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Snowflake has revolutionized how businesses store, process, and analyze data, offering unparalleled flexibility, scalability, and performance. But as with any powerful technology, to truly harness its potential, it's essential to have the right tools at your disposal.

This article is your guide to the top 6 tools that can supercharge your productivity when working with Snowflake. Whether you're wrangling data, integrating diverse data sources, creating stunning visualizations, or deriving actionable insights, these tools can enhance your efficiency and effectiveness.

So, let's dive in and explore these productivity-boosting tools that can take your Snowflake operations to the next level.

 

Data Preparation Tools

 

1. Datameer

 

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Datameer is a self-service data preparation tool that's designed to make working with big data more manageable. It's all about simplifying the process and saving you time.

Features:

• Data Discovery: Datameer provides a visual interface that makes it easier to explore and understand your data. It's about turning the complex into something more digestible.
• Data Preparation: With Datameer, you can clean, transform, and enrich your data, preparing it for analysis. The best part is, you don't need to dive into complex coding or scripting.
• Data Exploration: Datameer offers a range of data visualization tools that allow you to interact with your data. It's about gaining insights quickly and effectively.
• Integration: Datameer can connect with a wide range of data sources, from traditional databases to complex cloud-based data lakes. It's about bringing all your data together in one place.

Pros:

• Datameer's user-friendly interface simplifies data discovery, preparation, and exploration.
• Its data preparation capabilities allow you to clean, transform, and enrich your data without the need for complex coding.
• Datameer's ability to integrate with various data sources provides a unified view of all your data.

Cons:

• While Datameer offers a wide range of features, it might be more than what some small businesses need.

Pricing:

Datameer's pricing isn't publicly disclosed on their website, but you can schedule a quick call with their team to get personalized pricing that meets your team’s needs.

Use Case:

Assuming you're a data analyst working for a large corporation. You're dealing with data from various sources, including traditional databases and complex cloud-based data lakes.

With Datameer, you can connect to these data sources, prepare your data and explore your data in a super interactive environment. It's all about getting insights fast and making data-driven decisions that push your business forward.

The video below discusses a bit of  Datameer and Snowflake collaboration.

 

Data Visualization Tools

 

2. Tableau

 

Tableau is a leading tool in the realm of data visualization. Its intuitive interface and drag-and-drop capabilities make it a user-friendly choice for both technical and non-technical users.

The seamless integration between Tableau and Snowflake enables you to pull data directly from your Snowflake data warehouse, turning it into actionable insights in no time.

Key Features:

• Interactive Dashboards: Explore and understand your data through interactive dashboards.
• Data Blending: Blend data from multiple sources for a comprehensive view of your data landscape.
• Real-Time Data Analysis: Make decisions based on the most up-to-date data with real-time analysis capabilities.

Why is it Recommended:

Tableau's user-friendly interface and powerful data visualization capabilities make it a great choice for businesses looking to democratize data access.  The smooth data analysis workflow, courtesy of its integration with Snowflake, is another major plus.

Pricing Details:

Tableau offers a range of pricing options depending on your needs, starting from $70 per user per month for Tableau Creator.  Lower price points are available for Tableau Explorer and Tableau Viewer, offering fewer capabilities.

Learning Curve:

Despite its intuitive interface, mastering Tableau requires a learning curve. Thankfully, a wealth of resources, including tutorials, webinars, and a robust community, are available to help users get up to speed.

Community and Support:

A large and active community of users backs Tableau, always ready to lend a helping hand. Additionally, Tableau's customer support is top-notch, featuring a comprehensive knowledge base, live support, and a dedicated support team.

Use Cases:

Businesses of all sizes and across various industries turn to Tableau for data visualization. Whether it's creating interactive dashboards, performing ad-hoc analysis, or generating reports, Tableau has got you covered.

 

Data Integration/ETL Tools

 

3. Fivetran

 

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Fivetran is a cloud-based data integration tool that's all about automating your data pipeline. It's designed to take the hassle out of data integration.

