The Data Science Toolkit: 24 free data science tools

Tools are an important element of the data science field. The open-source community has been
contributing to the data science toolkit for years which has led to major advancements to the
field. There has been debate in the data science community about the use of open source
technology surpassing proprietary software offered by players such as IBM and Microsoft. In
fact, many of the big enterprises have started to contribute to open source solutions so they can
stay top of mind for users and the data science toolkit has increasingly become one dominated by
open-source tools.

Since there are a wide variety of open source tools available from data-mining platforms to
programming languages, we put together a mix of technology that data scientists could add to
their data science toolkit.

Our Favorite Data Science Tools

1.-R

R is a programming language used for data manipulation and graphics. Originating in 1995, this
is a popular tool used among data scientists and analysts. It is the open-source version of the S
language widely used for research in statistics. According to data scientists, R is one of the easier
languages to learn as there are numerous packages and guides available for users. 2-Python

Python is another widely used language among data scientists, created by Dutch programmer
Guido Van Rossum. It’s a general-purpose programming language, focusing on readability and
simplicity. If you are not a programmer but are looking to learn, this is a great language to start
with. It’s easier than other general-purpose languages and there are a number of tutorials
available for non-programmers to learn. You can do all sorts of tasks such as sentiment analysis
or time series analysis with Python, a very versatile general-purpose programming language. You
can canvass open data sets and do things like sentiment analysis of Twitter accounts.

3-KNIME

KNIME is a software company with headquarters in major tech hubs around the world. The
company offers an open-source analytics platform written in Java, used for data reporting,
mining, and predictive analysis. This base platform can be advanced with a suite of commercial
extensions offered by the company, including collaboration, productivity and performance
extensions.

4-Gawk

Gawk is the open-source version of awk, a special-purpose programming language used for
working on files. Awk is one of the many components of the Unix operating system. Gawk is a
GNU implementation which makes it easy to make changes in text files and allows users to
extract data and generate reports.

5-Weka

Weka is a machine learning software written in Java by The University of Waikato. It is used for
data mining, allowing users to work with large sets of data. Some of the features of Weka include
preprocessing, classification, regression, clustering, experiments, workflow, and visualization.
However, it lacks advanced functionality compared to R and Python which is why it’s not as
widely used in professional settings.

6-Scala

Scala is a general-purpose programming language that runs on the Java platform. It’s great for
large datasets and is largely used with big data tools like Apache Spark and Apache Kafka. This
functional programming style results in speed and higher productivity which has led it to slowly
be adopted by an increasing number of companies as an essential part of their data science
toolkit.

7-SQL

Structured Query Language or SQL is a special-purpose programming language for data stored in
relational databases. SQL is used for more basic data analysis and can perform tasks such as
organizing and manipulating data or retrieving data from a database. Since SQL has been used by
organizations for decades, there is a large SQL ecosystem in existence already which data
scientists can tap into. Among data science tools, it ranks as one of the best at filtering and
selecting through databases.

8-RapidMiner

RapidMiner is a predictive analytics tool with visualization and statistical modeling capabilities.
The base of the software which is RapidMiner Studio is a free, open-source platform. The
company also provides enterprise-level add-ons which can be bought to supplement the base
platform.

9-Scikit-learn

Scikit-learn is a machine learning library, largely written in the Python programming language
and built on the SciPy library. It was originally developed as a Google Summer of Code project
where Google awarded students who were able to produce valuable open-source software. Scikit-
learn offers a number of features including data classification, regression, clustering,
dimensionality reduction, model selection, and preprocessing.

Related: A Beginners Guide to Neural Networks in Python & SciKit Learn

10-Apache Hadoop
Apache Hadoop software library is a framework, written in Java, for processing large and
complex datasets. The base modules for the Apache Hadoop framework include Hadoop
Common, Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS), Hadoop Yarn, and Hadoop MapReduce.

11-Apache Mahout

Apache Mahout is an environment for building scalable machine learning algorithms. The
algorithms are written on top of Hadoop. Mahout implements three major machine learning
tasks: collaborative filtering, clustering, and categorization.

12-Apache Spark

Apache Spark is a cluster-computing framework for data analysis. It has been deployed in large
organizations for its big data capabilities combined with speed and ease of use. It was originally
developed at the University of California as Spark and later, the source code was donated to the
Apache Foundation so that it could be free forever. It’s often preferred to other big data tools due
to its speed.

13-SciPi

SciPi or Scientific Python is a computing ecosystem based on the Python programming language.
It offers a number of core components including NumPy for numerical computation, Matplotlib
for plotting and the SciPy library which is a collection of algorithms and functions.

14-Orange

Orange is one tool among data science tools that promise to make data science fun and
interactive. Compared to many of the tools discussed here, this one is simple and keeps things
interesting for data scientists. It allows users to analyze and visualize data without the need to
code. It offers machine learning options for beginners.

15-Axiis

Axiis is a lesser-known data visualization framework among data science tools. It allows users to
build charts and explore data using pre-built components in an expressive and concise form.

