Data & analysis Tools
Tools for data analysis, visualization, and mapping.
32 tools evaluated. Ratings backed by published methodology.
Airtable
Relational database with a spreadsheet interface. The go-to for editorial calendars, source tracking, and investigation management in newsrooms.
Apify
Web scraping and automation platform. 20,000+ pre-built scrapers, managed proxy infrastructure, and a complete data pipeline — code optional.
Baserow
Open-source Airtable alternative you can self-host. Relational databases with a spreadsheet interface, MIT-licensed community edition.
CARTO
Enterprise geospatial analytics platform. Cloud-native spatial analysis for large datasets — used by newsrooms, governments, and Fortune 500 companies.
Census Reporter
Makes US Census data accessible and visual. Demographic profiles, charts, and comparisons for any geography.
Data.gov
The US government's central open data portal — 370,000+ datasets from federal agencies, searchable and downloadable in machine-readable formats.
Datawrapper
The newsroom standard for charts, maps, and tables — no code, no trackers, no cookies.
DocumentCloud
Upload, analyze, annotate, and publish source documents for investigations.
Felt
Collaborative web mapping platform. Build, share, and analyze geographic data in the browser — no GIS degree required.
Flourish
Interactive data visualization and scrollytelling — 50+ templates, no code required.
Google Colab
Browser-based Python notebooks with free GPU access. No local setup needed.
Google Sheets
Free collaborative spreadsheet. 10 million cell limit. Real-time multi-user editing. The starting point for most data journalism.
Infogram
Data visualization and infographics platform. Drag-and-drop charts, maps, and interactive graphics — owned by Prezi since 2017.
Jupyter Notebooks
Interactive computing environment for data analysis, visualization, and documentation in one document.
Kaggle
The world's largest data science community — 460,000+ public datasets, free cloud notebooks, and machine learning competitions. Google-owned.
Knight Lab JuxtaposeJS
Before/after image slider for comparing photos. Embed in stories to show change over time.
Knight Lab StoryMap
Map-based interactive narratives — pin locations, add media, publish an embeddable story. Free, open-source, no coding.
Mapshaper
Browser-based tool for editing, simplifying, and converting geographic data. All processing happens locally — your shapefiles never leave your machine.
n8n
Self-hostable workflow automation with 350+ integrations. Fair-code licensed. The open alternative to Zapier where you keep your data on your own server.
Octoparse
No-code visual web scraper. Point-and-click data extraction with cloud execution, IP rotation, and 469+ pre-built scraper templates.
OpenRefine
Clean, transform, and reconcile messy data with reversible operations.
OpenStreetMap
Open map data used by the Washington Post, LA Times, and Chicago Tribune. Free, community-maintained, no tracking.
Our World in Data
Open-source research and data on global development, health, energy, poverty, and environment — from the University of Oxford.
Overpass Turbo
Web-based query tool for OpenStreetMap data. Extract hospitals, roads, buildings, or any mapped feature from the world's largest open geographic database.
Overview
Open-source document clustering and visualization for large investigative sets. Self-host only — the hosted service is gone.
PhantomBuster
Social media scraping and automation. Extract data from LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram for investigations.
QGIS
Open-source geographic information system used by every serious data journalism team.
RAWGraphs
Open-source data visualization for unconventional chart types. All processing happens in your browser.
Tableau Public
Free data visualization platform from Salesforce. Drag-and-drop charts, maps, and dashboards — but every viz you publish is visible to the entire internet, including the underlying data.
Tabula
Extract tables from PDF files into CSV or spreadsheet format.
USAFacts
Non-partisan government data platform founded by Steve Ballmer — spending, demographics, outcomes, and trends from 100+ government databases.
Zapier
Workflow automation platform connecting 8,000+ apps. Move data between tools, trigger alerts, auto-publish, and stitch together newsroom workflows without code.
Looking for something else?
Browse all 243 tools or check out free programs and discounts for journalists.