Business Analytics powers business intelligence to its maximum potential, which helps organisations to better understand the return on investment on employee, department performance, or product profitability. Data gives way to business analytics to make future performance forecasts. In today's world, a lot of business analytic tools are available online, one of the most prominent ones is cloud analytics, which keeps data online and information in sync across organizational hierarchies.

Cloud Analytics not only allows an organisation to import data but also assists in generating detailed reports, which can be shared across departments. As these reports are based on the cloud, many platforms follow a flexible per-user pricing model giving organisations an upper hand to fix their budgets accordingly. As technology develops, a large number of organisations are depending on cloud for their business functions and to drive maximum returns. Here are the Top Cloud Analytics Providers of 2018.

1. Microsoft Power BI

Microsoft Power BI is an extremely flexible tool that helps organisations gain insights and helping subscribers use it to access many supported cloud-based and on-premise sources such as Salesforce, Excel and Sharepoint.

Microsoft Power BI is powered with multiple features such as quick measures, forecasting, grouping and clustering, making users more comfortable with Excel deploying DAX formula to control the analytic tool. Microsoft's cloud platform also gives an option to analyse data and find patterns which has been missed in prior analysis. Power Bi is very visual, where users can create reports with interactive data visualizations. Its dashboard is simple to use and comes with an easy drag and drop feature. Reports are created easily with formatting, theming and layout tools through a drag and drop.

Power BI comes with three plans, Power BI desktop, Power BI pro and Power Bi Premium packages. 'Power Bi Desktop' plan is free and suitable for single users, including connections to a variety of different data sources, visual tools and analytic visualization tools. The other package, 'Power Bi Pro' comes at a price tag of $9.99 (£7.74) per month per user. The paid Power Bi Pro offers clients the flexibility to build dashboards that deliver a real-time, 360 degree, view of their business. Power Bi Pro includes automation of updates, collaboration, audits, governance and distribution to users with apps.

The 'Power Bi Premium' plan is based on capacity pricing which can be calculated from the Power Bi website.

2. Host Analytics

Host Analytics helps organisations create custom reports securely using AES-256 encryption in one application. The cloud platform gives the hosts to back up data on an hourly basis. The suite is targeted towards medium to large businesses and offers an easy to use dashboard that allows users to manage financial and operational processes. The inbuilt forecast and planning tools analyse the effects of different projects to an organisation.

Host Analytics works from a centralized database where users can enter and manage multiple sets of books, journals and allocations. The solution gives users an option to transfer data from each source to its dashboard automatically, thus leaving them from the task to copy data piece by piece. Users can run analyses through a variety of reports and can present and publish data as they see fit. The reports can be published using Microsoft PowerPoint, Word or the Financial Package Publisher. Host Analytics' dashboard includes standard reporting templates which can be customised to suit business needs.

Host Analytics suite demos are available upon request. Direct quote can be requested by the webpage by the users.

3. Zoho Reports

Founded in 2006, Zoho can create complex reports with advanced features. Zoho's reporting application, part of the Zoho software suite allows users access to an easy to use dashboard. Additionally, Zoho Reports works as a stand-alone package also, with a user-friendly interface where users have the access to a help center, a snapshot tour, a variety of data samples and live chat.

Zoho reports give the flexibility to its users to load data onto their reporting centre on a few clicks, where they can share data and collaborate on tables and reports. Additionally, more in-depth reporting is also available suited to experienced users. Zoho advanced reporting feature includes an easy drag and drop feature used to insert data into columns created by the users. Zoho offers a variety of filters, where users can sort data, queries and output visualizations as required; additionally, analysts can also run custom made SQL queries.

Zoho 'Basic' package is $25 (£19.35) per month which includes two users, 0.5 million rows, unlimited reports, over 100 data connectors, Zoho Apps connectors, slideshow and daily sync. Zoho 'Standard' plan begins at $50 (£38.69) per month. Riders include 5 users, 1 million rows, hourly data sync, groups support, workspace admin role and data backup.

Zoho 'Premium' tier starts at $125 (£96.75) per month and comes along with 15 users and 5 million rows, Zoho Premium users additionally receive logo rebranding and private links. The highest package, Zoho 'Enterprise' is $495 (£383.13) per month which includes 50 users, 50 million rows, 5x performance and lives chat support.

4. Domo

Domo offers users to filter import and generate reports at ease with its customizable platform. The suite comes with a 30-day free trial that includes 5 users, 5 million rows of data and hourly data refresh, App store and is HIPPA compliant. Founded in 2010, Domo specializes in business intelligence tools and data visualization where users can manage the functions from the main dashboard. Domo dashboard is straightforward to use and works in real-time allowing users to view data relating to multiple business areas, key performance indicators and return-on-investment parameters.

The suite comes with its own App Store where users can access free and paid connectors and a variety of plugins which help them with office tools such as Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. Domo 'Workbench' imports a large amount of data via XML, ODBC and Excel into the solution. Domo 'Analyzer' application is used to view results that come with a data filter option where less interesting data can be hidden with one-click. The Domo 'Standard' package offers a free trial plus accessible to 20 users with consulting benefits.

Domo 'Professional' package includes the components of the 'Standard' package with additional unlimited users, 250 million rows, on-demand data refresh and premium support package. Domo 'Enterprise' plan adds the features of the 'Professional' package plus unlimited data, advanced governance, security and HIPAA compliance. Pricing for all packages offered by Domo is available upon request.

5. IBM Cognos Analytics

IBM Cognos Analytics offers guided data discovery, automated predictive analytics, and cognitive capabilities such as natural language dialogue, making it possible for users to interact with data conversationally and obtain easy-to-understand answers.

IBM Cognos Analytics integrates reporting, modeling, analysis, dashboards, stories, and event management to understand organization data, and make effective business decisions. Users can assemble a view that contains visualizations such as graphs, charts, plots, tables, maps, or any other visual representation of data. It can enrich dashboards and stories with web pages and other content. The IBM Cognos Analytics web modeling tool quickly creates data modules from various sources, such as data servers, uploaded files, and previously saved data modules. The tool is intent-driven and generates a base module by using keywords that you define.