Data is money and it costs a tidy sum to get a business intelligence (BI) solution in place and running. And it’ll be a while before you can reap the rewards. If you’re not satisfied, it’s back to the drawing board.

Makes you wonder if a free BI tool is the answer.

Compare BI Software Leaders

Why would vendors offer free software?

1. It gives them a target demographic for when they want to upsell their products.
2. It provides them with data to analyze user behavior.
3. It gives them free publicity. Freebies are a great way to achieve brand recognition.

Free software is an introduction to fully-functional paid versions. Vendors hope you’ll like the product enough to upgrade. Often, it’s as easy as purchasing a license — no new downloads or installs are required.

So, is it for you?

This article discusses the top five free business intelligence tools on the market. The Features Not Supported section informs you about must-have and nice-to-have features.

Article Roadmap

• Best Free BI Tools
  • Tableau Public
  • Zoho Analytics
  • Power BI
  • QlikView
  • Looker Studio
• Is Free Software the Right Choice?
• Next Steps

Best Free BI Tools

Business intelligence is more than enterprise reporting. BI tools help you interpret data and connect the dots to understand what happened and why. Reports can be specific to departments, teams and projects. BI supports business analytics for a comprehensive look at your organization.

Our research team concluded the following are the best free business intelligence tools.

Tableau Public

It’s a free BI tool to explore, create and publicly share visualizations. Tableau Public includes two products.

Tableau Desktop Public is the free version and draws data from Excel, text and statistical files. Other sources include Google Sheets and web connectors. But, it doesn’t connect to databases.

You can’t save files locally, only to the Tableau Public Server. Storage is limited to 10 GB (gigabytes) for a free account and 15, 000, 000 rows of information per workbook.

Tableau Public Server is the server’s free edition. Workbooks are freely accessible. You can secure your underlying information while sharing visualizations.

Tableau and Tableau Public products and services are now available with a single login.

Highest Rated Features According to Our Data

• Dashboarding and Data Visualization— 100
• Data Management — 100
• Geospatial Visualizations and Analysis — 100
• Data Querying — 99
• Embedded Analytics — 91

Top Benefits

• Upskill: Build your digital skills by downloading Public free. Or you can explore public visualizations in any browser. Learn from handy resources including how-to videos, user forums, podcasts and sample metrics.
• Get Superior Performance: Tableau is popular due to its high-quality graphics. The platform is highly performant, converting unstructured information into logical interactive insights.
• Use Easily: An intuitive interface and easy actions enable low-code BI and analytics. The platform is easily downloadable, though storage is limited to 10 GB per account.
• Tell Data Stories: Create dashboards or download them from its online visualization library. Use visuals to tell data stories using various styles and images. Tableau Public limits you to local sources including Excel, text files, Tableau Data Extract and MS Access.
• Localize: View insights in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and Chinese are other supported languages.

Primary Features

• Data Preparation: Convert information into a Tableau format with the Data Interpreter. It removes unnecessary information like headers, footers, notes and titles.
• Visual Exploration: Query without code using the Visual Query Language, VizQL. It translates your actions into queries and runs them at the backend.
• Insight Interpretation: Design reports using animations, interactive visuals and easy actions. Visualizations embed into websites, blogs and social media.
• “Show Me” Toolbar: View which charts are available and get recommendations. Change colors, sizes and labels and get help from tooltips. Line, bar, map, bubble, histogram and area charts are available.
• Data Pane: It shows a handy source list beside the workspace. The data pane includes dimensions, measures, calculated fields, sets and parameters. You can drag fields from the data pane to the workspace.

Limitations:

• Doesn’t offer data security.
• Not available on mobile. However, you can visit the Tableau public website using a mobile browser.
• Automatic refreshes aren’t available.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• PMML (Predictive Model Markup Language) — Not Supported
• Regression Analysis — Supported With Workarounds
• Sentiment Analysis — Supported With Custom Development
• Secure Write-backs — Supported With Custom Development
• Streaming Analytics — Supported With Partner Integrations

Compare BI Software Leaders

Zoho Analytics

It’s a free self-service BI and analytics platform, and its free version comes in two flavors. These include the self-hosted Personal Edition and the cloud-based SaaS (software-as-a-service) version.

