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What are the best data visualization tools?
Here's my pick of the best data visualization tools and platforms to use this year.
1. Zoho Analytics.
Zoho Analytics is probably one of the most popular business intelligence tools on this list. One thing you can be sure of is that with Zoho Analytics, you can safely download your data. Additionally, you can use a wide variety of charts, tables, and components to transform your data concisely.
Features
- Helps you create visually appealing data visualization reports.
- It is decidedly easy to use and the dashboard is very intuitive.
- It has strong security policies
- Offers extensive customer support, which is convenient for a beginner.
- You can easily integrate your reports and dashboards onto websites and social media channels.
- Extract data from multiple resources and then process it to create insightful reports.
- Comes with an AI-based assistant to help with your data visualization process.
Pricing
Pricing plans start at $24 per month and go up to $455 per month. You also get a free 15-day trial to test the product.
Start with Zoho Analytics
2. Databox.
Best global data visualization and business analysis tool.
Databox is a data visualization tool used by over 15,000 businesses and marketing agencies. Databox brings your data together in one place to track performance in real time with engaging visuals.
Features
- Over 200 pre-built reports covering all aspects of customer relationship management, Google Analytics, Google Ads, email performance, and marketing automation.
- Over 70 one-click integrations that connect data from popular tools like HubSpot, Salesforce, Mailchimp, Facebook Ads, Shopify, and more
- Easily create advanced data calculations from multiple sources including ROAS, ARPU, LTV, LTV:CAC, etc.
Pricing
Databox offers a free plan that allows up to 3 users, 3 data sources, and a daily data refresh. Their paid plans range from $49/month to $248/month.
Their $49 per month basic plan is the best choice, as it provides 10 user accounts, 10 data sources, 10 dashboards, hourly refreshed data, and access to their API.
Get started with Databox for free ->
3. Tableau.
If you want to easily see and visualize data, Tableau is the data visualization tool for you.
It helps you create professional charts, maps, and other types of graphics. To improve your visual representations, you can also find the desktop application.
Additionally, if you encounter difficulties installing a third-party application, it offers a “server lock” solution to help you view reports online or with mobile applications.
Features
- The product is mobile phone friendly and easy to update.
- It offers extensive customer support
- Allows you to easily mix data
- The company team can perform a real-time analysis of their data.
- Provides access to all types of data analytics, including IT analytics, government analytics, marketing analytics, insurance analytics, and more.
- offers a separate free tool called Tableau Public, which offers some features but does not allow reports to be saved locally.
- Offers JavaScript extensions and APIs for custom reports through JavaScript chart libraries.
Pricing
Pricing plans start at $15 per user/month and go up to $70 per user/month.
4. Infogram.
Infogram is a web platform for data visualization and infographics. It allows you to create and share infographics, maps, and charts by taking all of the user's data and converting them into compelling graphics.
Then, you can share, embed, or publish these charts anywhere you want. Additionally, the tool is easy to use and suitable for public agencies, marketing teams, and even students.
The good news is that you don't need any technical know-how or coding skills to start using Infogram. Pricing plans also vary depending on the type of use, so you don't need to worry about paying extra. And if you want to use it for basic use and designs, it's completely free.
Features
- In addition to being useful to businesses and public bodies, it is also very user-friendly for students.
- Provides customizable templates to help you add colors, fonts, logo, and more.
- It offers a wide variety of images, icons, and flags. Appropriate sets of maps and charts are present.
- Templates allow you to create social media images, dashboards, and reports.
- It has beautiful project templates that allow data to be transformed into engaging content.
Pricing
Paid plans start at $19 per month and go up to $149 per month. Then there's a quote-based plan that helps you choose all of the features you want based on your business needs. Infogram also offers a freemium plan for essential features.
5. ChartBlocks.
ChartBlocks is an innovative data visualization software that allows you to import your data in a fraction of a second. In addition, you can directly update your data in the ChartBlock application and perform the necessary import.
It also comes with a “chart builder” that helps you create the type of chart you want. It has a certain level of tools. Then, you can easily integrate the graphics into your website or other social media.
Features
- Provide excellent customer support
- It's very easy to download your data files.
- You can create and share charts in minutes.