16-Impala

Impala is the massive parallel processing (MPP) database for Apache Hadoop. It’s used by data scientists
and analysts allowing them to perform SQL queries for data stored in Apache Hadoop clusters.

17-Apache Drill
Apache Drill is the open-source version of Google’s Dremel for interactive queries of large
databases. It’s powerful, flexible, and agile, supporting data stored in different formats in files or
NoSQL databases and is one of the most versatile data science tools.

18-Data Melt

Data Melt is a mathematical software which will make your life easier with its advanced
mathematical computations, statistical analysis, and data mining capabilities. This software can
be supplemented with programming languages for added customizability and even includes an
extensive library of tutorials.

19-Julia

Julia is a dynamic programming language for technical computing. It’s not widely used but is
gaining popularity among data science tools because of its agility, design, and performance. 20-
D3

D3 is a javascript library for building interactive data visualizations within your browser. It
allows data scientists to create rich visualizations with a high level of customizability. It’s a great
addition to your data science toolkit if you’re looking to dynamically express your data insights.
21-Apache Storm
Apache Storm is a computational platform for real-time analytics. It’s often compared to Apache
Spark and is known as a better streaming engine than Spark. It’s written in the Clojure
programming language and is known to be a simple, easy-to-use tool.

22-MongoDB

MongoDB is a NoSQL database known for its scalability and high performance. It provides a
powerful alternative to traditional databases and makes the integration of data in specific
applications easier. It can be an integral part of the data science toolkit if you’re looking to build
large-scale web apps.

23-TensorFlow

TensorFlow is the product of Google’s Brain Team coming together for the purpose of advancing
machine learning .and is very popular among data scientists and machine learning engineers. It’s
a software library for numerical computation and built for everyone from students and
researchers to hackers and innovators. It allows programmers to access the power of deep
learning without needing to understand some of the complicated principles behind it and ranks as
one of the data science tools that helps make deep learning accessible for thousands of
companies.

24-Keras

Keras is a deep learning library written in Python. It runs on TensorFlow allowing for fast
experimentation. Keras was developed to make deep learning models easier and helping users
treat their data intelligently in an efficient manner.

DATA VISUALIZATION TOOLKIT:

1. Tableau
Tableau is a data visualization tool that can be used by data analysts, scientists,
statisticians, etc. to visualize the data and get a clear opinion based on the data analysis.
Tableau is very famous as it can take in data and produce the required data visualization
output in a very short time. And it can do this while providing the highest level of security
with a guarantee to handle security issues as soon as they arise or are found by users.
Tableau also allows its users to prepare, clean, and format their data and then create data
visualizations to obtain actionable insights that can be shared with other users. Tableau is
available for individual data analysts or at scale for business teams and organizations. It
provides a 14-day free trial followed by the paid version.

2. Looker
Looker is a data visualization tool that can go in-depth into the data and analyze it to
obtain useful insights. It provides real-time dashboards of the data for more in-depth
analysis so that businesses can make instant decisions based on the data visualizations
obtained. Looker also provides connections with Redshift, Snowflake, and BigQuery, as
well as more than 50 SQL-supported dialects so you can connect to multiple databases
without any issues.
Looker data visualizations can be shared with anyone using any particular tool. Also, you
can export these files in any format immediately. It also provides customer support
wherein you can ask any question and it shall be answered. A price quote can be obtained
by submitting a form.
3. Zoho Analytics
Zoho Analytics is a Business Intelligence and Data Analytics software that can help you
create wonderful-looking data visualizations based on your data in a few minutes. You can
obtain data from multiple sources and mesh it together to create multidimensional data
visualizations that allow you to view your business data across departments. In case you
have any questions, you can use Zia which is a smart assistant created using artificial
intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing.
Zoho Analytics allows you to share or publish your reports with your colleagues and add
comments or engage in conversations as required. You can export Zoho Analytics files in
any format such as Spreadsheet, MS Word, Excel, PPT, PDF, etc. The pricing options
available for this software include a basic plan with approx. A$34.1/month billed yearly.

