13 Best Tools for Building Business Dashboards

As a data analyst and technology enthusiast, I‘m always on the lookout for tools that can help businesses better visualize and understand their data. After testing and researching dozens of options, I‘ve compiled this list of my top 13 recommended platforms for building insightful dashboards.

In this in-depth guide, I‘ll provide my expert perspective on each tool, along with examples and statistics on how dashboards can benefit organizations. My goal is to give you all the information you need to determine which solution is the best fit for your unique business needs.

The Power of Dashboards

Before jumping into the tools, let‘s first discuss why business dashboards are so valuable in today‘s data-driven world.

Visualize complex data – Dashboards allow you to take large, complex data sets from multiple sources and visualize them in intuitive ways. This makes it easier to spot trends, outliers and opportunities.
Monitor KPIs – Key performance indicators let you gauge business health at a glance. Dashboards make it easy to track KPIs like revenue, web traffic, operational efficiency and more.
Identify insights – Interactive charts and filters enable deeper analysis. You can quickly slice data to uncover granular insights that drive business decisions.
Improve collaboration – Dashboards foster collaboration by creating a shared view of key metrics. Better data transparency means teams have access to the same insights.
Enhance productivity – Data visualization leads to faster and better decision making. According to research, dashboards can improve productivity by up to 30%.

Now let‘s look at the top tools available based on analysis of their features, flexibility, ease of use and reviews.

1. DashThis

DashThis is my top choice for marketing teams that need to create professional, branded reports across multiple campaigns and data sources.

I like DashThis for a few reasons:

Huge selection of templates – Get a headstart with pre-made templates tailored for different reports.
Data connectors – Integrates with analytics platforms, ad accounts, social media and more.
White label reports – Easily brand and customize reports for clients with your own logo, fonts and colors.
Automated reporting – Schedule reports to send automatically on a recurring schedule.

Over 32,000 marketers and agencies use DashThis worldwide. It‘s a user-friendly way for beginners to look like experts when delivering data to clients and stakeholders.

2. Improvado

Improvado excels at aggregating marketing data from APIs and funneling it into databases like Google BigQuery for analysis.

Here‘s what makes Improvado powerful:

200+ API connections – Pulls data from marketing platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, HubSpot and more.
Powerful databases – Integrates nicely with cloud data warehouses like Google BigQuery.
Transform data – Manipulate and clean up data on the fly with transformations.
Custom automations – Schedule and customize data exports to efficiently automate workflows.

Improvado focuses solely on moving marketing data. It‘s great for technical users and has powerful capabilities for large-scale data centralization.

3. FusionCharts

For building interactive JavaScript charts and graphs, FusionCharts is an excellent library.

It offers:

90+ chart types – Everything from basic to complex visuals. Includes maps, gauges and more.
JavaScript, PHP, .NET – Integrates with any frontend tech stack.
Real-time data – Visualize streaming and live data feed.
Mobile-ready – Responsive charts that adapt to any device.

FusionCharts has over 28,000 customers from Fortune 500 companies to startups using their charts in dashboards and applications. It‘s a top choice for developers looking for maximum flexibility.

4. Monday.com

Monday.com is a customizable work OS platform. While not a dedicated dashboarding tool, its unique boards and views make Monday.com great for visualizing data workflows.

Key features:

Multiple views – Calendar, timeline, kanban board, charts and more.
Project tracking – Monitor budgets, timelines, priorities and progress.
Visually build workflows – Click and drag columns to match team processes.
Mobile apps – Manage projects on the go.

Monday.com is used by organizations like Discovery, Philips, Carfax and Vodafone. The flexible boards provide a visual way to track all types of data.

5. Reportz

Reportz delivers automated reporting for marketing data from SEO to social media.

It stands out for:

Pre-built templates – Get started fast with templates for all major marketing reports.
Scheduled delivery – Choose report frequency and have it delivered automatically.
Custom branding – Add your own logo and color scheme.
Simplified sharing – Securely share or embed interactive reports.

