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Reporting Tools | Top 10 in 2021

Stephanie Lehuger
Stephanie Lehuger
Jan 06, 2021 · 4 min read

As a CEO, a Co-Founder or a C-level exec in a successful startup, you might reach that point where you’re outgrowing your current reporting/analytics homemade solution built on Excel or Google Sheets. You’re probably looking for a lightweight reporting solution that will pull from your database and provide the ability to easily create & customize reports and dashboards.


If you have a hard time deciding between the options on the market and wonder whether you should head straight to the leading softwares or you should rather be looking at other solutions, we’ve done the homework for you.

This article will help you take your decision, narrowing our analysis to the best reporting, business intelligence and data analysis tools in 2020, based on user reviews of their features: Microsoft Power BI, Tableau, Qlik Sense, ThoughtSpot, Looker, Zoho Analytics, Toucan, Alteryx Platform, Sisense, Chartio.

For more information about our data sources and details regarding the terminology used in the features rating, you can refer to our methodology at the end of the article.

Top 10 Reporting Tools in 2021 | Summary Comparison

Top 10 Reporting Tools in 2020 Summary infographic


Top 10 Reporting Tools in 2021 | Detailed Comparison

If you seek a market leader

Microsoft Power BI

https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/

General Rating

4.3 (2080 ratings)

Microsoft Power BI Interface


Their Promise

Find clarity when you need it most


Their Value Proposal

Empower team members to discover insights hidden in your data with Microsoft Power BI.


Video Presentation


Clients include

Heathrow Airport, GE Healthcare, Aston Martin, Meijer, DocuSign


Pricing starts at (user/month)

$9.99


Features Rating

 

Features Ratings

Reports

Reports Interface

Steps to Answer

Graphs and Charts

Score Cards

N/A

Dashboards

Self Service

 

Calculated Fields

N/A

Data Column Filtering

N/A

Data Discovery

Search

N/A

Collaboration / Workflow

Automodeling

Advanced Analytics

 

Predictive Analytics

Data Visualization

Big Data Services

Building Reports

 

Data Transformation

Data Modeling

WYSIWYG Report Design

Integration APIs

Platform

 

Mobile User Support

N/A

Customization

User, Role, and Access Management

Internationalization

Sandbox / Test Environments

Performance and Reliability

Breadth of Partner Applications

 

Tableau

https://www.tableau.com/

General Rating

4.3 (1776 ratings)

Tableau Interface


Their Promise

Changing the way you think about data


Their Value Proposal

Harness the power of your data. Unleash the potential of your people. Choose the analytics platform that disrupted the world of business intelligence. Choose Tableau.


Video Presentation


Clients include

Nissan, Verizon, Pfizer, Mondelez, WFP


Pricing starts at (user/month)

$70


Features Rating

 

Features Ratings

Reports

Reports Interface

Steps to Answer

Graphs and Charts

Score Cards

Dashboards

Self Service

 

Calculated Fields

Data Column Filtering

Data Discovery

Search

Collaboration / Workflow

Automodeling

Advanced Analytics

 

Predictive Analytics

Data Visualization

Big Data Services

Building Reports

 

Data Transformation

Data Modeling

WYSIWYG Report Design

Integration APIs

Platform

 

Mobile User Support

Customization

User, Role, and Access Management

Internationalization

Sandbox / Test Environments

Performance and Reliability

Breadth of Partner Applications

 

Qlik Sense

https://www.qlik.com/us/products/qlik-sense

General Rating

4.5 (250 ratings)

Qlik Sense Interface


Their Promise

Agent of transformation


Their Value Proposal

Qlik Sense sets the benchmark for a new generation of analytics. With its one-of-a-kind associative analytics engine, sophisticated AI, and scalable multi-cloud architecture, you can empower everyone in your organization to make better decisions daily, creating a truly data-driven enterprise.


Video Presentation


Clients include

Volco, Lenovo, McKesson, Rentokil Initial


Pricing starts at (user/month)

$30


Features Rating

 

Features Ratings

Reports

Reports Interface

Steps to Answer

Graphs and Charts

Score Cards

Dashboards

Self Service

 

Calculated Fields

Data Column Filtering

Data Discovery

Search

Collaboration / Workflow

Automodeling

Advanced Analytics

 

Predictive Analytics

Data Visualization

Big Data Services

Building Reports

 

Data Transformation

Data Modeling

WYSIWYG Report Design

Integration APIs

Platform

 

Mobile User Support

Customization

User, Role, and Access Management

Internationalization

Sandbox / Test Environments

Performance and Reliability

Breadth of Partner Applications

 

