No matter what business you are in, staying organized is the key to success. Not everything is a great fit for Excel.
With data management software, you can have data reports automated, data imported from various sources, and available for viewing in one sleek interface.
Luckily, there are hundreds of data management software available these days and it’s only a matter of finding the software that fits your needs.
If that’s what you’re looking for, you’re in the right place!
Down below, find some of the best free data management software that will improve the way you deal with data without costing you a single dollar.
Benefits Of Data Management Software And Why You Need It
Data gives value. It can help you learn who your audience is, how to approach your audience, what they like, what works for your business, increase profits, and much more.
Every business has data surrounding it. But if you aren’t collecting it, storing it, and organizing it properly to use it for your advantage, the data is wasted.
Some businesses try to do their best to collect and use data for specific needs. However, depending on the size of a company, data can easily become overwhelming.
Excel is the easiest software to use but there are many other advanced yet free software that can help you take full advantage of your data.
It’s not only how you collect and manage the data, but it’s also how data is understood and that’s where data management software excels.
On top of the easy data collection and data storage, data management software also helps customize the experience to various industries, increase security & privacy, allow easier collaboration, and most importantly, provide data consistency.
Making smarter business decisions and moves, creating a better spending budget, or just having an eye on how your business is progressing are some of the benefits of such software.
Since you’re so far into this post, keep on reading to find out more.
Best Free Data Management Software
1. Microsoft SQL
Microsoft features one of the most known SQL databases which can serve the purpose of data management.
What most people don’t know is that Microsoft also offers a free option where you can get a server on an Azure virtual machine that you can use for data management. This way, you still don’t have to host the software by yourself, and yet your whole team can easily access it online.
This database works with software applications so you can store data and have access to it at any time.
When you create a database using Microsoft SQL, you can run queries, manage your data’s structure, and even build machine learning models. This allows advanced data analysis suitable even for the largest companies.
What I like the most about this is not only that it’s a free way to set up a database using the trusted Microsoft SQL, but the database is also automatically encrypted so your data is always secure (even if it gets stolen).
2. MongoDB
If you’re looking for software that won’t only improve the way you store your data, but even modernize the approach to data analytics, MongoDB is the right solution.
MongoDB is an application data platform that allows you to store your business data and modernize the whole data structure right from the start.
What’s so great about MongoDB is that it’s also a great fit for developers who like to work with data using code as this is one of many possibilities of MongoDB.
Even though it’s a NoSQL database, it has various features that will help you refine your data, filter it, and distribute it evenly.
What I like the most about MongoDB is that it features a very modern and intuitive interface that will provide structure to your data, quick insights, and even help you make the most of your available storage.
MongoDB is a free data management software, but be aware that it offers 512MB of storage space.
3. Oracle Database
When you’re looking for free data management software that offers a lot of storage for free, Oracle is a great company to check out first.
Oracle Database has two versions available and my favorite is the Oracle Autonomous Data Warehouse.
This version provides 20GB of free storage and yet it allows you to store and manage your data in a couple of different ways.
Not only Oracle allows you to store and organize data, but it also allows you to develop applications using your data, test applications in real-time, take advantage of machine learning model development, and even edit your data using the SQL editor.
On top of that, your data is going to be secure and private at all times with regular backups included in the free version of the software.
In case you ever occur any data loss, Oracle Database can even help you recover it in case of any system failure.
4. InterBase
When you’re looking for a modern way to store your data and yet have access to it even when using Android or iOS devices, InterBase is the right choice.
This database features commercial-grade security so your business data will always be secure. Yet InterBase is a lightweight and high-performance database that features almost everything you could ask from a data management software.
What’s also great about InterBase is that it’s easily scalable for larger businesses, and yet it’s always efficient, no matter the amount of data you store and manage.
The database is full of features (including SQL) so you will be able to manage your stored data in any way you imagine without having to worry about reliability or support.
