria
Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best data visualization software for this article:
Versatility:
For optimal data processing, the tool should cover various functionalities that will allow you to develop relevant visualizations with helpful information. It should also provide advanced and predictive analytics to help you make the most of your data and better decisions for your organization.
Data Capacity:
Implementing data visualization software aims to speed up and simplify your data processing. I look for solutions that can provide your business with optimal performance when handling large data volumes. I also look for platforms that will manage multiple data sources. It should be able to connect to your databases easily and import numerous file types.
Sharing & Communication:
Good data visualization tools allow you to easily share visualizations and communicate with various stakeholders. I look for tools that enable users to easily consult on their visualizations or change them if their role allows it. The tool should also be usable during meetings, seminars, and other vital presentations.
Software Integrations:
Data visualization needs to be integrated with various tools, especially when importing data to add to a dashboard or report. I look for tools that can connect to your software or databases holding your vital data. This allows for automation since clicking refresh should fill the software with the latest data. The software should have pre-built integrations or provide an API to create custom connections or both.
Pricing:
Anticipating the cost of implementing data visualization software is crucial. So, I look for platforms that provide a pricing structure that adapts to your business, either with your company’s size, needs, and resources. The vendor should provide a way for you to understand whether the software is right for your organization. This can be through a free trial or a product demonstration.
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Overviews of the 12 Best Data Visualization Software
Here’s a brief description of each data visualization software to showcase each one’s best use case, some noteworthy features, screenshots, and pricing information.
1. SAP Crystal Server - Best for sharing personalized reports
SAP Crystal Server helps revenue teams get deeper insights into business information by sharing personalized reports.
Why I picked SAP Crystal Server: The platform gives users and decision-makers the tools to manage self-service reports. Your teams can share the reports the platform creates to help users on all levels make data-driven decisions without needing IT expertise. SAP Crystal Server allows you to share and access data from desktops and mobile devices in a secure infrastructure.
SAP Crystal Server works best with small to medium enterprises with multiple data sources. It allows your teams to find crucial insights and perform intuitive data exploration. You can use the platform to provide your key stakeholders with convenient access to relevant business intelligence.
SAP Crystal Server Standout Features and Integrations
Features include report scheduling, report delivery, viewership management, recurring report development, content reporting, access controls, and role assignments.
Integrations include Integrify, TimelyBill, Microsoft 365, Microsoft SharePoint, Java Portal Access, and an API that allows users to create custom integrations.
SAP Crystal Server offers custom pricing upon request. SAP Crystal Server offers new subscribers a free 60-day trial.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Creates custom reports.
- Lots of data connection options.
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- Customer support needs improvement.
2. Tableau - Best for AI-driven visual, interactive analytics
Tableau provides built-in visual best practices that enable limitless visual data exploration that doesn’t interrupt analysis flow.
Why I picked Tableau: Thanks to the platform’s flexibility and power, users can develop statistical modeling to build visualizations, explore data, and share insights. You can do all this in just a few clicks and by asking questions using Tableau’s natural language processing and artificial intelligence. It will save you and your team’s time by immediately producing the visual output everyone needs while also providing high-security levels with a guarantee to resolve security issues as soon as they happen.
Tableau works for any sized company that needs a method to create nearly any type of data visualization. This includes simple charts to creative and interactive graphics. The vendor also provides extensive resources and knowledgebase that other Tableau users contribute to.
Tableau Standout Features and Integrations
Features include data management, virtual data connections, data governance, data lineage and quality, self-service data preparation, coordinated views, collaboration tools, and real-time data exploration.
Integrations include Salesforce, Google Analytics, Smartsheet, SurveyMonkey, Zoho Survey, Amplitude, Odoo, Normalyze, Aprimo, Data Sandbox, Pendo, Khoros, and Payscale.
Tableau costs from $15/user/month, billed annually. Tableau offers a free 14-day trial for new users.
Pros
- Excellent visualization capabilities.
- User-friendly design.
- Handles vast amounts of data.
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- Downloading data takes time.
3. Splunk Enterprise - Best for incorporating AI and machine learning into data visualizations
Splunk Enterprise enables users to visualize and act on outcomes faster with artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Why I picked Splunk Enterprise: You can use the platform’s built-in machine learning and AI analytics or create custom models to manage and visualize data. It simplifies collecting, visualizing, analyzing, and acting on your data. Your predictive models can also help you uncover revenue anomalies and display the information for everyone to understand.
Splunk Enterprise fits larger organizations looking to create compelling and actionable data stories. Its tools will help you and your teams make sense of your complex data and empower everyone to identify revenue issues and opportunities. Splunk Enterprise users can build and personalize data visualization dashboards to show the most relevant details for different scenarios and audiences.
