By Timothy King – Searching for business intelligence and data analytics software can be a daunting (and expensive) process, one that requires long hours of research and deep pockets. The most popular enterprise BI tools often provide more than what’s necessary for non-enterprise organizations, with advanced functionality relevant to only the most technically savvy users. Thankfully, there are a number of free and open source business intelligence tools out there. Some of these solutions are offered by vendors looking to eventually sell you on their enterprise product, and others are maintained and operated by a community of developers looking to democratize BI.

In this article we will examine free and open source business intelligence software, first by providing a brief overview of what to expect and also with short blurbs about each of the currently available options in the space. This is the most complete and up-to-date directory on the web.

What is commercially free BI?

Free business intelligence software refers to products that are offered commercially free by the solution provider. These offerings are usually trimmed-down versions of the expert or enterprise editions, offering basic functionality that enables users to generate reports or data visualizations. Commercially free BI tools typically offer less functionality on the whole than their open source counterparts, but are often a great way to gain more than a free trial if its a product you were already considering.

One thing to note is that the free tools offered by BI solution providers (you’ll notice some of them in this directory) are just parts or pieces of their flagship products. For example, the freemium version may just include the reporting capabilities or chart/graph creation portions of the larger platform. It can still be a great way to do data analysis without breaking out the checkbook, especially if you can manage to stack a number of commercial solutions together. Read more: