Top Embedded Analytics Platforms for Developer Experience

• You’re exploring top embedded analytics platforms to enhance your application.
• You want to understand which tools offer the best developer experience.
• You aim to find a platform that balances low-code/no-code flexibility with advanced customization options.

Gone are the days of traditional BI tools, many modern B2B SaaS applications need quality custom reporting and embedded analytics solutions are just that. Therefore, when you are integrating customer-facing dashboards you are looking for time-to-vale, not just time-to-market. Embedded analytics platforms are crucial for integrating advanced data visualizations directly into your applications. Keeping this point in mind, we’ll help you find the perfect balance for your software. Here, we compare the top three embedded analytics platforms focusing on the developer experience: Vizzly, Luzmo, and Metabase.

1. Vizzly

Vizzly is perfect for teams seeking a balance between low-code/no-code options and advanced customization. Its extensive features, such as native theming, no-code editing with programmatic capabilities, make it a standout choice for developers looking for flexibility and control.

Top Features:

1. No-code dashboard editor:
   • Although Vizzly comes with a bunch of developers tools, non-technical stakeholders can still engage in the build process, building and editing dashboards and datasets.
   • Reducing engineering time and helping foster better collaboration between teams.
2. Framework support:
   • Native React embeds as well as HTML web components for other frameworks including Vue, Angular and Svelte - no iFrames, no headaches.
   • Vizzly embeds are extensible with code and therefore highly configurable to suit even the most complex design system and end-user requirements.
3. Custom theming with Theme API:
   • Override CSS objects on the dashboard to make the dashboard look and feel like your application. With Vizzly, you can customize hundreds of dashboard properties.
   • The Theme API gives developers granular control over the appearance of their dashboards, ensuring brand alignment and a cohesive user interface.
4. Component overrides:
   • Developers can override default dashboards components like icons, drop-downs and modals. With Component Overrides and the Vizzly Theme API, you can achieve complete parity with your design system.
   • After all, very element of the dashboard, from the layout and spacing to the icons and drop-downs, contributes to the overall end-user experience.
5. JS services package:
   • Developers can create, manage and delete views and dashboards programmatically using Vizzly’s React Hook or JS Services Package for direct API access.
6. State management (VizzlyState):
   • Enables external state management, for complex data interactions and synchronization with the rest of your application.

For modern SaaS companies looking for next generation embedded analytics, check out Vizzly.

2. Luzmo (formerly Cumul.io)

Top Features:

1. Core API:
   • Robust API for managing dashboards and users. Luzmo offers an API for building datasets & dashboards and managing users & groups.
2. Supports iFrames and HTML embeds:
   • Primary method of embedding is iFrame, although they have recently evolved to offer HTML components for embedding. There is still no native JS or React embedding.
3. Cloud only
   • Luzmo offers a white-labelled cloud-based solution, popular with teams that want something quick to plug into their app who don’t care about configuration or controlling their own data.
4. No-code focus
   • Luzmo are focused on helping non-technical teams build dashboards for their customers. Although basic APIs exist, there’s limited developer tooling, and limits to what can achieved from an end-user experienve perspective.
5. Basic theming
   • Can control colour palette and fonts through a simple UI. At time of writing, there’s no way of overriding CSS objects or injecting custom components into the dashboard.
   • Modern SaaS companies often have customers with incredibly high user expectations. It’s important to consider the impact of these restrictions early on in the build process.

Key Consideration: Luzmo offers a white-labelled approach for those looking for quick time-to-market. Although there are significant limitations to customization and extensibility, you can embed via iFrame or as an HTML web component for maximum simplicity. The no-code dashboard builder also makes it easy for non-technical stakeholders to engage in development, similar to other embedded analytics products.

3. Metabase

Top Features:

1. Open source:
   • Offers extensive flexibility and community support, being an open-source platform. Community support is one of main reasons SaaS companies prefer Metabase and the open-source also allows for developers to modify the source code to meet specific needs.
2. iFrame-based embedding for simple implementation:
   • Although iFrames is straightforward for simple implementation, it poses a security risk and is outdated, which hinders the developer experience.
3. Self-hosted & cloud:
   • Ability to run in Cloud or self-host for maximum control. Similar to Vizzly, Metabase offers a dual approach to give the developer choice and freedom over where their data sits.

Key Consideration: Metabase is an internal BI tool, but it is open-source and, therefore, free. You can embed via iFrame for customer-facing analytics. It's a robust product with the option to run in the cloud as well for users seeking a more straightforward setup method. Similar to Luzmo, customization and extensibility are very limited, as is developer tooling.

Conclusion

When selecting an embedded analytics platform, consider the specific needs of your development team and end-users of your SaaS application.

Vizzly excels in offering a balanced mix of low-code/no-code flexibility and extensive customization options, making it ideal for diverse teams. It saves time while also providing superior DX: dashboards extensible with code for maximum control over experience.

See how Vizzly compares to open source chart libraries for embedding analytics in your SaaS app.

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