Splunk Enterprise Standout Features and Integrations
Features include mobile alerts, augmented reality, TV displays, mobile device fleet management, customized dashboards, data monitoring, real-time reporting, and a machine learning toolkit.
Integrations include Device42, Netreo, Clockspring, strongDM, ControlMap, Silent Push, ShadowKat, Codium, ScanFactory, GitGuardian, Tableau, Okta, and OneLogin.
Splunk Enterprise offers custom pricing upon request. Splunk Enterprise offers a free 60-day trial for new users.
Pros
- Easy data retrieval.
- Custom dashboards.
- Stores large amounts of data.
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- Challenging to implement.
4. Qlik - Best for beginners
Qlik provides business intelligence capabilities to help beginners and small organizations with discovery efforts.
Why I picked Qlik: The platform’s Qlik Sense tool provides an AI-powered tool that offers interactive dashboards and data visualizations. The QlikView tool combines all data sources to help you get the most from your data visualization and reporting. If you’re starting your data visualization journey, Qlik can help you uncover various data patterns.
Qlik is a cloud-based platform, so you can empower your teams to make better decisions with your data and create a data-driven organization. Qlik is an excellent option for any sized business that needs a tool to automatically clean and sort their data. It also provides AI capabilities that will help you analyze your data and understand the insights it discovers.
Qlik Standout Features and Integrations
Features include self-service visualizations, interactive dashboards, search and conversational analytics, embeddable analytics, visually-rich reports, alerts, mobile app, and geospatial analytics.
Integrations include SysAid, Spacewell, Smartsheet, Meisterplan, Sympa, Plika, Datameer, Embrace ERP, AppTweak, Mobisale, Quill, SurveyMonkey Enterprise, Centra, and CloudSwyft.
Qlik costs from $30/user/month, billed annually. Qlik offers a free 30-day trial for new users.
Pros
- Automated action triggers.
- Drag-and-drop tools.
- User-friendly UI.
Cons
- Poor customer support.
- Resizing visualizations loses details.
5. Inforgram - Best for creating infographics
Infogram is a drag-and-drop data visualization tool that allows anyone to create compelling infographics, reports, dashboards, and other vital business graphics.
Why I picked Infogram: This web-based tool is one of the most popular platforms for visualizing data. Infogram’s primary use is to help users create exciting and interactive infographics, dashboards, and reports by using data-driven information. The platform provides users with numerous graphic options to make infographics, including over 550 maps, 35 charts, 20 templates, and other pictures and icons.
Infogram is an excellent fit for anyone, from beginners new to creating data visualizations to large enterprises. The dashboard template library provides businesses with many visualization layouts that are perfect for tracking your data and identifying trends. It also offers many collaboration capabilities - you can invite team members to projects, set permissions, share project details, and collaborate in real time.
Infogram Standout Features and Integrations
Features include interactive maps and charts, reports, dashboards, online content publishing, infographics, social media posts, slides, and analytics.
Integrations include Desktop.com, Google Analytics, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, Shift, Azquo, and Turtl.
Infogram costs from $25/month when paying month-to-month or $19/month when billed yearly. Infogram offers a free forever subscription tier. They also provide a demo to help you understand if the platform is right for you.
Pros
- Handles multiple data sources.
- Drag and drop editor.
- No coding skills are required.
Cons
- Not many integrations are available.
- Some customization limitations.
6. Domo - Best customizable data dashboards
Domo provides a simple interface that allows users to create custom data dashboards and other visualizations in just a few clicks.
Why I picked Domo: This is a cloud platform that helps you perform data analysis and create interactive, custom dashboard visualizations. It’s a low-code data visualization tool, meaning that anyone on your team can create a data dashboard to show your vital revenue metrics. When using Domo, you can combine text, cards, and images to your dashboard, which helps guide your audience through the data, so everyone is on the same page.
Domo works best for any sized business, especially small companies that wish to understand their data better and improve data-driven decision-making. Everyone in your team who needs to see your revenue data can do so when using this platform, not just data experts. The vendor also provides an extensive resource library to help everyone learn to use the software.
Domo Standout Features and Integrations
Features include raw data transformation, interactive visualizations, data change alerts, trend analysis, predictive insights, automated data discovery, natural language queries, and data security and governance.
Integrations include Marketo, Google Analytics, Stripe, Zendesk, Salesforce, Airtable, Xero, Aha, Constant Contact, Outreach, Expensify, and HubSpot.
