Why look beyond DashThis

DashThis is an automated marketing reporting tool, designed to help agencies and in-house teams consolidate data from various sources into customizable dashboards and reports. Its core functionality focuses on simplifying client reporting and performance monitoring through integrations with advertising platforms, web analytics, and social media channels. However, teams may seek alternatives for several reasons. Some users might require a more granular level of data manipulation and transformation capabilities than DashThis offers, especially those with complex data models or specific business intelligence requirements. Others may be looking for platforms with different pricing structures, particularly if their dashboard volume needs fluctuate significantly or if they require a free tier for smaller projects. Additionally, developer experience can be a factor; while DashThis prioritizes a user-friendly interface, organizations with extensive in-house development resources might benefit from tools offering more robust API access for programmatic report generation or integration with proprietary systems.

Alternative solutions often vary in their data visualization capabilities, offering different chart types, customization options, and interactive features. The breadth and depth of native integrations can also be a deciding factor, as some platforms may support niche data sources not covered by DashThis. Finally, the scalability of a reporting tool, in terms of handling large volumes of data or supporting a growing number of users and dashboards, can influence the decision for rapidly expanding teams or enterprises.

Top alternatives ranked

  1. 1. Looker Studio (Google Data Studio) — Free, customizable data visualization and reporting

    Looker Studio, formerly Google Data Studio, is a free, web-based tool for creating interactive dashboards and reports. It integrates natively with Google products like Google Analytics, Google Ads, and Google Sheets, and offers connectors for hundreds of other data sources. Users can create custom reports with various visualization options, sharing them with teams or clients. Looker Studio supports data blending, allowing users to combine data from different sources into a single report, and offers extensive customization of charts, tables, and themes. The platform is often chosen by users who need a no-cost solution with deep integration into the Google ecosystem, or those who require advanced customization capabilities without a significant budget for reporting software. While it has a steeper learning curve than some drag-and-drop tools, its flexibility and cost-effectiveness make it a popular choice for data analysts and marketers.

  2. 2. Supermetrics — Data connectors for advanced marketing analytics

    Supermetrics provides data connectors that pull marketing data from various platforms into destinations like Google Sheets, Google Looker Studio, Excel, or data warehouses. It specializes in aggregating data from advertising, social media, and analytics platforms, enabling users to build custom reports and dashboards in their preferred reporting environment. Supermetrics is often used by data analysts and marketing professionals who require more control over their data and prefer to use external tools for visualization and analysis. Its strength lies in its extensive list of integrations and its ability to automate data extraction, reducing manual effort. While Supermetrics itself isn't a reporting platform, it acts as a crucial bridge, allowing users to centralize their marketing data for in-depth analysis and custom dashboard creation in tools like Looker Studio. This approach offers flexibility for users with specific data storage or visualization needs.

    • Best for: Data analysts, marketers needing flexible data extraction, users of Google Sheets/Excel/Looker Studio for reporting, complex data aggregation.
    • Explore Supermetrics
    • Learn more about Supermetrics
  3. 3. Whatagraph — Visual client reporting and data consolidation

    Whatagraph is a marketing reporting platform that focuses on visual, automated reports and dashboards. It offers a drag-and-drop interface for building reports with various integrations for advertising, analytics, and social media platforms. Whatagraph is designed for marketing agencies and in-house teams who need to create visually appealing reports for clients or stakeholders. Its features include pre-built templates, customizable branding, and automated report delivery. The platform emphasizes ease of use and efficient report generation, aiming to simplify the process of communicating marketing performance. Users often choose Whatagraph for its intuitive interface, the aesthetic quality of its reports, and its ability to quickly consolidate data from multiple sources into a digestible format. It serves as an end-to-end solution for reporting, from data connection to final presentation.

    • Best for: Marketing agencies, client reporting, visual data presentation, automated report delivery, teams prioritizing ease of use.
    • Explore Whatagraph
    • Learn more about Whatagraph
  4. 4. Google Analytics — Web and app analytics for user behavior insights

    Google Analytics provides comprehensive data on website and app traffic, user behavior, and conversion performance. While not a dedicated client reporting tool in the same vein as DashThis, it offers detailed insights into how users interact with digital properties. Marketers and developers use Google Analytics to track page views, session duration, bounce rates, traffic sources, and conversion funnels. Its latest iteration, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), focuses on event-based data collection, providing a more unified view of user journeys across websites and apps. For client reporting, Google Analytics data can be exported or connected to tools like Looker Studio for custom visualization. It is an essential tool for understanding digital performance, offering both standard reports and custom exploration capabilities. Teams often rely on Google Analytics as the foundational data source for web performance metrics, which are then integrated into broader marketing reports.

    • Best for: Website and app performance tracking, user behavior analysis, conversion optimization, understanding digital audience engagement.
    • Explore Google Analytics
    • Learn more about Google Analytics
  5. 5. Microsoft Advertising — Ad platform for Bing, Yahoo, and AOL search networks

    Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads) is an advertising platform for the Microsoft Search Network, which includes Bing, Yahoo, and AOL. It allows advertisers to create and manage search, display, and native ad campaigns. While primarily an ad platform, it offers its own reporting interface for campaign performance analysis, including metrics on impressions, clicks, conversions, and ad spend. For teams looking to diversify their paid media efforts beyond Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising provides access to a distinct audience segment. Its reporting capabilities are built into the platform, allowing users to track the effectiveness of their campaigns within its ecosystem. Data from Microsoft Advertising can be integrated into broader marketing dashboards using connectors like Supermetrics or custom APIs, enabling a holistic view of multi-channel advertising performance. Its relevance as an alternative to DashThis stems from its integrated reporting for its specific advertising channels.

