Tableau creates temp tables to help improve performance and add functionality. The temp tables temporarily hold information specific to a connection. If the creation of temp tables in the database is restricted, the overall performance of workbooks and views isn’t as fast as it could be. Fastest way to understand your data - Drag & drop your data to instantly turn them. It is a dedicated message-broker. It is widely used in implementations of highly centralized and distributed systems. It can function both as a message-broker, database, and cache. Jan 02, 2019 Designing a database schema is the first step in building a foundation in data management. Ineffective schema design can creates databases that are heavy consumers of memory and other resources, poorly defined, difficult to maintain and administer.

Carrying out an insightful data analysis for your business requires having the ability to not only store or access data, but also to transform it into a form, that can help draw powerful and holistic insights using a reporting tool. Choosing the ideal reporting tool by taking into consideration various factors such as its functionalities, processing power and flexibility, that it will add to your overall technical architecture, is hence a crucial decision for any enterprise architect.

This article focuses on reporting analytics for PostgreSQL database and provides you with a comprehensive list of some of the best PostgreSQL Reporting Tools available in the market today. It also introduces you to the various factors that you must consider before selecting a tool for your business.

Table of Contents

• Top 5 PostgreSQL Reporting Tools

Introduction to PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is a powerful, enterprise-class, open-source relational database management system that uses standard SQL to query the relational data and JSON to query the non-relational data residing in the database. PostgreSQL has excellent support for all of the operating systems. It supports advanced data types and optimization operations, usually found in commercial databases such as Oracle, SQL Server, etc.

Key features of PostgreSQL:

• It has extensive support for complex queries.
• It provides excellent support for geographic objects & hence it is useful for geographic information systems & location-based services.
• It provides robust support for client-server network architecture.
• Its write-ahead-logging (WAL) feature makes it fault-tolerant.

For further information on PostgreSQL, you can check the official website here.

Factors to Consider Before Selecting a PostgreSQL Reporting Tool

Choosing the ideal reporting tool for your analytics database, such as PostgreSQL is one of the most crucial decisions that can make or break the effectiveness of your data warehousing system. The following are some of the factors that you must take into consideration before choosing one of the PostgreSQL Reporting Tools available in the market:

• The learning curve of the platform or the amount of time you must dedicate to learn the platform and use it productively.
• The complex analytics & data transformation functionalities that the platform provides to its users.
• Whether your business use case requires real-time or batch-based reporting & analytics tools.
• The kind of customer support your organisation is looking for, community or individual customer support for your reporting tool.
• The type of reporting tool that your organisation wants to have in place, an on-premises or a cloud-based reporting tool.

Simplify your data analysis with Hevo’s No-code Data Pipelines

Hevo Data, a No-code Data Pipeline, helps to transfer data from 100+ sources to PostgreSQL to visualize it in your desired BI tool. Hevo is fully-managed, and completely automates the process of not only loading data from your desired source but also enriching the data and transforming it into an analysis-ready form without having to write a single line of code. Its fault-tolerant architecture ensures that the data is handled in a secure, consistent manner with zero data loss.

It provides a consistent & reliable solution to manage data in real-time and always have analysis-ready data in your desired destination. It allows you to focus on key business needs and perform insightful analysis using BI tools.

Check out what makes Hevo amazing:

• Secure: Hevo has a fault-tolerant architecture that ensures that the data is handled in a secure, consistent manner with zero data loss.
• Schema Management: Hevo takes away the tedious task of schema management & automatically detects schema of incoming data and maps it to the destination schema.
• Minimal Learning: Hevo, with its simple and interactive UI, is extremely simple for new customers to work on and perform operations.
• Hevo Is Built To Scale: As the number of sources and the volume of your data grows, Hevo scales horizontally, handling millions of records per minute with very little latency.
• Incremental Data Load: Hevo allows the transfer of data that has been modified in real-time. This ensures efficient utilization of bandwidth on both ends.
• Live Support: The Hevo team is available round the clock to extend exceptional support to its customers through chat, email, and support calls.

Simplify your data analysis with Hevo today! Sign up here for a 14-day free trial!

Top 5 PostgreSQL Reporting Tools

Choosing the ideal reporting tool that perfectly meets your business requirements can be a challenging task, especially when there’s a large variety of tools available in the market. To simplify your search, here is a comprehensive list of 5 best PostgreSQL Reporting Tools, that you can choose from and start analyzing your data:

1. Apache Superset

Apache Superset is a popular open-source reporting tool that provides users with robust integration support with numerous databases and various other data sources. It follows a no-code methodology and houses an easy-to-use UI, allowing developers & analysts to create compelling and informative dashboards that refresh in real-time.

