Your free business.com+ membership unlocks exclusive tech deals and advisor support
Join Free
BDC Hamburger Icon

Menu

Close
BDC Logo with Name
Search Icon
Search Icon
Advertise with us
Advertising Disclosure
Close
Advertising Disclosure

Business.com aims to help business owners make informed decisions to support and grow their companies. We research and recommend products and services suitable for various business types, investing thousands of hours each year in this process.

As a business, we need to generate revenue to sustain our content. We have financial relationships with some companies we cover, earning commissions when readers purchase from our partners or share information about their needs. These relationships do not dictate our advice and recommendations. Our editorial team independently evaluates and recommends products and services based on their research and expertise. Learn more about our process and partners here.

14 KPI Tools to Track Your Business’s Goals

These KPI tools turn complex business data into dashboards your team can actually use.

author image
Written by:
Skye Schooley, Senior Lead Analyst
author image
Editor verified:
Gretchen Grunburg,Senior Editor
Last Updated May 15, 2026
Business.com earns commissions from some listed providers. Editorial Guidelines.
Table Of Contents Icon

Table of Contents

Open row

Small business owners often struggle to track their companies’ key performance indicators (KPIs) because of packed schedules and limited time to dig into reports or learn new tools. But businesses that consistently track KPIs tend to make faster, better-informed decisions, and that often leads to more profitable growth over time.

We’ll break down 14 excellent KPI tools for businesses of all sizes, compare key features and pricing, and explain what to look for as your reporting needs grow.

What are KPI tools?

KPI tools (often called KPI dashboard tools or KPI dashboard software) are digital platforms that automatically collect, organize and visualize key performance indicators from your business systems, helping teams track progress toward their goals in real time. Most KPI tools present that data through dashboards, charts and alerts that make it easier to spot trends, measure performance and catch problems early.

Understanding how your business is performing — whether you’re measuring employee productivity, financial results or quarterly goals — helps explain why your company is (or isn’t) hitting its targets. That means managers need to carve out time to review the metrics that matter most to their operations.

14 best KPI dashboard tools by business type

how to choose KPI software graphic

To make your search easier, we’ve organized these 14 KPI dashboard tools by business type, from startups and small teams to growing agencies and large enterprises. Whether you need a simple, no-code dashboard or advanced business intelligence (BI) software, these platforms can help you track the metrics that matter most.

Small teams and startups

For startups and small teams with limited budgets but growing data needs, these tools offer the best value:

  1. Databox: Databox stands out as one of the most user-friendly KPI platforms for small teams, with a robust free tier that makes it easy to get started. With more than 130 integrations and pre-built templates, Databox makes it simple to create custom dashboards without technical expertise. The platform offers real-time KPI alerts via email, Slack or mobile, helping teams stay on top of critical metrics. Its AI-powered analytics and automated reporting features save time while helping teams spot trends, track progress and catch problems early. As your reporting needs grow, paid plans start at $159 per month, paid annually. Visit the Databox website to explore features and plan options.
  2. Datapad: Datapad is a dashboard platform that helps small businesses visualize, monitor and analyze key metrics in real time. With customizable dashboards and AI-powered analysis tools, Datapad allows users to track performance across sales, marketing, operations and customer service. The software integrates with a wide range of data sources, providing a centralized view of important business metrics. Datapad’s intuitive interface makes it easy for users to build personalized dashboards without coding experience. Plans start at $15 per month, paid annually. Visit the Datapad website to explore features and plan options.
  3. Data Studio: Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio, and previously Google Data Studio) provides a completely free option that’s ideal for Google-centric businesses. It connects seamlessly with Google Analytics, Google Ads and Google Sheets, offering unlimited dashboards and reports at no cost. The drag-and-drop interface makes it accessible for non-technical users. Visit Data Studio online to learn more.
  4. SimpleKPI: SimpleKPI is a user-friendly tool that helps businesses track essential metrics. Despite its simplicity, it can handle a wide range of KPIs — including finance, marketing, operations and service metrics — and is suitable for any industry. SimpleKPI integrates with popular software and offers dedicated customer support, along with a full-screen mode to display KPIs in real time. SimpleKPI pricing starts at $15 per month, billed annually. Visit the SimpleKPI website for more details.
  5. HubSpot: HubSpot is an all-in-one CRM platform that connects marketing, sales, content management and customer service. Its free KPI software is built into the HubSpot platform, allowing users to create dashboards, build reports and track team performance metrics from one centralized platform. Businesses can get started with a free HubSpot account, while advanced analytics, customization and automation require paid products. Visit the HubSpot website to explore available products, features and pricing.
TipBottom line
Our comprehensive review of HubSpot CRM explains how the platform's omnichannel communication tools help businesses connect with customers across multiple touchpoints to improve engagement, personalization and customer retention.

