Nowadays, almost all businesses from all works believe in the potential of excellent BI tools to create stunning visualizations and effectively convey business information.

There are many BI tools on the market that have potentially efficient visualization capabilities for customers to use. Selecting the right business intelligence tool for an enterprise is a complicated process that requires buy-in from different people: C-level executives, managers, and employees (users). But understanding who are the leading players in the BI visualization field and what features they provide is always the first step.

Let’s start with the introduction to Data Visualization and Business Intelligence(BI) tools.

What are BI Visualization Tools?

Business Intelligence tool(BI tool) is a software used for the gathering, processing, integration, visualization, and analysis of large volumes of raw data. As in such a way, it helps business decision-making achieve more intelligence.

By definition, BI tools always cover the feature of data visualization. BI visualization takes data and converts them into visual charts, graphs, dashboards, and tables. Thus, business analysts can detect hidden patterns, trends, or correlations in data.

Top BI Visualization Tools List

FineBI

FineBI is a modern big data analytics & BI visualization software designed for everyone who has need of data analysis. Everyone of any level can use FineBI to easily establish professional BI dashboards, perform self-service data analysis, gain useful insights and thus drive your business forward.

Visualization 

FineBI supports more than 50 chart styles, covering basically all basic and high-level charts on the market, and also has excellent dynamic effects and a powerful interactive experience. Various features can be set according to the needs during use, and can also be self-adjusted and displayed on the mobile terminal and large LED screen.

• Intelligent chart recommendation: FineBI’s intelligent chart recommendation can automatically recommend suitable chart types based on current types and numbers of fields, making your data analysis simple and efficient. Of course, you can also select chart types on your own if you want.

• Various types of maps: Maps including heat maps, flow maps, gis maps and custom maps are supported as well. It is noteworthy that the custom map works well for shopping malls and stores.

• Mobile: With FineMobile, users can access mobile BI anytime, anywhere. It supports business performance monitoring and data updating at any mobile device. Also, mobile BI can be customized and integrated for companies to adapt to their portal APPs or application visualization specifications.
• Large Screen: The large screen and TV dashboard display allows you to monitor the KPI at a glance, and gain insight into these data after analysis. Using FineBI to make dashboards is also very convenient, thanks to its drag-and-drop mode.

Other Features

• Product Openness: FineBI provides interfaces for commonly used features, making it easier for custom development. And, clients are enabled to reuse customized features via the plugin market.
• OLAP analysis: FineBI provides various common OLAP analysis operations. In addition to basic grouping and summarization, it can also conduct arbitrary multi-dimensional analysis, multi-calculation indicators, filtering, linkage, drilling and changing dimensions, multiplexing, data early warning, etc. and other analysis functions.
• Enterprise-level data management: Support unified management of data sources, including categorization and combination of business packages by subject. FineBI is very suitable for enterprise-level management.

Free Version

FineBI is free without time or feature limits for personal use. For enterprises, it offers a quote-based plan that charges according to different situations. In a word, FineBI is price-friendly to all customers.

FineReport

FineReport is a BI visualization tool that is easy for newbies. The Excel-like interface and drag-and-drop mode make any Excel user can understand how to use FineReport quickly. Also, abundant official learning resources can help users advance their skills.

Visualization 

FineReport provides many styles of self-developed HTML5 charts(including histograms, line charts, radar charts, scatter charts, and word cloud charts), with fabulous 3D and dynamic effects. The benefits of HTML5 charts, as I introduced before in HTML Report: How to Develop it Efficiently?, are that HTML5 charts are of strong adaptability and support for instant updates, and can be used across platforms.

• Powerful capability for complex reports: FineReport provides three designing modes to support any reporting-making idea. It only takes a few clicks to realize the free splicing of aggregate blocks. No need to merge and split cells endlessly, and you can create irregular reports freely.

Other Features

• Intelligent data entry: it is a distinct feature of FineReport. Data validation and temporary storage can provide controls on the input of a large volume of data via forms into databases. 
• Intelligent management platform: The web portal for corporate reports provides a secure environment for report management, access control, automatic reporting, etc.
• Fast Data Integration: Users can combine data from multiple data sources and enterprise systems with one click and use these data for comprehensive analysis.

Free Version

FineReport is free for personal use, with no time or feature limits. For enterprises, it charges according to the function module and concurrent users.

Tableau

Tableau seems to be one of the most mature BI visualization software on the market, and it can realize impressive visualization effects. It has developed relatively maturely in the field of self-service business intelligence (BI).

Visualization 

Powerful visualization capabilities are undoubtedly the first advantage that makes us choose Tableau. It provides eye-catching graphics (visualization) to represent your data set graphically.

Other Features

• Ease-of-Use
• Multiple Data Source Connections
• integrated platform: Deploy in the cloud, on-premises, or natively integrate with Salesforce CRM.
• Mobile-Friendliness

Free Version

Tableau Public is a free platform to share and explore data visualizations online publicly. In addition, if you are a student or faculty of an academic institution, you can try Tableau Desktop for free.

PowerBI

Microsoft Power is also one of the powerful and popular BI visualization tools. As a member of the Microsoft family, it is very suitable for those who have invested heavily in Microsoft products.

Visualization 

Power BI is mighty in dashboard creation. It is easy for non-developers to use and turn a bunch of data into an interesting and easy-to-understand story.

Other Features

• Access local and cloud-based data sources
• Quick response to the complexity
• Mobile compatibility
• Seamless integration with Microsoft ecosystem

Free Version

It’s free to download and install PowerBI Desktop but with some function limits, for example, storage, exportation, publish, access management, and so on.

Google Data Studio

Google Data Studio is a user-friendly and lightweight BI visualization maker that can turn your data into informative reports and dashboards. As a result, I recommend it as a good alternative for new to learn BI or who want to go beyond excel and generate interactive reports. In addition, if you are a heavy user of Google, the seamless integration can bring you great convenience.

You would need some connectors to connect to the data sources. Generally, there are two kinds of connectors: connectors provided by Google and those by third parties.

Visualization 

With this BI visualization tool, you can visually articulate the data with few clicks. Its advantage is that it can be easily and quickly integrated with the Google ecosystem, but some people think that it lacks visual effects and cannot be made with animation or 3D effects.

Other Features

• Self-service
• Short learning curve 
• Wide range of APIs

Free Version

All data connectors provided by Google are 100% free to use, and some third-party development partners may have to charge.

QlikView

QlikView is one of the classic solution data visualization and analytics solutions provided by Qlik. 

Visualization 

As a simple and efficient data visualization tool, QlikView can produce stunning and flexible reports.

Other Features

• Excellent visual panel
• Ease of deployment
• Easy user interface

Free Version

There is a free version of QlikView for personal use. The Personal Edition runs without a license key. So if you or your organization decide to obtain a full QlikView license at any time, you can choose to upgrade to a full QlikView Desktop version.

Conclusion

There is a wide range of business intelligence (BI) visualization tools, from highly technical software to foolproof self-service platforms. The difference between the prices is also huge, there are free, and some are very expensive. In the end, I hope you can find which software is best suited for the needs of you and your company.

Feel free to try the free version of FineReport to know how BI can help you advance in data visualization and analytics.