Data Cost

If you are interested in learning data, you might wonder what the most popular and valuable data tools are and how much they cost. 

Popular data tools include Microsoft Excel, Google Analytics, and Tableau. Microsoft 365 subscriptions start at around $7 per month for a monthly personal plan or $70 per year for an annual subscription. Google Analytics is free to use. Tableau subscriptions start at around $70 per user per month (billed annually), but the free Tableau Public tool is available at no cost. 

Data Analysts and Data Scientists use the Python programming language for data visualization, automation, machine learning, and more. Python is an open-source programming language that is free for the public to use. This programming language began in 1991 and, due to its being open-source, has decades of documentation outlining the improvements made through the contributions of coders around the world. Today, the Python Software Foundation manages contributions, updates, and rollouts. The Python Software Foundation offers documentation, community resources, the ability to download the latest source code and installers, and more at https://www.python.org.

Microsoft Power BI is another popular data tool with free and paid options.

Read on to learn more about free and paid data tools.

What is Data?

Data refers to facts and statistics collected for reference or analysis. Data allows businesses to track finances, marketing campaigns, market share, efficiency, and more. Today, data management systems can sort complex data from numerous sources using artificial intelligence and machine learning, giving businesses unparalleled insights. Some data management systems can also make future projections based on existing data. These forecasts assist businesses in planning budgets, setting goals, determining deadlines, and more.

We all use data daily, but some professions specialize in gathering, analyzing, storing, and managing data. These careers include Data Analysts, Data Scientists, Machine Learning Engineers, Business Intelligence Analysts, Data Architects, Marketing Analysts, Business Systems Analysts, and more. Whether you wish to pursue one of these careers or simply want to understand the data systems and strategies that impact your business, online and in-person classes can teach you valuable skills. 

Read more about what data is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Data?

Data refers to facts and statistics collected for reference or analysis. Data allows businesses to track finances, marketing campaigns, market share, efficiency, and more. Today, data management systems can sort complex data from numerous sources using artificial intelligence and machine learning, giving businesses unparalleled insights. Some data management systems can also make future projections based on existing data. These forecasts assist businesses in planning budgets, setting goals, determining deadlines, and more.

We all use data daily, but some professions specialize in gathering, analyzing, storing, and managing data. These careers include Data Analysts, Data Scientists, Machine Learning Engineers, Business Intelligence Analysts, Data Architects, Marketing Analysts, Business Systems Analysts, and more. Whether you wish to pursue one of these careers or simply want to understand the data systems and strategies that impact your business, online and in-person classes can teach you valuable skills. 

Read more about what data is and why you should learn it. 

In-Depth Review of the Cost

This section will discuss the cost of specific data tools in detail. 

Microsoft Excel is the most well-known and commonly-used data software. Excel is available through a Microsoft 365 (formerly known as Office 365) subscription. Monthly subscriptions start at around $6 per user per month (with an annual subscription). Microsoft offers a one-month free trial of any business plan. The lowest-priced business plan only includes the web and mobile versions of Microsoft 365 software, so most companies will want to pay a bit more to get a plan that includes the desktop version of Excel. 

The data visualization tool Tableau offers a free version called Tableau Public. Tableau Public requires users to create an account and download the Tableau Public desktop version. As a condition of using the tool for free, all workbooks and data must be freely and publicly accessible. All data must be extracts and have a limit of one million rows. Additionally, you can only connect to local data and save work to the public Tableau server. If you want to keep your work private, consider Tableau Desktop, a paid version of the tool with tiered pricing plans available for business organizations. The Tableau Viewer plan costs $15 per user per month with an annual subscription. This plan includes one Viewer license of Tableau Cloud. For $42 per user per month, an organization can get the Tableau Explorer plan which allows you to explore trusted data and find answers to questions through self-service analytics. The Tableau Creator plan costs $70 per user per month. This plan includes a suite of products for supporting an end-to-end analytics workflow. Choosing the right price and plan depends on how many users your organization has and how you intend to use the software. For students just starting to learn Tableau, Tableau Public provides the necessary tools to get started without a costly subscription.

Another popular data tool is Microsoft Power BI, a business insight (BI), reporting, and data visualization tool. Power BI is part of the Microsoft Power Platform, a group of data tools including Power BI, Power Automate, Power Apps, and Power Virtual Agents. The Power Platform allows individuals and teams to analyze data, build low-code solutions, automate processes without coding, and create chatbots to handle routine inquiries. Anyone can download and use Power BI Desktop for free. Power BI Pro includes additional features, such as the option to share data, dashboards, and reports with other Power BI Pro users. Power BI Desktop works well for individuals. However, organizations that require team collaboration will benefit more from Power BI Pro, which users can access for around $10 per month each, or Power BI Premium, which provides the option to pay $20 per user per month or to pay per capacity per month. You can compare the cost and the features of each plan here. 

Google Analytics and Python are free and do not require a paid subscription. Thanks to their being open-source, you can also find many Python libraries and frameworks available for no cost. There are Python libraries and tools you can pay for if you choose. Whether you choose a free or paid tool depends on your preferences and which tools meet your needs. 

Why Learn Data?

Why should you learn data? Data informs business decisions by displaying the numbers behind the business. Data reveals how much money a business spends, how efficient company processes are, the effectiveness of marketing efforts, the cost to obtain a customer, how much revenue the company has coming in, and more. Reliable data is crucial to any organization’s health and success, whether the organization is a multinational company or a local nonprofit.

Data science uses scientific methods, systematic processes, and algorithms to filter, sort, organize, and manage raw data from numerous sources. Data Scientists and Data Analysts are in high demand and have high earning potential. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found the 2021 median pay for Data Scientists was $100,910 per year, with anticipated job growth of 36% over the next decade. Even if you do not wish to pursue a career as a Data Scientist or Data Analyst, data plays a critical role in marketing, project management, team leadership, and more. 

Read more about why you should learn data. 

Free Introductory Data Course Online 

If you aren’t ready to dive into an entire course and want to begin with an overview of data, you can begin with free introductory data courses online. Noble Desktop offers a free online seminar to get you started in data science. You can watch this video on demand at any time. 

Paid learning platforms like Udemy and Coursera offer a free trial during which you can start data classes. You can view video courses on data science, data analytics, machine learning, SQL, Tableau, Excel, and more.

Read about more free data videos and online tutorials.

Learn Data with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers hands-on training in data science and data analytics. These courses are led by expert instructors and include hands-on projects, small class sizes, and free retake options. Noble offers a Data Analytics Certificate and Data Science Certificate. Both certificate programs include one-on-one mentoring, setup assistance, flexible payment options, and career preparation. 

You can also focus on learning specific data science or analytics skills through classes and bootcamps. Learn how to write SQL queries, join tables, aggregate data, and filter results with SQL Bootcamp. The Tableau for Data Visualization course shows you how to convert raw data into interactive visualizations. 

You can explore multiple data analytics and data science training options here.