Shiny

Score8 out of 10

12 Reviews and Ratings

What is Shiny?

Shiny allows users to create data visualization apps, and is designed to be easy to write with. These apps let users interact with data and analyses with R or Python.

Categories & Use Cases

Data Discovery and Visualization

Varun Kumar

Data Science and Analytics Lead in Information Technology at Apple (10,001+ employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Shiny is a tool to create dynamic and interactive visualizations and that is how I have used it throughout with a few of my clients.

Pros

Dynamic visualization
Showcase interactive drop downs to choose from
Showcase sliders to select values

Cons

Shiny can be really time consuming to create visuals.
It needs excellent knowledge of R programming and coding skillset.
It still has a limited set of options to choose from.

Most Important Features

None, I would say due to the complex programming requirements of Shiny.

Return on Investment

not applicable

Alternatives Considered

TIBCO Spotfire, Tableau Desktop, Microsoft Power BI and Aravo

Other Software Used

Tableau Desktop, TIBCO Spotfire

Kenton Woods View profile

Research Assistant in Research & Development at Arizona State University (5001-10,000 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Shiny in our labs to create data dashboards for a lay audience. It's a very effective tool for creating data visualizations for a lay audience. Essentially it allows data experts to create important visualizations that can be easily accessed by the end-users we are targeting. We use it frequently.

Pros

Data tables are appealing to look at.
Enables us to create trend indexes in an effective way.
Easy to integrate with the rest of my R syntax.

Cons

There's definitely a learning curve.
There's a lot of functionality such as HTML widgets that require more than just R experience.
There are a variety of tools available, but it can be tough to know where to start.

Most Important Features

Scatterplot
Index trends.
DataTables

Return on Investment

Allows us to communicate with lay audience.
Allows us to create effective visuals for clients.
Allows us to save money compared to expensive other visualization software.

Alternatives Considered

Tableau Desktop and Microsoft Power BI

Other Software Used

Tableau Desktop, Microsoft Power BI, PostgreSQL

Verified User

Analyst in Corporate (501-1000 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Shiny to collate data from disparate sources, transform and generate advanced analysis served through Shiny dashboards and R Markdown documents. R is one of two standards within our organisation's field, enabling us to learn and share within a wide community of interest. Additionally the continued support and development of packages enables us to utilise the latest improvements right now.

Pros

Data transformation.
Data visualisation.
Repeatable analytical pipelines.

Cons

Learning for beginners.

Most Important Features

Reputation.
Packages available.

Return on Investment

Time saved on repetitive analysis being automated.
Advanced analysis highlighting opportunities for the organisation to realise.

Alternatives Considered

Tableau Desktop, Qlik Analytics Platform and Microsoft Power BI

Other Software Used

Microsoft Power BI, Qlik Sense, Tableau Desktop

Verified User

Consultant in Professional Services (1-10 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Shiny for the development of dashboards for monitoring indicators of many areas of the business, mostly commercial. This product has allowed us to provide better visibility of various aspects of the business thanks to the development of tools and web dashboards that allow access to many people within the organization.

Pros

Easy to develop with R
Flexibility when developing dashboards
Good documentation
Big community with a lot of examples

Cons

Easier ways to connect to data sources
Better access control for different roles in the organization
Video material that allows a better learning experience

Most Important Features

Easy access to web applications along de organization
Flexibility of what can be done with the tool
Documentation and code reuse

Return on Investment

Easy access to information and indicators
Good ROI
Make the organization more data driven

Alternatives Considered

Tableau Desktop and Microsoft Power BI

Other Software Used

Tableau Desktop, Microsoft Power BI

Verified User

Analyst in Product Management (10,001+ employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Shiny is a very useful tool to share the analysis performed by the team when people need to interact with them. Very useful especially when different scenarios have been performed and the variable is a choice point. The receiver can compare and visualize them in an easy app/dashboard with Shiny.

Pros

Work with R Studio in a easy way
Build dynamic views working with variables
Easy to share

Cons

More aesthetic visuals
Complex for non-technical profiles

Most Important Features

R Studio connection
Fast response working with large amout of data

Return on Investment

Open source
Technical expertise needed

Alternatives Considered

Microsoft Power BI and Tableau Desktop

Other Software Used

Microsoft Power BI, Tableau Desktop