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20 Best Reporting Tools List

Here's my pick of the 20 best software from the 47 tools reviewed.

There are seemingly countless reporting tools available, so figuring out which is best for you is tough. You want to share data with your team in the most accessible and accurate way possible but need to figure out which tool is the best fit. I've got you!

In this post I make things simple, leveraging my experience using a variety of different project management reporting tools for everything from large projects to business growth to bring you this shortlist of the best reporting tools.

Compare Software Specs Side-by-Side

Here is a table you can use to compare all the tools we just covered in the overviews.

Overviews Of The Best Reporting Tools

Below is a description of each tool, how it handles report generation, and why it was chosen for this list. I’ve added screenshots of the tool so you get an idea of what it looks like from a user’s perspective.

Best for expense reporting

  • Free demo available
  • From $8/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.8/5

Rippling Spend is a platform designed to help your team manage company finances more efficiently. It pulls together expense management, bill pay, and payroll functions in one place, giving you a central hub for tracking and managing business spend. You can set policies, approve expenses, and ensure every financial move is documented, helping you stay on top of cash flow. 

Rippling lets you track expenses and spending in real time, giving you insights into how and where your money is going. The platform lets you generate custom reports on spending, categorize expenses, and compare financial data over time, so you have a clear picture of your financial health. You can also set parameters to filter the reports by departments, teams, or projects, helping you make data-driven decisions about your budget.

It also allows you to manage corporate card usage and set limits, so you always know who’s spending what. You can even set up automated approval workflows for expenses, which helps you stay organized and cuts down on delays in getting expenses cleared.

Integrations include Slack, Google Workspace, Office 365, AWS, Zoom, Dropbox, and Salesforce.

New Product Updates from Rippling Spend

November 9 2025
Rippling Spend Introduces AI-Powered Expense Fraud Detection

Rippling Spend adds built-in AI detection to automatically flag manipulated or AI-generated receipts. This enhancement strengthens financial oversight and ensures greater accuracy in expense approvals. For more information, visit Rippling Spend's official site.

Best for reporting on project quotes, time, and financials

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $2.50/user/month (billed monthly)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

Xero is a cloud-based accounting software platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. Xero offers a wide range of accounting features to help businesses manage their finances effectively, making it perfect for small teams that need to be able to perform many functions on one platform. Users can automate recurring tasks, generate financial statements, and gain insights into their business's financial health.

Xero also incorporates smart categorization features into its expense reporting. It employs machine learning algorithms to automatically categorize expenses based on previous patterns, reducing the time and effort required for manual categorization. This feature enhances accuracy, saves valuable time, and streamlines the expense tracking process, freeing up time for small teams to take on bigger projects.

Xero integrates with tools like Stripe, Shopify, Square, Trello, HubSpot, Deputy, Float, Unleashed, and WorkflowMax.

Pricing starts at $17/month. A free trial is available.

New Product Updates from Xero

Xero Launches New Workpapers for Seamless Compliance
New Xero Workpapers introduces a working trial balance for streamlined reviews.
November 30 2025
Xero Launches New Workpapers for Seamless Compliance

Xero introduces the new Workpapers—powered by BGL—to streamline compliance workflows for Australian practices. For more information, visit Xero's official site.

Best reporting tool for easy-to-read charts

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $24/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

Zoho Analytics is an analytics and reporting tool to help you convert raw business data into comprehensive reports and dashboards. You can use it to collect, enrich, and filter data to make it easier to analyze. It has an AI assistant feature to help you generate insights, spot patterns, and forecast trends. Zoho Analytics has a mobile app version that works on iOS and Android.

Zoho Analytics lets you use charts, widgets, and pivot tables ensuring you can present data in the best possible way. Zoho Analytics allows you to collaborate with other users to build and share custom reports and dashboards. Its user permission settings give you control over who can view and edit your data according to need and/or authority.

Zoho Analytics cost starts at $24/month/up to 2 users. They offer a 15-day free trial.

New Product Updates from Zoho Analytics

June 22 2025
Automation Connector Update

Zoho Marketing Automation's connector now includes modules like campaign open rates, sent dates, and geolocation for better insights into lead and campaign performance. More details at Zoho Flow Release Notes.