Agencies and mid-sized businesses

Mid-sized businesses and agencies need tools that balance advanced features with scalability:

  1. Scoro: Scoro is a KPI platform that helps businesses track projects, resources and financial performance in real time from a single dashboard. It integrates with other business software, offers customizable dashboards with unlimited widgets and provides a centralized way to manage work, monitor profitability, plan resources and generate reports. Scoro also includes AI-powered automation tools, workplace collaboration features and project-planning capabilities for growing teams. Pricing starts at $19.90 per user, per month, billed annually. Visit the Scoro website to explore features and plan options.
  2. Klipfolio: Some teams outgrow basic dashboard builders and want more control over how reports look, how data is displayed and what gets tracked. That’s where Klipfolio tends to stand out. Its customizable “Klips” (widgets) and hundreds of integrations give agencies and mid-sized businesses plenty of flexibility, especially if you’re building dashboards for different clients, departments or data sources. It’s not the kind of platform most people master in an afternoon, though, and some users have mentioned occasional connection hiccups with certain integrations. Pricing starts at $120 per month, paid annually. Visit the Klipfolio website for more details.
  3. Geckoboard: Geckoboard is a live KPI-tracking solution with a drag-and-drop interface that lets businesses build custom dashboards for sales, marketing, operations and other key metrics. It’s designed for fast-moving teams that need quick visibility into performance, and it integrates with popular platforms such as Google Analytics, Salesforce and Shopify. Geckoboard pulls data directly from connected platforms to create easy-to-read dashboards, and it’s simple to set up and use. Pricing starts at $119 per month, paid annually. Visit the Geckoboard website to explore dashboard features and integrations.
  4. Grow: Grow is a BI dashboard and reporting platform designed to help businesses bring data from multiple systems into one place. Its features include data integration from various sources, customizable charts and pre-built metrics that make it easier to build dashboards and track performance in real time. Grow helps teams combine, compare and analyze data from multiple sources to spot trends and make better-informed business decisions. Pricing is custom and varies by business needs. Visit the Grow website to explore dashboard features and request pricing details.
  5. Asana: Asana is a project management solution that includes project-based KPI tracking tools. It uses boards, lists and other project views that let users create tasks, set objectives and due dates and assign team members responsible for completing each item. Asana’s KPI tracking system supports objectives and key results to help managers connect day-to-day work to broader business goals. The dashboard provides a clear, real-time view of progress across projects and teams. Asana has a free Personal plan for individuals, while business plans start at $10.99 per user, per month, billed annually. Visit the Asana website to explore plans, features and goal-tracking tools.
Did You Know?Did you know
Asana is also considered one of the best goal-setting and tracking apps for businesses. Its goals feature helps teams set objectives, track progress, add subgoals and monitor individual and team contributions.

Enterprises

Large enterprises require robust platforms that can handle complex data requirements and multiple user roles:

  1. ThoughtSpot: ThoughtSpot is built for enterprise teams that need fast, self-service analytics across large, complex datasets. Users can type questions in natural language, and ThoughtSpot returns answers as charts, tables and interactive dashboards. The platform now includes AI-powered agentic analytics tools that automatically surface trends, anomalies and business insights, while its Liveboards provide real-time dashboards with interactive drill-down capabilities. Pricing starts at $25 per user, per month, billed annually. Visit the ThoughtSpot website to explore analytics features, Liveboards and enterprise plans.
  2. Tableau: Tableau remains a leader in enterprise data visualization, offering powerful analytics capabilities for complex datasets. Tableau supports a wide range of industries and business types with robust features, customizable templates and AI-powered analytics tools. Its real-time data tools connect directly to platforms like Salesforce and Excel, pulling information from different sources into one place. Tableau’s templates and dashboards make it easy to track performance, spot trends and make timely decisions based on real-time business data. Pricing starts at $15 per user, per month, billed annually. Visit the Tableau website to explore analytics features, templates and enterprise plans.
  3. Microsoft Power BI: Microsoft Power BI provides enterprise-grade KPI tracking with deep integration into the Microsoft ecosystem. The platform offers KPI visuals that communicate progress toward measurable goals. Power BI includes advanced features like AI-powered analytics, scorecards and metrics for tracking performance against business objectives, dynamic targets that adjust based on context, and data alerts for automatic notifications. Pricing starts with a free plan, while Power BI Pro starts at $14 per user, per month, paid yearly. Visit the Microsoft Power BI website to compare plans and features.
  4. Salesforce: Salesforce’s customizable CRM software offers a range of features, third-party integrations and add-on options, making it ideal for growing businesses with diverse needs. Like many of the best CRM software platforms, Salesforce can help your business track KPIs from a central, organized hub for customer data, sales pipeline management, reporting and more. As we discuss in our detailed Salesforce CRM review, this tool takes some time and technical expertise to set up. However, the result is a seamless platform that accommodates custom processes and can evolve with a company’s changing needs. Salesforce offers a free plan for up to two users, while paid plans start at $25 per user, per month. Visit the Salesforce website to compare plans and features.

