Data scientists and researchers need the most suitable tools to perform the proper analysis with the correct methods, just like a plumber needs a toolbox. This need is entirely independent of experience and is to ensure that things are carried out faster and easier.
Of course, these tools are present at different levels; some are programming languages that may require profound coding knowledge, while others are software that does not require such coding knowledge. There are appropriate tools for each type of analysis, and they allow you to examine the ideal level of your data and obtain valuable insights.
Why do you need data analysis?
Data analysis has high importance for scientific and economic activities. The analysis provides significant resources for research by enabling businesses and researchers to access deep information and helps decision-making processes. You can achieve good research with various processes and methods and reveal patterns in complex data sets.
Now, why you need to use data analysis will be explained below:
🗝️Solving problems: Data analysis is critical to risk management. It allows issues to be diagnosed before they become bigger by showing abnormalities in the data. Thus, companies and organizations can reduce their losses and take safer actions.
🔎Market research: Data analysis is used to create consumer/customer profiling and learn about their preferences and market trends, providing robust data for market research. When businesses open a new branch or develop a new product, they can predict possible gains and losses by performing these analyses.
💸⏳Saving time and money: Data analysis can reveal inefficiencies and misuse of resources. Therefore, it plays an essential role in eliminating errors, especially in high-cost jobs. It also saves you time by doing this very quickly.
💡Improve understanding: Data analysis allows for the in-depth testing of any theory, enabling you to learn the why and how of processes and situations and take solid steps by using this information in your decision-making process.
10+ Essential tools for data analysis software to boost research
In order to perform an excellent data analysis, you need to take advantage of data analysis tools for this job. All of them have pros and cons and may vary according to the purpose of your research. Therefore, it is vital for you to have information about when, where, and how to use these tools. Although it is not limited to those here, the ten most known ones are prepared for you in the data analysis software list below:
1. Power Bl
Best data analysis software - Power BI
Power Bl is a business analytics service used by Microsoft to improve businesses. It is especially preferred due to its user-friendly interface and data-sharing methods. Data analysis helps you produce better results, especially in the decision-making process.
Highlights
- Perfect tool for both small and large enterprises
- Customizable and adaptable to many purposes
- Integration with a wide range of data sources
- Real-time data monitoring and analytics
💡Best known for providing the right tools to create the most detailed business report.
Power Bl pricing
- Free Plan: ✅
- Power BI Pro: $10.00 per month
- Power BI Premium: $20.00 per month
- Power BI Embedded: Custom pricing
2. Python
Best data analysis software - Python
Python is a versatile programming language that serves many different purposes. It is used in data science as well as application and web development. Python can be used for basic statistical calculations and even complex machine-learning models. It achieves this because it hosts a wide range of libraries.
Highlights
- Easy to integrate with other languages and tools
- Widely used in businesses and academia
- Effective data cleaning
- Flexible and can be used in almost every process of data analysis
💡Best known for a wide range of libraries you can use to build complex data models.
Python pricing
- Free plan ✅
3. Microsoft Excel
Best data analysis software - Excel
Excel is one of the most basic tools you can use to perform any data analysis. You can use it, especially when creating tables and summarizing formulas and data. It is often used for daily tasks and for examining small data sets.
Highlights
- Highly accessible and one of the most common software
- Easy to use and learn
- Quick solution for uncomplicated analyses
- Managing and organizing is easy with functions
💡Best known for quick analysis for personal or professional research.
Microsoft Excel pricing
- Free Plan: ✅
- Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $7.20 per month
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $15.00 per month
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium: $26.40 per month
- Microsoft 365 Apps for Business: $9.90 per month
4. Tableau
Best data analysis software - Tableau
Tableau is renowned as a data visualization tool used to convert raw data into a meaningful format through dashboards. It is widely known for business intelligence and is one of the most popular platforms. It is a powerful tool and doesn't require much skill to perform advanced analysis.
Highlights
- Easy-to-use interface with drag-and-drop feature
- Integration with a wide range of data sources
- Providing real-time data analysis
- Dynamic exploration of datasets
- Widely used for business intelligence (BI) and reporting
💡Best known for interactive and visually appealing dashboards and data visualizations.