Best reporting tool for integrating over 150 data sources

  • Free demo available
  • From $29/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

Supermetrics is a comprehensive reporting tool that simplifies the process of collecting, integrating, and analyzing marketing data from over 150 data sources. It enables businesses to streamline their data workflows by aggregating data from multiple sources into a single destination, making it easier to create cohesive and insightful reports. 

One of the key features that make Supermetrics an excellent reporting tool is its ability to automate data transfers, reducing the time and effort required for manual data collection. Users can set up automated data refreshes, ensuring that their reports are always up-to-date with the latest data. This automation extends to scheduling regular data imports, allowing businesses to maintain consistent reporting schedules without manual intervention. 

Additionally, Supermetrics offers powerful data transformation capabilities, enabling users to customize their data for specific reporting needs. The tool allows for filtering, combining, and modifying data before it reaches the final destination.

Its compatibility with various reporting platforms like Google Data Studio and Power BI also allows users to create detailed and visually appealing reports that provide deeper insights into their marketing performance.

Integrations include Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, Instagram Insights, LinkedIn Ads, Twitter Ads, Microsoft Advertising, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Shopify, YouTube, Bing Ads, Reddit Ads, Snapchat Ads, Pinterest Ads, Salesforce, Snowflake, and Amazon Ads.

New Product Updates from Supermetrics

November 2 2025
Supermetrics Updates Ahrefs and Database Data Sources

Supermetrics has updated its Ahrefs and Database data sources to ensure smoother performance and stronger connection reliability. Users may need to reconnect or adjust their configurations to continue syncing data without interruptions. For more information, visit Supermetrics' official site.

Best reporting software for small business accounting

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $19/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4/5

QuickBooks is an accounting solution that helps small businesses track their expenses, manage their invoicing, and report on their financials. The software tracks your transaction details, helping you keep accurate records. Based on the finances you track in the system, you can view how much you're spending in each expense category from your dashboard.

The platform offers a simple, low-cost expense reporting solution for small- and medium-sized businesses. Receipts are sorted automatically, and you can reclassify transactions in bulk. You can also generate invoices, and even set up recurring invoices for repeat clients or customers.

QuickBooks Online integrates with over 450 business apps like Square, Stripe, Paychex, Insightly CRM, Mailchimp, Shopify, eBay, BigCommerce, Magento, Squarespace, Etsy, Katana, and ProjectWorks. Pricing starts from $30 per month, and a 30-day free trial is available.

New Product Updates from QuickBooks Online

October 5 2025
QuickBooks Online Checking Account

QuickBooks Online now lets you open a QuickBooks Checking account and make instant deposits with zero fees, all from within your bookkeeping workflow. Visit QuickBooks Online's website for more details.

Unlimited users, data sources, and integrations in all plans.

  • 15-day free trial
  • From $42/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.9/5

DashThis is an automated marketing reporting tool that lets you bring multiple platforms into one, co-create powerful dashboards, and automate their delivery. The features included in the product can help anyone from freelancers to world-renowned agencies like DDB.

The first thing I immediately liked about this product is that all their plans have unlimited users, data sources, and integrations. The difference comes in the number of dashboards you can create and the level of customization in white-label reports.

Since reporting can be one of our most time-consuming activities, DashThis has prepared a bunch of templates that help you get started right away. You just have to select the template you prefer, plug in your data, and run the report on your preferred time periods. Once you find your perfect report, you can clone it, export it, or generate and share it automatically via email to your clients every month.

DashThis has over 34 useful integrations that will help you bring all your marketing data into one place and extract comprehensive reports. These integrations include social media platforms, Google Analytics, SEMrush, Mailchimp, Perfect Audience, TikTok Ads, and more.

DashThis starts at $38/month (paid annually) for 3 dashboards and comes with a free 15-day trial (10 dashboards).

Best reporting tool for agile teams

  • Free plan available
  • From $13/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

MeisterTask is a task and project management tool designed primarily for agile teams. The tool offers a variety of reporting features for monitoring team productivity, as well as custom dashboards and the ability for team members to create personal agendas organized to fit their way of working. MeisterTask is intuitive and simple to use, with a clean interface

Users can view progress reports, time reports, and safety reports. View and download reports showing tasks that are completed, overdue, or upcoming. Project managers and team leads can also get reports on how much time team members are tracking, as well as reports related to data security, privacy, and compliance.