Reportz emphasizes automated reporting to save time creating recurring reports. It‘s easy for novices but powerful enough for experts who want to skip tedious reporting tasks.

6. Cyfe

Cyfe pioneered the all-in-one business dashboard concept with hundreds of pre-built widgets and intuitive clicking/dragging to design visual layouts.

Notable Cyfe features:

10,000+ customers – Large user base across 100+ countries.
300+ data sources – Connect to top business apps and databases.
Clickable dashboards – Interactive visualizations make digging deeper intuitive.
Real-time updates – Widgets dynamically update to show latest data.

Cyfe is the tool to beat for quickly building dashboards with clicks not code. It has vast data source support and an easy learning curve.

7. Geckoboard

Geckoboard provides TV and monitor-focused dashboards for offices. It‘s a great choice for live big screen displays.

Why Geckoboard stands out:

TV and large displays – Optimized for large screens with minimalist design.
Modern widgets – Number cards, bullet lists, calendars and more.
Integrations – Connect to databases, analytics tools and business apps.
Customizable – Tailor dashboards for different teams and locations.

Geckoboard customers include huge brands like Slack, Airbnb and Skyscanner. For offices seeking real-time dashboards on big screens, Geckoboard is a top contender.

8. Freeboard

Freeboard is an open source dashboard builder designed for IoT and streaming data.

It‘s strengths are:

Drag and drop interface – Easily design dashboards without coding.
Open source – Customize and host yourself without restrictions.
Web API connectivity – Bring in data from anywhere.
IoT focused – Built for real-time metrics from connected devices.

For hobbyists and companies working with connected devices, Freeboard delivers an easy yet fully customizable dashboard.

9. Databox

Databox is a business dashboard service with an emphasis on beautiful design and mobile optimization.

Notable features:

Mobile first – Made for exploring data on the go.
Beautiful widgets – Charts, graphs, gauges and more with polished design.
Data warehouse integration – Push data to warehouses like Snowflake for further analysis.
Custom metrics – Merge, manipulate and perform math on data to create custom metrics.

Databox offers a free plan with basic features making it easy to get started for individuals and teams before upgrading.

10. Tableau

Tableau is likely the most well-known dedicated business intelligence and dashboarding platform. It‘s packed with enterprise capabilities.

Tableau delivers:

Interactive dashboards – Click, drag, filter data visualizations seamlessly.
Powerful analytics – Robust tools for complex data modeling, forecasting and predictions.
Share securely – Control exactly what data and dashboards users can access.
Trusted pedigree – Used by 85 of the Fortune 100 companies.

Pricing starts at $42 per user per month. Tableau is the premium offering with extensive analytical features for large businesses.

11. Zoho Analytics

For SMBs seeking an affordable dashboard and BI platform, Zoho Analytics is a great choice. It simplifies data preparation and visualization.

Zoho Analytics offers:

Drag and drop builder – Arrange charts, maps, pivot tables and more with clicks.
300+ data connectors – Integrate your essential business data sources.
Schedule and share – Export, email or embed interactive dashboards.
Affordable pricing – Full-featured plans start at $28 per user monthly.

Zoho is used by growing companies like Canon, IKEA and Nike. It brings enterprise-level capabilities down to SMB budgets.

12. Klipfolio

Klipfolio focuses on real-time data dashboards. It‘s super flexible for building interactive visualizations on the fly.

Key Klipfolio strengths:

Web dashboard builder – Charts update in real-time over standard HTTP.
Connect to anything – Web APIs, files, databases and apps all integrate nicely.
Code-free customization – Modify with CSS, HTML and JavaScript.
White labeling – Completely customize branding and URL.

Klipfolio is used by industry leaders like Microsoft, Toshiba and Subway. For rapidly building and customizing real-time dashboards, it‘s a top choice.

13. Grow

Grow is a relatively new entrant that focuses solely on digital marketing data. It automates report generation for PPC, SEO, social media and beyond.