Are you searching for ‘Best Data Visualization tools? ThinkDataAnalytics in-depth research will help you in your quest for top data visualization tools.
Table of Contents
What is Data Visualization?
The presentation of data in either a graphical or pictorial format essentially defines what data visualization is.
How data visualization helps decision makers is by enabling them to view analytics presented visually.
This allows them to grasp difficult concepts easily and also in the identification of new patterns.
The interactive technologies available today further help to drill down into graphs and charts for in depth detail, in turn interactively changing the data you view and how it’s processed.
Data Visualization Tools Comparison
Data visualization tools provide data visualization designers with an easier way to create visual representations of large data sets.
These data visualizations can then be used for a variety of purposes: dashboards, annual reports, sales and marketing materials, investor slide decks, and virtually anywhere else information needs to be interpreted immediately.
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But there are standouts that either have more capability for the types of visualizations they can create or are significantly easier to use than the other options out there.
Data Visualization works under many scenarios, all it requires is minor adjustments and tweaks with respect to the scenario.
Data visualization also helps with –
- Finding problem areas that require attention or improvement
- Identification of factors that include customer behavior
- Product placement in retail stores
- Sales volume prediction
So how do we do data visualization? There are many tools available today that need a Zen level of mastery to learn!
Let’s take a look at 5 tools that rule the data visualization market:
List of Best Data Visualization Tools Comparison
- QlikView
- Tableau
- Power BI
- D3.js
- FusionCharts
- Datawrapper
- Sisense
- Infogram
- ChartBlocks
- R Shiny
QlikView
Qlikview is a product of Qlik which assimilates data from multiple sources and integrates it extremely quickly into a single powerful application.
This visualization tool has some brilliant and engaging state of the graphics to help you study, analyze and interpret the data.
This tool is extremely easy to use and gives you real-time answers to an inquiry you make.
All work can be done on the dashboard from anywhere you are because of the stunning mobile app.
Advantages:
- Extremely quick and easy to implement
- Fast data interpretation and analysis
- Security of data
- It has a dynamic BI ecosystem
- Real-time sharing and social analysis is possible on Qlikview
Disadvantages:
- Extra add-ons prove to be pricey
- The RAM capacity limits the rows, cells, tables and fields
- Requires handling by a trained developer
Tableau
Tableau is the home of intuitive and interactive visual analytics. It is a visualization tool which can be easily used by people as well as enterprise scale organizations.
It is a tool which has an easy interface and provides killer interactive data visualization. Finding data driven solutions is why organizations love Tableau.
Advantages:
- No need for technical knowledge
- Mobile Friendly
- Ability to gather and handle large sets of data from multiple sources
- Integration with an extensive roster of native connections
- Excellent user interface
Disadvantages:
- Financial reporting cannot be done
- Poor BI Capabilities
- High Pricing
Power BI
Microsoft created this business examination tool to empower businesses to picture and dissect information accurately and effectively.
Interfacing with various kinds of information sources is made possible with Power BI. This information will be available via altered dashboards and point by point detailing.
Power BI loaded with its own business intelligence capabilities is a very comprehensive visualization tool.
Advantages:
- Pricing – At 9.99$ a month, it is an absolute steal for BI tool
- The Microsoft Connection – Seamless integration with Excel, Azure and SQL Server
- Secure Publication of Reports
- Rich Personalized Dashboards
- Advanced Data Services are supported – Integration with Cortana etc.
Disadvantages:
- 1 GB limit per dataset
- Max workbook size is 250 MB
- Inability to work with vast amounts of data
- Bulky User Interface
D3.js
D3.js is a JavaScript library for manipulating documents using data. D3.js requires at least some JS knowledge, though there are apps out there that allow non-programming users to utilize the library.
Those apps include NVD3 , which offers reusable charts for D3.js; Plotly’s Chart Studio, which also allows designers to create WebGL and other charts; and Ember Charts, which also uses the Ember.js framework.
