Is It Worth Building Analytics Software in 2026?
The analytics software market is currently saturated, with a high level of competition and significant user dissatisfaction. Many existing products struggle with complex implementation processes, lengthy setup times, and inadequate reporting capabilities. This article explores the pain points faced by users of popular analytics tools and identifies potential opportunities for new entrants in the market.
01 / Market snapshot
What the dataset says at a glance
Scores summarize the observed market, while the underlying counts remain visible for context.
- Market score
- 25/100
- Risk score
- 75/100
- Pain signals
- 70
- Reviews
- 156
- Confidence
- 83%
Opportunity strength
Competitive pressure
6 clusters
10 products
high
Strongest observed signal
Users find Trello insufficient for complex project management needs
This unresolved complaint presents a significant commercial opportunity, as 15.4% of users are actively seeking more robust project management solutions. Addressing these needs could capture a portion of the market that is currently dissatisfied with existing offerings, especially among mid-sized businesses managing numerous projects.
24
mentions
02 / Signal map
Where customer frustration concentrates
Every chart uses stored report analytics. AI writes the narrative but does not create the numbers.
Pain signal frequency
Recurring complaint mentions, ranked by observed volume.
View chart data
| Pain theme | Mentions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Users find Trello insufficient for complex project management needs | 24 | 15.4% |
| Users struggle with lengthy setup times for effective budgeting and reporting | 14 | 9.0% |
| Users find it challenging to generate detailed reports in preferred formats like PDF or Excel | 10 | 6.4% |
| Users struggle with the complexity of backend scripting in Qlik Sense | 9 | 5.8% |
| Users find Vena's platform overly complicated and rigid for their budgeting needs | 8 | 5.1% |
| Users struggle with complex implementation processes that hinder usability | 5 | 3.2% |
Pain cluster scores
Severity, emotional intensity, and commercial opportunity on a 1–10 scale.
View chart data
| Pain theme | Severity | Emotion | Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Users find Trello insufficient for complex project management needs | 4.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Users find it challenging to generate detailed reports in preferred formats like PDF or Excel | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Users struggle with the complexity of backend scripting in Qlik Sense | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Users struggle with complex implementation processes that hinder usability | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Users struggle with lengthy setup times for effective budgeting and reporting | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.0 |
| Users find Vena's platform overly complicated and rigid for their budgeting needs | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.0 |
Complaint signal over time
Annual mentions across the pain clusters included in this report.
View chart data
| Year | Mentions |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 4 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 12 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 8 |
| 2026 | 3 |
Competitor landscape
Public review volume and average rating for the products in this study.
View chart data
| Product | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Trello | 33 | 2.6 |
| Adaptive Insights | 20 | 2.7 |
| Planful | 20 | 2.7 |
| Workday Adaptive Planning | 20 | 2.7 |
| Qlik Sense | 20 | 2.3 |
| Anaplan | 18 | 3.0 |
| Vena Solutions | 11 | 2.3 |
| Prophix | 9 | 2.8 |
03 / Findings
The pain points behind the numbers
Ranked clusters connect quantified signals to real customer language and source evidence.
Users find Trello insufficient for complex project management needs
What customers report
Users appreciate Trello's simplicity but find it lacking for larger projects. Many express that it does not support complex workflows, leading to frustration.
Why it matters
This unresolved complaint presents a significant commercial opportunity, as 15.4% of users are actively seeking more robust project management solutions. Addressing these needs could capture a portion of the market that is currently dissatisfied with existing offerings, especially among mid-sized businesses managing numerous projects.
Repeated terms
★★★★★“Trello was helpful for simple task organization and basic workflow tracking. However, it is not as robust as other task management systems.”
★★★★★“My office didn't feel as if Trello was substantial enough for our needs.”
Users struggle with lengthy setup times for effective budgeting and reporting
What customers report
Users express frustration with the significant time investment required to set up analytics tools, leading to challenges in budgeting and reporting.
Why it matters
This unresolved complaint presents a commercial opportunity as 43% of users (6 out of 14 reviews) are deterred by the lengthy setup process, which could lead to potential churn if not addressed. Improving this aspect could enhance user retention and satisfaction, ultimately driving sales growth.
Repeated terms
★★★★★“The time needed to setup the entire program is a huge investment.”
★★★★★“It is hard to build as it involves a lot of formulas.”
Users find it challenging to generate detailed reports in preferred formats like PDF or Excel
What customers report
Users express frustration with the reporting capabilities of analytics tools, particularly regarding the ability to generate reports in preferred formats.
Why it matters
Addressing this reporting challenge presents a commercial opportunity, as enhancing the reporting features could attract users who currently feel limited by Anaplan's capabilities. Given that 6.4% of reviews focus on this issue, improving this aspect could lead to increased customer satisfaction and retention.
Repeated terms
★★★★★“It is sometimes a struggle when reports need to be fancy and output needs to be shown in pdf or excel format.”
★★★★★“Formatting capabilities of Anaplan are limited, making it difficult to generate detailed reports.”
Users struggle with the complexity of backend scripting in Qlik Sense
What customers report
Many users find the backend scripting process in Qlik Sense to be overly complex and not user-friendly, creating barriers for non-technical users.
Why it matters
This unresolved complaint presents a commercial opportunity as simplifying the scripting process could attract a broader user base, especially non-IT users who currently find the tool challenging. With 9 reviews indicating this pain point, addressing it could enhance user satisfaction and retention.
Repeated terms
★★★★★“Qlik has too much required programming, and it's too complex for Non-IT users.”