ThoughtSpot

https://www.thoughtspot.com/

General Rating

4.5 (34 ratings)

ThoughtSpot Interface


Their Promise

Search & AI-Driven Analytics


Their Value Proposal

Analytics as easy as your favorite app


Video Presentation


Clients include

Walmart, Scotiabanl, De Beers, Miami Children's Hospital, Celebrity Cruises


Pricing starts at (user/month)

By quote


Features Rating

 

Features Ratings

Reports

Reports Interface

Steps to Answer

Graphs and Charts

Score Cards

Dashboards

Self Service

 

Calculated Fields

Data Column Filtering

Data Discovery

Search

Collaboration / Workflow

Automodeling

Advanced Analytics

 

Predictive Analytics

Data Visualization

Big Data Services

Building Reports

 

Data Transformation

Data Modeling

WYSIWYG Report Design

Integration APIs

Platform

 

Mobile User Support

Customization

N/A

User, Role, and Access Management

Internationalization

Sandbox / Test Environments

Performance and Reliability

Breadth of Partner Applications

 

Looker

https://looker.com/

General Rating

4.4 (164 ratings)


Looker Interface

Their Promise

Find true power in your data


Their Value Proposal

Drive better outcomes through smarter data-driven experiences.


Video Presentation


Clients include

The Economist, Hubspot, Deliveroo, Yahoo!, Transferwise

Pricing starts at (user/month)

By quote

Features Rating

 

Features Ratings

Reports

Reports Interface

Steps to Answer

Graphs and Charts

Score Cards

Dashboards

Self Service

 

Calculated Fields

Data Column Filtering

Data Discovery

Search

Collaboration / Workflow

Automodeling

Advanced Analytics

 

Predictive Analytics

Data Visualization

Big Data Services

Building Reports

 

Data Transformation

Data Modeling

WYSIWYG Report Design

Integration APIs

Platform

 

Mobile User Support

Customization

User, Role, and Access Management

Internationalization

Sandbox / Test Environments

Performance and Reliability

Breadth of Partner Applications

 

Zoho Analytics (previously Zoho Reports)

https://www.zoho.com/analytics/

General Rating

4.4 (67 ratings)


Zoho Analytics (previously Zoho Reports) Interface

Their Promise

Business Intelligence, Reporting and Analytics Software


Their Value Proposal

Zoho Analytics (previously, Zoho Reports) is a self-service BI and data analytics software that lets you create visually appealing data visualizations and insightful dashboards in minutes.


Video Presentation


Clients include

Allianz, HP, Suzuki, IKEA, PHILIPS, PETA


Pricing starts at (user/month)

$25

Features Rating

 

Features Ratings

Reports

Reports Interface

Steps to Answer

Graphs and Charts

Score Cards

N/A

Dashboards

Self Service

 

Calculated Fields

Data Column Filtering

Data Discovery

Search

Collaboration / Workflow

Automodeling

Advanced Analytics

 

Predictive Analytics

N/A

Data Visualization

Big Data Services

Building Reports

 

Data Transformation

Data Modeling

WYSIWYG Report Design

Integration APIs

Platform

 

Mobile User Support

Customization

User, Role, and Access Management

Internationalization

Sandbox / Test Environments

N/A

Performance and Reliability

Breadth of Partner Applications

 

If you are an independent thinker

Toucan

https://toucantoco.com/en/

General Rating

4.9 (28 ratings)


Toucan interface

Their Promise

Data Stories for non-technicals


Their Value Proposal

Simple answers to fundamental questions


Video Presentation

Clients include

LVMH, Carrefour, Renault Nissan, JCDecaux, BiC, BNP Paribas


Pricing starts at (user/month)

By quote

Features Rating

Upcoming data

Alteryx Platform

https://www.alteryx.com/

General Rating

4.7 (47 ratings)


Alteryx Platform Interface

Their Promise

Alteryx is a Magic Quadrant Leader



Their Value Proposal

Alteryx Named a Leader in 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Data Science and Machine Learning Platforms


Video Presentation


Clients include

Dell, Vodafone, Unilever, Hyatt, Audi


Pricing starts at (user/month)

$433


Features Rating

 

Features Ratings

Reports

Reports Interface

Steps to Answer

N/A

Graphs and Charts

Score Cards

N/A

Dashboards

Self Service

 

Calculated Fields

Data Column Filtering

Data Discovery

Search

Collaboration / Workflow

Automodeling

Advanced Analytics

 

Predictive Analytics

Data Visualization

Big Data Services

Building Reports

 

Data Transformation

Data Modeling

WYSIWYG Report Design

Integration APIs

Platform

 

Mobile User Support

N/A

Customization

User, Role, and Access Management

Internationalization

Sandbox / Test Environments

Performance and Reliability

Breadth of Partner Applications

 

Sisense (previously Periscope)

https://www.sisense.com/

General Rating

4.6 (140 ratings)


Sisense (previously Periscope) Interface

Their Promise

Power to the builders. Insights for everyone.