There’s one download. The Professional Edition is available for the first 30 days. Then, the vendor offers the option to downgrade or buy a license. The SaaS version supports two users, 10,000 million rows and five workspaces.

The platform is available on mobile devices.

Highest Rated Features According to Our Data

• Reporting — 95
• Dashboarding and Data Visualization — 92
• Data Management — 78
• Advanced Analytics — 70
• Platform Capabilities — 69

Top Benefits

• Gain Real-time Insight: Establish live connections with online and offline databases and business systems. The free business intelligence software auto-syncs information daily. Up to three scheduled data imports are possible.
• Keep Information Secure: Safely share insights with others. Protect data with encryption and passwords and mark personally identifiable information (PII).
• Enable Fast Turnarounds: Speed up downstream data flow by autogenerating dashboards and reports. Add reports to dashboards and update or delete them with a few clicks.
• Forecast: Predict business trends — determine how changes in variables will impact business using what-if analysis.
• Collaborate: Work together with internal teams and clients — no need for them to log in to Zoho. Share reports and leave comments to conduct meaningful discussions. Role-based permissions control what others can see and access.

Primary Features:

• Workspaces: Keep your reports and dashboards separate — work in your exclusive workspace. It allows user and data management as well. Prepare data within the free BI software using Zoho DataPrep.
• Data Visualization: Create reports and dashboards with pivot, summary and tabular views. You can create themed dashboards with many tabs. Add numerical and visual metrics and capture data changes as snapshots.
• Data Analysis: Build relational models by applying joins and filters or splitting columns. Query datasets into tables and feed them into the model.
• Formula Engine: Get information using its library of functions and formulae.

Limitations

• Doesn’t provide unlimited workspaces, API units, rows and users.
• Doesn’t allow more than three scheduled imports.
• Doesn’t support AI-powered insights.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Cluster Analysis — Not Supported
• PMML — Not Supported
• Sentiment Analysis — Supported With Additional Modules
• Geocoding — Supported With Additional Modules
• IoT Analytics — Not Supported

Compare BI Software Leaders

Power BI

Microsoft Power BI Desktop is free to download and suitable for individual use. It seamlessly interfaces with Excel, removing adoption barriers for existing users. The solution can seamlessly scale from the individual to the enterprise level. The platform supports 44 languages.

Highest Rated Features According to Our Data

• Data Management — 100
• Embedded Analytics — 100
• Mobile BI — 100
• Platform Capabilities — 100
• Dashboarding and Data Visualization — 94

Top Benefits

• Base Decisions on Data: Improve operations and customer experience, align business plans and make forecasts. Put your data to work — analyze what happened and why, and decide what to do about it.
• Convey Insights: Interpret data quicker. Graphics make metrics easy to understand. Enable your users to interact with data in reports and dashboards.
• AI-driven Analytics: Uncover meaningful insights using Azure and AI (artificial intelligence). Natural language querying and Q&A are available.
• Use Easily: Drive BI adoption by making your users feel at home with Excel-like functionalities. Get independent insights and encourage a data-driven approach in the workplace.
• Gain Mobile Insights: Stay connected to your business wherever you are and never miss an update by setting alerts.

Primary Features

• Data Transformation: Power BI lets you extract, transform and upload information from various sources. Its Query Editor gives you the interface to create analysis-ready views. But, the free version restricts file size to 1 GB per data set.
• Measures and Calculated Columns: Choose the desired fields and Power BI creates measures for them. Or create custom measures using DAX (Data Analysis Expressions).
• Insight Generation: Design multi-page reports in the Report Builder. Customize visualizations using handy tools and side panes. Add corporate colors, themes and styles to reports and dashboards.
• Security: Define user and group roles and business rules using DAX. Restrict access to platform data and imported models with row-level security.
• Bookmarks: Capture a report page’s current state using bookmarks. Recorded changes include applied filters and slicers, and sort order and highlights.