Feature comparison table of top KPI tools

To help you compare your options at a glance, we’ve highlighted each platform’s pricing, integrations and collaboration features. Use this chart to narrow down which KPI dashboard tools best fit your team, budget and business goals.

Tool

Pricing

Key integrations

Collaboration features

Databox

Free tier available; paid plans start at $159/month

130+ sources, Google Analytics, HubSpot, Salesforce

Real-time alerts, automated reports, team sharing

Datapad

Plans start at $15/month

50+ sources, SQL, BigQuery, Google Ads, Facebook Ads

Chat-based AI assistant, unlimited users on Pro plan

Data Studio

Free (Data Studio Pro available at $9/user/project/month)

Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Sheets, BigQuery

Real-time collaboration, sharing via links

SimpleKPI

Plans start at $15/month

Zapier, Google Sheets, Excel

User roles, sharing, embedding

HubSpot

Free account available; advanced features require paid products

2,000+ apps, Smart CRM, Google Workspace, Zoom

Teams, custom reporting, workflow integrations

Scoro

Plans start at $19.90/user/month

QuickBooks, Xero, Google Calendar, Dropbox

Project collaboration, unlimited widgets

Klipfolio

Plans start at $120/month

100s of pre-built connectors, SQL databases, REST API

Dashboard sharing, scheduled email reports

Geckoboard

Plans start at $119/month

90+ integrations including Google Analytics, Salesforce, Shopify

TV dashboards, shared links, automated snapshots

Grow

Contact for pricing

150+ integrations, SQL databases, HubSpot, Salesforce

Unlimited users, shared dashboards

Asana

Free Personal plan; paid plans start at $10.99/user/month

Google Workspace, Jira Cloud, Dropbox, Salesforce

Card system, team assignments

ThoughtSpot

Free trial available; plans start at $25/user/month

BigQuery, Salesforce, Google Sheets

Search-driven collaboration, Liveboards

Tableau

Plans start at $15/user/month

Salesforce, Excel, multiple data sources

Team collaboration, advanced analytics

Power BI

Free plan available; Pro starts at $14/user/month

Microsoft 365, Azure, various connectors

Teams integration, automated reports

Salesforce

Free plan available for up to two users; paid plans start at $25/user/month

AppExchange apps, native integrations, third-party add-ons

Shared dashboards, pipeline visibility, team collaboration

best KPI software graphic

Free vs. paid KPI tools: What’s the difference?

free vs. paid kpi

Free KPI tools can be a smart starting point for solo operators, startups and small teams that need basic reporting without a major upfront investment. Paid platforms often offer deeper integrations, stronger collaboration features and more room to scale as reporting needs grow.

Free KPI tools

Free platforms like Data Studio and Databox make it easy to build dashboards, connect core data sources and track performance without committing to a subscription. They work well for businesses with simple reporting needs or limited budgets.

However, free tools may come with limitations such as:

  • Fewer data connectors and integrations
  • Slower performance with larger datasets
  • Limited collaboration features
  • Restricted data blending and customization options

Paid KPI platforms

Paid KPI software is designed for growing businesses that need more flexibility, automation and cross-team visibility, though those added capabilities typically come with higher monthly costs.

Common advantages of paid platforms include:

  • Hundreds of integrations across business systems
  • User roles, shared dashboards and automated reporting
  • Faster performance with large or complex datasets
  • AI-powered analytics, forecasting and custom metrics
  • Priority support, onboarding and training resources

For many growing businesses, the added cost is often offset by time saved on reporting, faster access to insights and better-informed decisions.

FYIDid you know
Even the best KPIs won't help much if no one's reviewing them regularly. Ongoing analysis can help you catch small issues before they become bigger problems, but those insights are only as useful as your data integrity and your team's ability to act on what the numbers are telling you.

How to choose the right KPI software for your business

Choosing KPI software is easier when you start with your reporting needs instead of the flashiest dashboard. Before you compare plans, think about which metrics actually matter, who on your team needs access and what tools the platform needs to connect with.