★★★★★“I would prefer general SQL instead of Qlik's proprietary syntax.”
Users find Vena's platform overly complicated and rigid for their budgeting needs
What customers report
Users express frustration with Vena's complexity, stating that the platform is rigid and requires extensive support for customization.
Why it matters
This unresolved complaint represents a significant commercial opportunity, as 5.1% of users are dissatisfied with the platform's rigidity and complexity, indicating a potential market for more flexible and user-friendly budgeting solutions.
Repeated terms
★★★★★“Everything in Vena takes a lot of time to set up and do.”
★★★★★“The platform is really complicated, and every little thing you want to add requires paid support.”
Users struggle with complex implementation processes that hinder usability
What customers report
Users report that the implementation of analytics tools is fraught with difficulties, leading to unusable setups.
Why it matters
This unresolved complaint presents a commercial opportunity as it affects all users undergoing implementation, which is critical for adoption. With 5 reviews indicating struggles with implementation, addressing these issues could enhance user satisfaction and retention, potentially increasing market share in the planning and budgeting tool space.
Repeated terms
★★★★★“Unfortunately, our implementation went extremely poorly so it is virtually unusable.”
★★★★★“The platform requires more customized settings before use, more engineering skills are needed for administrators in the implementation stage.”
04 / Opportunity gaps
Patterns the market still leaves unresolved
- 01
Enhanced Workflow Management
Developing a tool that offers robust workflow management features could capture the market segment dissatisfied with existing solutions like Trello.
- 02
Simplified Reporting Customization
Creating a platform that simplifies reporting customization could address the frustrations users face with lengthy setup times and complex reporting processes.
- 03
Enhanced Reporting Features
Improving reporting capabilities to allow for detailed outputs in preferred formats could attract users currently limited by existing tools.
- 04
Data Management Improvements
Simplifying backend scripting and data management processes could broaden the user base, especially among non-technical users.
- 05
Simplified Implementation Process
Streamlining the implementation process could enhance user satisfaction and retention, addressing a critical barrier to adoption.
05 / Risk register
What could weaken the case
Competition
highThe analytics software market is saturated with established players, making it challenging for new entrants to gain traction.
Customer Switching Cost
mediumWhile users are dissatisfied, switching costs may deter them from moving to new solutions.
Differentiation
mediumNew products must clearly differentiate themselves from existing offerings to attract users.
Pricing Pressure
highWith many options available, pricing pressure is significant, requiring competitive pricing strategies.
Research conclusion
The analytics software market presents both challenges and opportunities. While competition is high and user dissatisfaction is prevalent, addressing specific pain points could lead to successful new product offerings.
- Sources
- G2, CAPTERRA
- Ratings
- ★1-3
- Analyzed
- Jul 17, 2026
- Method
- Negative-review clustering
06 / Founder blueprint
Analytics Software
A user-friendly analytics platform that simplifies reporting and project management.
Value proposition
Streamlined setup and enhanced reporting capabilities to improve user satisfaction and retention.
First customer
Mid-sized businesses seeking robust analytics solutions.
Core workflow
- 01User signs up and completes a guided setup process.
- 02User customizes reporting templates to fit their needs.
- 03User generates reports in preferred formats (PDF, Excel).
- 04User manages projects with enhanced workflow features.
MVP feature set
Every feature answers a documented competitor gap
6 evidence-linked features
- 01
Enhanced Workflow Management
Competitor problem — Users need more robust project management capabilities for complex workflows.
Provide advanced features for managing larger projects and cross-functional collaboration.
Evidence: 01a69f4e-4b36-4768-9ae9-28ee2c277f05
- 02
Simplified Reporting Customization
Competitor problem — Users struggle with lengthy setup times for effective budgeting and reporting.
Offer intuitive reporting customization options that reduce setup time and complexity.
Evidence: cedbd7d0-60fd-4ccb-b69e-ba099db19555
- 03
Enhanced Reporting Features
Competitor problem — Users find it challenging to generate detailed reports in preferred formats.
Implement advanced reporting capabilities that allow for easy export to PDF and Excel.
Evidence: 818e1bae-4f44-4b8a-a139-21157c44007d
- 04
Data Management Improvements
Competitor problem — Users struggle with the complexity of backend scripting.
Simplify the data management process to make it more accessible for non-technical users.
Evidence: 4feb3f22-2fd8-4c35-9ca7-5b8ffb7d1cd8
- 05
Simplified Implementation Process
Competitor problem — Users face challenges with complex implementation processes.
Streamline the implementation process to enhance usability and adoption.
Evidence: 94ab1d43-ca49-473b-b2c0-8c6523461e5a
- 06
Simplified onboarding and support
Competitor problem — Many users express frustration with Vena's complexity, stating, "Everything in Vena takes a lot of time to set up and do" and that the platform is "really complicated, and every little thing you want to add requires paid support." This sentiment is echoed by multiple reviews, with users feeling that the system does not adequately accommodate their specific needs, leading to a low perceived value o
Add a focused workflow that resolves users find vena's platform overly complicated and rigid for their budgeting needs. with Simplified onboarding and support, Enhanced reporting and approval workflows, Flexible modeling options.
Evidence: 357392c1-7371-42b1-bd2d-ff7efa430d23
In this MVP
- Project management
- Reporting
- Data management
- User onboarding
- Simplified onboarding and support
Deliberately later
- Advanced analytics
- Machine learning features
MVP success signal
User retention rate and satisfaction scores.
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