Tableau pricing
- Free Plan: ❌
- Creator: $115 per month
- Explorer: $70 per month
- Viewer: $35 per month
5. SAS
Best data analysis software - SAS
SAS is also a well-known data analysis tool. It allows you to carry out the data analysis process, has many uses, from data analysis to visualization, and is especially common in predictive analytics. Therefore, with this powerful analysis tool, you can perform reliable data analysis quickly and easily, thanks to a very user-friendly interface.
Highlights
- Ability to perform powerful statistical analysis
- Processing large-scale data sets without any problems
- Identifying patterns neatly, even in complex data
- Highly preferred in every field where data is intensively used
💡Best known for reliable data analysis process for complex data.
SAS pricing
- 14-day Free Trial for SAS Viya Usage
- $0.55 per SAS unit per hour(generally $50 per hour)
6. MySQL
Best data analysis software - MySQL
MySQL is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS). It is mainly used to store application data. If you are concerned about the security of your data, this tool is recommended. Many businesses use it to perform routine data checks. It is even used by popular websites such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. As a result, it is one of the sources you will utilize when you have a job related to web applications.
Highlights
- Supports many web applications, whether it is large or small
- Persistent community support
- Compatible with other programming languages
- Efficiently handling large volumes of data
💡Best known for powerful query and analysis capabilities and data management.
MySQL pricing
- Free Plan: ✅
- MySQL Standard Edition: $2,140 per year
- MySQL Enterprise Edition: $5,350 per year
7. Jupyter Notebook
Best data analysis software - Jupyter
Jupyter Notebook is an open-source web application. As its name suggests, it is a tool used to create and share documents. In addition, it allows you to write code and perform data analysis. It allows you to clean data, visualize it, and even do machine learning. Especially when different researchers/experts are assigned to a job, this application allows communication and produces a smoother data analysis result.
Highlights
- Compatible with other programming languages
- Integrates with various data visualization libraries
- Allowing research to be easily shared across multiple decision points
- Coding, documenting, and visualizing data in a single environment
💡Best known for performing a seamless exploratory data analysis.
Jupyter Notebook pricing
- Free Plan: ✅
8. R
Best data analysis software - R
R is an open-source programming language like Python that is used for statistical computing. It is easy to learn and can be used for statistical data analysis, turning data into visualizations and models. It works especially well when doing statistical calculations and preparing perfect graphs.
Highlights
- Extensive libraries for analyzing data
- Effective for statistical modeling
- Customizable and adaptable to many purposes
- Ideal for academic research and hypothesis testing
💡Best known for statistical modeling for scientific research.
R pricing
- Free Plan: ✅
9. MATLAB
Best data analysis software - MATLAB
MATLAB is a valuable tool that can be used to guide your quantitative data-intensive research. It is frequently used in fields such as engineering, especially by creating visualizations suitable for numerical calculations. You can analyze large or small datasets without any problems and develop complex models.
Highlights
- Ideal for developing matrix manipulations, algorithms, and simulations
- Extensive toolboxes for various domains
- Supporting integration with other languages
- Widely used in engineering, economics, and natural sciences
💡Best known for its ability to create simulations of large-scale data.
MATLAB pricing
- Free Plan: ❌
- Standard: $980 per year
- Startups: $3950 per year
- Academic: $275 per year
- Student: $55 per year
- Home: $95 per year
10. forms.app
Best data analysis software - forms.app
forms.app is a powerful tool for data collection. You can freely build any web form and survey to gather valuable data. It has a user-friendly interface in which you can effectively find what you are looking for in a fast way. It will give you essential insights into your research.
Highlights
- Thousands of pre-made templates for quickly building a survey or form
- Simple interface, easy to control
- Provides AI-powered system features
- Integrates with many platforms like Slack, WordPress, and Google Sheets
- Provides mobile app
💡Best known for countless templates you can use in the data collection process.
forms.app pricing
- Free Plan: ✅
- Basic Plan: $25 per month
- Pro Plan: $35 per month
- Premium Plan: $99 per month
Final Words
All in all, choosing the most suitable data analysis software for your purpose is the key to successful research. Whether you want to improve your business, provide a better customer experience, or conduct scientific activities, these tools are all you need.
We have introduced you to 10 different data analysis software that can be useful for this purpose. Some of the listed software is free, and some offer better features through variable pricing. Incorporate them into your workflow to achieve success.
Atakan is a content writer at forms.app. He likes to research various fields like history, sociology, and psychology. He knows English and Korean. His expertise lies in data analysis, data types, and methods.
