In today's competitive business intelligence (BI) and analytics landscape, utility is of the utmost priority for organizations. A good BI tool must be easy to use for both advanced power users and business users with basic skills. Some other notable capabilities that need to be considered when ranking or evaluating BI tools include:
Data management and preparation - The ability to collect, cleanse, transform, and enrich data effectively
AI infused BI - The presence of generative AI capabilities like conversational assistance, automated insights, and advanced AI-powered techniques like forecasting and cluster analysis
Extensibility - The scope to create/develop custom capabilities and scale up based on business requirements
Keeping these essential capabilities in mind, here's our list of the top BI tools on the market today
Zoho Analytics
Zoho Analytics combines ease of use with powerful BI and analytics capabilities, making it accessible to all types of users. The platform enables seamless data collection and preparation through visual data pipelines, while an advanced metrics layer serves as a single source of truth by standardizing business metrics. GenAI features, like Ask Zia and diagnostic insights, are highly business user-friendly. Advanced capabilities like predictive AI, AutoML, and Python Code Studio cater to power users like data scientists and data engineers. The platform's sophistication and extensibility make it a solution suited for both SMBs and large enterprises.
Qlik
Qlik is known for its unique associative data model that fundamentally transforms how users interact with their data, allowing business users to deal with a diverse variety of data sources. Qlik’s associative analytics engine lets users freely explore data relationships and uncover hidden insights, and the platform's AI-driven Insights Advisor caters to both data-savvy and business users. Their support for embedding and extensibility has made Qlik a viable option for embedded analytics.
Domo
Domo's business cloud infrastructure enables the consolidation of data from various sources, harmonizing disparate datasets into a single, unified view. The platform empowers non-technical users to create dashboards, reports, and visualizations while also meeting enterprise-level needs with a focus on data governance and security. Domo's integration with AI-driven analytics, app creation tools, and other platform capabilities positions it as a solution that caters to both business users and advanced power users.
Microsoft Power BI
Power BI's interactive features allow business users to gather detailed insights. The incorporation of AI-driven analytics, like Q&A insights and predictive modeling, empowers users to perform deeper data analysis. With an evolving feature set and deep native integration with Microsoft's productivity suite, Power BI is a favorite of organizations that are already part of the Microsoft ecosystem.
IBM Cognos Analytics
IBM Cognos offers conventional reporting and intuitive NLG-powered features that enhance user autonomy. It has an AI-powered framework that enables deeper data exploration and sophisticated analysis. IBM Cognos also offers essential capabilities for enterprise needs. Overall, IBM Cognos distinguishes itself as a platform that empowers users to seamlessly advance through their analytics journey.
Tableau
Tableau supports responsive and adaptive dashboards. It offers a collaborative data space that enables comment threads, custom alerts, real-time data layering, and streamlined workflows. Tableau's strength lies in how users of all skill levels can not only explore data but also communicate impactful data stories.
SAS Augmented Analytics & BI
This platform tries to deliver a synergy between advanced analytics and an intuitive user experience. It offers powerful analytics capabilities like an advanced natural language interface, correlations, and automatic metric suggestions. SAS's approach to democratizing highly sophisticated analytics, including predictive and prescriptive insights, is an attractive proposition for non-technical business users.
Sisense
Sisense provides a flexible data fabric that connects disparate sources. It facilitates collaboration by providing actionable insights with in-context analytics, and the platform's robust architecture is designed to handle enterprise-grade needs at scale. The support to embed BI directly within other products and business workflows makes Sisense appealing for organizations looking to make data an integral part of their customer experience.
Yellowfin BI
Yellowfin BI offers guided exploration of insights that makes analytics highly accessible and engaging. The platform's collaborative features ensure a seamless flow of insights across departments/teams. Yellowfin's flexibility appeals to organizations that are looking to integrate and customize BI and analytics within their existing workflows.
MicroStrategy
MicroStrategy focuses on providing a seamless, personalized analytics experience. The platform's federated analytics capabilities aim to achieve a single source of truth out of data gathered from disparate sources. Their commitment to open architecture allows users to leverage third-party tools for advanced capabilities.
This list might not be exhaustive, but it's a good start if you're seriously looking for a BI/analytics tool. And if you're willing to consider Zoho Analytics, we'd be happy to help you get started on your own or offer you a personalized demo at your convenience.
Wishing you a happy BI journey!
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