It further supports integrating with various open-source processing tools such as Spark, Hadoop, etc. and ensures data security using its robust user access and authentication layer that allows you to set up granular permissions.

It supports both batch & real-time business use cases. It further provides users with diverse community support, helping them maintain their on-premise software as Apache Superset follows a strict on-premises based deployment model.

Pricing Model of Apache Superset

Apache Superset is open-source software, and hence it is available to users free of cost.

For further information on what makes Apache Superset, one of the best PostgreSQL Reporting Tools available in the market, you can check the official website here.

2. Tableau

Tableau is a robust reporting tool, available as a part of the complete suite for managing all your data processing needs. It houses data visualization capabilities and allows you to create informative business dashboards or reports that update in real-time with its automatic refresh functionality. It further houses a data transformation module known as Tableau Prep that is available along with the creator licence.

Tableau is available both as on-premise and on the cloud software. You can either install it on your system or use its cloud service, Tableau Server/Online, to create complex & interactive visualizations. Tableau has a high learning curve, and hence it requires users to devote time to learn the platform to get the most out of it. It further houses robust customer support that will help you fix the issues you come across.

Pricing Model of Tableau

Tableau provides users with three different use-case based subscription offerings, namely Individuals, Team & Organizations and Embedded Analytics, with the “Individuals plan” starting at $70/month per user.

For further information on what makes Tableau, one of the best PostgreSQL Reporting Tools available in the market, you can check the official website here.

3. Metabase

Metabase is an enterprise-grade open-source business intelligence tool that allows you to perform exploratory data analysis with ease. With Metabase in place, you can query databases in real-time to fetch crucial data, and hence it helps you get answers to all your questions in a matter of minutes. It further houses enterprise-level authentication mechanisms and provides you with granular control.

Metabase is available both as an on-premise and cloud-based SaaS offering. It also allows users to subscribe to the enterprise plan, in case they want to get some advanced functionalities for their business needs.

Pricing Model of Metabase

Metabase provides users with three different subscription offerings, namely, Startup, Business and Enterprise, with the Startup plan available at $100/month. It also provides a 14-day free trial to users.

For further information on how Metabase can be your ideal PostgreSQL Reporting Tool, you can check the official website here.

4. Looker

Looker is one of the most popularly used reporting tools available in the market. It has a strong focus on visualization and houses robust customization functionalities, allowing you to create compelling visualizations that match your business use cases. It also lets users collaborate and share informative business reports with ease.

Looker houses an intuitive LookML block functionality that allows users to generate SQL-based business reports and visualizations, even without having any prior knowledge of SQL. Looker is primarily available as a web-browser based offering, but you can also download & install it as an on-premises application on your system.

Pricing Model of Looker

Looker doesn’t have transparent pricing. It follows a quote-based pricing model that charges users based on various factors such as the deployment scale, number of users, etc. To get the exact tailored pricing for your business needs, you will have to get in touch with the Looker team. Looker further provides a free trial to the users.

For further information on what makes Looker, one of the best PostgreSQL Reporting Tools available in the market, you can check the official website here.

5. Google Data Studio

Google Data Studio is a fully-managed cloud-based reporting tool made available to users by Google. It houses a user-friendly interface that has a minimal learning curve & provides robust integration support for PostgreSQL and almost 200+ other connectors, allowing you to integrate data and create compelling visualizations.

It follows a web-based architecture, and hence it doesn’t provide any on-premise or desktop application based functionalities. With Google Data Studio in place, you can carry out an in-depth analysis of your data using its calculated fields and metrics. It also allows you to refresh your data source at scheduled intervals of time, however, it lacks the support of real-time or auto-refreshing dashboards.

Pricing Model of Google Data Studio

Google Data Studio is available completely free of cost as a part of the Google Cloud Platform. Any user who has a valid Google account can start using and leveraging all features of Google Data Studio.

For further information on how Google Data Studio is one of the best PostgreSQL Reporting Tools available in the market, you can check the official website here.