4. Sisense
Sisense is a business intelligence-based data visualization system and it provides various
tools that allow data analysts to simplify complex data and obtain insights for their
organization and outsiders. Sisense believes that eventually, every company will be a data-
driven company and every product will be related to data in some way. Therefore it tries
its best to provide various data analytics tools to business teams and data analytics so that
they can help make their companies the data-driven companies of the future.
It is very easy to set up and learn Sisense. It can be easily installed within a minute and
data analysts can get their work done and obtain results instantly. Sisense also allows its
users to export their files in multiple formats such as PPT, Excel, MS Word, PDF, etc.
Sisense also provides full-time customer support services whenever users face any issues.
A price quote can be obtained by submitting a form.
5. IBM Cognos Analytics
IBM Cognos Analytics is an Artificial Intelligence-based business intelligence platform
that supports data analytics among other things. You can visualize as well as analyze your
data and share actionable insights with anyone in your organization. Even if you have
limited or no knowledge about data analytics, you can use IBM Cognos Analytics easily as
it interprets the data for you and presents you with actionable insights in plain language.
You can also share your data with multiple users if you want on the cloud and share
visuals over email or Slack. You can also import data from various sources like
spreadsheets, cloud, CSV files, or on-premises databases and combine related data sources
into a single data module. IBM Cognos Analytics provides a free trial for 30 days followed
by a plan Starting at approx. A$20.87 per month.
6. Qlik Sense
Qlik Sense is a data visualization platform that helps companies to become data-driven
enterprises by providing an associative data analytics engine, sophisticated Artificial
Intelligence system, and scalable multi-cloud architecture that allows you to deploy any
combination of SaaS, on-premises, or a private cloud.
You can easily combine, load, visualize, and explore your data on Qlik Sense, no matter its
size. All the data charts, tables, and other visualizations are interactive and instantly update
themselves according to the current data context. The Qlik Sense AI can even provide you
with data insights and help you create analytics using just drag and drop. You can try Qlik
Sense Business for free for 30 days and then move on to a paid version.
7. Domo
Domo is a business intelligence model that contains multiple data visualization tools that
provide a consolidated platform where you can perform data analysis and then create
interactive data visualizations that allow other people to easily understand your data
conclusions. You can combine cards, text, and images in the Domo dashboard so that you
can guide other people through the data while telling a data story as they go.
In case of any doubts, you can use their pre-built dashboards to obtain quick insights from
the data. Domo has a free trial option so you can use it to get a sense of this platform
before committing to it fully. In case of any customer service inquiries, Domo is always
available from 7 AM to 6 PM from Monday to Friday and you can try it for free followed
by the paid version.
8. Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI is a Data Visualization platform focused on creating a data-driven
business intelligence culture in all companies today. To fulfill this, it offers self-service
analytics tools that can be used to analyze, aggregate, and share data in a meaningful
fashion. Microsoft Power BI offers hundreds of data
visualizations to its customers along with built-in Artificial Intelligence capabilities and
Excel integration facilities. And all this is very pocket friendly at a $9.99 monthly price
per user for the Microsoft Power BI Pro. It also provides you with multiple support
systems such as FAQs, forums, and also live chat support with the staff.
9. Klipfolio
Klipfolio is a Canadian business intelligence company that provides one of the best data
visualization tools. You can access your data from hundreds of different data sources like
spreadsheets, databases, files, and web services applications by using connectors. Klipfolio
also allows you to create custom drag-and-drop data visualizations wherein you can
choose from different options like charts, graphs, scatter plots, etc.
Klipfolio also has tools you can use to execute complex formulas that can solve
challenging data problems. You can obtain a free trial of 14 days followed by $49 per
month for the basic business plan. In the case of customer inquiries, you can get help from
the community forum or the knowledge forum.
10. SAP Analytics Cloud
SAP Analytics Cloud uses business intelligence and data analytics capabilities to help you
evaluate your data and create visualizations in order to predict business outcomes. It also
provides you with the latest modeling tools that help you by alerting you of possible errors
in the data and categorizing different data measures and dimensions. SAP Analytics Cloud
also suggests Smart Transformations to the data that lead to enhanced visualizations.
In case you have any doubts or business questions related to data visualization, SAP
Analytics Cloud provides you with complete customer satisfaction by handling your
queries using conversational artificial intelligence and natural language technology. You
can try this platform for free for 30 days and after that pay $22 per month for the Business
Intelligence package.
11. Yellowfin
Yellowfin is a worldwide famous analytics and business software vendor that has a well-
suited automation product that is specially created for people who have to take decisions
within a short period of time. This is an easy-to-use data visualization tool that allows
people to understand things and act according to
them in the form of collaboration, data storytelling, and stunning action-based dashboards.
Yellowfin provides complete customer satisfaction with its five core products which have
been integrated properly in order to manage analytics properly across the whole enterprise.
You can try this platform for free for 30 days and after that pay $250 per month for the
paid package.
12. Whatagraph
Whatagraph is a seamless integration that provides marketing agencies with an easy and
useful way of sharing or sending marketing campaign data with clients. With this platform,
you can create the data in a way that the result is easy to understand and comprehend. This
Data visualization tool has numerous customization options which can be picked virtually
and help in creating reporting widgets or creating your own methods of presenting data.
Whatagraph also helps in comparing data of different marketing platforms and their
performance in one single report. You can try this platform for free for 30 days and after
that pay $199 per month for the paid package.
13. Dundas BI
Dundas Bi is a flexible business intelligence and analysis tool. One can create and display
animated dashboards, reports or scorecards. This platform can be used for data analysis
can be used flexibly, openly and completely configurable. Dundas BI is capable of being a
portal for data or it can be integrated with the existing website.
Dundas BI offers a wide range of data visualization options, including charts,
graphs, maps, and gauges, allowing users to represent their data in a visually
appealing and informative manner. It caters to the demands of users ranging from
business analysts to data scientists, providing them with tools to derive actionable
insights from their data.