20 Free and Open-Source Data Visualization Tools

Data visualization is helping companies worldwide identify patterns, predict outcomes, and improve business returns. Visualization is a crucial aspect of data analysis. In simple terms, data visualization communicates the results of tabular or spatial data in a visual format. Images have the power to attract attention and convey ideas clearly, facilitating decision-making and driving improvement actions.

By using the right tools, you can create compelling visual stories from raw data. Here are some free and open-source tools for data visualization:

1. Candela

If you understand JavaScript, you can use this open-source tool for rich data visualization. Candela is an open-source suite of interoperable web visualization components.

2. Charted

Charted is a free data visualization tool that allows you to create line charts or bar charts from CSV files and Google Sheets. The tool does not store or manipulate data; it focuses on visualization with basic features for creating labeled and annotated line or stacked charts.

3. Datawrapper

Datawrapper is a mobile-friendly data visualization tool that allows you to create charts and reports in seconds. The free version supports a single user with 10,000 monthly chart views. You can create various visualization types including bar charts, split charts, stacked charts, dot plots, arrow charts, area charts, scatter plots, symbol charts, and contour maps. No coding or design skills required.

4. Google Data Studio

If you have a Gmail account, Google's data visualization tool can be set up for free easily. You can easily integrate it with Google products such as Google AdWords, Google Analytics, YouTube Analytics, and Google Sheets.

5. Google Charts

Google Charts is another simple and free data visualization tool from Google. The tool comes with interactive charts and data tools for visualization.

6. Leaflet

Leaflet is an open-source JavaScript library that allows you to create mobile-friendly interactive maps. The tool has many plugins for adding functionality and works across various desktop and mobile platforms.

7. MyHeatMap

MyHeatMap is a free tool for viewing geographic data interactively. The free version only provides public maps, and you can only add 20 data points per free map. The tool uses color-coded heat maps to easily understand data. You can also switch between datasets in the same map.

8. Openheatmap

Openheatmap allows you to convert spreadsheets into maps. You can upload CSV files or Google Sheets to create interactive online maps in seconds. The tool can be used to interpret data such as customer demographics by postal code.

9. Palladio

Palladio is a free tool designed to visualize complex historical data. It features map view, chart view, list view, and gallery view. You can visualize data from CSV, TAB, or TSV files. Using the chart view, you can visualize relationships between data dimensions. The list view allows you to arrange data to generate custom lists, and the gallery view displays data in a grid.

10. RawGraphs

RawGraphs is an open-source platform that helps you visualize TSV, CSV, DSV, or JSON data. The free tool is easy to use and helps convert data into charts.

11. Tableau Public

Tableau Public is a free business intelligence tool that allows users to create and share interactive charts, graphs, maps, and applications. The free version comes with 10 GB of storage. You can connect to data sources such as Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel, text files, JSON files, spatial files, web data connectors, OData, and statistical files like SAS, SPSS, and R.

12. Timeline

Timeline is a free tool that allows you to create timelines for reports. You can use templates provided in the tool to connect your Google Drive account to create timelines using Google Sheets. You can create custom installations using JSON.

13. Chartist.js

Chartist.js is a free data visualization tool that allows you to create responsive charts quickly and easily. The tool offers great flexibility and customization. You can even use CSS animations and transitions on SVG elements.

14. ColorBrewer

ColorBrewer is a free tool that can make your maps better in terms of color schemes. The tool can easily distinguish colors on complex maps.

15. D3.js

D3.js is a free JavaScript library that helps you create images using data. The tool allows you to bind arbitrary data to the Document Object Model (DOM), then apply data-driven transformations to the document. Using the DOM programming API, programmers can access documents as objects.

16. Plotly

Plotly is an open-source tool that allows you to write, edit, and share interactive data visualizations. You can use the tool to create D3.js charts and maps by uploading CSV files or connecting to SQL databases. You can also create charts using R or Python.

17. Polymaps

Polymaps is a free JavaScript library for creating dynamic interactive maps in the browser. You can use the tool to display multi-zoom datasets on maps. The tool uses Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) to display images, allowing you to define designs using CSS.

18. Weave

Weave is a free data visualization platform that complies with ADA standards. The tool comes with full keyboard and assistive device navigation as well as complete screen reader support. The tool can also provide image descriptions automatically in real-time.

19. Dygraphs

Dygraphs is an open-source charting library based on JavaScript. This free tool can be used for analyzing dense datasets. The tool is highly customizable and works with all browsers. The tool provides strong support for error bars/confidence intervals.

20. GanttPro

In addition, there are many data visualization tools that offer free trials for a limited time. For example, GanttPro is a project management tool that can help you create charts for projects free during a 15-day trial period.

Data visualization is essential for accurate data analysis. With the right tools, you can easily summarize and explain complex data to stakeholders. By leveraging actionable insights from data, companies can reap significant profits and savings. How big is the impact? In 2017, Netflix saved approximately $1 billion through its ML algorithm that recommends personalized TV shows and movies to users. When used properly, data analysis and visualization have the power to change people's lifestyles.