Today, we embark on a journey to uncover the leading open-source data visualization tools that cater to diverse needs. From dynamic reports to insightful charts, these free data visualization tools redefine the landscape of data presentation.

Join us in evaluating the prowess of data visualization tools that are not only powerful but also available at no cost, providing an invaluable resource for enthusiasts and professionals alike in the ever-evolving world of information visualization. Explore the realm of data visualization tools free of charge and witness how open source data visualization tools empower you to create compelling visual narratives.

What are the Benefits of Using Free Data Visualization Tools?

The most significant advantage is free, and open-source data visualization tools can help you control your budget. 

Some of the free data visualization tools have their paid version or the enterprise version. Although not all free data visualization tools provide stunning data visualization; they provide basic charts that can meet your basic needs.

I have compiled a list of 10 free and open-source data visualization tools for your reference. If you seek enhanced features, consider unlocking the enterprise version of the software. Feel free to explore and make the most of its capabilities!

An In-Depth Look at the Top Free Data Visualization Tools 

1. FineReport

FineReport is a data visualization tool free for personal use, which supports visualizing your data into reports and dashboards. 

FineReport provides more than 19 categories and 50+ styles of HTML5 charts. These charts are self-developed and can be shown on different sizes of screens. You can transform your data into these stunning charts via simple drag and drop. You can easily create basic charts such as pie charts, and bar charts, as well as advanced charts such as scatter, bubble, funnel, radar, and Gantt charts.

Besides, data visualization in FineReport has distinct dynamic and interactive effects. You can use interactive highlighting, series interaction, scaling, and automatic refresh to do interactive analysis.

Another stunning feature of FineReport is real-time visualization. You can write your data back to the database through the data entry feature and visualize the latest data. 

Category: Reports and Dashboards

For enterprise users, FineReport offers a quote-based plan to provide you with more professional services. In addition, it’s free to make an appointment for a live demo with product experts from FineReport and work together to discover your needs and see how FineReport can help you and your organization transform data into value.

2. FineBI

FineReport mentioned above is suitable for IT staff or anyone with basic SQL skills to use. At the same time, FineBI is designed for everyone who needs data visualization and data analysis! Through simple operations like drag and drop, you can easily create professional dashboards on your own.

FineBI supports more than 50 chart styles, covering all basic and high-level charts on the market, and also has excellent dynamic reports and a powerful interactive experience. Various features can be set according to the needs during use, and can also be self-adjusted and displayed on the mobile terminal and large LED screen.

FineBI’s intelligent chart recommendation can automatically recommend suitable chart types based on current types and numbers of fields, making data visualization simple and efficient.

Same as FineReport, FineBI is free without time or feature limits for personal use. For enterprises, it offers a quote-based plan that charges according to different situations. In a word, FineBI is price-friendly to all customers.

3. D3.Js

D3.Js is an open-source JavaScipt Library for using  HTML, SVG, and CSS to create a data visualization chart, which can also be applied with Python or R. By combining graphical elements and arbitrary data to a Document Object Model (DOM), it is efficient to manipulate data.

D3 is the best chart gallery and is highly flexible. It supports large datasets and dynamic behaviors for interaction and animation. It is easy to debug using the browser’s built-in element inspector

However, D3 requires users to have programming skills, and it takes a lot of time initially for newbies. 

Category: charts and graphs

4. Plotly

Plotly is an open-source, browser-based, and interactive data visualization tool, built on top of the d3.js visualization libraries.  

You can create multi-chart visualizations when comparing datasets. 

The complex charts generated by Plotly can be smoothly displayed on the dashboard and websites. These charts are fully interactive. You can hover, zoom, and pan these charts. 

Besides, Plotly can be installed on premised or be deployed in the cloud. You can work in both online and offline mode.

However, Plotly does not support jQuery, and it needs the API key and registration when installing. 

Category: charts and graphs

5. ggPlot2

ggplot2 is a free data visualization package for the language R. The idea of ggplot2 is similar to architectural thinking, making the drawing according to layers. Compared to other free data visualization tools, ggplot2 allows you to approach your graph from a visual perspective instead of a programming perspective. It is easy and quick to make plots involving mountains of data. Besides, you can build complex charts by defining various underlying components and simple functions.

The disadvantage is some text in ggplot2 graphs is too small, and the labels are unclean; you need to modify it manually.

Category: charts and graphs

6. RawGraphs

RAWGraphs is a free data visualization framework that builds a link between spreadsheets and vector graphics editors, making it easy to visually express complex data. 

Through RawGraphs, you can import data from Excel, Google Spreadsheets TextEdit, and other data sources, and then generate charts.  

Importing the data is as simple as a copy-paste. And you can visualize the data from delimiter-separated values such as CSV and tsv files. Although RawGraphs is a web app, data security is guaranteed because the Data inserted into RAW is handled only by the web browser.

The disadvantage is that you need your developers’ help if you want to customize the advanced charts. 

Category: charts and graphs

7. Leaflet

Leaflet is a lightweight and free Javascript library for visualizing interactive maps, weighing just about 38 KB of JS. But it has almost all the features that the developers need to generate maps. You can implement interactive features such as multiple map scaling and keyboard navigation. The map can be shown on the PC and mobile reporting devices. To customize the maps, users can use the APIs to develop. The documentation is well structured and provides rich examples and tutorials. 

The only disadvantage is the core functions only support the GeoJSON format. 

Category: maps

8. PowerMap

Powermap is a free Excel plugin that provides Bing Map visualizations and is used to map geographic data. It is easy to transform Excel report data into maps; even non-technical users can plot data on a 3-D globe or custom map without coding, including the geographic and temporal maps 

The cons are weak interactive features. You can not filter data or drill down in Powermap. Custom shapes are unavailable.

Category: maps

9. OpenLayers

OpenLayers is an open-source JavaScript library professional in dynamic maps. It supports multiple GIS formats such as GeoJSON, GeoRSS, KML, and GML. It also supports different Geo data sources using OGC standards such as WMS or WFS.

Another strong characteristic is power and flexibility. The library provides all the required features in the core functionality.

However, compared to other map visualization tools, OpenLayers requires more code, and it takes more time for newbies to start. 

Category: maps

10. Gephi

Gephi is a free graph maker who is a professional in network analysis and visualization. It provides a user-friendly interface that users can quickly learn without much time. Besides, once loading and mapping the correct data, Gephi generates a graph automatically. The distinctive advantage is the interactive feature; you can zoom in, select nodes, adjust node size and color, find shortest paths, and access nodes and edges’ attributes.

However, Gephi only supports exporting the charts into an image and HTML document.

Category: network visualizations

Summary of Free Data Visualization Tools

Besides the benefits of these free data visualization tools mentioned above, we can not deny that they also have disadvantages. For advanced charts, you can use the paid version of these data visualization tools to make up for these shortcomings.

For small businesses or professionals seeking an Excel replacement, we recommend utilizing FineReport for more efficient dashboard development. This powerful tool caters to personal dashboard developers with its free data visualization tools.

FineReport extends its services and technical support globally, including localized assistance in regions such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, the Middle East, and more. Click the banner below to explore FineReport through a free trial download, featuring free data visualization tools. Should you require technical assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to our support engineers.

Feel free to make an appointment for a live demo with our product experts. We will be more clear about your needs and see how FineReport can help you and your organization to better transform data into value.