MeisterTask integrates with sister software MindMeister as well as Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Microsoft Teams, GitHub, Zendesk, Google Drive, and more.

MeisterTask costs from $8.25/user/month. They also offer a freemium plan.

Best reporting software for complex data

  • 14-day trial.
  • From $249/user/month.
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

Datapine is a great reporting software as it offers business users an uncomplicated and secure way to monitor as well as communicate key performance indicators (KPIs) effectively and quickly within one central analytics platform. This empowers everyone within the company to access at any time up-to-date, accurate information to make the right, data-driven decisions.

Datapine belongs to a new generation of reporting tools and offers, thanks to its ease-of-use, access to advanced analytics features even for non-technical users. Different data sources (flat files, databases, CRM and ERP-systems, social platforms, etc.) that are needed for the reports, can be integrated with a few clicks.

Customized, visual KPIs can be built via drag and drop and stored on dynamic, interactive dashboards. These professional KPI dashboards are also the core of datapine’s BI reporting solution. They offer a wealth of modern dashboard functionalities such as sophisticated global filter, predictive analytics as well as AI-based and interactive dashboard features.

Moreover, you can choose from over 80 professional dashboard templates for different business functions and industries. Finally, the dashboards can be shared in multiple ways such as automatic email reports, sharing live dashboards via URL or embedding them in external applications.

Datapine offers a 14-day free trial without any limitations with custom pricing starting at $250 per account.

Best reporting tool for marketing agencies

  • 7-day free trial
  • From $249/month (up to 5 users, billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.5/5

Whatagraph is a reporting tool for marketing agencies and in-house marketing teams that helps you get the right data in front of your customers and in a way they understand.

With this tool, you can create reports in minutes thanks to their 95+ templates and connectors to multiple data sources. Also, you can make these reports customized to your client by changing the colors and adding their logo.

Once you are done making it pretty, Whatagraph lets you automate report delivery so your clients can get their weekly, monthly or quarterly reports, and all you have to do is set the time interval! No more "$!@, I forgot to send the report" moments.

Whatagraph integrates with over 40 tools. These include Facebook, Shopify, Mailchimp, Salesforce, and Tik Tok Ads. All of them can be used as data sources for your reports.

Whatagraph has a 7-day free trial, and pricing starts at $199 per month, which gets you 25 data sources and 5 users, with unlimited reports.

Best reporting software for embedded analytics

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $75/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

Tableau is a visual analytics platform for exploring, understanding, and managing business data. It uses a drag and drop method to create reports using the available data visualizations and widgets.Tableau uses interactive data visualizations so you can create visually-compelling reports that viewers can click to explore.

If you need to build powerful dashboards quickly, Tableau is the best reporting tool for you because of its embedded analytics features. The embedded analytics are customizable through an API so you can insert data collection and reporting functionality into your pre-existing workflow. This can also help you personalize your customers’ data experience.

Tableau integrates with other business tools, including Google Cloud, Microsoft SQL Server, Google Sheets, Hive, and SAP.

Tableau pricing starts at $12/user/month, and they offer a 14-day free trial.

Best for quickly generating digital marketing dashboards and reports

  • 3 days free trial
  • From $14.50/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

Reportei generates digital marketing reports quickly, focusing on social media data and analytics. This tool is great for agencies, freelancers, and digital marketing professionals that need to save time on reporting and spend more time on analysis.

Reportei also offers a marketing timeline feature, allowing users to add events and milestones throughout the project to the timeline and categorize them to keep track of overall project progress.

Integrations include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, Google Ads, Google Analytics, and other channels.

Pricing starts at $14.50/month.

Best reporting tool for agile teams

  • 7-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $7.16/user/month (billed annually, min 5 seats)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

Jira is a robust project management solution developed by Atlassian. It emphasizes agile frameworks and methodologies and is ideal for business and software teams.

Jira can be best used for reporting by leveraging its powerful reporting and analytics capabilities to track project performance, identify potential issues, and make data-driven decisions. Users can create customized reports that display key metrics and data points, including project status, issue types, velocity, and team performance. Reports can be tailored to fit specific needs and workflows, and can be easily shared with other stakeholders, such as team members, management, or customers. Additionally, Jira provides a range of visualization tools, including dashboards and charts, that enable teams to quickly and easily track progress and identify potential roadblocks. Finally, Jira integrates with a range of other business tools, including business intelligence and data visualization platforms, to provide a comprehensive reporting and analytics solution.

