In the fast-paced business world of 2024, keeping a close eye on your company's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is more important than ever. That's where KPI dashboard tools come in.
It’s not just about tracking numbers for the sake of it. It’s about building a data-driven culture, where everyone in the team knows how they are performing against strategic goals. Where team members can spot important changes to key metrics and react fast.
Choosing the right KPI dashboard software isn’t always straightforward. There are countless software providers out there who are better (and worse) at serving different types of businesses.
That’s why we’ve put together this summary of the best KPI dashboard tools on the market in 2024.
Dashboard software – key considerations
Before we look at the options, you should consider what type of dashboard tool you are looking for. Recently, we published our guide to buying dashboard software, in which we expand on the five most important considerations to bear in mind:
Data
You will need to check what type of data the dashboard tool supports. Is it built for SQL databases or is it designed to connect to cloud tools like Salesforce or Shopify directly? Can you automate the process? And will your metrics update in real-time?
Design
You should consider: what type of visualizations can you create and how easy is it to create them? Will you have flexibility over the design? And will it be possible to design a dashboard that can be easily understood by your teammates?
Sharing
KPI dashboards are only effective if they're actually seen by the people who need to see them. Different tools have different sharing features and access limitations. Ideally you should be able to ‘broadcast’ your dashboard in the spaces your team spend time – such as on a TV on the office wall, or by embedding your dashboard on a Notion page.
Specialism
Different tools are built for different expertise-levels. Some dashboard tools can be used by anyone, others will require analysts and data specialists.
Budget
What is the pricing structure, and does your budget match the pricing tier you will need?
Geckoboard
Geckoboard is the simplest way for business leaders to build and share real-time KPI dashboards that improve team performance. It’s a popular choice for small to medium sized businesses who want to build real-time KPI dashboards, but don’t have access to data-specialists.
Core strengths
- Designed for business leaders, not data-scientists.
- Plug and play integrations with 90+ data sources such as Salesforce, Google Analytics, Zendesk and Shopify.
- Auto-refreshes in real-time
- Drag and drop dashboard builder means you can design custom dashboards in minutes.
- Built for sharing – TV display, sharing links, Slack notifications and reports.
Tableau
Tableau is widely recognized as one of the leading Business Intelligence (BI) tools on the market. Its strengths include advanced data visualization, user-friendly interface, and ability to handle large datasets. It's particularly appreciated for its extensive range of visualization options, making it a popular choice among professionals for creating detailed, interactive dashboards and reports.
However, it does have some weaknesses, such as a steeper learning curve for non-technical users and potentially high costs, especially for small businesses. Like all BI tools, Tableau requires users to build and maintain a data warehouse.
Core Strengths
- Wide range of advanced visualization options available
- Attractive, professional-looking dashboards
- Computational functionality including predictive analytics
Microsoft Power BI
Power BI, Microsoft's data analytics tool, is renowned for its integration with Microsoft products. However, Power BI has some limitations, including less advanced customization options compared to other tools, potential performance issues with very large data sets, and a steeper learning curve for users unfamiliar with Microsoft products. Like all BI tools, Power BI requires users to build and maintain a data warehouse.
Core Strengths
- Integration with Microsoft Products like Excel and Azure.
- Interactive Visualizations: Creates engaging and dynamic reports and dashboards that help people make informed business decisions.
- Strong Community: active community support and 3rd party resources.
Microsoft Excel
Strictly speaking Excel is not a dashboard tool, although many businesses do use it for this purpose. Excel is great for quickly and easily creating simple dashboards and KPI reports. Most people have it installed so it doesn’t carry any extra cost. However, it’s not a practical tool for keeping track of metrics in real-time. Nor is it particularly user-friendly if you want to share your KPIs with team members.
It makes the list purely because of its availability and accessibility. Better to have a spreadsheet dashboard than no KPI dashboard at all!
Core Strengths
- Widespread Availability and Familiarity: Commonly used and understood by most professionals.
- Powerful Data Manipulation and Calculation: Advanced capabilities for data processing and analysis.
- Customizable Visualization Options: Ability to create a variety of charts and graphs.
Funnel
Funnel (or Funnel.io) is a marketing data platform known for its strengths in automating data collection and integration from various marketing platforms, which saves time and effort. It’s popular with marketing teams but can be more limited for other functions.
Core Strengths
- Automated Data Collection: Efficiently aggregates data from a wide range of marketing platforms.
- User-Friendly Interface: Accessible even for those with limited technical expertise.
- Real-Time Data Processing: Offers up-to-date insights and reporting.
Plecto
Plecto is a performance management software designed to visualize and track business KPIs in real-time. It specializes in creating customizable dashboards to display sales, performance, and business metrics, enabling companies to track and monitor performance. Plecto is particularly popular with sales teams because it offers gamification features which are designed to motivate employees and encourage friendly competition.
Core strengths
- Real-Time Performance Tracking: Enables immediate visibility into key business metrics.
- Motivational Tools: Incorporates gamification elements to engage and motivate employees.
- Visualization of Sales and Performance Metrics: Effectively displays critical data for monitoring and improving team performance.
Domo
Domo is a cloud-based business intelligence platform that provides data integration and visualization tools. It's designed to assist businesses in managing, analyzing, and reporting on data from diverse sources. Domo is a popular choice for enterprise-level businesses with larger budgets. Like all BI tools, Domo requires users to build and maintain a data warehouse.
Core strengths
- Wide range of advanced visualization options available
- AI features which enable chat-style data exploration
- Strong mobile experience