    • Best for: Reaching Microsoft Search Network audiences, diversifying paid media, B2B advertising, integrated campaign reporting.
    • Explore Microsoft Advertising
    • Learn more about Microsoft Advertising
  6. 6. Meta Ads (Facebook + Instagram) — Social media advertising and audience targeting

    Meta Ads provides a platform for businesses to run advertising campaigns across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Audience Network. It offers extensive targeting capabilities, various ad formats (image, video, carousel), and detailed reporting on campaign performance. While primarily an advertising platform, its built-in Ads Manager provides comprehensive analytics on reach, engagement, conversions, and return on ad spend. For marketers managing social media campaigns, Meta Ads' reporting is integral to understanding audience response and optimizing ad performance. Data from Meta Ads can be exported or connected to external reporting tools to combine with other marketing channels. Its importance as an alternative to DashThis lies in its integrated reporting for social media advertising, offering deep insights into specific campaign metrics. Teams managing significant social ad spend rely on Meta Ads' native reporting features for day-to-day optimization.

  7. 7. LinkedIn Ads — B2B advertising and professional audience engagement

    LinkedIn Ads is a platform for targeting professionals on the LinkedIn network with various ad formats, including Sponsored Content, Message Ads, and Dynamic Ads. Its reporting capabilities within the Campaign Manager provide insights into campaign performance, focusing on metrics relevant to B2B marketing such as lead generation, website visits, and engagement with professional content. For businesses targeting specific industries, job titles, or company sizes, LinkedIn Ads offers unparalleled audience precision. Its integrated reporting allows marketers to track the effectiveness of their B2B campaigns, understand audience demographics, and optimize ad spend. While not a general-purpose reporting tool, its specialized analytics for professional audiences make it a critical component for B2B marketers. Data from LinkedIn Ads can be integrated into broader marketing dashboards using third-party connectors or APIs, providing a comprehensive view of overall marketing efforts.

    • Best for: B2B lead generation, professional networking, talent acquisition marketing, account-based marketing, detailed B2B campaign analytics.
    • Explore LinkedIn Ads
    • Learn more about LinkedIn Ads reporting

Side-by-side

Feature / Tool DashThis Looker Studio Supermetrics Whatagraph Google Analytics Microsoft Advertising Meta Ads LinkedIn Ads
Primary Function Automated Marketing Reports Custom Data Visualization Data Connectors Visual Client Reporting Web & App Analytics Ad Platform & Reporting Ad Platform & Reporting Ad Platform & Reporting
Free Tier Available No Yes No (free trial) No (free trial) Yes N/A (platform) N/A (platform) N/A (platform)
Developer API Access No (user-focused UI) Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Native Google Integrations Yes Extensive Extensive Yes Native Limited (via connectors) Limited (via connectors) Limited (via connectors)
Client Reporting Focus High Medium Low (data only) High Low (data source) Low (platform-specific) Low (platform-specific) Low (platform-specific)
Ease of Use (Reporting) High Medium Low (data extraction) High Medium Medium Medium Medium
Data Transformation Capabilities Limited Medium High Limited Medium Limited Limited Limited
Pricing Model Subscription (by dashboards) Free Subscription (by connectors) Subscription (by dashboards) Free (GA4) Ad Spend Ad Spend Ad Spend

How to pick

Selecting an alternative to DashThis requires evaluating your specific needs for data aggregation, reporting, and visualization. Consider the following factors:

  1. Reporting Automation vs. Data Granularity:

    • If your primary need is automated, client-ready reports with a focus on visual appeal and ease of setup, Whatagraph is a strong contender. It simplifies the report creation process significantly.
    • If you require granular control over your data, need to perform complex data transformations, or prefer to build reports in external tools like Google Sheets or Excel, Supermetrics provides the necessary data connectors to pull raw data for custom analysis.
  2. Budget and Ecosystem Preference:

    • For budget-conscious teams or those deeply embedded in the Google ecosystem, Looker Studio (Google Data Studio) is a powerful free option. It offers extensive customization and integrates seamlessly with Google products, though it has a steeper learning curve.
    • If your analysis heavily relies on website and app user behavior, Google Analytics is indispensable as a foundational data source. Its data can then be integrated into other reporting tools.
  3. Specific Advertising Channel Focus:

    • If your reporting needs are highly specific to particular advertising platforms and you need deep insights from those channels, consider leveraging the native reporting within Microsoft Advertising, Meta Ads, or LinkedIn Ads. These platforms offer detailed analytics for their respective ecosystems, which can then be combined with other data sources using connectors.
    • These advertising platforms are not direct replacements for a consolidated reporting tool but provide the raw, channel-specific data that such tools aggregate.
  4. Developer Experience and API Needs:

    • If your team has developers and requires programmatic access to data or the ability to integrate with custom applications, tools like Supermetrics and Looker Studio offer robust API capabilities. The advertising platforms themselves (Microsoft Advertising, Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads) also provide APIs for data extraction. DashThis, by contrast, focuses on a user-friendly interface over developer APIs.
  5. Scalability and Data Volume:

    • For organizations dealing with very large datasets or requiring enterprise-level scalability, solutions that allow data to be pushed into data warehouses (often facilitated by tools like Supermetrics) might be more appropriate, providing greater flexibility for complex analytics operations.

Ultimately, the best alternative aligns with your team's technical capabilities, budget constraints, the complexity of your data sources, and the intended audience for your reports. A free solution like Looker Studio may suffice for many, while others might benefit from specialized data connectors like Supermetrics or highly visual reporting platforms such as Whatagraph for client-facing deliverables.