6 Affordable Alternatives to Geckoboard That’ll Take Your BI Dashboards to the Next Level
Written by
James Watney
Last updated on
October 27, 2022
You already know the benefits of adding a BI dashboard tool to your tech stack. However, some of the no-code solutions out there can be quite expensive for a growing business.
Geckoboard is a great BI solution for businesses that have a delimited set of people who need access to BI insights and answers. It’s also a great option for remote and visual teams that need to access real-time information from different platforms.
However, if you’re looking for alternatives to Geckoboard, it must mean that you’re not fully convinced with what they are offering.
Here’s a list of 6 Geckoboard alternatives so that you can review and choose the one that suits you best. Throughout the article, you’ll find each tool’s main benefits, pricing, and drawbacks.
Table of Contents
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BI dashboards vs. reports
If you’re thinking that the most affordable alternative to a BI dashboard tool is to build a free report on a spreadsheet, that’s not necessarily accurate.
According to this Zapier study, most employees spend 1-3 hours a day working on data - either finding the information or moving it from one place to another. While reports may seem like an inexpensive option, they’re costing you man-hours.
Also, reports and BI dashboards are two different things.
Reports are static documents that share detailed information on metrics. Meanwhile BI dashboards present a summarised visualisation of contextualised metrics.
Some of the key differences between them are:
- Reports share data in silos, while BI dashboards join them together. Reports are useful when you need to review a metric in detail by itself, but BI dashboards help stakeholders review how a specific metric is behaving against others.
- Reports are more sensitive to errors than BI dashboards. Since reports are usually presented in a spreadsheet, filtered, and summarised by humans, they’re prone to have calculation errors. BI dashboards use previously coded filters to answer queries. If a dashboard shares wrong information it’s more likely that there’s a mistake in the raw data than in the analysis.
- Reports have no length limit, while dashboards are usually at-a-glance snapshots. Lengthy reports are valuable for some stakeholders but not all. Usually, busy decision-makers don’t have time to review a 10-page report, BI dashboards aim to share the same insights in a one-page visualisation according to BI dashboard best practices.
- Reports have to be updated manually, BI dashboards update automatically. Depending on the BI solution you get for your business, your dashboards can get automatically updated, while reports require human intervention for updates.
To sum up, reports are helpful to review some metrics in detail, but they can take up too much of your team’s time and might not share the full picture of your business. If you’re looking for BI dashboard solutions to create interactive snapshots of your business metrics, here are a few solutions.
Geckoboard
Geckoboard is a BI solution that allows businesses to track their KPIs in a visual way. Geckoboard is a cloud-hosted solution that requires no technical knowledge to set up or use.
Main features and benefits
Geckoboard is a powerful BI dashboard tool that hosts thousands of happy customers. Some of their main benefits are:
- Cross-platform visualisation. Geckoboard has the ability to share dashboards with TVs to view data on big screens.
- Large list of integrations. Geckoboard integrates with over eighty data sources.
- Highly flexible dashboards. This app gives users the freedom to play with their design features until they find the visualisation they want.
- Real-time updates. Geckoboard allows users to set automatic updates to access the most up-to-date information on data boards.
- Security. Geckoboard offers granular security to ensure sensitive data is protected and accessed by the right team members.
Pricing and offers
Geckoboard offers different solutions. A free version, limited to one dashboard and one data source. Paid plans offer limited users (1-100) and dashboards (1-50) that go from $35 to $599 a month.
Best for
Geckoboard is mostly used by mid-sized companies (51-1,000 employees) in the tech industry that have a defined set of dashboard needs and users.
Main drawbacks
- Pricing. Geckoboard is a great solution, but its prices have been going up and it’s perceived as expensive by users.
- Limited options. Users can create a limited number of dashboards. Also, Geckoboard doesn’t offer ad hoc reporting.
- Lack of support. Users complain that it’s hard for them to reach their customer service team and get answers to their problems.
6 Alternatives to Geckoboard that’ll improve your use of BI dashboards
Geckoboard can be a great solution for companies with a need for an extremely visual and limited amount of BI dashboards. But if you're looking for a solution with a better price-service ratio, here are some Geckoboard alternatives.
1. Trevor.io
Trevor.io is a self-service BI platform that offers unlimited access to ad-hoc queries and users. This tool was designed to democratise data access and foster data-driven decision-making without needing any technical expertise.
Main features and benefits
- Truly no code required. While Trevor.io offers developers the ability to write their SQL queries if needed, this platform allows all users to answer queries and build custom dashboards without needing technical knowledge.
- Different hosting options. This BI tool offers both cloud-hosted and on-premise solutions to match your needs.
- Highly scalable. Since Trevor.io never makes a copy of your databases, it makes it extremely lightweight and easy to scale as you grow your business.
- Usable raw data. You don’t need to clean up your raw data before using Trevor.io, this solution uses your information as it is to answer your queries in no time.
- Automated Slack notifications. Trevor.io makes it easy for users to get at-a-glance snapshots of their data wherever they are.