Domo offers custom pricing upon request. Domo offers a free 30-day trial for new users.
Pros
- Creates professional data visualizations.
- Easy to use.
- Powerful report generation capabilities.
Cons
- Sharing dashboards is challenging.
- Some data connectors are complex.
7. Looker - Best for creating accessible data platforms
Looker allows organizations to create dynamic dashboard visualizations to filter information based on who is accessing it.
Why I picked Looker: The platform is a part of Google Cloud, which allows your teams to perform deeper data analysis of the information they need. You can use Looker to create accessible dashboards for multiple experiences. For example, your sales and finance leaders can access the platform for revenue data. In contrast, other external stakeholders can view other vital business intelligence.
Looker fits any sized business looking to access fresh data to stay on top of sudden company changes and perform the necessary actions to resolve challenges. You can share your data visualization from the platform by using any particular tool. You can also export your data files in any format right away.
Looker Standout Features and Integrations
Features include customized data-driven experiences, intuitive guidance, native mobile app, data import, report automation, project management, forecasting, and notifications.
Integrations include Stripe, Ally.io, Anvyl, Desktop.com, Hevo, Gigasheet, Zendesk, Salesforce, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, Slack, HubSpot, Dropbox, and Quickbooks.
Looker offers custom pricing upon request. Looker provides a free demonstration to help you understand if the platform is right for you.
Pros
- Stunning visuals.
- Excellent customer support.
- Quick to learn.
Cons
- Can be slow to load.
- Not scalable.
8. MicroStrategy - Best for drag-and-drop visualizations
MicroStrategy is a complete data visualization platform with a drag-and-drop interface that helps teams build data presentations.
Why I picked MicroStrategy: The platform is an industry leader in business intelligence software that enables users to develop interactive visualizations, such as formatted and ad-hoc reports and interactive dashboards. You can use MicroStrategy’s drag-and-drop tool to build these high-quality data visualization applications. The interface allows your team to create pixel-perfect visualizations for any device to help gain vital insights from your data.
MicroStrategy works for small, medium, and large organizations that need to make use of their collected revenue data. It provides a wide range of capabilities, such as advanced analytics, data discovery, embedded business intelligence, and hyperintelligence. You and your teams can inject this data into the tools you love most and push it to employees, partners, and other stakeholders.
MicroStrategy Standout Features and Integrations
Features include benchmarking, ad-hoc reports, predictive analytics, data visualizations, KPOs, performance metrics, data mining, budgeting and forecasting, and filtered data visualizations.
Integrations include Salesforce, IRI Voracity, Microsoft 365, Microsoft SharePoint, Vibe.fyi, QuerySurge, Toucan, AT Internet, Kyvos, CData Connect, Phrazor, Openbridge, and Promethium.
MicroStrategy offers custom pricing upon request. MicroStrategy doesn’t show any free trial information.
Pros
- Analyzes real-time data.
- Customizable dashboards.
- Simplifies collaboration.
Cons
- Some features can be slow.
- Steep learning curve.
9. Sisense - Best self-service data visualizations
Sisense can help users visualize data and summarize statistics, such as underlying trends and patterns.
Why I picked Sisense: The software helps anyone on your team prepare, analyze, and explore revenue data from multiple sources. Sisense’s self-service functionalities mean you can infuse analytics into your workflows to enhance vital business decisions. The vendor believes every company will be data-driven and every product will relate to data. So, they provide various analytics tools to teams to make their organizations data-driven.
Sisense works best for larger organizations with enormous datasets working in any industry. It helps you be creative with your data visualizations by adding engaging and personalized graphics to keep your audience’s interest. Also, the platform’s AI can help you easily forecast future revenue data according to your historical details. The flexible forecast features allow you to change a parameter to see how it will impact your future values.
Sisense Features and Integrations
Features include embeddable analytics, predictive analysis, data modeling, data exploration and automation, natural language processing, rules-based automation, data warehousing, and profitability analysis.
Integrations include Desktop.com, Hevo, Zendesk, Salesforce, Google Analytics, Slack, Box, Quickbooks, Xero, Hive, Shift, Snowflake, Recruitee, and Accern.
Sisense offers custom pricing upon request. Sense provides a free trial but doesn’t specify more details.
Pros
- Share dashboards with multiple users.
- Connects to any data source.
- Low-code or no-code tools.
Cons
- Reporting function needs improvement.
- Mobile version has performance issues.
10. Klipfolio - Best for data connections
Klipfolio can access and combine data from hundreds of connections without writing unnecessary code.