Conclusion

This article introduced you to some of the best PostgreSQL Reporting Tools available in the market that you can use to perform and refine your PostgreSQL analytics. It also provides in-depth knowledge about their features, use cases and pricing. If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, that will not only help you transfer data but also transform it into analysis-ready form, then Hevo Data is the right choice for you! It will take care of all your analytics needs in a completely automated manner, allowing to focus on key business activities.

Want to take Hevo for a spin? Sign up here for a 14-day free trial and experience the feature-rich Hevo suite first hand. You can also have a look at our unbeatable pricing that will help you choose the right plan for your business needs!

Share your experience of working with PostgreSQL Reporting Tools! Let us know in the comments section below.

Business intelligence software solutions are critical when it comes to efficiently handling business data. These tools use data to identify your organization’s strengths and weaknesses in real time. The catch? Most business intelligence tools are expensive (almost $3,000/year, on average).

If you’ve avoided investing in a BI tool because of cost, worry no more. Free and open source business intelligence software solutions exist, and you can start reaping their benefits without spending a dime.

In this article, we highlight the seven best free and open source BI software options, explaining each product and its cost to upgrade. Each of these tools (arranged alphabetically) have a minimum user rating of 4.5 (out of 5) and at least 10 user reviews on Capterra (see full selection methodology here).

Tableau Database Drivers

Jump to:

• 
  ActivTrak
• 
  ChartMogul
• 
  Cluvio
• 
  Databox
• 
  Matomo
• 
  Metabase
• 
  Tableau

ActivTrak

4.6 (out of 5)

• Free plan: Includes up to three users, 3GB of data storage, and email and chat support.
• Paid plans: The first tier starts $7.20 per user, per month. It includes email, chat, and phone support, as well as unlimited users (minimum of five) and data storage.

ActivTrak is a flexible BI tool that offers team behavior analytics. The tool can handle teams from five to 1,000 and is designed for business owners, IT and HR managers, and team leads who want to track their team’s productivity.

The tool offers mobile apps for both iOS and Android devices, and customer support via the web and phone during business hours.

Business intelligence dashboard in ActivTrak (Source)

Think ActivTrak is the right BI tool for you? Read user reviews.

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ChartMogul

4.7 (out of 5)

• Free plan: Free for businesses with less than $10,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR); includes unlimited users, all subscription metrics, all billing integrations, access to all APIs, and CSV exports.
• Paid plans: Upgraded plans start at $100 per month and add custom charts, customer lists, non-subscription revenue metrics, and email support.

ChartMogul is a BI tool best-suited for businesses that are trying to build or grow a subscription service, as it can measure churn rate and customer lifetime value. The tool offers 24/7 support through a live representative and online tutorials. Representatives also offer live online training to help businesses get started with the software.

Business intelligence dashboard in ChartMogul (Source)

Think ChartMogul is the right BI tool for you? Read user reviews.

Cluvio

4.5 (out of 5)

• Free plan: Only available for a single user; includes three dashboards, data processing in R, 1,000 query executions per month, and all analytical capabilities.
• Paid plans: Upgrade plans start at $99 per user, per month; this includes 50 dashboards, unlimited query executions, 20 SQL alerts, 20 dashboard schedules, dashboard sharing, two data analysts, and unlimited viewer users.

Cluvio is a BI tool suitable for businesses that have an employee with some data analytics experience. This tool allows businesses to run SQL queries against their databases, can process data in R, and turns out some impressive-looking dashboards and data visualizations.

Cluvio offers customer support online and via phone during business hours. The software provider also offers webinars, live online training, and training materials for businesses that need help getting started.

Business intelligence dashboard in Cluvio (Source)

Think Cluvio is the right BI tool for you? Read user reviews.

Databox

4.8 (out of 5)

• Free plan: Available for three users. Includes three data sources, three databoards, daily data refresh interval, and historical data for up to 11 months.
• Paid plans: Upgrade plan starts at $49 per month for 10 users, which includes 10 data sources, 10 databoards, hourly data refresh interval, and historical data for up to 11 months.

Databox is a BI tool that allows businesses to track and report on their KPIs through a visually pleasing dashboard. The tool can deliver information across multiple devices and integrates with popular systems such as Adobe Analytics and Salesforce. Databox offers mobile apps for iOS and Android devices.

Business intelligence dashboard in Databox (Source)

Think Databox is the right BI tool for you? Read user reviews.

Matomo

4.7 (out of 5)

• Free plan: On-premise deployment is open source and free.
• Paid plans: Upgrades start at $9 per month.

