Businesses rely on data, but raw data must be processed to make them productive. Since the collected data is in huge chunks, managing it all manually can take a significant amount of time. Hence the need for data analysis tools.
The data analysis programs are designed to speed up the process of converting raw data into high quality useful information in just a few clicks. However, the market is flooded with data analytics tools that make it difficult to choose. Hence, it is important to look for a few things in the right tool like its performance, learning curve, determination of its TCO, etc.
Therefore, to make your selection easier, we have selected and listed some of the best analytics tools, complete with features. It's a mix of open source and paid versions that give you more choice.
Read also: The 20 best statistical software and tools
Microsoft Excel needs no special introduction, as it is still one of the most popular analysis tools. It is widely used in all industries as well as for personal purposes. You might be a pro at using advanced tools like Tableu or SaS, but you'd still need Excel. This is especially important when it is necessary to perform analyzes on confidential customer data.
Features:
- Adapt your schemes and organize your data accordingly to save time and effort.
- Offers modern calculations and templates for a personalized sheet-making experience.
- It comes loaded with the latest charts and graphs to help you show your data in an attractive way.
- Create one-click forecasts by forecasting trends, effortlessly.
- Option to share your spreadsheet and collaborate in real time.
Plus, it helps you build models using the advanced business analytics feature.
Price: free up to 5GB; subscription priced at $ 1,99 / month for 100GB.
Zoho Analytics, a self-service analytics and business analytics tool, allows you to create attractive data representations and intelligent dashboards in the blink of an eye. It helps you convert huge chunks of raw data into valuable insights in the form of reports and dashboards.
Features:
- It allows you to extract data from spreadsheets and flat files (text files, CSV, HTML, Excel, etc.) and upload them.
- Facilitate visual data analysis and create in-depth reports and dashboards using the drag-and-drop interface.
- The interface looks more like a spreadsheet that helps with data entry, analysis, and reporting.
- Ability to share data with colleagues or clients and even collaborate in real time.
- Option for independent software vendors to seamlessly integrate with applications and products using integrated BI.
- It allows you to quickly set up a custom reporting website with your brand.
- It offers a range of dynamic HTTP-supported web APIs that help with data integration, meta data management, and more.
Ensure your data is protected with strong support for redundancy, confidentiality, privacy and backup.
Price: Pricing starts at $ 12.
Tableau Public is a free yet powerful platform for those looking for a free data analysis tool. It allows you to represent and publish data on any topic of your interest. IT enables you to design interactive charts, eye-catching maps, and real-time dashboards in minutes.
Features:
- Tableau Public helps you connect different formats which include MS Excel, MA Access and other different types of text files.
- Data storage is limited to 10GB.
- Lines of data are limited to 1 in a single file.
- Being an open source platform, all content saved on the platform is open to the public, online with the ability to download a copy of the data workbook from anyone.
With the flexibility to share your work in minutes and then publish it anywhere on the web, Tableau Public is one of the most dynamic, secure, and adaptable comprehensive analytics tools out there.
Price: free and open source.
The standard bearer of data analytics, SAS is for all data scientists, business analysts or forecasters who help them discover, analyze and represent data. It works on ingenious and reliable technology by converting raw data into intelligent data. Move it across multiple computing environments and continue to work the same across all platforms.
Features:
- It is an end-to-end analytics package. From easy to complex figures, it displays powerful data analysis capabilities.
- Equipped with an integrated library that offers all the essential packages needed for data analysis and reporting.
- Powered by 4GL programming language, it comes with easy-to-learn syntax and clear and crisp instructions / instructions for the system.
- Features SAS Studio can be accessed from any device and on any web browser. It does not need to be installed and is extremely informative.
- It allows you to create and embed custom code snippets that can also be stored in the snippet library.
- It provides support for different types of data formats and can read data from any file, format or even file with missing data.
- Alert, monitor and manage the data analytics atmosphere with SAS management.
- Ability to view analytical outputs and the number of reporting alternatives.
- It provides a security feature called SAS 9.4 which encrypts data on disk using different types of algorithms.
Overall, it is a complete package for any type of statistical business and also supports its services across all platforms.
Price: Price on request.
IBM Analytics belongs to one of the trusted leaders that accelerates the data conversion process using AI and a classic approach. It covers all types of industries while allowing you to make smart decisions during the course of the analysis.
Features:
- Simplify the process of collecting and arranging data and how you analyze data to improve acquisition, management and scale.
- Freedom to collect all kinds of data from different types of data sources.
- Ability to scale your knowledge by incorporating evidence-based information that was previously inaccessible into your decision.
- Use of machine learning that accelerates the incorporation of data science projects by optimizing intelligence in your business application.
