Some of the best executive dashboard software for visualizing your metrics and KPIs are Datapad, Klipfolio, Geckoboard, InetSoft, Qlik, GoodData, Sisense, Datapine, and Databox.
In this guide, you will find a detailed review of these executive dashboard software and find out the best software that serves your business needs and purpose.
But first, let’s understand what executive dashboard software is.
A typical executive dashboard software is a key performance indicator tracking and dashboarding tool that enables c-suites to monitor trends and visualize overall business performance via charts and interactive visuals.
Simply put, the platform gives C-level executives a holistic view of overall business performance and the ability to gauge performance against set goals.
Executive dashboard software are mostly quick and lets you track KPIs on the go with minimal effort.
That’s because being an executive, you have a lot on your plate. You can’t spend time scratching your head around KPIs.
All you want is the broader details of business KPIs and not the nitty-gritty details.
Read more: Executive Reporting: A Guide You Have Been Waiting For [2022]
As of today, the digital world is producing over 2.5 quintillion (yup, a real number) bytes of data every day - that's eighteen zeros, to be specific.
This means organizations hold a treasure trove of knowledge at their fingertips: a treasure, if harnessed the right way, has the power to offer a competitive advantage, spark innovation, and create ever-evolving and well-oiled business strategies.
An executive dashboard software will help you do just that.
It will empower you to collect, organize, and analyze crucial business metrics while allowing you to beat the competition with better data-driven decision-making.
Besides, executive dashboard software connects relevant data sources with your existing systems, such as accounting software, customer relationship management (CRM) programs, email networks, and in-built website analytics.
With the help of these connectors, the software centralizes your data in one place, empowering you to view your business performance at once without logging into different platforms and mixing up valuable insights.
But not all executive dashboard software are worth your attention and time. Here are a few factors that make some dashboard software stand out from the crowd.
One of the most important factors to look for in an executive dashboard software is the ease of setup and learning curve.
As we said earlier, c-suites have a lot on their plate and can't spend much time tracking KPIs.
Who wants to wait for their team to set a dashboard up in a couple of days while you can set up the tool in 5 minutes and start tracking your metrics, right?
So when finalizing your executive dashboard software, see to it that you can create dashboards in minutes and that there’s less to no manual work required to pull data in from multiple data sources.
Being a part of the company's core management, you're expected to stay up-to-date with the company's performance. When you want a quick overview of a team’s performance, an executive dashboard will come in handy. But it will only be beneficial if you have quick access to your dashboard.
It's a fact that the top executives of any organization have little freedom to be off the workplace, but that doesn't make them work less.
Since you're part of the decision-making committee, you must be able to track your business metrics from anywhere – from a beach 🏄♂️ in Bali to a comfy bathroom in your home.
To ensure you have access anytime and anywhere, look for software that offers mobile-friendly CX or a dedicated mobile app.
Now that you know what to look for in a typical executive dashboard software let's get through a list of the 9 best dashboard software for executives.
Datapad is a mobile-friendly KPI tracking and dashboarding software that allows executives to collect, monitor, and visualize crucial business KPIs via beautiful dashboards.
Datapad is best suited for executives. Do you know why?
For starters, it's a mobile-first app that lets you create dashboards in just 2 clicks. Apart from this, it has not many but all major data source integrations that let an executive track the broader KPIs in your company.
Here are the features that a c-suite can leverage and streamline the KPI tracking process.
Unlike other mobile-friendly dashboard software, Datapad is compatible with all known small-screen devices. It's designed to present pixel-perfect dashboards no matter how much data or visualization you add to it.
Moreover, its highly responsive mobile app and a gallery of pre-built charts and widgets lets you create dashboards quickly. All you have to do is tap it!
What’s more, with Datapad, you can search for a specific KPI from any dashboards you create and get insights in seconds. Here’s how:
Datapad is a no-code executive dashboard software. This means that you neither need to hire a developer to set up the platform nor do you require any technical jargon or coding expertise.
You can download the Datapad app (available for Android and iOS), create your first executive dashboard, and quickly onboard your team members via email invites.
Moreover, with Datapad, you can easily connect to multiple data points through its one-click integrations to popular data sources like Google Sheets, Facebook Ads, Google Analytics, and more.
With Datapad, you can start a conversation with your team by simply commenting under a KPI.
At the same time, your team is notified of your message via mobile phone alerts and push notifications in near real-time.
Similarly, your teammates can continue the discussion by replying to your comment. It's similar to the chat threads we use on Twitter.
Last but not least, Datapad offers flexible customization options. You can easily customize every section of your dashboard with its intuitive drag-and-drop feature.
Besides, you get a gallery of pre-built data visualization elements such as charts, bar graphs, tables, and more.
You can also perform granular formatting like customizing fonts, colors, or text to give the dashboard your company's look and feel.
