Best Data Analysis Software

The best data analytics software allows your business to dive deep into the metrics, numbers, and issues that matter most.

At its heart, data analysis software shows you relationships between numbers and existing notions.

By knowing how the numbers relate to one another, you can improve them—and your business as a result.

Analysis isn’t as simple as taking a look at reports at the end of the month. It’s exploring the stories and ideas behind the data.

To do that, you need good software.

In this day and age, technology gives any business or organization the tools they need to identify relevant data and put it to work. Whether you’re tracking inventory, measuring sales numbers, or analyzing customer purchasing habits, you’ll be able to get the metrics you need to improve your business and earn more money.

Choosing the right software can be difficult. There’s a glut of great tech out there to help your business. How do you pick the right one?

We’re here to help.

The 5 Best Data Analysis Software

• Microsoft Power BI – Best cloud-computing data analysis software
• Tableau – Best visualizations for data analysis software
• IBM – Best enterprise data analysis software
• Hubspot – Best data analysis software for startups and new businesses
• Sisense – Best data analysis software for in-the-weeds analytics

After reviewing dozens of data analytics tools, we’ve narrowed it down to these options.

They’ll provide you with the insights you need in order to make the right decisions when it comes to your business.

Read on for in-depth analysis of each data analysis software.

#1. Microsoft Power BI – Best cloud-computing data analysis software

Microsoft Power BI is the computer company’s data aggregation and visualization tool.

It leverages artificial intelligence to help you model your data and furnish readable, digestible reports for your specific KPIs and metrics.

My favorite thing about Microsoft Power BI is its ability to provide data reporting and insights at scale. That means you’ll be able to show accurate data analysis across your entire business.

They also allow you to stream real-time analytics information. This allows you to get in-the-moment data and insights through tools like factory sensors or even social media.

With organizations such as the UK government, the United State’s Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, Cloud Security Alliance, and the European Union relying on the software, you can rest assured that Microsoft Power BI provides your data visualizations will meet international compliance standards while also remaining safe from hackers.

Speaking of which, their security protocols are some of the best in the game. They offer oversight of sensitive data with their Microsoft Cloud App Security, and ensure protection policies with Microsoft Information Protection. That gives peace-of-mind you might not get from other analysis software.

In fact, Microsoft BI was recognized as a Leader in the Gartner 2020 Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligent Platforms.

Pricing for Microsoft Power BI are as follows:

Power BI Pro

• $9.99 per month per user
• Self-service cloud analysis
• Includes collaboration, publishing, and sharing
• Managed by Microsoft

Power BI Premium

• $4,995 per month per dedicated cloud compute and storage resource with annual subscription
• Includes enterprise business intelligence, big data analytics, reporting
• Dedicated cloud compute and storage resources

#2. Tableau – Best visualizations of data analysis software

Tableau is a very popular end-to-end data analysis and insights software—and for good reason.

They offer a great data mining dashboard that allows you and your team to gain actionable insights with each new piece of data.

They have a wide variety of different dashboards too to help you visualize any type of information across fields such as sales, finance, marketing, healthcare, global economy, government, and more.

One of the best parts of Tableau is the enthusiastic community they’ve built. If you ever have any questions or are looking for advice on how to use the dashboard.,, you can always turn to Tableau Community for resources and training for free.

They were also acquired by Salesforce, which means you’ll be able to integrate with their suite of products to help you boost productivity and sales.

Tableau allows you to organize your data into hierarchical structures for better visualization.

This is a good software for data analytics democratization too. You’ll be able to give any team member access to data with ease. And the learning curve isn’t too steep either, which makes it great for people who aren’t necessarily familiar with data visualization in the first place.

Pricing for Tableau differs on whether or not you’re an individual, an organization, or if you’re looking for embedded analytics.

Individual pricing:

Teams and Organizations (On-premise or public cloud):

Teams and Organizations (Fully hosted by Tableau):

#3. IBM Cognos – Best enterprise data analysis software

IBM Cognos is the computing company’s premier data analysis software.

It’s no surprise then that it comes with a heavy dose of computer intelligence with its data analytics features.

According to their site, Cognos is “an AI-infused business intelligence solution.” That means it leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to give you the actionable insights you need from your data.

With their powerful AI, you’ll be able to automate your data mining. In fact, Cognos allows you to gain insights in real time.

The visualizations and reports it furnishes look very good too. You’ll be able to get all the information you need to make sound decisions about your business.

IBM Cognos also comes with a great mobile app that allows you to access their dashboards right from your phone or mobile device. You can also set alerts to specific updates from your data, so you never have to miss out on or be late to a pertinent data change.

Their solution is also great for sharing insights and data to your team. With integrations with Slack and most email providers, you can send the dashboard and modules to anyone with ease.

Pricing starts at $15 per user per month. It comes with a 30-day free trial as well. For Enterprise pricing, you’ll have to get into contact with an IBM sales rep.

#4. Hubspot – Best free data analysis software

Hubspot is known for their marketing automation software—but they offer a robust analytics feature as well.

Not only will they help you attain qualified leads using contact forms and popups, they also furnish in-depth analysis of each of your marketing efforts. At a glance you’ll be able to pinpoint what’s going right and what needs to be tuned for your advertising campaigns to succeed.

You’ll also be able to dive into website traffic for your organization. They walk you through the entire website as a whole, as well as performance for each page. It all depends on what you’re looking for.

On top of that, you also get a great marketing automation and lead management software for free. That’s especially great if you’re a bootstrap startup looking to save some money, or if you’re a solopreneur who can’t invest a ton of resources and employees into marketing efforts.

Of course, with any free software, there are some drawbacks. Hubspot’s data analysis is pretty limited in its purview with a focus on marketing and website analytics. If you’re looking for something to analyze inventory, warehouse data, or factory line data, you definitely need to look elsewhere.

Their suite of free tools is great though if you’re just getting started with your business.

To gain even more features and tools, you’ll need to pay at least $40/month for each tool. They do offer some solid bundles starting at $50/month though, which is great if you’re looking to scale your business.

#5. Sisense – Best data analysis software for in-the-weeds analytics

Sisense is a powerful business intelligence tool and data analysis software.

Trusted by companies such as Philips, Nasdaq, Motorola, and General Electric, Sinsense offers a robust set of features including an interactive dashboard, self-service analytics, and white-labled BI apps.

Their technology is built on their artificial intelligence that’s embedded in most every facet of their data analytics solution. Their AI allows you to jump into big data infrastructure and furnish you with actionable insights you need to improve your business.

As such, the insights are automated. That means you don’t have to manually jump in and gather them yourself (though you can do that too).

They also offer a suite of BI dashboards by industry including customer service, marketing, finance, manufacturing, healthcare, human resources, retail and ecommerce, sales, education, and more.

Of course, there are some drawbacks. This data analysis software allows you to really get in the weeds with your data. As such, it’s more complex and isn’t really suited for beginners of data analysis. That said, if you’re not data-shy and really want to dive into the deep end of data, this is a perfect solution for you.

Unfortunately, the pricing is obscured on the website. However, you can attain a quote on an annual subscription plan by visiting their pricing page. It’ll be customized to your business’s goals and needs and comes with an annual licenses.

What to look for in data analysis software

When deciding on what data analysis software you should go with, there are a few considerations you should take into account.

Below are just a few of the things that we weighed strongly in our reviews. They might be important to you, or you might be looking for something else. That’s fine! This is a complicated matter because it’s unique to each business.

But in general, we believe that the best data analysis software should emphasize these features:

Varied reporting

A good data analytics software needs to give you the visualizations you need to understand the meaning behind the numbers.

That means solid reporting tools. You’ll need to be able to know at-a-glance how your business is doing, where it needs to be improved, and how you can make it grow.

Not only that, but you’ll also need a wide variety of different reports, whether it be sales numbers, inventory, or social media metrics. The software should be able to furnish it based on exactly what you need.

That brings us to …

Flexibility

The software should also be flexible for your needs. That means no matter what type of data you need to mine or reports you need to furnish, it should be able to handle the job.

Its AI and machine learning should also be able to give you a high-level of insights from your data through smart search queries. This is called “data discovery” and it allows you to pinpoint any relevant piece of data you’re searching for.

Its flexibility should also apply to how you can present the data. After all, you might need it to convince stakeholders to take part in a large project. You want them to be able to view the reports and metrics on whatever platform they want from browsers, to mobile phones.

Scalability

A good data analytics software should be able to grow as large and as small as you need it to. Whether you’re just looking at project specific KPIs or if you’re trying to get a broad 10,000 ft view of your business as a whole, you should be able to get the numbers and insights you need.

Also, it should be noted that it’s very difficult to replace a data analysis software. That means when you choose one, you’re likely going to have that software for a long time. You want one that will grow with you and that you can stick with for the long run.

To that end, make sure that the software is always offering you updates and staying on the cutting edge of technological advancements. Failure to do so and you might be looking at a lengthy, resource-sinking switch to a different software in the future.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the best data analysis software is going to be up to you. But if you want a solid one that you can rely on to grow with you, look no further than Microsoft Power BI.