Their Value Proposal

Empowering developers, data engineers, and business analysts to simplify complex data and transform it into powerful analytic apps.


Video Presentation


Clients include

Nasdaq, GE, Fulitsu, Hewlett Packard, Verizon


Pricing starts at (user/month)

By quote

Features Rating

 

Features Ratings

Reports

Reports Interface

Steps to Answer

Graphs and Charts

Score Cards

Dashboards

Self Service

 

Calculated Fields

Data Column Filtering

Data Discovery

Search

Collaboration / Workflow

Automodeling

Advanced Analytics

 

Predictive Analytics

Data Visualization

Big Data Services

Building Reports

 

Data Transformation

Data Modeling

WYSIWYG Report Design

Integration APIs

Platform

 

Mobile User Support

Customization

User, Role, and Access Management

Internationalization

Sandbox / Test Environments

Performance and Reliability

Breadth of Partner Applications

 

Chartio

https://chartio.com/

General Rating

4.3 (27 ratings)


Chartio Interface

Their Promise

Where teams explore data


Their Value Proposal

Create powerful dashboards from your company’s data and quickly discover insights with Chartio.


Video Presentation


Clients include

Doordash, Shazam, Squarespace, Reuters TV, Trustpilot, Financial Times

Pricing starts at (user/month)

$40


Features Rating

 

Features Ratings

Reports

Reports Interface

Steps to Answer

Graphs and Charts

Score Cards

Dashboards

Self Service

 

Calculated Fields

Data Column Filtering

Data Discovery

Search

Collaboration / Workflow

Automodeling

Advanced Analytics

 

Predictive Analytics

Data Visualization

Big Data Services

Building Reports

 

Data Transformation

Data Modeling

WYSIWYG Report Design

Integration APIs

Platform

 

Mobile User Support

Customization

User, Role, and Access Management

Internationalization

N/A

Sandbox / Test Environments

Performance and Reliability

Breadth of Partner Applications

 

🧡 Bonus tool: Actiondesk 🧡

If you’re looking for a reporting/analysis tool that works like a spreadsheet to build reports from SQL, Hubspot and more, you might like our product Actiondesk. There is no learning curve and  report customization is limitless.


Our methodology

Here is the source of our data for this top 10:

  • Rating: gartner.com and producthunt.com
  • Their promise: company's tagline on the website homepage
  • Their value proposal: company's argumentation on the website
  • Video presentation: company's youtube account
  • Clients include: company's website
  • Pricing starts at (user/month): company's website
  • Features rating: g2.com and producthunt.com


Details regarding the terminology used in the features rating:

  • N/A: Not enough data available from the user reviews to provide a proper rating.
  • Reports Interface: Reports interface for standard and self-service reports is intuitive and easy to use.
  • Steps to Answer: Requires a minimal number of steps/clicks to answer business questions.
  • Graphs and Charts: Offers a variety of attractive graph and chart formats.
  • Score Cards: Score cards visually track KPI's.
  • Calculated Fields: Using formulas based on existing data elements, users can create and calculate new field values.
  • Data Column Filtering: Business users have the ability to filter data in a report based on predefined or automodeled parameters.
  • Data Discovery: Users can drill down and explore data to discover new insights.
  • Search: Ability to search global data set to find and discover data.
  • Collaboration / Workflow: Ability for users to share data and reports they have built within the BI tool and outside the tool through other collaboration platforms.
  • Automodeling: Tool automatically suggests data types, schemas and hierarchies.
  • Predictive Analytics: Analyze current and historical trends to make predictions about future events.
  • Data Visualization: Communicate complex information clearly and effectively through advanced graphical techniques.
  • Big Data Services: Ability to handle large, complex, and/or siloed data sets.
  • Data Transformation: Converts data formats of source data into the format required for the reporting system without mistakes.
  • Data Modeling: Ability to (re)structure data in a manner that allows extracting insights fast and accurate.
  • WYSIWYG Report Design: Provides business users an interface to easily design and refine their dashboards and reports. (What You See Is What You Get)
  • User, Role, and Access Management: Grant access to select data, features, objects, etc. based on the users, user role, groups, etc.

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