Joining the growing band of free data visualization tools is Qlik Sense Desktop. However this is not some cut down version that will only read CSV files or Excel spreadsheets. It supports the creation of dashboards and various forms of analysis on many data sources including big data, databases and the usual CSV and Excel data.
A quick load facility supports the simpler data sources, while the data load editor supports connection to multiple databases and other sources.
Qlik Sense Desktop supports the creation of apps (fairly unique in a free product of this nature) and visualizations with the now mandatory drag and drop graphical interface. There is also a facility to create data stories (true ones hopefully) so that a guided tour through analysis can be used to communicate to others. The features are summarized by Qlik as:
- Multiple data sources from simple Excel files to ODBC accessible databases can easily be brought into the Qlik Sense app.
- Drag-and-drop dashboard creation in minutes to build or extend visual analysis.
- Explore, associate, and combine information in new ways not possible in other products without starting over to create a new visualization. Because it is powered by the Qlik data indexing engine and associative experience, users can dynamically explore and ask any question.
- Smart Search to simply type words or numbers to begin analysis of the entire data set.
- Intuitive Smart Visualizations offer cues to help novices explore patterns by dynamically updating and highlighting new information and associations.
- Data Storytelling to capture insights and share at a point in time in presentation format. Users can add commentary and narrative and drill down directly from the presentation to Qlik Sense data to answer questions on the fly.