  1. List your must-have integrations: Make sure the platform connects with your CRM system, accounting software, marketing platforms, project management tools and any other systems where your core data lives.
  2. Decide how your team will use dashboards: Look for customizable dashboards, helpful chart options and visualizations your team can understand quickly. If users need to dig into specific metrics, prioritize interactive dashboards with drill-down capabilities.
  3. Check collaboration features: If multiple people need access, look for shared dashboards, user roles, automated report delivery and real-time collaboration tools that help teams stay aligned.
  4. Compare pricing against your growth plans: Review whether the platform charges per user, offers unlimited users or uses custom pricing. A plan that works for a small team today may become expensive as you add more users, dashboards or data sources.
  5. Test ease of use before committing: Choose a tool your team can actually use without a lot of training. The best KPI software gives you powerful reporting features without making everyday tasks feel harder than they need to be.

Why you should set and track KPIs for your business

Here are a few reasons why setting and tracking KPIs is essential for business growth.

Track progress toward your most important goals.

KPIs give you a clear way to measure performance against your business goals, spot what’s working and catch issues before they turn into bigger problems.

“KPIs provide valuable insights that help inform decisions, allowing businesses to make more informed choices about how best to achieve their desired outcomes,” explained Tomas Keenan, founder of Step It Up Academy.

Without clearly defined KPIs, it’s much harder to measure progress, spot gaps early or know whether your business is moving in the right direction.

Solve problems sooner and spot new opportunities.

A KPI dashboard brings your most important metrics into one place, making it easier to catch problems early and see where new opportunities may be emerging. For example, if sales start to slow, tracking metrics such as calls made, appointments kept or trade events attended can help you pinpoint what’s changed and adjust your strategy before a small dip becomes a bigger issue.

“Alternatively, suppose you have a fantastic concept for a new product,” said Brad Anderson, founder and CTO of Fruition. “Before launching it on a large scale, you may test it with a few clients and use KPIs to validate your business model. You may track the number of interested customers, the cost to support the new product, the net promoter score, the implementation time, the number of defects, etc.”

Monitor your business’s overall health.

KPIs can give you a quick snapshot of how your business is performing, from employee productivity and customer satisfaction to operational efficiency and revenue. Rather than tracking dozens of metrics, focus on the numbers that reveal whether your business is moving in the right direction.

“I have discovered that it is essential to measure a few metrics for each of the four categories: employees, customers, processes and revenue,” said Sean Stevens, founder and CEO of Immerse Education. “These are disciplines associated with human resources, customer satisfaction, business processes and business strategy. First, ensure that you select the appropriate KPIs for your business; then determine who will be held accountable for them.”

Hold employees accountable.

Clearly defined KPIs give employees measurable goals and a better understanding of how their individual performance contributes to broader business objectives. When people know what success looks like — and how it’s being measured — it’s often easier to stay focused, take ownership and spot areas for improvement.

“When employees are given clear, measurable goals to work toward, they can take ownership of their work and feel a sense of accountability for their performance,” said Ryan Faber, founder and CEO of AppGen.

FAQs about KPI tools and dashboards

Databox, Data Studio and SimpleKPI stand out as some of the most user-friendly KPI tools for small businesses and growing teams. Databox offers drag-and-drop dashboard creation with pre-built templates, making it accessible for non-technical users. Data Studio provides a familiar Google-based interface that many business users can navigate intuitively. SimpleKPI features a clean design with AI-powered KPI generation that suggests relevant metrics based on your business description.
Yes, several platforms offer free KPI dashboards. Data Studio is completely free and includes unlimited dashboards and reports, with native integrations for Google tools like Google Analytics, Google Ads and Google Sheets, along with access to partner connectors. Databox also offers a free plan, with paid tiers that unlock additional data sources, historical reporting and more advanced features. Many paid platforms also offer free trials, giving businesses a chance to test dashboards, integrations and reporting tools before committing.
Yes, most modern KPI tools integrate with popular CRM platforms, spreadsheet software and other business applications. Common integrations include Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive for CRM data, along with Google Sheets, Excel and CSV files for spreadsheet-based reporting. These connections can automatically pull data into your dashboards, reducing manual entry and helping teams work from more current, consistent information.
KPI tools are designed to help businesses track, visualize and act on specific performance metrics, while business intelligence platforms support broader reporting, data analysis and trend discovery across larger datasets. KPI tools typically focus on dashboards, goal tracking and pre-built performance metrics, while BI platforms like Tableau and Microsoft Power BI often offer deeper analytics, more complex data modeling and greater customization. For many small and midsize businesses, dedicated KPI tools offer a practical balance of functionality, ease of use and faster implementation.

Lauren Kubiak contributed to this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

Did you find this content helpful?
Verified CheckThank you for your feedback!
author image
Written by: Skye Schooley, Senior Lead Analyst