Limitations:

• Doesn’t allow emailing reports to non-domain users.
• Doesn’t provide access to app workspaces unless Power BI Pro or Premium users share them.
• Doesn’t provide the Analyze in Excel feature.

Highest Rated Features According to Our Data

• PMML — Not Supported
• Sentiment Analysis — Supported With Additional Modules
• Text Mining — Supported With Additional Modules
• Animations — Supported With Custom Development
• Geocoding — Supported With Partner Integrations

Compare BI Software Leaders

QlikView

Though Qlik Sense replaced QlikView, its Personal Edition is still available for free. Its usage restrictions make it ideal for individuals, students and small startups. The free version has all the features of the paid tool and uses the same installation program.

The difference is that you don’t need a license key.

Highest Rated Features According to Our Data

• Dashboarding and Data Visualization — 100
• Data Management — 100
• Mobile BI — 93
• Platform Capabilities — 92
• Reporting — 91
• Advanced Analytics — 91

Top Benefits

• Gather Big Data: Get the complete picture by combining and analyzing direct discovery and in-memory data.
• Perform Robust Transformations: Extract data and prepare it for analysis using the Power Query Editor. Leave no data behind. Include erroneous (”fuzzy”) values by mapping them to dimensions using fuzzy logic.
• Link Data: Uncover new information. Identify Linked Datasets after joining big data and in-memory data.
• Access the Qlik Modernization Program: Maximize your existing investment — continue using QlikView as you move to Qlik Sense. Reduce operational costs by adopting a common SaaS model. Automate data governance and upgrades.
• Track Metrics Anywhere: Gain market intelligence and monitor performance on your mobile devices. View and share insights when on the move using mobile-optimized reports and a mobile app.

Primary Features

• Selections: Filter the data you want using the selections option. Watch as the platform responds by color-coding the associated values.
• External Connections: Add information to reports and dashboards by calling external calculation engines.
• Mobile Design: Explore data touch and various menu options. Work with your team to analyze data. Switch between mouse, pen and touch input without refreshing every time.
• RESTful API Connector: Connect to web sources, social media sites and online services without third-party extensions.
• Secure Data:There are two ways you can set up security in QlikView — using the Publisher or the Document Script. The platform lets you set sensitive files to invisible in offline mode.

  Dynamic Data Reduction removes the need for separate permissions files for QlikView documents. You can allow separate users to view relevant sections within the same file.

Limitations:

• Doesn’t draw data SQL queries. QlikView reports derive data only from QlikView sheet objects.
• Doesn’t allow viewing QlikView documents on other machines or instances. It saves documents with a user key that restricts the file to that computer. Changing computers leaves you with limited document recovery options.
• Doesn’t allow sharing of QlikView documents with unregistered users. However, you can view them from a licensed instance and publish them to the QlikView Server.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• Automated Algorithm Selection and Model Tuning — Not Supported
• Secure Write-backs — Supported With Partner Integrations
• Streaming Analytics — Supported With Additional Modules

Compare BI Software Leaders

Looker Studio

Looker is free BI software for business intelligence, especially sales analytics. Google acquired Looker in June 2019 to enable defining consistent metrics. Robust file versioning is available in the free and Pro versions.

Highest Rated Features According to Our Data

• Dashboarding and Data Visualization — 94
• Reporting — 88
• Data Management — 85
• Platform Functions — 85
• Advanced Analytics — 80

Top Benefits

• Unlock Your Data’s Power: Empower your teams to analyze data independently. The platform enables exploration to create engaging reports with graphics and text summaries. Make decisions that matter and design strategies based on good-quality data.
• Build Applications: Speed up workflows by embedding Looker into your systems. Build software programs using APIs, software development kits and extension frameworks.
• Get Fast Metrics: Gain insights within your business systems. Make catalogs with videos, linked content and images.
• Tell Data Stories: Convey insights to senior management and teams. Understand the metrics with dashboards and reports.
• Explore Data Independently: Enable your teams and end users to interact with reports. Let them set filters and data range controls. Annotate reports with comments and personalized colors and styles.
• Stay Connected When OOO: See your business metrics and folder content when away from the office. Continue project discussions on your mobile devices. The vendor provides a native mobile app.