- You can use the same data to create a variety of charts.
- Integrated social media tools allow you to share and integrate your graphics directly.
- It is compatible with all types of mobile devices and adapts to all screen sizes.
Pricing
The first plan is completely free and allows you to get up to 50 active charts. Then, paid plans start at $20 per month.
6. Datawrapper.
Datawrapper is another great data visualization software on this list. Your target audience should be able to understand the type of chart you're creating. Also, the Excel screenshot looks great on your desktop, but it's barely readable from a mobile.
And Datawrapper solves that problem automatically. Any charts, tables, and maps you create with DataWrapper are easily readable on any device. The good news is that you don't need coding skills to create the charts.
Features
- Offers a variety of built-in charts and graphs to choose from.
- It does not require any technical know-how
- It is an open and completely free tool.
- Tables, maps, and other graphs are automatically saved afterwards.
- The DataWrapper tool is compatible with all operating systems
- Allows you to easily edit and annotate your charts.
Pricing
It is completely free if you want to have some basic drawings and tables. The free plan also allows you to export your charts, tables, and maps in png format. Then, paid plans start from €499 per month.
7. Plotly.
Plotly not only helps you create charts, but it also provides in-depth analytical reports to help you keep track of the data. It also has a user interface that is easily customizable.
In addition, it allows you to easily export reports and works perfectly in the field of business intelligence.
Features
- A key feature of Plotly is that it offers multiple deployment options, allowing you to acquire solutions in multiple ways.
- You can add multiple team members, making collaboration easier and streamlining your tasks.
- Comes with powerful visualization tools and high quality analysis tools.
- Here you can develop interactive applications and reports.
- In the field of data visualization, it provides simulation models, customized dashboards, and appropriate reports.
- Support for popular languages like R, Python, Node, etc.
Pricing
If you need basic features, you can subscribe to the Freemium plan. For more advanced features, paid plans start at $59 per year per user.
8. Visually.
Visually is a community platform for data visualization and infographics. It allows users to search for a variety of images through tags and descriptions. You can also publish and embed graphics directly on your social media profiles. It works in three simple steps.
Features
- It helps you create infographics, videos, e-books, reports, and more for your business.
- The Twitter visualization tool is also part of visual.ly.
- Users can gather information from multiple databases
- Customer support is extensive and the staff is ready to help with any issues you encounter.
- You don't need any coding skills; simply state your needs and you'll receive the type of chart you're looking for.
Pricing
The price depends on the number of users. Additionally, the tool is open for use but for a limited time. After that, you will need to buy it.
9. D3.js.
D3.js is an incredibly flexible data visualization tool based on Javascript. It supports declarative programming and helps you manipulate documents based on data. It also takes care of large data sets, and you'll find it really easy to use.
In addition, it offers unique functions, such as code reuse, a wide variety of curve generation functions, help in associating data with an element in HTML pages, etc.
Features
- It is an open-source project that works without any plugins.
- It requires minimal coding and helps you visualize data without any prior technical knowledge.
- Allows you to visualize HTML, SVG, and CSS data
- You can easily create a graphical component with this tool.
- You don't need to load the entire library every time.
- Help with manipulating the Document Object Model (DOM)
- You can also generate an HTML table from a wide range of numbers.
Pricing
It offers a quote-based plan for which you must contact the seller.
10. Ember Charts.
Instead, Ember Charts is a chart library built with the Ember.js and d3.js frameworks. With Ember Charts, you can create charts like time series, scatter charts, pie charts, and bar charts. Additionally, it helps you to easily extend and modify graphics as it offers great customization options.
Features
- The Ember Charts comes with a simple dashboard. It is therefore decidedly easy to use.
- Offers a high level of personalization
- It offers unique and rich features and allows you to add captions, tooltips, labels, and mouse hover effects to your project.
- It offers powerful and neat graphics
- If you add data that is not normal, your chart won't break. This means that if you add bad data, the Ember Charts won't stop working
- It's completely free
- You can extend the Chart Component class to create your own charts.
Pricing
It's a free tool and there are no associated costs.
