Limited resources and time constraints can often complicate data consolidation and visualization issues. Reporting software can help data analysts working in small businesses to create visually appealing charts and graphs, consolidate data into a centralized repository, and uncover patterns using advanced analytics. But how do you choose the right software from the given market options?
To simplify software search for you, this article highlights the five top reporting software for small businesses based on user reviews, sorted in alphabetical order. For each product, we include overall user ratings along with the highest-rated parameter, review excerpts from industry professionals, and product pricing. Read more.
1. Databox
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Databox for reporting:
"The templates are great, and the dashboards are easy to build or customize. You can connect everything I regularly use. I love that I get a report every morning on my inbox."
"Databox is an extremely user-friendly, helpful data visualization tool that keeps all of your data in one beautiful report. It's so easy to provide insights to clients, and it is an essential reporting software for our advertising agency."
"This tool allows you to create data visualizations, see your key performance indicators (KPIs) at one time, and even make it easier to back up your statistical analytical data."
Read all Databox reviews here.
2. Google Analytics 360
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Google Analytics 360 for reporting:
"Google Analytics provides in-depth website analytics, tracking, and reporting, so we can make logical decisions on how to make our site more effective. It's free to use and comes with a wealth of features that can help us to make dramatic improvements to our website, whether we're a small business, a large corporation, or a non-profit organization."
"It's normal that when we talk about a Google product, the first thing that comes to mind is the compatibility it has with all its other products, together they complement each other and best of all is that they're available to everyone, and with Analytics 360 this isn't exception. For me, the user interface is very easy to understand if you're starting in this world, like me, but Analytics brings helpful features such as customer segmentation, data visualization and interactive reports. "
"I love that Google Analytics is free to use and gives loads of raw website analytics data that's very useful to measure marketing performance."
Read all Google Analytics 360 reviews here.
3. Smartsheet
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Smartsheet for reporting:
"The best part of this tool is that it has very powerful features. It can perform any difficult task and make my work easier. It has prebuilt templates and demos, which are very helpful to create a new project. Along with this, the collaboration feature is very useful. It allows me to work with my team members on a single dashboard."
"Smartsheet is a user-friendly collaboration platform that allows teams to collaborate on projects, plan and track their work, and communicate with each other. It is an excellent tool for managing data and reporting. The biggest thing I like about Smartsheet is that it has so many features that make it easy for me to organize my work in ways that are efficient and effective."
"I've had a great experience using Smartsheet to manage the projects of my team. The user-friendly dashboard system support builder makes it simple to stay on top of tasks and deadlines, while team collaboration tools ensure that everyone is working efficiently together."
Read all Smartsheet reviews here.
4. Supermetrics
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Supermetrics for reporting:
"It's great to have the capabilities of Supermetrics, which enables us to pull data from a wide range of sources and arrange it in a way that suits what we are looking for, which enables us to perfectly control that data, and to produce comprehensive reports that enable the decision makers in our team to make the appropriate decisions."
"Supermetrics is a complete tool to extract data from multiple sources. Very easy to use, with multiple connectors and other features like scheduling, saving queries, etc. What I most like is the range of connects they have that differ from smaller competitors."
"As a marketing analyst, Supermetrics simplifies reporting and gives me and my teams more time to analyze the data for key results and action items."
Read all Supermetrics reviews here.
5. Tableau
To present the most up-to-date information, the product information below shows the latest real-time ratings, which may differ from the ratings values at the time this report's analysis was conducted, since new reviews may have been left in the meantime.
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Highest-rated parameter
Commonly used by
Starting price
Device compatibility
Here are some review excerpts from small business professionals who have used Tableau for reporting:
"We really like the easiness to upload and prepare data visualizations, charts, graphics and dashboards. It works with the mains data files such as text crv, xls and Google Sheet documents. They have a free version which present the main functionalities, perfect for a small business, then if you need to upgrade to a paid version, the process is very simple. Their forums and community really support and help to improve, learn and develop great visualizations."
"The software's online community and customer support are top-notch, making it easy to collaborate with other users and get help when needed. Overall, Tableau is an excellent tool for data visualization and analysis."
"It is easy to use and can create very effective data visualization. Great tool for data scientists, data analysts, and business analysts."
Read all Tableau reviews here.
What features do reporting software offer?
Reporting software offer core features such as:
Ad hoc reporting: | Create custom reports by defining your personalized criteria, such as specific data fields, filters, and layout. The feature enables users to access real-time data, allowing them to generate reports that meet their requirements and assist in making informed decisions based on the latest information available. |
Data visualization: | Present data visually using various graphical elements, such as charts, graphs, and maps. This feature helps users understand complex data and identify trends and patterns that may not be apparent in raw data. |
All products listed in this report include the features mentioned above.
Besides these core features, reporting systems also commonly offer:
Customizable dashboards
Data import/export
Drag and drop
Forecasting
Search and filter
How to choose the right reporting software for your business
Here are some key considerations to help you find the best reporting system for your business.
Evaluate the tool’s dashboarding capabilities. Before investing in reporting software for your small business, make sure to drill down into the tool’s dashboard functionality for a better understanding. A modern dashboard should allow you to modify the color, style, and font sizes based on your business needs. Additionally, it should adapt to different screen and device sizes for better visualization, offer filters to help you choose what data points you wish to see, and send notifications in case of any change in data trends.
Check the tool’s data security options. Reporting tools often deal with confidential data. As a small business owner, the software you select should offer robust security options, including single-level sign-on (SSO), row-level security, application-level security, audit trails, user privileges, and encryption to safeguard important data. Having such features in your system will ensure that the tool aligns with your business’s security and compliance requirements.
Consider drag-and-drop reporting feature: While considering potential reporting tools as a small business owner, make sure that your shortlisted tool allows you to create and customize reports by simply dragging and dropping elements, such as data fields, charts, and fields, onto a reporting canvas. This will simplify your report creation process and enable rapid report customization and development.
Common questions to ask software vendors before purchase
These are some common questions you can ask vendors when assessing reporting tools for your team:
What are the available data sources and software integration options?
An ideal reporting tool should integrate with various data sources, such as databases, spreadsheets, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Ask your software provider about all such options, as this will help your professionals consolidate data from multiple sources into a centralized platform for better analysis. Integration with accounting software, such as Quickbooks Online and Sage Accounting, would be an added advantage.
What are the available visualization options?
A reporting tool offers several visualization options for efficient data analysis. These may include charts, graphs, maps, scatter plots, histograms, and dashboards. While the availability of visualization options can vary between different reporting tools, asking your vendor about the same can enhance your ability to communicate information using different options.
What are the collaboration features offered by the software?
Reporting software for small business must offer necessary collaboration features, such as report sharing, commenting, annotations, collaborative workspaces, and report distribution. Asking your software provider about these will help you facilitate communication, teamwork, and sharing of insights among users.