Pricing and offers
Trevor.io offers a variety of plans from $299 to $499 a month. All pricing options come with a 14-day free trial and 75% off for the first three months. Trevor.io becomes highly affordable as your business grows because you won’t need to pay for more users or dashboards. All Trevor.io versions offer unlimited users, dashboards and databases.
The self-hosted version comes with a quote tailored to your business needs.
Best for
Trevor.io is mostly suited to companies that want to access unlimited data without SQL knowledge. SaaS startups and small businesses will feel right at home.
Main drawbacks
- No template dashboards. It can be less suitable for eCommerce or businesses that need hand-delivered dashboards.
- Less friendly for marketing agencies. Trevor.io can’t retrieve data directly from Google Analytics or Facebook Ads, and while you can connect it to your databases it can be less apt to analyse marketing-related data.
Trevor.io vs. Geckoboard
Trevor.io differentiates itself from Geckoboard in the following ways:
- Trevor.io is more affordable than Geckoboard long term.
- Trevor.io offers unlimited users, queries, and dashboards. While Geckoboard supports up to 50 dashboards and 100 users.
Want to see if Trevor.io would work for your team? Try it free for 2 weeks!
2. Databox
Databox is a tool to visualise and track your metrics. It connects with 70+ data sources that come with a preset view of the most common uses.
Main features and benefits
- Supports different data sources. Many BI tools allow you to connect to one data source at a time, Databox has the benefit of mixing and analysing different data sets from multiple sources in the same dashboard.
- Large set of integrations. As mentioned, they integrate with 70+ data sources. They also allow you to connect your SQL databases, and send data via API, Zapier, or Google Sheets.
- Set goals for your metrics. And keep track of their progress in your dashboards.
- Automated alerts. Users can set automated updates to go out as a Slack notification, so everyone can have access to the most updated information everywhere they are.
Pricing and offers
Databox offers different pricing options. A free forever plan that supports one user and three data sources, and paid plans that go from $93 to $571 depending on the number of users, dashboards, and data sources.
Best for
Databox has over twenty thousand users, but small businesses (1-50 employees) in the marketing industry are the ones who find it the most suitable.
Main drawbacks
- Quality of integrations. While Databox offers a large set of integrations, users don’t find them as useful. They end up relying on Zapier to access other data sources.
- Confusing pricing strategy. How they calculate prices and charge for users, data sources, and dashboards is bemusing.
- Strange time-frame filtering. Databox offers the possibility to visualise weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly data, but users can’t see year on year. For example, a user is not able to compare data from March 2020, with March 2021, and March 2022.
Databox vs Geckoboard
- Databox and Geckboard both offer metrics tracking. You can set goals and review the progress of those metrics in your dashboards.
- Databox is somehow more affordable than Geckoboard for small teams, and offers a better free solution.
Related Post: 7 Databox Alternatives to Help You Make Data-Driven Decisions
3. Cyfe
Cyfe is an all-in-one BI dashboard solution. It allows you to review and visualise your data in real-time interactive dashboards. It’s an easy-to-use, customisable no-code BI solution.
Main features and benefits
- Easy to set up and use: Onboarding people on the platform takes little to no time. It’s highly intuitive and simple to use. Users can connect to different data sources using widgets and create their first dashboards within minutes.
- Pricing: Cyfe is one of the most affordable BI solutions out there.
- White-labelling: Cyfe offers companies the possibility to add their branding to dashboards and elevate professionalism.
Pricing and offers
Cyfe offers different pricing plans that go from $19 to $150 per month. The number of users and dashboards vary depending on the plan.
Best for
Cyfe is a great solution for small businesses in the marketing industry. Most Cyfe users make the most out of social media metrics reports and growth.
Main drawbacks
- Limited integrations. While they offer an option to access your data sources using MySQL, users would like Cyfe to offer more native integrations.
- Bounded customization. Cyfe business dashboards are limited in terms of customization, users can’t create custom calculations. Also, users can only access one metric per widget at a time.
- Social media centred. Cyfe is mostly centred around social media and marketing metrics. That’s not a bad thing by itself, but if users want to use Cyfe for more than that, they might find the integrations a bit faulty. Also, since users want to use it for social media and marketing purposes, they expect integrations in those areas to work seamlessly, but some are glitchy. For example, the Instagram widget may delete historic data when users update their passwords.
Cyfe vs. Geckoboard
- Geckoboard is aimed at all businesses, Cyfe is targeted at marketing and salespeople.
- They both have a short learning curve and offer TV sharing.
4. Domo
Domo is a cloud-hosted BI self-service solution. They offer the possibility to create reports and BI dashboards, share and embed them, and create custom data apps.
Main features and benefits
- Allows calculated fields: Many users complain about several BI solutions not supporting this option, which makes it an even more valuable benefit for Domo. These fields are stored in a common repository for someone else to use the same calculation.
- Great data visualisation: Users are very pleased with the number of options available to organise and visualise data.