In case of a failure or data loss, InterBase has a system in place that will retrieve your data at no additional cost which is just one of many benefits.
You can either run InterBase on your server or you can have it embedded into your devices such as Android so you can always keep an eye on your data no matter where you are.
5. MySQL
If you’re looking for a very versatile and flexible yet reliable data management software, you might have heard of MySQL as you were doing your research.
MySQL is an open-source database that is highly reliable and yet is suitable for building database applications. What I like the most about MySQL is that the database management is scalable which favors it to smaller and mid-sized companies, but even larger companies that deal with a lot of data.
You get to manage your data in various languages and the great thing about MySQL is that it also features a cloud version which makes your data accessible from anywhere you are.
Keep in mind that there are different editions to the MySQL data management software and you get to choose between Enterprise, Standard, or Classic edition. I highly recommend you choose according to your needs.
On top of that, I should mention that MySQL also integrates a real-time analytics engine which is proven to be very useful.
7. MariaDB
If you’re a fan of MySQL data management software yet you’re looking for something that’ll be a bit easier to use, MariaDB is a great solution.
Why?
MariaDB is a data management software that’s invented by the same developers of MySQL and they’ve aimed this software to small and medium-sized enterprises that require efficient data processing capabilities.
Just like MySQL, MariaDB is an open-source data management system that is a great fit for various applications and ways of use.
What I like the most about the MariaDB is the Galera cluster technology which allows you to visually store and manage your data.
With that being said, MariaDB is very easy to integrate into any business to store and manage data, but it’s even a perfect alternative to replace any data management software you’re currently using.
Scalability will never be an issue as MariaDB is more than capable to support data surges. With additional functions (that aren’t seen in MySQL) getting the most from your data is guaranteed.
8. SQLite
If you’re pretty new to data management software and you’d like the simplest software out there, SQLite is your choice.
SQLite has been around for almost two decades and yet it’s still one of the popular open-source free data management software.
The reason it’s so popular is the simplicity that allows you to import, store, and manage your data without having to run your own server or install SQLite anywhere.
Yet on the inside, SQLite is full of well-known data management features such as an in-memory library, SQL database engine, and others.
It’s so light that you can store it directly on your computer and yet fully use everything SQLite has to offer.
Even though it doesn’t have visual and fancy data analytics, it’s still a decent way to manage your data if you’re looking to step away from Excel and grab onto a more advanced yet simple software.
Having to do zero configuration from the start and yet you can focus only on your data is an ice-breaker in many industries that aren’t familiar with the software. I believe that this is one of the biggest advantages of SQLite.
9. Firebird
Firebird is another open-source and versatile data management software that is very unique.
What’s so unique about Firebird is that it allows you to customize it completely and even build your version. Therefore, if you have a system that helps you collect your data and your ways of reading data, Firebird is a great choice.
Another significant thing is that FireBird provides real-time monitoring of your data, SQL debugging, and even a data audit.
When it comes down to backup and security, you will be able to backup your data online. I noticed that Firebird comes with a Windows trusted authentication so you won’t have to worry about pouring all your data into this system.
Even though Firebird doesn’t offer integrated tables and integration with third-party databases, it’s more than capable of supporting architectures such as SuperServer.
10. CouchDB
When you need a web-based data management software that you can access via any device and you’re still interested in being flexible with the way you integrate your data, CouchDB is a great option.
CouchDB is provided by Apache so you will need to have a server to host this software at. However, you can also choose a mobile version known as PouchDB.
This software allows you to store your data on your servers so you won’t ever have to worry about security or privacy. Yet what it does is it gives you a clean interface from where you have a lot of flexibility on the way you store and manage your data.
What’s also great to know is that CouchDB is ideal for businesses that are growing as it’s fairly scalable.
If you don’t have your server, you’d love to know that CouchDB can be stored on any cloud hosting so you won’t ever have to worry if your data is accessible.
I also noticed that CouchDB supports binary data and this is a great option as it might be important for some businesses.