Primary Features

• Source Connectivity: Include data from social media, Google Ads, Analytics and Search Ads 360. Ingest information from BigQuery, MySQL and PostgreSQL. Add insights from flat files, Google Sheets, YouTube and Search Console.
• Charts: Organize information in line, bar and pie charts, and geo maps. Area and bubble graphs, paginated data tables and pivot tables are other visualizations.
• Design Reports: Produce insights from scratch or use a report template. Or integrate the platform into your systems using the Linking API. Drag-and-drop elements with custom attribute panels and a snap-to-grid canvas enable interactivity.
• Parameters: Get deep insight by using different values in calculated fields.
• Looker Studio API: Get the benefit of automation. Automatically manage the migration of Looker Studio Assets. Rope in Google Workspace and Cloud Identity organizations.

Limitations:

• Doesn’t provide a seamless chart functionality.
• Doesn’t provide flexible layout and formatting options.
• Lacks options for data joining/merge and calculations.

Features Not Fully Supported According to Our Data

• PMML (Predictive Modeling Markup Language) — Not Supported
• Scenario and What-if Analysis — Not Supported
• Augmented Analytics — Not Supported
• Animations — Supported With Custom Development
• IoT Analytics — Supported with Partner Integrations

Refer to our Jumpstart Platform for recommendations on the best BI software. It includes the above-mentioned feature ratings with detailed summaries of each attribute.

Compare BI Software Leaders

Is Free Software the Right Choice?

Free software solutions deploy on-premise, in the cloud and on mobile devices. They provide user autonomy, data management, visual data exploration, reporting and analytics.

What’s not to like?

Here’s the catch.

• Limited Functionality: Most free tools provide bare-bones functionality. You might need add-ons to fully address your business needs. If you’re paying for extra features, why not opt for a paid version instead?
• Few Integrations: Free tools often have limited source connectivity and offer fewer integrations. Will it be enough? Missed data means missed opportunities.
• Lack of Support: Dedicated customer support might not be available. At best, you’ll have access to basic support during regular business hours.
• Insufficient Resources: Adequate product documentation and training might not be openly accessible to free users. It can make adoption difficult.

Despite these limitations, free software is an attractive option for small businesses with basic data needs and a small client base. If you have sophisticated BI requirements, a paid product might be suitable.

A note of caution — open-source software isn’t the same as freeware. Additionally, it comes with caveats. Its code is open to modifications, which is why it’s prone to bugs, patch delays and security issues. Community support is a big plus, but vendor support is unavailable.

But, don’t shy away from free versions just yet. You can opt for freemium solutions — these are free with additional features behind a paywall. A cost-benefit analysis can help you determine if it’s a viable option.

Reach out to the experts for help in selecting the right BI software.

Next Steps

Once you’ve decided to proceed with software selection, which features will you need? Many BI systems have similar offerings. Which one is the best fit for you?

Create a BI requirements checklist based on your organization’s unique needs. Start with our ready-to-go, customizable requirements template to list your business needs.

Here are some points to consider.

• Which dashboarding and visualization features will we need?
• Which reporting attributes are essential?
• Is scheduled reporting available?
• Are alerts part of the feature set?
• What are our data requirements?
• What level of support and training will we need?
• Which collaboration features are must-haves?
• Is augmented analytics a deal-breaker?
• Which security features do we need?

Still confused? Refer to our nine-step Lean Selection Methodology to guide you through software selection.

Compare BI Software Leaders

Wrapping Up

Whether you should opt for paid or free BI tools is a question that’s likely to plague you till you decide on a product. Include paid software in your research. It’s one way to ensure you have cutting-edge functionality, no matter if you have to change course and opt for a commercial version.

Have you used free BI tools, or are considering one? Which problems are you looking to solve? Let us know in the comments.