Best BI Tools for Startups: How to Choose One -Business Intelligence (BI) tools are software programs that take unstructured data from many different sources, clean it up so it can be analyzed, analyze it, and then present the results in a way that is easy to understand, such as graphs, visuals, and other reports.
The Best Business Intelligence Tools for Startups
BI tools make it easy to ask questions about your organization’s data so that your teams can find business insights that can help the company. These insights can help improve operational efficiency, make business choices faster and better, get rid of operational bottlenecks, and, in the end, increase revenue.
There are many BI tools to choose from
Since there isn’t a single business intelligence tools that works for every business, we’re going to share 12 of our favorites, grouped by what they do.
- Business user-friendly
- Technically easy to use
- OEM (original equipment maker) BI tools
- Low cost to get in
Once we’ve gone over the 12 best business intelligence tools for startups, we’ll go over the six most important things you need to think about when picking a tool.
Lastly, we’ll give our opinion on why a BI tool probably won’t solve all of your startup’s data problems. BI tools are powerful and have a place in many current data stacks, but they aren’t a cure-all. Going in with your eyes wide open will help you make the right decisions and manage your expectations.
Easy-to-use BI tools for new businesses
If you want to solve the problem of data adoption, your data stack should be made up of tools that are easy for anyone in your company to learn how to use. This is especially important if people in areas like sales, marketing, and operations will be using your BI tool the most.
These business end-users may not use business intelligence tools because they are more used to working in spreadsheets or other running documents. They also might not have the most up-to-date expert data skills.
If this sounds like the users in your business, you should choose a BI tool that is easy to use and learn. User-friendly tools are easy to set up, have a simple user interface, are easy to learn, and don’t require you to know how to code.
1. Chart
Tableau is a well-known business intelligence tools that has a strong following. It has a powerful and easy-to-learn drag-and-drop interface. Tableau can be used without knowing how to script or program, which is a big plus for teams with few technical tools. If your customers often work from their phones, the apps almost have as many features as the desktop version.
Tableau, on the other hand, can be pricey. The price depends on the amount of users (licenses), whether you use Tableau Cloud or Tableau Server to host, and whether you use add-ons like Embedded Analytics.
2. Power BI from Microsoft
Since 2004, Microsoft Power BI has been at the top of Gartner’s Magic Quadrant list of BI tools. The Power BI system is made up of three parts: the free Power BI Desktop, the Power BI Service in the cloud, and the Power BI Report Server.
Power BI comes with Office 365 Enterprise Edition, which is a big plus for companies that have already invested a lot in the Microsoft/Azure/Office365 ecosystem. It’s a good choice for startups that already use Microsoft tools because it’s cheap and has a lot of features. It can do a lot with data and machine learning. Azure is what makes its AI systems work.
3. Qlik
Qlik is a business intelligence tools that is flexible and can be scaled up or down. It can be used by a wide range of users to analyze and display data, but it is aimed at businesses. It has a clear plan for its machine learning products.
Qlik works in the cloud, and setting it up is quick and easy. Its AI features make it easy for people who aren’t tech-savvy to analyze data. But some users might not find its user interface (UI) as easy to use as the ones on this list.