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Advantages
- Very powerful and customizable
- Huge number of chart types possible
- A focus on web standards
- Tools available to let non-programmers create visualizations
- Free and open source
Disadvantages
- Requires programming knowledge to use alone
- Less support available than with paid tools
FusionCharts
FusionCharts is another JavaScript-based option for creating web and mobile dashboards. It includes over 150 chart types and 1,000 map types. It can integrate with popular JS frameworks (including React, jQuery, React, Ember, and Angular) as well as with server-side programming languages (including PHP, Java, Django, and Ruby on Rails).
FusionCharts gives ready-to-use code for all of the chart and map variations, making it easier to embed in websites even for those designers with limited programming knowledge. Because FusionCharts is aimed at creating dashboards rather than just straightforward data visualizations it’s one of the most expensive options included in this article. But it’s also one of the most powerful.
Advantages
- Huge number of chart and map format options
- More features than most other visualization tools
- Integrates with a number of different frameworks and programming languages
Disadvantages
- Expensive (starts at almost $500 for one developer license)
- Overkill for simple visualizations outside of a dashboard environment
Datawrapper
Datawrapper was created specifically for adding charts and maps to news stories. The charts and maps created are interactive and made for embedding on news websites. Their data sources are limited, though, with the primary method being copying and pasting data into the tool.
Once data is imported, charts can be created with a single click. Their visualization types include column, line, and bar charts, election donuts, area charts, scatter plots, choropleth and symbol maps, and locator maps, among others. The finished visualizations are reminiscent of those seen on sites like the New York Times or Boston Globe. In fact, their charts are used by publications like Mother Jones, Fortune, and The Times.
The free plan is perfect for embedding graphics on smaller sites with limited traffic, but paid plans are on the expensive side, starting at $39/month.
Advantages
- Specifically designed for newsroom data visualization
- Free plan is a good fit for smaller sites
- Tool includes a built-in color blindness checker
Disadvantages
- Limited data sources
- Paid plans are on the expensive side
Sisense
Sisense is a meaty, full-stack data analytics platform that gathers data from multiple sources into one place. It supports large datasets and offers real-time dashboard queries for speed and simplicity. Sisense’s drag-and-drop interface allows for the creation of everything from simple charts through to complex graphics visualisations, all interactive, which can be shared across organisations. It’s already well-versed in AI and machine learning analysis, and integration with IoT is all there, setting the platform up for a bright future.
Infogram
Infogram is a fully-featured drag-and-drop visualization tool that allows even non-designers to create effective visualizations of data for marketing reports, infographics, social media posts, maps, dashboards, and more.
Finished visualizations can be exported into a number of formats: .PNG, .JPG, .GIF, .PDF, and .HTML. Interactive visualizations are also possible, perfect for embedding into websites or apps. Infogram also offers a WordPress plugin that makes embedding visualizations even easier for WordPress users.
Advantages
- Tiered pricing, including a free plan with basic features
- Includes 35+ chart types and 550+ map types
- Drag and drop editor
- API for importing additional data sources
Disadvantages
- Significantly fewer built-in data sources than some other apps
ChartBlocks
ChartBlocks claims that data can be imported from “anywhere” using their API, including from live feeds. While they say that importing data from any source can be done in “just a few clicks,” it’s bound to be more complex than other apps that have automated modules or extensions for specific data sources.
The app allows for extensive customization of the final visualization created, and the chart building wizard helps users pick exactly the right data for their charts before importing the data.
Designers can create virtually any kind of chart, and the output is responsive—a big advantage fo data visualization designers who want to embed charts into websites that are likely to be viewed on a variety of devices.
Advantages
- Free and reasonably priced paid plans are available
- Easy to use wizard for importing the necessary data
Disadvantages
- Unclear how robust their API is
- Doesn’t appear to have any mapping capability
R Shiny
Shiny is an open source tool from the R Studio. It is arguably the best visualization tool in the market as of now.
This tool specializes in visualizing complex data and deciphering relationships from data.
Shiny creates interactive plots in R and thereby resolves the problem of writing codes in R to plot graphs.
The biggest feature of Shiny is that no knowledge of Javascript, HTML or CSS is required.
Advantages:
- Both front end and back end are in R
- Highly customizable UI and Charts
- Unbeatable drill-down and simulations
- Number and Placements can be decided by the user
- Easy integration with R and JS libraries
Disadvantages:
- Dev cost is high
- Less control in relation to scalability