Why I picked Klipfolio: It can retrieve and combine your data from multiple sources and create data models by using its pre-built instant metrics. These sources include spreadsheets, files, databases, and web service application connections. Klipfolio allows you to import, edit, and analyze data to get exact, comprehensive insights. You can display your data using one of the platform’s pre-built visualizations from its Klip Gallery.
Klipfolio is a good fit for any business looking to visualize complex data formulas to resolve revenue challenges. The PowerMetrics tool doesn’t require coding expertise or technical help from a development team. You and your teams can share visualizations and reports through view-only links, scheduled emails, Slack messages, or PDFs.
Klipfolio Standout Features and Integrations
Features include performance metrics, visual analytics, data analysis, ad-hoc reports, public and private dashboards, data discovery, dashboard creation, and filtered views.
Integrations include Jira, Freshdesk, BambooHR, SendGrid, Twilio, Pipedrive, Recurly, New Relic, FreshBooks, Stripe, Basecamp, Zendesk, Salesforce, and Google Analytics.
Klipfolio costs from $139/month when paying monthly or $99/month when billed annually. Klipfolio offers a free forever subscription level for users. The platform also provides a free 14-day trial when subscribing to a paid tier.
Pros
- Excellent customer support.
- Extensive knowledge base.
- Dashboards fit any device.
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- Formula editing is complex.
11. Zoho Analytics - Best for Zoho customers
Zoho Analytics can integrate with other Zoho applications to help users collaborate and share data visualizations.
Why I picked Zoho Analytics: Organizations already using Zoho’s other applications will love the ability to unify various business analytics throughout their departments. Like other Zoho applications, Zoho Analytics has ready-made connectors for popular business systems, cloud drives, and databases. If you are familiar with Zoho, you might remember the AI assistant Zia, which the vendor created using AI, machine learning, and natural language processing. Zia helps users answer questions regarding data visualizations.
Zoho Analytics works for any sized business looking to create excellent data visualization from multiple sources and combine them together. The platform allows you to share and publish reports with team members and engage in conversations. Also, Zoho Analytics’ smart data alerts will notify you when it discovers any outliers and anomalies.
Zoho Analytics Standout Features and Integrations
Features include data analytics, performance metrics, predictive analytics, ad-hoc reports, data visualizations, profitability analysis, public and private dashboards, and high-volume data processing.
Integrations include Pipedrive, Stripe, Mortar, Zendesk, Salesforce, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, Slack, HubSpot CRM, Zoho CRM, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, and Quickbooks.
Zoho Analytics costs from $30/month when billed month-to-month or $24/month when billed annually. Zoho Analytics offers a free 15-day trial when hosting the platform on the cloud. If you’re using the software on-premises, the vendor provides a free 30-day trial.
Pros
- Easy to learn.
- Useful help guides and tutorials.
- Creates in-depth data analysis reports.
Cons
- Customer support needs improvement.
- Mobile app is unintuitive.
12. Datawrapper - Best open source data visualization tool
Datawrapper is an open source visualization tool that enables businesses to create charts, tables, and maps without coding.
Why I picked Datawrapper: It’s a straightforward platform that’s perfect for creating various data visualizations. It’s open source software, which means you can start building an unlimited number of visualizations immediately by creating a free account. You can use the software to add interactive charts on a website for your teams and stakeholders to view.
Datawrapper is an excellent choice for any sized business looking for an affordable option and a beginner-friendly user interface. The basic, free version is a good option if you share your visualizations with internal team members. The vendor offers several paid subscription options that provide more advanced capabilities if you need to share your graphics with a larger audience.
Datawrapper Standout Features and Integrations
Features include data analysis, simulation models, unlimited visualizations, custom chart themes, responsive visualizations, collaboration tools, and chart creation automation.
Integrations include Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and an API that allows users to create custom integrations with their current systems.
Datawrapper costs from $599/month or $5,990/year. Datawrapper offers a free subscription tier for users.
Pros
- Easy for beginners.
- Embeds visualizations fast.
- Tutorial library.
Cons
- Limited data sources.
- Paid plans are expensive.
Other Options
Here are a few more options that didn’t make the best data visualization software list:
- ChartBlocks - Best for importing data from anywhere.
- D3.js - Best JavaScript data library.
- FusionCharts - Best out-of-the-box data visualization codes.
- Power BI - Best for business intelligence data.
- Whatagraph - Best for sharing data visualizations automatically.
People Also Ask
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A suitable data visualization tool for your business can be a game changer thanks to the sharp, high-quality graphics it creates. An enormous number of data visualization software available for your organization can make it challenging to decide the best one to use. While the right platform will depend on your unique requirements, I think this list I put together is a great place to start.
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