Some key features and functionalities of Jira include agile project management tools such as scrum and kanban boards, customizable workflows and issue types to fit specific team needs, powerful reporting and analytics capabilities to track progress and identify potential issues, and a robust API for customization and automation. Additionally, Jira offers a range of add-ons and plugins that extend its capabilities and integrate with other tools and platforms.

Jira integrates with other Atlassian platforms as well as third-party apps like Slack, Mircosoft, Google Workspace, Zoom, AdobeXD, Invision, Figma, Gliffy, Draw.io, Balsamiq, Lucidchart, Miro, Opsgenie, Jenkins, Dynatrace, GitHub, Zendesk, Trello, Optimizely, and hundreds of others via their apps marketplace. You can also build your own using their API. 

Jira costs from $10/user/month and comes with a 7-day free trial.  

Best for easy PowerPoint reports

  • Free plan available
  • From $9/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.3/5

Office Timeline stands out as a reporting tool by offering a unique solution for transforming complex project information into easy-to-understand, visually appealing timelines and Gantt charts within Microsoft PowerPoint. This integration is particularly valuable for professionals who need to communicate project status, milestones, and deliverables to stakeholders in a clear and concise manner.

mary function of timeline creation, Office Timeline excels in its ability to facilitate communication and understanding among project teams and stakeholders. The tool's customizable templates and styles enable users to highlight key project dates, dependencies, and progress in a format that is immediately accessible and interpretable by audiences, regardless of their project management expertise. This capability is especially useful in environments where quick decision-making is critical, as it provides a visual snapshot of project health and trajectory.

Office Timeline costs from $99/year.

Best for sharing & collaboration

  • Free to use

Google Data Studio is a free tool that enables you to convert data into comprehensive reports and dashboards. You can use Google Data Studio to pull data from other sources like spreadsheets, Google Analytics, and Google Ads. Google Data Studio’s dashboards are shareable and can empower team members by allowing them access to information critical to decision-making.

Google Data Studio is a free reporting tool with a user-friendly interface that’s easy to use even if you don’t have a background in data analytics. It comes with useful features like pre-built data connectors, data visualization, and calculated metrics. It allows you to add custom filters ensuring you can present data the way you intend to.

Google Data Studio readily integrates with Google Ads, Google BigQuery, YouTube, and MySQL unlike other free reporting tools that require API modifications to integrate with other systems.

Google Data Studio is a free reporting tool.

Best reporting tool for marketing and sales teams

  • 14 days free trial
  • From $27/user/month

SegMetrics is a lead attribution system that collects data from your existing marketing tools, which you can then use to get a holistic overview of your customer journey. You'll get insights on where your leads come from, how they act, and how much your marketing is worth.

SegMetrics makes it easy to track the value of a lead throughout the customer journey and see how each touchpoint in your marketing increases or decreases that value, and then adjust your efforts to improve the ROI of your marketing funnels. You can combine touchpoints and lead sources to understand which traffic sources are the most valuable, and track revenue through the lifetime of the customer.

Another plus is that you can do this without coding, spreadsheet exporting, pivot tables, or complicated set-up, making it easier to get up and running and use. They also provide top-tier support and complimentary kick-off calls.

SegMetrics integrates easily with a variety of marketing tools you already use including Infusionsoft, Ontraport, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, WebinarJam, WooCommerce, Facebook, Google Ads, and more.

SegMetrics costs $27/user/month for a solo plan.

Best reporting software for enterprises

  • Available upon request

FineReport is a professional reporting tool designed to empower companies to generate reports and dashboards without dealing with technical complexities.

FineReport’s basic features include broad database support, data integration, report scheduling, multiple exporting formats, and security features. Users can create complex reports, and live dashboards with plenty of 2D & 3D charts, as well as GIS maps with some neat animations. The tool supports responsive display on PCs and mobile, and offers dashboards with BIM and IoT scenario capabilities.

The tool also has a great data entry feature, which allows users to leverage widgets and forms to input report information directly into relevant databases. Data validation features ensure the data's properties are accurate. This provides teams with an efficient way of collecting the latest information via web forms.