Features:

• Automated Data Pipelines: Fivetran takes care of setting up, maintaining, and scaling your data pipelines. It's like having a personal data pipeline manager.
• Pre-built Connectors: Fivetran comes with hundreds of pre-built connectors, allowing you to integrate data from various sources, including Snowflake easily.
• Data Transformation: Fivetran supports in-warehouse data transformation, allowing you to transform your data right where it's stored.

Why It Stands Out:

• Fivetran's automated data pipelines take the manual work out of data integration.
• Its pre-built connectors make it easy to integrate data from a wide range of sources.
• Fivetran's support for in-warehouse data transformation allows for efficient data processing.

Considerations:

• Fivetran's advanced features may require a learning curve for beginners.
• The cost of Fivetran can be a barrier for smaller organizations or startups.

Pricing:

The pricing for Fivetran is usage-based, meaning you only pay for the Monthly Active Rows (MAR) you use each month. They offer 14 days of free usage for any new connector, allowing you to project usage and pricing before making a commitment. 

 

Business Intelligence Tools

 

4. Looker

 

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Looker is a modern business intelligence platform that lets everyone in your business make informed decisions - from anywhere. It's all about empowering users with data.

Key Features:

• Self-Service Analytics: Looker allows users to explore and discover insights in real-time with a few clicks. It's about making data accessible to everyone.
• Data Modeling: Looker's powerful data modeling layer allows you to define business metrics and logic once, and then use them consistently across the organization.
• Integration: Looker integrates seamlessly with Snowflake, allowing you to leverage your existing data warehouse.

Why You Might Love It:

Looker's user-friendly interface and powerful data modeling capabilities make it a great choice for businesses looking to democratize data access. Plus, its integration with Snowflake ensures a smooth data analysis workflow.

Pricing Details:

Looker's pricing isn't specifically disclosed on their website, but you can contact them directly to get a quote based on your specific needs.

 

Data Governance Tools

 

Data governance involves the management and protection of data, ensuring it's reliable, consistent, and accessible. The ideal qualities we look for in data governance tools are the following:

• They should provide comprehensive data governance capabilities, including data quality, master data management, data privacy, and data cataloging.
• They should integrate seamlessly with other data platforms, including Snowflake.
• They should be user-friendly, enabling organizations to establish a strong data governance framework easily.

There are many options to choose from in this category of tools. Among the most popular are Collibra and Informatica, to name a few.

 

5. Collibra

 

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Collibra is a comprehensive data governance platform that provides tools to manage, govern, and understand data. It's designed to help organizations maximize the value of their data.

Collibra stands out for its robust data governance capabilities, user-friendly interface, and extensive integration options, including Snowflake. It's a great choice for organizations looking to establish a strong data governance framework.

Collibra's pricing isn't publicly disclosed on their website, but you can contact them directly to get a quote based on your specific needs.

 

6. Informatica

 

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Informatica is a leading provider of data integration software and services. It offers a suite of data governance tools designed to ensure data quality, compliance, and security. 

Informatica's comprehensive suite of data governance tools, combined with its robust data integration capabilities, make it a powerful choice for organizations looking to enhance their data governance. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with Snowflake, allowing you to leverage your existing data warehouse.

Informatica prefers to discuss pricing directly with customers to provide a personalized quote.

 

Conclusion

 

So, now you know about the useful tools that can supercharge your productivity on Snowflake. These are the tools that data professionals around the world rely on to streamline their workflows, gain insights from their data, and drive decision-making.

But remember, while all these tools offer great features, it's also important to consider how easily they can integrate with Snowflake. For instance, Datameer, to the best of my knowledge, integrates seamlessly with Snowflake. This is so because it is purely built for Snowflake.

Explore these tools, try out their features, and see which ones resonate with you the most. And of course, we'd love to hear about your experiences. 

Have you used any of these tools before? Are there any others that you swear by? Share your thoughts in the comments section, and let's continue the conversation!
 
 
Ndz Anthony is a senior BI Analyst and tutor. He enjoys educating through writing relating to business intelligence and enterprise analytics.