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Top 21 Data Preparation Tools for you in 2022

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The global data market was valued at more than $169 billion in 2018, and as large as that number is, the market is expected to grow to more than $270 billion by the end of 2022. With that in mind, it’s no surprise that competition for data software is stiff, and options for data analysts are aplenty.

Whether your focus is on business analytics or data science, these tools for data prepare popular, affordable, and beneficial to anyone currently in the data field, or perhaps even more so for those planning on entering this rapidly growing industry.

Infogix

Infogix is a hub for data governance that allows users to seamlessly manage their metadata, lineage, and business glossaries. Most used for risk, compliance, and data value management, and considered very user-friendly by those familiar with it.

Trifacta

Trifacta is the first of many data wrangling tools on this list and stands out because it allows users to prep their data without having to input code. Then, using its predictive transformation function, users can decide exactly how they want the data to be transformed.

TMMData

TMMdata’s Foundation Platform allows users to integrate, prepare, and manage their data from one location. It is cloud-friendly, making it a good choice for anyone currently affected by stay-at-home orders, or anyone looking to continue working remotely after the pandemic.

Unifi

The Unifi program is primarily used as a massive data catalog, and provides users with an easy way to search and discover data, and does so by allowing for layman’s search language, making it a great option for beginners, or those who don’t consider themselves experts in certain programming languages that may be needed for other programs.

Tamr

data preparation 2021

Tamr is a tool that utilizes machine learning that allows users to publish their data pretty much anywhere, and with the machine learning suggestions, users find it very easy to normalize their formats, even with massive amounts of data.

Talend

A staple in data preparation, this program also utilizes machine learning to give users insight and recommendations on how to share their datasets in the most logical and useable manners. Talend is also touted for its live data integration abilities.

Paxata

Paxata is probably not a great choice for beginners, but if you’re familiar with similar self-service data programs, it may be worth looking into as an upgrade. The interface is very easy to navigate, and it offers algorithmic assistance when trying to determine the meaning of the data collected.

Datameer

A great choice for data engineers, this tool allows users to utilize its 60+ source connectors to collect data, and the data can then be uploaded with unique, secure links. Datameer users also tout the useability of its interactive spreadsheet interface.

Cambridge Semantics (Anzo)

The Anzo tool from Cambridge Semantics focuses on data discovery, integration, and blending. Also a top pick for cloud users, the data catalog feature allows users to graph their models and add data layers to focus on individual data streams.

Alteryx

This design tool is part of the larger analytics program, and if you’re new to data preparation but familiar with Alteryx’s platform, this is a great choice, for many reasons, but primarily familiarity and ease of use.

Altair

This is another self-service tool, so not particularly recommended for new users, but it is pretty easy to pick up. There are more than 80 pre-built functions to make collection and analysis quick and easy, and also offers predictive analytics with machine learning.

Microsoft Power BI

This data tool is great for those in business analytics and offers a great interface to make your collected data into graphs and other visualizations more appealing to the folks in the C-Suite who may not be big numbers people.

DataWatch

Touted for its unification functions, DataWatch is good for analysts, execs, and people in the IT field, as it offers a lot of predictive analytics and automated visualizations.

Microstrategy

This desktop-based tool is good for all levels of preparers and serves those in exploration and analytics the best. The ease of creating reports and visualizations sets Microstrategy apart from similar desktop interfaces.

SAP

This self-service tool is considered a safe bet for beginners, as it’s advertised and reviewed as being quick, simple, and easy when it comes to turning data into actionable information.

Clearstory Data

Another tool recommended because it is easy to use, a Clearstory is a prep tool that makes for easy and understandable sharing of data, both internally and externally. If you are in the actual data business, with buying and selling, this is a must-have.

Zaloni

data preparation

Primarily a cloud-based tool (but also has a desktop/cloud hybrid interface), Zaloni’s data preparation is easy to use, and it also is a big money-saver, as it allows for easy automation of tasks that may be repeated on a weekly or monthly basis.

Amazon Web Services

Perhaps the most widely-used tool on this list, Amazon Web Services offers a lot more than just data preparation functions, but it certainly checks the boxes there, as well. Any team involved in finance, marketing, or consulting should have at least one person very in-tune with Amazon Web Services.

EasyMorph

Users of EasyMorph point to its name, as it is considered a very easy program to use, and non-tech personnel can use it almost as easily as their tech-savvy counterparts.

LavaStorm

This tool is great for remote teams and is also considered quite easy to use by most. It utilizes simple UI and APIs, but behind the scenes, it utilizes complex automation and machine learning to give users an added level of analysis.

Clearstory Data

This data prep tool marries data between different sources and allows for almost instant collaboration between teams who bring their data to this tool. The accessibility and integrative features make this a safe bet if you plan on working with many different clients. 

Keep Up!

As you can see, there is a lot of competition in the data prep tools industry, and new technologies come out very frequently. Keep an eye on trends and consider subscribing to industry blogs to make sure you’re up to speed on new tech!