The excel-like and low-code reporting features also allow teams to connect to mainstream databases and NoSQL databases, as well as integrate multiple data sources in one report. User permissions, authentications, and authorizations are also included to ensure data security.

FineReport integrates with third-party software such as CRM, OA, ERP, and other systems. It also provides rich APIs for customization.

FineReport is free for personal use. Pricing for paid plans is available upon request.

Best reporting software for automated reporting

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $16.36/month (paid annually)

Octoboard is a self-service software to help you monitor business data like KPIs, financial data, and project status. It has a white-labeling feature to customize reports according to company branding. Octoboard has more than 300 pre-built report templates you can choose from. It is easy to set up, making it a great option for businesses or start-ups without a dedicated IT team.

Octoboard is an excellent option if you're looking for reporting software for automated reporting. It automatically updates, collects, visualizes, and updates data in the cloud and from workstations to ensure you’re working on updated information. It automates reports like PPC, SEO, and social analytics.

Octoboard integrates with other business tools like Constant Contact, Google Analytics, LinkedIn Pages, Zendesk, and QuickBooks.

Octoboard pricing starts at ~$16.41 (€15)/user/month. They offer a free trial upon request.

Best reporting platform for scaling organizations

  • Freemium version
  • From $9.99/user/month

Power BI is a cloud-based suite of analytics and reporting tools you can get with Office 365 Enterprise. It also has a mobile app version. You can use its analytics feature to dig deep and find patterns in your data that you can use to come up with actionable insights. Power BI lets you access data from cloud-based sources like SharePoint, Salesforce, and Azure SQL DB.

Power BI is an excellent reporting tool for scaling organizations because—instead of paying on a per user basis—you can pay on a per capacity basis so you’re charged based on the computing power your business needs. You can use Power BI to create reports with interactive data visualizations that make information easier to understand. It has themes, formatting, and layout tools you can use to come up with personalized reports.

Additionally, you can use Power BI to create mobile-optimized reports that are viewable on smart devices.

Power BI pricing starts at $9.99/user/month and they offer a free trial upon request.


Best reporting tool for beginners

ThoughSpot is a developer-friendly platform that allows users to create custom data apps to integrate with their existing cloud system. The software also allows users to share charts, dashboards, and data models with groups and individuals inside and outside of their company.

ThoughtSpot is an excellent option for beginners who need a reporting tool because it utilizes artificial intelligence to assist users. It assists users by spotting anomalies and trends to help save analysts' time.

ThoughSpot has dozens of built-in charts with advanced configurations you can use to present your data in a way that tells a story. ThoughtSpot has a drag and drop feature so you can arrange, customize, and pin charts and tables easily. ThoughtSpot sends real-time alerts and notifications on email or mobile when it detects changes in key metrics that may require human intervention.

ThoughtSpot provides customized pricing upon customer request. They offer a free 30-day trial.

Best reporting dashboards that promote collaboration

  • Free plan available
  • From $7/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

ClickUp is a project management software that is popular amongst DPMs. Why? Because of the range of features that it offers in one tool. ClickUp has reporting features that you will be amazed by because of its customization and how information-rich they can be.

Normally, we are used to dashboards that only display graphs. However, ClickUp’s dashboards are widget-based and can pull information from anywhere in your projects. For example, you can add a text block to display lists or a chat window to start a conversation over a specific graph.

The best part is that you can rearrange all these elements according to your needs with a simple drag and drop.

ClickUp offers native integrations with Slack, G Suite, Dropbox, and many more tools, as well as over 1,000+ integrations through Zapier.

ClickUp is free with limited storage for an unlimited number of users. Paid plans start at $5/user/month and offer a free trial.

Other Dashboard Reporting Tools

Here are a few more auto-reporting tools that didn’t make the top list. If you need additional suggestions for the handy ad hoc report tool, check these out.

  1. Celoxis

    Reporting tool for data-driven PPM decisions

  2. Bonsai Agency Software

    For real-time agency performance reporting

  3. Hive

    Reporting tool with interactive dashboards

  4. Wrike

    For collaboration on project reporting

  5. Funnel

    Automatically collect all the data you need from any data source and feed it directly to your data warehouse, dashboard solution, or any other tool you’re using.