- It’s more than just a BI dashboard solution: Domo offers multiple tools within the same platform: Dashboards and reporting, business analytics, data apps, and more.
- Merge different data sources: You can connect to different sources and merge them to share a unified dataset.
Pricing and offers
Their prices are not disclosed on their website, however, users online have reported the starting price is $83 and it goes up to $190 per month.
Best for
Companies who want to manage most of their business analytics in the same place. Domo is mostly used by medium-sized companies in the computer software industry.
Main drawbacks
- Steep learning curve. While Domo offers a large set of modules to onboard new users, it has too many functionalities, it can be overwhelming, and it takes a while for users to feel fully confident in using it.
- Limited user access. We don’t have the full information about how many users they allow per plan, but users complain online that the number of users is limited.
- Reduced integrations. Domo advertises itself as the only BI software you’ll ever need and it promises to give you full access to all of your data in the same place. To fulfil its promise, Domo needs to work on its integrations.
Domo vs. Geckoboard
- Geckoboard is a KPI dashboard visualisation tool, Domo offers a 360 business analytics solution.
- Users report that Geckoboard is easier to set up and use than Domo.
5. Zoho Analytics
Zoho Analytics is a self-service BI tool that helps businesses analyse data from different sources to create visual business dashboards. It’s used by more than two million users worldwide and Zoho also offers other solutions for businesses to have everything they need in the same place.
Main features and benefits
- Cloud-hosted and on-premise options: Zoho Analytics, like Trevor.io, offer two different hosting options to meet users' needs.
- Access to multiple data sources: Zoho Analytics connects with all of your tabular data, as well as data from your apps or databases (online or offline).
- 24/7 support: Users can reach out to Zoho’s support team any time they need and get answers.
Pricing and offers
Zoho Analytics offers different pricing plans. A free version that supports two users, ten thousand rows. Paid plans go from $25 to $495 per month, including from 2-50 users, and 0.5 million to 50 million rows.
All of their versions offer unlimited dashboards and reports. Additional users cost $8 per new user per month.
White-label and on-premise solutions get a quoted price.
Best for
Zoho Analytics is mostly used by small businesses in the information technology and marketing industry.
Main drawbacks
- Steep learning curve. Users find Zoho Analytics tricky to use. Some features are not as easy to use as they seem, and there isn’t much educational info on how to do things.
- Lack of customization. BI dashboards need to be customisable to share the right stories, Zoho Analytics is not as strong in this area.
- Gets clunky with too much data. Some users reported that Zoho Analytics starts to feel slow and buggy whenever you add too much data, it’s not as scalable as users would wish.
Zoho Analytics vs. Geckoboard
- Geckoboard is easier to set up and use than Zoho Analytics.
- Zoho Analytics integrates with over 500 data sources while Geckoboard only integrates with 80+.
6. Klipfolio
Klipfolio is a data analytics platform that allows users to create dynamic dashboards with their data. Is a no-code required app that integrates with over 100 data sources.
Main features and benefits
- Lightweight and scalable: Being cloud-based and lightweight makes Klipfolio highly scalable.
- White-labelling: Businesses can add their branding to the app and share reports with third parties while looking highly professional.
- Fully customisable: Since Klipfolio users can customise their dashboards to their liking, they think this is a great Klipfolio feature.
Pricing and offers
They offer different pricing plans. The free version supports two users and two data services. Paid plans go from $99 to $299 a month, and support 4-8 users, and 4-8 data services.
All of their options offer access to unlimited metrics, dashboards, and viewers, and you can get a customised quote for a tailored plan.
Best for
Growing startups with less than fifty employees. It’s mostly used by people in the marketing industry.
Main drawbacks
- Requires coding knowledge. It can be extremely hard to create queries and dashboards if you don’t know how to code.
- Limited API settings. Users complain about not being able to import multiple data sources, and also, APIs connections crash from time to time, users need technical knowledge to fix it.
Klipfolio vs. Geckoboard
- Geckoboard is easier to set up and use compared to Klipfolio
- Klipfolio is more budget-friendly than Geckoboard.
Related Post: 12 Powerful BI Dashboard Features for Successful Decision-Making
Which Geckoboard alternative is best for your business?
As mentioned throughout this article, Geckoboard is a great BI solution if you’re looking for superb visualisations, and have a large budget for BI. However, it may not be the best tool for growing businesses that are looking for a price-friendly and highly scalable BI solution that can grow with them.
While all of the BI dashboard tools mentioned above are great options, not all of them will be the right solution for your business. If you’re a small marketing agency, or a social media freelancer with different clients, Cyfe, Zoho Analytics, or Klipfolio might be the best solution for you.
If you’re an IT mid-sized company that wants access to limited dashboards and people, then, Databox or Domo might serve you well.
And if you’re a small but fast-growing company that needs a highly scalable BI tool with unlimited users and access to ad-hoc queries, then Trevor.io is what will fulfil those needs.
Want to see if Trevor.io would work for your team? Try it free for 2 weeks!