Whether you’re a small business or a corporation, keeping track of your key metrics is of the utmost importance. However, every company faces the same challenge: having their data in silos. On one hand, having your data separated into multiple departments sounds like it would be easier to keep track of.
But the reality is that this makes it harder to keep track of your data. Marketing metrics are in SEMrush, customer data is in a CRM platform, and sales numbers are in an Excel spreadsheet. Having this type of information in different places forces every team to switch between platforms. As a result, this makes it harder to make informed decisions.
That’s where dashboard software comes in. A well-built dashboard gathers information from all departments into a single location for quick access and ease-of-use.
Why We Built DashboardFox for Businesses Like Yours
DashboardFox was created to solve the problems all small to medium-sized businesses face: disorganized data, expensive subscriptions and over-reliance on technical experts. DashboardFox is designed to give users better control over their data without having to worry about budgeting for a high-cost subscription.
Get Full Control Over Your Data with Self-Hosting
In the business world, data hierarchy is crucial, especially if you’re managing customer data, HR or sensitive financial information. DashboardFox offers on-premises, self-hosted deployment, allowing your data to stay on your own servers. It’s the ideal solution if your company needs to comply with HIPAA or GDPR where self-hosting is a must.
Escape Recurring Fees with a One-Time Purchase
Let’s be honest; we’re all burnt out from having to pay recurring subscription fees. Although subscription BI tools offer various benefits, the costs can be difficult to manage, especially for small businesses. That’s not the case with DashboardFox; users only have to make a one-time purchase with no additional payments. In other words, once you buy it, DashboardFox is yours to keep forever.
Below is an example of what happens when you pay for a subscription vs. paying for DashboardFox:
- Let’s say you have a small business of 10 members and you’re paying for a cloud BI platform that costs $20 per month/per user.
- 10 x $20 equates to $200 per month.
- Over the course of three years, you’ll be paying $7,200 for your subscription.
- DashboardFox has a one-time cost of $4195 (for 10 users) in addition to an optional annual maintenance plan.
For more clarification, small to medium-sized businesses spend an average amount of $3,500 annually on SaaS tools.
Let Anyone on Your Team Build Reports—No Coding Required
Dashboards are usually made for data scientists, not the average business user. DashboardFox flips this around with its intuitive, codeless report builder to help your team make their own custom dashboards themselves. You won’t have to worry about delays from an IT team or have to worry about SQL queries.
Discover how anyone on your team can create powerful, custom dashboards without writing a single line of code. Watch our 2-minute demo and see DashboardFox in action.
Other Dashboard Tools to Consider
Below are alternatives to DashboardFox for companies that may have specific needs.
Microsoft Power BI
- Overview: A market leader from Microsoft that’s integrated with other services, like Azure and Office 365.
- Key Features: AI-powered insights with advanced data modeling. Users also have access to an extensive library of custom visuals.
- Pricing: Microsoft Power BI has a subscription pricing model. It’s $14 per month/per user.
- Who is it for: Microsoft Power Bi is best for enterprises that are heavily intertwined with Microsoft’s ecosystem
Tableau
- Overview: Tableau is best known for its one-of-a-kind, highly interactive data visualization and storytelling capabilities.
- Key Features: Drag-and-drop builder for complex visualizations. Users can interact with a large community in Tableau Public.
- Pricing: Tableau has a subscription-based price model with three options: Creator, Explorer and Viewer. The cost varies depending on the type of user.
- Who is it for: Tableau is optimal for data analysts or organizations focusing on public-facing dashboards.
Looker
- Overview: Google’s cloud-native BI platform that uses LookML modeling for consistent data.
- Key Features: Looker provides users with centralized semantic modeling and is deeply entrenched in Google’s ecosystem.
- Pricing: Looker has an enterprise-level subscription model, which requires a large budget.
- Who is it for: Looker is best suited for data teams that have strong engineering support and companies who are already in Google’s ecosystem.
How to Choose the Right Dashboard Software for Your Needs
With all these options, choosing the right dashboard software can be difficult. Here’s how you can make an informed decision:
Calculate the Total Cost of Ownership
Long-term costs are more important than upfront fees. Here’s how you can compare them:
- Initial fees: One-time license or setup costs.
- Subscription costs: Multiply per-user fee by the number of users.
- Hidden costs: Add any advanced support costs and premium add-ons.
- Use a table:
| Tool | License Fee | User Fees (36 mo) | Hidden Costs | 3‑Year TCO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DashboardFox | $4195 | $0 | Minimal | ~$4195–$5,700 |
| Cloud BI Tool (10 users) | $0 | $7,200 | $500+ | ~$7,700+ |
Evaluate Your Data Security and Control Needs
When choosing dashboard software, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do we need our data stored on-premises for HIPAA or GDPR compliance?
- Are we comfortable with a third-party storing our most important data?
- Do we require granular, field-level access control across our departments?
DashboardFox’s self-hosting and field-level security coincide with these requirements where a lot of cloud-based BI tools fall short.
Assess Your Team’s Technical Abilities
Even the most advanced BI tool won’t help if it sits idly. Be sure to consider the following:
- Do your teams rely on writing SQL or require a complex setup to build their dashboards?
- Are you empowering business users to answer their own questions or pressuring IT with constant dashboard requests?
- How important is ease-of-use compared to advanced customization?
DashboardFox is specifically designed for non-technical users with its drag-and-drop interface, rapid onboarding and no-code report building.
Ready to Build a Clearer Picture of Your Business?
Choosing the right dashboard software isn’t just about the visuals; it’s about cost, control and empowerment. Although tools, such as Power BI and Looker, offer intuitive features for larger businesses, DashboardFox provides users with a strategic and affordable foundation every business need: one-time costs, self-service for all team members and self-hosting.
Stop paying rent for your dashboard software and start owning your analytics. Schedule a free, personalized demo of DashboardFox today, and see how we can save you money while giving you full control.