- Traditional analytics allows you to review business boundaries and maximize business trade-offs.
- Predictive analytics gets data mining, predictive modeling, advanced analytics power, or text analytics in one place.
It also allows you to develop a reliable foundation for your analytics and organize your data in a business-associated environment.
Price: the price varies according to the products.
It is an open source and generic programming language intended for the world of programming. Contributes to programming based on objects, structures and functional programming and more. In recent times, it offers advanced APIs for AI and machine learning.
Features:
- It clearly defines functions, while allowing for mandatory and alternative argument lists, as well as random keywords and arguments.
- Equipped with “lists” which is one of the compound data types used in Python and which can be listed, segmented and influenced with other built-in functions.
- Makes calculations and expression syntax simple by allowing the +, -, * and / operators to function normally. Use parentheses () for grouping.
- Easy to learn and understand, it is suitable for beginners.
- It includes the normal control flow statements spoken by other languages, such as if, for, while, and range.
You can use these five Python libraries for most data science tasks: Numpy, Pandas, Scipy, Scikit-learn, and Seaborn.
Price: free and open source
If you are looking for a big data analytics tool, Apache Spark is your best choice. Specially designed for developers, this open source program supports SQL, stream, and batch processing. It is an easy to use built-in analysis tool that is super fast and has the ability to convert huge chunks of data.
Features:
- It acquires high performance for batch data and also streaming data 100 times faster.
- It allows you to easily and quickly write applications in Java, Python, SQL, Scala and R.
- Equipped with an extensive library with SQL and DataFrame, MLlib for machine learning, GraphX and Spark Streaming, which can be seamlessly integrated into the application.
- It works with Hadoop, Apache Mesos, Kubernetes, standalone or cloud, and also accesses different types of data sources.
Most importantly, Apache can be installed in a single server group with the help of a standalone cluster type. It can also be deployed in the cloud.
Price: free
R Programming is again a free data analysis tool perfect for statistical tasks, graphical visualization and reporting. It is based on a translated computer language that allows branching, looping and modular programming with functions. It also integrates perfectly with code written in C, C ++, .Net, Python or FORTRAN.
Features:
- A simple and efficient programming language that is loaded with user-specified loops, output options, conditionals, and recursive functions.
- It manages data effectively and offers storage space.
- It offers a wide range of tools for calculating lists, vectors, matrices and arrays.
- Facilitates a massive, logical, and unified cluster of tools built specifically for data analysis.
- It provides graphical capabilities and the ability to present data analysis output directly to your computer screen or printed paper.
Available for free under the GNU license, it assembles and operates on multiple platforms such as Windows, Mac OS and Unix.
Price: free.
Splunk keeps you informed of what's going on, in real time. It basically offers a complete view of connected data from all systems, devices and interactions in your business. This helps you create impact across your business by revealing the true power of your data. It also allows you to provide insights applicable to those in question, in real time using mobile and augmented reality.
Features:
- It allows you to query Splunk to access user data without any need to write SPL, which is also beneficial for those with no technical background.
- Option to scan QR codes or NFC tags that allows you to automatically test your Splunk data and dashboard on objects while offering valuable Splunk insights to non-SPL users.
- It offers dashboards specially designed for mobile devices and at the same time receives and takes action on notifications.
- It has a secure dashboard full of details.
- It provides a reliable, password-protected cloud service that allows mobile devices to interact with integrated and cloud-based instances.
Basically, it allows you to make faster decisions in real time across the business.
Price: free version available: price on request for pro version.
Qlik Sense is more of a benchmark for the latest range of data analytics platforms. It comes with a unique related analytics program, complete with refined artificial intelligence and a multi-cloud environment that can be scaled. With all these features and more, it empowers people in your organization to make faster and better decisions on a daily basis.
Features:
- Equipped with drag-and-drop functionality for views and smart search function.
- Fast and reliable connections to different types of data sources.
- It allows you to access real-time analytics anytime, anywhere.
- It features data narration capabilities and also the convenience of easy self-service.
- Equipped with a shared object library and open and standard dynamic APIs.
- It helps you manage your data connections, effortlessly in a quick development setup.
- Easy to scale and manage.
- It offers the ease of progressive development with the multi-source data unification feature that includes big data.
- Provides a safe environment in any environment.
Best of all, it can be fully customized to meet your “one of a kind” business requirements. It also offers the ability to print and export your work in PDF and PowerPoint.
Price: Free trial available; Contact the supplier for pricing
Conclusion
Whether you are a pro or a beginner, or whatever your budget, this list contains the best tools in the business that can be useful for all types of people with all types of requirements. So, pick one based on your skill level and budget and you are ready to reap all the benefits.