  6. Sisense

    API-first cloud technology with interactive dashboards, self-service analytics, and white-labeled BI apps for your use.

  7. Smartsheet

    Connect and integrate with tools and apps you already use to glean real-time insights into the work that teams are doing across the organization.

  8. Looker

    Connect with Redshift, Snowflake, BigQuery, as well as 50+ supported SQL dialects to build embedded visualizations and data science workflows.

  9. Domo

    Works with your data lakes, data warehouses, ETL tools, and more, to deliver data insights with built-in collaboration and productivity tools.

  10. Supermetrics

    Centralize all your marketing data in their marketing data warehouse, build dashboards and reports with ad-hoc analysis.

  11. ProWorkflow

    Reporting software for graphical data reports

  12. Projectworks

    For human resources, time, and financial reporting

  13. TapClicks

    Marketing report tool (TapReports) and marketing performance analytics (TapAnalytics) with a clean, streamlined UI.

  14. Qlik

    Combines all your data and makes it analysis-ready for everyone to freely explore, amplified by machine intelligence for better results.

  15. Planview AdaptiveWork

    Capture and track all your project and team data in real-time, including effort, status, issues, and change requests.

  16. Mixpanel

    Behavioral analytics tool to analyze website site user engagement, monitor KPIs, and easily generate reports.

  17. Klipfolio

    Connect hundreds of data sources, including spreadsheets, files, databases, and web services applications to build data visualizations.

  18. Board

    Explore your data, run effective analysis, build interactive dashboards, and create impactful reports.

  19. AgencyAnalytics

    Integrate with more than 30 platforms to build a complete marketing dashboard and optimize your work with SEO reporting software.

  20. Knowi

    Reporting tool for natural language processing

  21. Workamajig

    Gain insights from your management dashboard to pinpoint efficiencies or bottlenecks and create relevant reports based on user needs.

  22. Periscope

    Explore and analyze data using SQL, Python, and R with rapidly prototype machine learning models, including sentiment and text analysis using NLP.

  23. Dundas

    Reporting tool for end-to-end data visualization

  24. LiveReport

    For integrations

  25. InetSoft

    Data intelligence that unites business intelligence (BI) and machine learning (ML) to extract value from your data.

  26. Plot.ly

    A framework for teams to collaborate in the development, testing, and deployment of analytic web apps, no Javascript required.

  27. ClicData

    A cloud-based business intelligence platform offering a built-in data warehouse and ETL features that allow data processing and management as well as a dashboard designer and automated reporting tools.

Selection Criteria for Reporting Tools

When selecting the best reporting tools to include on this list, I considered common buyer needs and pain points like the ability to visualize data clearly and integrate seamlessly with other software. I also used the following framework to keep my evaluation structured and fair:

Core Functionality (25% of total score)
To be considered for inclusion on this list, each solution had to fulfill these common use cases:

  • Generate standard reports
  • Provide customizable dashboards
  • Offer data export options
  • Support real-time data updates
  • Enable multi-source data integration

Additional Standout Features (25% of total score)
To help further narrow down the competition, I also looked for unique features, such as:

  • Advanced predictive analytics
  • Embedded reporting capabilities
  • Drag-and-drop report builders
  • Mobile-friendly reporting interfaces
  • White-labeling options

Usability (10% of total score)
To get a sense of the usability of each system, I considered the following:

  • Ease of navigation in the interface
  • Clarity of data visualizations
  • Availability of pre-built templates
  • Flexibility of customization without coding
  • Speed of generating reports

Onboarding (10% of total score)
To evaluate the onboarding experience for each platform, I considered the following:

  • Availability of training videos and guides
  • Inclusion of pre-built report templates
  • Accessibility of interactive product tours
  • Responsiveness of customer onboarding teams
  • Presence of live webinars for new users

Customer Support (10% of total score)
To assess each software provider’s customer support services, I considered the following:

  • Availability of live chat and phone support
  • Responsiveness to technical issues
  • Access to an extensive knowledge base
  • Provision of dedicated account managers
  • Quality of troubleshooting documentation

Value For Money (10% of total score)
To evaluate the value for money of each platform, I considered the following:

  • Transparency in pricing
  • Inclusion of essential features in base plans
  • Availability of scalable pricing tiers
  • Competitiveness of pricing versus alternatives
  • Presence of free trials or freemium options

Customer Reviews (10% of total score)
To get a sense of overall customer satisfaction, I considered the following when reading customer reviews:

  • Consistency of positive feedback
  • Reliability of reported functionality
  • User praise for support quality
  • Frequency of updates and new features
  • Satisfaction with overall value for money

How to Choose Reporting Tools

It’s easy to get bogged down in long feature lists and complex pricing structures. To help you stay focused as you work through your unique software selection process, here’s a checklist of factors to keep in mind:

FactorWhat to Consider
ScalabilityEnsure that the tool can grow with your business. Look for options that handle increasing data volumes and user counts without slowing down.
IntegrationsCheck if the tool integrates seamlessly with your existing systems like CRMs, ERPs, or project management software.
CustomizabilityAssess how much you can tailor reports, dashboards, and metrics to fit your team’s unique workflows and KPIs.
Ease of UseLook for an intuitive interface that lets your team generate insights quickly without extensive training or technical support.
BudgetCompare pricing structures to your budget. Watch for hidden costs like additional charges for more users, data storage, or advanced features.
Security SafeguardsConfirm the tool includes encryption, user access controls, and compliance with regulations like GDPR to protect sensitive data.
SupportEvaluate the level of customer support available, such as 24/7 assistance or dedicated account managers for troubleshooting and training.
Data VisualizationLook for visualization options like charts, graphs, and dashboards that make data easy to interpret and actionable for your team.

In my research, I sourced countless product updates, press releases, and release logs from different reporting tool vendors. Here are some of the emerging trends I’m keeping an eye on:

  • AI-Driven Insights: Tools are using AI to analyze data patterns and suggest actionable insights, saving users time and helping them make better decisions. For example, some tools flag anomalies in financial reports or recommend metrics to track based on historical data.
  • Natural Language Querying: Users can now ask questions in plain language to generate reports. This makes reporting accessible to non-technical team members. For instance, a user might type “What were sales last quarter?” and instantly get a charted answer.
  • Embedded Analytics: More tools are offering embedded analytics so businesses can integrate reports directly into their own software or customer portals. This is useful for SaaS companies providing analytics to their clients.
  • Data Storytelling Features: Tools are adding features to turn raw numbers into narratives with automated captions and highlights. This helps teams share findings more effectively during presentations or updates.
  • Data Privacy Enhancements: Vendors are building more privacy controls to meet stricter regulations like GDPR and CCPA. For example, some tools now offer data anonymization or limit access to sensitive metrics based on user roles.

These trends aren’t limited to standalone reporting platforms; many are making their way into other software categories as well. For instance, visual project management software is increasingly integrating advanced reporting capabilities like real-time dashboards, AI-generated insights, and customizable data visualizations to help teams track project performance more intuitively.

What are Reporting Tools?

Reporting tools are software that help businesses collect, process, and present data in an organized and understandable format. They pull data from various sources, like databases and spreadsheets, and turn it into reports that display trends, patterns, and insights. These reports can be in the form of tables, charts, graphs, and dashboards, making complex data easier to understand at a glance.

Reporting software is invaluable for decision-making, as it provides managers and stakeholders with the information needed to understand performance, identify areas for improvement, and plan future actions, which can mean more informed strategies, efficient operations, and a stronger bottom line.

Features of Reporting Tools

When selecting reporting tools, keep an eye out for the following key features:

  • Customizable dashboards: Allow you to organize and display the data most relevant to your team in a format that suits your workflow. For branded customization with minimal coding, check out white label dashboard tools.
  • Real-time reporting: Updates reports automatically as new data comes in, helping you make decisions based on the most current information.
  • Data visualization options: Provides charts, graphs, and heatmaps to make complex data easier to interpret and share with stakeholders.
  • Scheduled reports: Lets you automate report generation and delivery, saving time and ensuring consistent updates for your team.
  • Role-based access controls: Restricts access to sensitive reports or data based on user roles to enhance security and compliance.
  • Drill-down capabilities: Enables you to click into specific metrics for deeper insights, helping you understand what’s driving the numbers.
  • Multi-source integration: Combines data from various platforms and tools into a single report for a more comprehensive view.
  • Export options: Lets you export reports in different formats like PDF, Excel, or CSV for easy sharing and further analysis.
  • Trend analysis tools: Highlights patterns in your data over time, helping you predict future outcomes and plan accordingly.
  • Annotation tools: Allows users to add comments or notes directly on reports for better collaboration and context sharing.