11. Cubrid
If you’re in a need of data management software that will support your enterprise and will provide all features you might need to manage your data, Cubrid can be a great solution.
Cubrid is a data management software based on an open-source which makes it ideal for use in various industries such as enterprises, SaaS, social networking, online games, and even online websites.
There’s one feature that caught my eye and it’s a rare feature to see in data management software. Cubrid provides features that will help you automatically expand the volume of your data.
With that being said, you can use Cubrid for an unlimited number of databases and sizes (as long as your server has the storage space).
Even though there’s no cloud version available, Cubrid is web-based so you can access it via any device yet data can only be stored onto your server.
12. PostgreSQL
If you’re worried about adding your data to any data management software and storing it anywhere (whether it’s the cloud or your server), PostgreSQL is a great solution to all your worries.
PostgreSQL is the most robust data management software that supports indexing, provides advanced indexing, and can deal with many different data types.
Therefore, not only is PostgreSQL a versatile data management software, it’s also highly secure. It even comes with a disaster recovery feature so you will have nothing to worry about once you import your data into PostgreSQL.
I noticed that PostgreSQL comes with a full-text search which is one of the features that aren’t available in all data management software and yet it’s beneficial for companies with lots of data.
On top of that, this software even supports international character sets which ensure that you can manage your data in any type and form.
13. DynamoDB
If you’re a big fan of Amazon and all of its services, you’ll love DynamoDB as it’s the data management software introduced by Amazon.
DynamoDB is based on the key-value method which helps anyone store their data and it’s suitable for businesses of any size.
I find it an ideal pick for anyone in the gaming, web application, or microservices industry as DynamoDB has features that can support most of the digital industries.
Built-in security is provided and the whole software is managed so all you have to do is only learn your way around and use it as efficiently as you can to store your data.
I should also mention that DynamoDB is more of a document data management type of software which means it’s very versatile.
I was also really surprised that DynamoDB is free to use and yet it provides a strong service that bridges the software and the internet to provide companies with a solution that will help them focus on data and never have to worry about actually installing or running the software.
14. Neo4j
If you’re a big fan of Java, you’ll love Neo4j as it’s a data management software that’s built around Java.
And if you’re a visual person or a company, Neo4j is the spot-on data management software for a couple of reasons.
The biggest reason is that Neo4j stores your data in graphs instead of tables. Therefore, this automatically helps you visualize your data and manage it directly in their intuitive interface.
With that being said, Neo4j supports graph analytics and even transactional applications.
The main purpose of the Neo4J data management software is to provide you a way to store and manage your data, but it’s also to help you or your business to organize, connect, and influence through the use of your data.
You won’t only leverage having the data organized and stored in one secure place where you can visually see it, but you’ll also be able to import data from different sources and make “relationships” between them to compare the data for even more accurate insights.
15. Cassandra
If you’re dealing with large amounts of data across more than one server, Cassandra is the perfect data management software for your needs.
What’s so special about Cassandra is that this data management software allows data replication which reduces the movement over the network (which reduces bottlenecks), increases parallelism, and improves the availability of data.
Even though this requires a lot more storage space and can be very expensive at times, Cassandra is a completely free tool.
I’ve also noticed that Cassandra supports contracts and services that include third parties which is a great feature that is rare to see in data management software. Yet if you require data management software for your enterprise, Cassandra has everything you will need.
With that being said, data is being well distributed, and most importantly, it’s easily scalable without spending a lot of time or having to worry about coming across issues or even worse data faults.
Conclusion
Data management might seem like a next step forward for yourself or your business, but it’s a necessary step to take to be in full control of your data and more importantly, be able to get more insight from your data.
Finding a data management software can be tricky, but you have a list of the 15 best and free data management software you can use. No matter which software you go for, you won’t be disappointed.
But with that being said, not every data management software works the same way, so I highly recommend you choose the one that fits your needs the best!
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