11. Google Charts.
Another great data visualization tool on this list is Google Charts. It works with SVG and HTML5 and allows you to create nice interactive graphics. It also gives you more control over the charts you create and allows you to zoom in on the charts. In addition, it is user-friendly, which allows you to get started quickly.
Features
- Google Charts is easy to use. You don't need to have any prior technical knowledge to use it.
- You can easily integrate Google Charts with other Google products.
- It allows you to easily integrate graphics on your site and on social media platforms.
- Comes with a complete gallery and numerous templates.
- It displays live and real-time data on your site
- Provides an interactive dashboard
- Entirely free
Pricing
Google Charts is a free product.
FAQs
What is data visualization?
The 21st century has seen an explosion of data in all areas of life.
2.2 million terabytes of new data come in every day, and that number is growing every year. Dealing with and interpreting such a large amount of data is a challenge. That's why you need newer, more advanced techniques for data analysis.
That's where data visualization comes in, as it's one of the easiest ways to analyze and present data. The right tool can take any complex data set by the horns and break it down into simplified steps that even a layman can easily understand.
This technique makes it possible to graphically represent the relationship between the data. To do this, she uses items such as charts, tables, histograms, bar graphs, and maps to establish correlations between different data sets. Additionally, the method helps us to understand the underlying patterns and trends in the data. It also allows us to identify outliers in the data.
The most important aspect of data visualization is that it allows you to use colors to visually separate two or more data sets. LHumans can identify nearly 7,000,000 different colors., and data visualization techniques exploit this characteristic.
You also have the option of using different shapes and sizes to distinguish trends and facilitate decision-making.
Basically, the data visualization techniques use our inherent nature to look for outliers and trends hidden in the data, even unconsciously.
That's why looking at 20 tables with endless columns of numbers makes little sense, but we suddenly know everything about the data set once we visualize it as a graph.
How do you use data visualization tools?
Interactive data visualization tools help you visualize a huge amount of data by turning numbers into charts in minutes. Because humans interpret and understand charts better than numbers, these tools have an external use.
So how do you use these big data tools ? There are numerous options to choose from, depending on the requirements and goals of your business.
However, you should choose the viewing mode very carefully.
1. Column charts.
Column charts help you demonstrate data points using a linear time frame.
For example, the monthly sale of merchandise X over the particular fiscal year 2015-2016.
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2. Bar chart.
Bar charts are a simple way to take data sources and represent quantitative data in a differentiated way.
Take this data representation, for example:
Here, the students chose to represent their preferences using three different colors.
3. Pie chart.
With pie charts, you break data down into pie slices. It is a simple method to demonstrate the relative proportion of each unique quantity represented.
Here is an example:
Here, in a survey of preferred fruits, 27% of respondents preferred grapes, 10% preferred peach, and so on.
4. Venn diagrams.
Venn diagrams demonstrate the types of relationships that are possible between two or more data sets. They allow data to be evaluated and shown how they relate to each other. Basically, Venn diagrams help describe what two data sources have in common.
In the diagram above, he describes common characteristics between birds and bats.
5. Gantt charts.
The Gantt chart is essential in the conduct of any activity, whether B2B or B2C. It shows the different stages of project progress and provides an overview of the timely completion rate of projects.
This table illustrates the time required for a company to complete the various phases of its operations.
Check to see if your data visualization tool has Gantt charts or opt for a Gantt chart creator like Clickup for your projects.
6. Line charts.
If you want to study trends in a data set over time and notice peaks and troughs, line graphs can be useful. They are especially popular for financial studies and stock markets.
Here is an example:
7. Dashboard.
Very often, in businesses, you can't break data into smaller pieces and you need to visualize it holistically. One of the best ways to judge a visualization tool is to analyze the effectiveness and usability of the dashboard. For example, some business intelligence tools offer advanced graphics such as tree charts, vector graphics, and custom reports via JavaScript and JSON, which require a steeper learning curve.
It presents graphs, bar charts, infographics, timelines, and more in a single frame, making it easy to get actionable information and make quick decisions.
What should you look for in data visualization tools?
To quote Ben Shneiderman, an American computer scientist, “visualization gives you answers to questions you didn't know you had.”
The power of data visualization knows no bounds, and that's why you need to know exactly what to look for when choosing a tool. Every business is different, and needs vary, but some of the required characteristics are similar across industries.