Benefits of Reporting Tools

Implementing reporting tools provides several benefits for your team and your business. Here are a few you can look forward to:

  • Improved decision-making: Gives your team real-time insights and clear visuals to base decisions on accurate, up-to-date data.
  • Time savings: Automates report generation and data updates, freeing up time for other important tasks.
  • Better collaboration: Lets teams share dashboards and add comments directly on reports, making it easier to align on key insights.
  • Increased data accuracy: Reduces manual data entry and calculation errors by pulling information directly from integrated systems.
  • Enhanced accountability: Tracks key performance indicators and assigns responsibility with metrics that are easy to monitor and report.
  • Faster trend identification: Analyzes patterns in your data to help you spot opportunities and challenges early.
  • Scalable reporting: Adapts to your growing needs, allowing you to handle larger datasets and more complex analyses over time.

Costs & Pricing for Reporting Tools

Selecting reporting tools requires an understanding of the various pricing models and plans available. Costs vary based on features, team size, add-ons, and more. The table below summarizes common plans, their average prices, and typical features included in reporting tool solutions:

Plan Comparison Table for Reporting Tools

Plan TypeAverage PriceCommon Features
Free Plan$0Basic reporting, limited dashboards, data export in CSV, and single-user access.
Personal Plan$5-$25/user/monthAdvanced dashboards, customizable templates, email reporting, and priority support.
Business Plan$30-$75/user/monthMulti-user access, role-based permissions, integrations with popular tools, and trend analysis.
Enterprise Plan$100+/user/monthUnlimited users, advanced analytics, API access, custom branding, and dedicated support.

Reporting Tools Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions other people ask about this topic.

What are the types of reporting tools?

There are many types of reporting tools, such as dashboard software, data visualization software, scorecard tools, and ad-hoc report writers.

Dashboard software lets you put the reports that matter most to you front and center. Data visualization software turns data into something visually-oriented that users can easily read.

Then, scorecarding tools are all about performance data. Therefore you know who your high achievers are. Lastly, ad-hoc report writers create various styles of in-the-moment reports for companies that have ever-changing needs.

What is business intelligence software?

BI software is a critical tool for gathering raw data, analyzing it, and presenting it in a user-friendly way to support informed decision-making. BI software aggregates and processes data from various sources, offering project managers a comprehensive and cohesive view of project performance. It enables them to identify trends, monitor key performance indicators (KPIs), and make data-driven decisions that contribute to the successful execution of projects.

 

Not looking for report software at the moment?

Check out our other lists of other project management tools you might find useful:

  • Look at project portfolio management tools. They can help you conduct and communicate your reports on a higher level and across projects.
  • Communication, communication, communication. If you haven’t nailed this, you can’t really get started on anything else. Try these 10 Best Communication Tools & Software.
  • Find a project reporting tool within other software, such as my list of the best marketing project management software.
  • Worth checking out: Managing Tasks As A Project Manager: 3 Key Strategies For 2023
best reporting tools and software logos list

What’s Next:

If you're in the process of researching reporting tools, connect with a SoftwareSelect advisor for free recommendations.

You fill out a form and have a quick chat where they get into the specifics of your needs. Then you'll get a shortlist of software to review. They'll even support you through the entire buying process, including price negotiations.

Ben Aston
By Ben Aston

I’m Ben Aston, a digital project manager and founder of thedpm.com. I've been in the industry for more than 20 years working in the UK at London’s top digital agencies including Dare, Wunderman, Lowe and DDB. I’ve delivered everything from film to CMS', games to advertising and eCRM to eCommerce sites. I’ve been fortunate enough to work across a wide range of great clients; automotive brands including Land Rover, Volkswagen and Honda; Utility brands including BT, British Gas and Exxon, FMCG brands such as Unilever, and consumer electronics brands including Sony. I'm a Certified Scrum Master, PRINCE2 Practitioner and productivity nut!

Contact me here to get your product reviewed.