Matomo is an open source BI tool that is used by more than 1.4 million websites across 190 countries and has been translated into over 50 languages. This tool helps you view and evaluate user activities and engagement across websites using A/B testing, heatmaps, session recordings, goals tracking, and more. Marketers can use it to analyze website visitors’ actions and create visitor profiles for future reference.

Matomo’s on-premise deployment is the open source, free, and self-hosted PHP/MySQL version you can install on your own server.

Business intelligence dashboard in Matomo (Source)

Think Matomo is the right BI tool for you? Read user reviews.

Metabase

4.6 (out of 5)

• Free plan: The free version of Metabase is its open source version.
• Paid plans: Upgrade plans start at $100 per month.

Metabase is an open source BI and data visualization tool with SQL capabilities. It allows you to generate charts and dashboards, ask simple ad hoc queries without using SQL, and view detailed information about all the rows in your database. You can set it up in less than five minutes, and then ask simple questions and understand the data your application is generating.

Business intelligence dashboard in Metabase (Source)

Think Metabase is the right BI tool for you? Read user reviews.

Tableau

4.6 (out of 5)

• Free plan: Tableau Desktop offers a free one-year license for students and instructors at accredited academic institutions worldwide.
• Paid plans: Upgrade plans start at $70 per user, per month (billed annually).

Tableau is a BI platform that offers a streamlined user interface and allows drag-and-drop data manipulation and data visualization. It is best-suited for people who are comfortable with Excel’s pivot tables.

The tool offers mobile apps for iOS or Android. Tableau offers training through in-person sessions, online with a representative, webinars, and documentation. The software provider also offers support online and via phone during business hours.

Business intelligence dashboard in Tableau (Source)

Think Tableau is the right BI tool for you? Read user reviews.

How to choose the right free or open source BI tool for your business

These considerations can make your BI software choice a little easier:

• Consider the size and growth of your business. BI tools that only offer basic features are best for small businesses with less data variety and volume to manage.
• Prepare a use case for a BI tool. Different businesses need BI tools for different purposes, so identify your exact needs. For example, a logistics business would use BI software features to optimize routes, while a digital marketing company would need different features to measure user engagement.
• Consider your employee knowledge base. A simple BI tool with fewer features would be easier to learn when training beginner users, while a more sophisticated BI tool would be appropriate for employees who are well-versed in your chosen software.
• Check the cost to upgrade. It’s important to understand the paid pricing models of each BI tool you consider, as well as any upfront costs. Some vendors may offer flexible subscription-based pricing (monthly billing or annual billing), while others may require annual one-time licenses based on number of users.
• Ask about integration options. The real value of a BI tool comes from gathering disparate data from multiple sources into a single system. Be sure to ask the software provider whether or not their tool integrates with your existing systems.

Common questions to ask while selecting a free or open source BI tool

You’ll probably have many questions when selecting free BI software, and it’s important to get answers from software providers and/or their sales representatives. Here are a few key questions to consider asking:

• Does the software upgrade cost include phone-based tech support? This will help you get clarity on the type of premium support you’ll receive when you start paying for the software.
• What percentage of your customers are currently paying for an annual support contract? This will give you a fair idea of customer satisfaction. If the vendor doesn’t provide this information, it could be a warning sign of poor customer satisfaction/service.
• Can I easily create customized reports? You should always be able to get to your own data. If you’ll need a programmer to build new reports, that will hamper your ROI.
• Can I speak to a customer who has deployed your tool in the past six months? If the vendor avoids answering or is uncomfortable with you speaking to a recent customer, they could be concerned you’ll uncover some product or service cons.

How we rate

This article was updated on Jan. 20, 2021. Products considered for this article had to:

• Offer a free, stand-alone version of the software (not a trial version of the software where you must purchase a product after a limited amount of time).
• Meet our business intelligence market definition: Business Intelligence (BI) software helps organizations make operational decisions by enabling the analysis of historical performance data and other data sources.

Software that met the market definition also needed a minimum of 10 user-submitted reviews published between Jan. 1, 2020 – Jan. 15, 2021, and have an above-average overall user rating compared to other products in the category.

• “Top” free and open source tools had a minimum overall rating of 4.5/5 stars from reviewers on Capterra at the time of publication.

Note: The content in this piece that provides opinions and points of view expressed by users does not represent the views of Capterra.

Looking for Business Intelligence software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Business Intelligence software solutions.