Here are a few of them:
1. Easy to integrate
You need big data to get real business insights. Then, you need to integrate this information into your web pages or any other social media channel in order to present it appropriately to your target audience.
When integrated seamlessly into business software, these tools can facilitate real-time decisions that are easy to implement, that will ultimately benefit the business. The right tools can make the process of sharing and integrating reports easy and straightforward.
2. Conviviality.
You need to make sure that you can take full advantage of the data visualization tool you buy. This will only be possible if the tool is user-friendly and easy to use. That's why it's critical that the tool you choose is user-friendly and offers a modern, intuitive dashboard.
3. Real-time collaboration.
In any business, real-time decision-making requires inter-team and intra-team collaboration in real time. It allows conclusions to be drawn that each team member can access instantly, provides better visibility, and allows everyone to stay on the same page.
4. Scalability.
The purpose of any business is sustainability and profitability. You can only achieve this if you continue to develop and evolve your business. That's why you need a highly scalable, future-oriented tool. Your business may be small today, but the tool you use needs to be able to evolve and meet the increasing demands of your business.
5. AI integration.
AI is the next big step in technology. It can facilitate data analysis and can help predict trends and prescribe necessary changes. Therefore, integrating AI into your visualization tool can prepare your business for the future.
Other characteristics to look for include customer service, continuous data management, interactive exploration, dynamic infrastructure, and more.
Data visualization examples.
Here are a few market leaders and examples of what their dashboards look like:
1. Tableau.
Used by nearly 60,000 accounts, Tableau is by far the best tool on the market.
Some of its most important characteristics are:
- Processing huge and dynamic data sets
- Managing big data and machine learning applications
- Integration with advanced database solutions like Salesforce, Hadoop, SAP, Teradata.
- Effective graphics
The dashboard provides access to a multitude of functions at once for global management.
2. FusionCharts.
Used by over 800,000 developers at 28,000 businesses, FusionCharts is one of the best on the market right now. With its interactive and responsive charts, comprehensive documentation, and consistent API, the dashboards provided are among the best.
Here are some of its main characteristics:
- Beautiful charts, graphs, and maps (over 90 varieties)
- Powerful time series
- Exporting entire dashboards to PDF
- Extensive 3rd party integrations
- Highly flexible and scalable
Here is an example of its dashboard that monitors the energy used. Dashboards are incredibly informative, detailed, and specific.
3. Highcharts.
Eighty of the 100 largest companies in the world use Highcharts services. Used by tens of thousands of developers, it is one of the simplest and most powerful tools on the market.
Here are some of its characteristics:
- Sophisticated navigation, annotation, and client-side analysis.
- Interactive maps to display geographic information
- Usability of the site
- Flexible and scalable
Displaying the dashboard does not require specialized data visualization training, making it appealing even for novices. Its major advantage is the support for multiple browsers, which allows anyone to create interactive visualizations.
4. Datawrapper.
Datawrapper is a free, browser-based data visualization tool that is suitable for almost any industry.
Here are some of its characteristics:
- Usability of the site
- 19 types of responsive and interactive charts
- No coding expertise required
- Copy and paste data from net, excel, or sheets
- Upload CSV/XLS files
- Export graphics to PNG, SVG, or PDF
- Highly automated workflows
The dashboard provides an overview of the issue in question. In addition, it makes it easy to represent different varieties using colors, fonts, and shapes.
Summary.
These are some of the best data visualization tools out there. These tools will help you make your presentation smarter and more interactive, allowing you to catch the attention of your target audience.
If you only need basic graphics and are on a tight budget, you have plenty of options, including Leaflet, Chart.js, Highcharts, etc.
However, if you need advanced features and have a reasonable budget, you can try more credible and popular data visualization and business intelligence tools such as Databox, Tableau, Datawrapper, Zoho Analytics, etc. These tools are suitable for medium and large businesses alike.
Whether you're using Apple, Microsoft Windows, or even Android devices, these tools help you extract raw data from multiple databases and present it in a simple way.
Other recommended reading: For other useful software tools, check out my guides to best CRM software, best database software And some best marketing automation software to try this year.
