Self-Service Business Intelligence was designed to enable businesses to make quick and smart decisions based on data and reports without needing technical background. Clearly, Self-Service BI tools are advantageous to businesses of any size because they empower owners to make data-driven decisions to help their company grow and prosper. There are three main components in creating a comprehensive Self-Service BI tool and those are: source data, data warehouse, and visualization tools. Below are the top 8 Self-Service BI Tools on the market today that have those three ingredients and more.

Top 8 Self-Service BI Tools:

  1. Datapine – Most User-Friendly Self Service BI Tool
  2. SAS Business Intelligence – Most Reliable Self Service BI Tool
  3. Infor Birst – Most Flexible Self Service BI Tool
  4. SAP Businessobjects – Best Self-Service BI Tool for Collaboration
  5. DOMO – Best Self-Service BI Tool for the Basics
  6. Zoho Analytics – Best Self-Service BI Tool for Fast Setup
  7. MicroStrategy – Best Self-Service BI Tool for Security
  8. Dundas BI – Best Self-Service BI Tool for Mobility

1. Datapine – Most User-Friendly Self Service BI Tool

PRICING: $249/month

Datapine is a BI software that is incredibly user-friendly so you can easily connect your reports and data from several different platforms and devices. On Datapine, there are several functions that make it simple to use and understand, from its drag and drop features to its interactive dashboard, Datapine empowers you to start making data-driven decisions without hours of training.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Predictive and profitability analytics
  • Performance metrics
  • AI-based alerts

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Interactive interface
  • 14-day free trial
  • Multiple sharing options

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Mobile platform is limited

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2. SAS Business Intelligence – Most Reliable Self Service BI Tool

PRICING: $9000 per user per year

Founded in 1976, SAS Business Intelligence has been a leader in Self Service BI Software and currently has customers in 150 countries. This software is one of the most reliable and secure systems on the market today and is trusted by 80,800 different businesses, governments, and university sites. SAS Business Intelligence is great at quickly delivering you results and data, however its main drawback is its limited customizability, which limits certain businesses with specific goals and objectives.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Text analytics
  • Geographical reports
  • AI machine learning

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Delivers insights quickly
  • Supports multiple devices
  • Easily integrates with Microsoft Office

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Limited customization

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3. Infor Birst – Most Flexible Self-Service BI Tool

PRICING: $30,000 per 20 users per year

First founded in 2004 and recently acquired in 2017, Infor Birst excels at bringing you the most flexible BI tool on the market. Infor Birst allows you to customize your data models to your specific industry, so you can be alerted to trends to prevent pitfalls and increase profits. This software also gives you the ability to monetize data by integrating embedded BI, without needing the technical experience to build an application yourself. Infor Birst has a lot to offer, however be prepared to dedicate time to learn its software since it is far more complex and confusing than others on the market.

KEY FEATURES:

  • DaaS Structure
  • Embedded BI
  • ISO27001 and SOCII certified

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Supports multiple platforms
  • Online and offline access
  • Free trial

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Steep learning curve

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4. SAP BusinessObjects – Best Self-Service BI Tool for Collaboration

PRICING: $14000 per year

With more than 170 million users worldwide, SAP BusinessObjects is the leader in Self Service BI. SAP BusinessObjects easily integrates with Excel and PowerPoint so you can seamlessly gather your data in a comprehensive, presentable form to share with your team. Furthermore, this software has several features to automate work like automatic report systems and self-service dashboards, making it easier on you and your team.

KEY FEATURES:

  • BI reporting system
  • Self-service dashboard
  • Connects with SAP BW

REASONS TO BUY:

  • User-friendly
  • Integrates with Microsoft Office
  • Scalable

REASONS TO AVOID: 

  • Expensive add-ons

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5. Domo – Best Self-Service BI Tool for the Basics

PRICING: Must contact vendor

Domo came on the market in 2010 and is known for its large catalog of pre-built applications that make retrieving your data and analytics fast and simple. This software has intuitive features, like the drag and drop Magic ETL, to quickly learn its system without needing SQL experience. Domo also integrates easily with Excel and Google Docs, which enable you to upload files in a shareable and comprehensive format.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Connects with 1000+ cloud connectors
  • Drag and drop ETL
  • 150+ interface charts

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Variety of data visualization options
  • Online trainings and webinars
  • Real time alerts and notifications

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Poor customer support

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6. Zoho Analytics – Best Self-Service BI Tool for Fast Setup

PRICING: $24 per user per month (Billed annually)

Over 10,000 global users rave about Zoho Analytics because its software allows you to get your dashboard up and running in minutes. Zoho Analytics gives you simple and intuitive features to easily retrieve your data to predict future trends and evaluate previous patterns. Along with its user-friendly interface, you’ll have Zoho’s original AI-assistant Zia to process code language into natural language, so you don’t need any development background to master Zoho Analytics. Simply put, this software is best if you’re needing to evaluate your data quickly without hassle.

KEY FEATURES:

  • 250+ data connectors
  • 0.5 million rows
  • Unlimited reports and dashboards

REASONS TO BUY:

  • 15-day free trial, no credit card required
  • Collaborative analytics
  • Extensibility and elasticity

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Limited customization

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7. MicroStrategy – Best Self-Service BI Tool for Security

PRICING: Must request quote from vendor

MicroStrategy is different from other Self-Service BI on the market because it utilized federated analytics, meaning it can continuously learn from data without needing to know anything about the data. This is a win-win, especially if you are in an industry where data is extremely sensitive and needs to be secure. MicroStrategy also provides hyperintelligence for your data, so when you are looking at your data, it will automatically give you the context needed to understand the given insights.

KEY FEATURES:

  • HyperIntelligence
  • Voice technology
  • Cloud technology

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Protects data
  • Fast reports
  • Mobile deployment

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Requires technology and development background

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8. Dundas BI – Best Self-Service BI Tool for Mobility

PRICING: Contact vendor for quote

Dundas BI was first founded in 1992 as a software for data visualization, but in 2015 it expanded its industry to Self Service Business Intelligence and has made massive amounts of popularity since then. What makes Dundas BI standout is its incredible and highly sophisticated mobile experience, it gives you the same features as the desktop version without needing to download any applications. So if you are on the go and need reports while on the move, Dundas BI will be the perfect tool for you.

KEY FEATURES:

  • HTML5
  • CSS styling
  • White labeling

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Retrieve data quickly
  • Interactive interface
  • Premium features included in each plan

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Difficult to edit

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Resources

  • https://www.techtarget.com/searchbusinessanalytics/definition/self-service-business-intelligence-BI#:~:text=Self%2Dservice%20BI%20tools%20allow,organization’s%20BI%20and%20IT%20teams.
  • https://www.getapp.com/business-intelligence-analytics-software/a/datapine/features/
  • https://financesonline.com/business-intelligence-sas/#:~:text=SAS%20was%20started%20in%20the,enterprise%20product%20for%20large%20companies.
  • https://www.sas.com/en_us/company-information/profile.html
  • https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/birst/
  • https://www.capterra.com/p/92075/SAP-BusinessObjects/
  • https://www.domo.com/news/press/domo-founder-josh-james-wins-entrepreneur-award-from-business-intelligence-group
  • https://www.domo.com/pricing
  • https://www.zoho.com/analytics/features.html
  • https://www.zoho.com/analytics/pricing.html