✅ Easy access to your dashboards
✅ Tool is designed specifically for executives to stay on top of their business
✅ Keep everything on your phone for instant access
✅ Set up alerts and push notifications to stay on top of your business
❌ No web version right now (coming soon)
❌ Not suitable for creating sophisticated dashboards
❌ Not many integrations right now, but many to come soon
Klipfolio is a cloud-based business intelligence (BI) platform that assists businesses in making data-driven decisions. Klips, a product of Klipfolio, is a custom dashboard builder that lets you create interactive executive business dashboards from scratch.
Klipfolio serves over 50,000+ customers across the globe. It's a low-code platform with competitive pricing best suited for medium to large-size organizations.
✅ Great for creating an executive dashboard with multiple KPIs to track quickly
✅ Excellent number of integrations and data-import options
✅ Reliable custom support
❌ It's a low-code platform but requires some level of technical expertise
❌ Might get slow while creating sophisticated dashboards
Professionalism is an important aspect to consider when creating executive-level dashboards, and Geckoboard does just that. It allows C-level executives to build professional KPI dashboards within minutes.
Geckoboard is an easy-to-use platform used by 1000s of organizations like Airbnb, Buzzsumo, and more. It also offers a free-forever plan, thus making it a suitable choice for c-suites who don’t want to spend on KPIs tracking just yet.
✅ Automatically refreshes your dashboard data in real-time
✅ Easy to configure and use
✅ Free plan included
Cons
❌ Lacks real-time alerts and notifications
❌ Scaling with the platform might cost you a fortune
InetSoft is a leading big data analytics and dashboard reporting software that helps management executives collect, analyze, and visualize data using great-looking dashboards and reports.
InetSoft is best suited for large and midsized enterprises spanning all industries, plus OEMs offering Web-based solutions.
✅ Easy to setup and use
✅ Great for creating sophisticated dashboards
✅ Excellent customer support service
❌ Requires know-how in JavaScript and SQL
❌ Altering data sources might take time
GoodData is a low-code BI and analytics platform that gives decision-makers access to real-time executive dashboards and reports, empowering them to make better data-driven decisions.
Over 140,000+ companies trust GoodData’s analytics and data visualization services globally. Its developer-friendly and low-code capabilities make it a popular choice among developers and tech geeks.
✅ Has an automatic data import function
✅ Allows you to embed analytics into the app
✅ Reliable customer support
❌ Requires basic coding knowledge
❌ Not a 100% self-service platform
Sisense is an API-first business analytics and dashboard platform that helps anyone visualize data and act on it. Moreover, its plug-and-play connectors allow users to import data to the dashboard easily.
Sisense caters to top global companies, including Skullcandy, Air Canada, Philips, ZoomInfo, and more. It's a tremendous executive dashboard software for SaaS, health care, and finance industries.
✅ Allows data mashup for a holistic view
✅ The platform is flexible and scalable
❌ Doesn't let you change the dashboard font
Qlik Sense is a data visualization and discovery software that empowers executives to create flexible, interactive dashboards, generate actionable insights, and make confident business decisions.
Qlik has over 38,000+ customers, including c-level executives. Its best use cases are from SaaS enterprises, e-commerce businesses, and IT companies with complex business operations.
✅ Offers smart analytics like Insight advisor and Advanced Calculations
✅ Allows custom application development
✅ Complete data governance and authority
❌ Not compatible with small screen devices
❌ Frequent bugs and glitches in operating Qlik Engine
Datapine is a cloud-based BI and dashboard platform that helps executives create intercity BI dashboards and make better data-driven decisions.
Datapine is a diversified software that can blend into your business requirements. However, considering its feature-rich interface, it's an excellent tool for execs to skim through KPIs quickly and efficiently.
✅ Excellent data governance and security features
✅ Has cross-device accessibility
✅ In-built white-label feature included with paid plans
❌ Has a steep learning curve due to multiple features
Databox is a leading business analytics and dashboarding platform that eliminates the guesswork from the book and allows you to monitor trends and discover insights with the help of interactive dashboards and reports.
Over 20,000+ customers, including top executives, leverage Databox for their dashboarding needs. Also, the platform is great for startups requiring too many integrations and custom connectors.
✅ Excellent number of native integrations
✅ Share dashboards on TV screens (popular among executives)
✅ Offers free-forever plan
❌ Has limited time frames for viewing historical data (depends on the plan)
❌ Limited customization options
From what we have on our list, any C-level executive can easily prepare their first dashboard from scratch.
However, if you prefer mobile phones rather than desktops to track KPIs and measure performance, we know of a software that caters to your needs - Datapad.
Datapad is a mobile-friendly KPI tracking and executive dashboard software that helps hustling business experts and professionals keep track of their business performance on the go.
Why sit and stare at your dashboard when you can access them anytime and anywhere from your smartphone? 🤷♂️
Want to experience the first-ever mobile-only executive dashboard software? Scan the QR code below and download the app today!
