Gartner is a research and advisory firm that provides technology data and consulting for business leaders. If you’re in need of reliable information around developments in tech, healthcare, finance, government, or corporate marketing, then Gartner’s probably on your radar.
There are three primary ways to work with Gartner:
- Accessing reports
- Attending conferences
- Collaborating with a consultant
Gartner customers also get access to the company’s library of Magic Quadrants that compare different tech options across enterprise architecture services, 5G telecommunications, cloud computing, and more.
The cost to use Gartner depends on your needs. You have to get in touch with their team to receive a price quote.
If you need all three types of support that Gartner can provide, then yes, it could be a good choice for your company.
However, if you’re interested in just one aspect of Gartner’s offerings, are seeking a solution with more transparent pricing, or need data that’s not strictly focused on big business, it’s worth checking out the seven Gartner alternatives in this guide.
1. Forrester
Forrester is a research and consulting firm.
Like Gartner, offers insights for business, sales, government, technology, and marketing leaders. You can work with the company in the same way as you would with Gartner—by reading reports, working with an advisor, or attending Forrester events.
You can use Forrester insights to:
- Deliver better customer experiences by meeting end users’ needs
- Increase efficiency through tech stack improvements
- Navigate supply chain and product development challenges
- Improve citizens’ interactions with government entities
Forrester offers a mix of data and insights for B2B and B2C applications.
Why Choose Forrester vs. Gartner?
Much of the choice between Forrester and Gartner will come down to personal preference and price, as the two companies offer very similar services.
And as with Gartner, paying to access Forrester data is probably most worthwhile for customers in need of a complete data and advisory solution.
Forrester is also a solid choice for professionals interested in attending conferences and networking with other business leaders.
How Much Does Forrester Cost?
You can access many of Forrester’s blog posts and podcasts for free. This lets you get a taste of what the company provides its paying customers.
Some premium reports are available for a one-time fee. For ongoing report access or one-on-one consulting, you’ll need to talk to a member of the Forrester team and get a customized price quote.
2. IBM Consulting
IBM Consulting provides advisory services for companies that are seeking a partner to help with innovation.
Their experts can help with:
- Utilizing automation and artificial intelligence (AI) for better workflows
- Modernizing corporate tech infrastructure, including cloud deployments
- Improving business relationships with vendors and customers
- Building a more effective business strategy
IBM Consulting also maintains the IBM Garage™, where its advisors test out the technology and practices they suggest to clients.
Why Choose IBM Consulting vs. Gartner?
If Gartner’s consulting is most appealing to you, then IBM Consulting can be a good option.
While IBM uses data insights to back up its work, the company’s consulting arm is very focused on developing partnerships with its clients. You’ll be working closely with advisors—not reviewing data and developing strategy on your own.
If you’re strictly interested in accessing data and reports, then another one of Gartner’s top competitors will probably suit you best.
How Much Does IBM Consulting Cost?
Like many corporate advisory services, IBM Consulting is priced based on each client’s needs.
You can sign up for free trend insights newsletters to get an idea of how IBM Consulting operates—but for hands-on strategy development, you’ll have to get in touch with the company for a custom quote.
3. Exploding Topics
Exploding Topics is a trend tracking toolthat helps businesses identify and leverage trending products, categories, startups and more.
By analyzing online conversations across blogs, websites, news outlets, and social media, we’re able to find specific trending topics early on.
But more importantly, we can also see how various topics of interest intersect to identify meta trends.
Meta trends are broad industry shifts that can have a huge impact on business and consumer activity, including:
- Corporate hiring and training
- Investment portfolio management
- Remote work and collaboration
- Food and beverage development
- Supply chain operations
- Consumer purchasing habits
- Innovations to transform business tech stacks
You can explore developing meta trends at any time using our database. It’s easy to explore both overarching meta trends and the topics that relate to them.
Why Choose Exploding Topics vs. Gartner?
If you’re most interested in using Gartner for access to business trends and industry insights, then Exploding Topics can be a great alternative.
Our platform puts data insights at your fingertips and in your control—with in-depth reports and graphs that show you how trends may intersect and evolve over time.
How Much Does Exploding Topics Cost?
Exploding Topics Pro users get access to our full trends database for as little as $39 per month (billed annually)—but you can try it right now for just $1.
As an Exploding Topics Pro user, you’ll also get access to features like instant trend alerts, on-demand trend searching, and our API.
4. Nielsen
Nielsen is a research company that’s been tracking consumer media engagement for more than 50 years.
The company provides trend insights on:
- When and where consumers are engaging with content
- How ads tend to perform on different channels
- Audience segments across platforms
- Possible advertising outcomes
The company gets its data through organized panels of media consumers around the world. Nielsen data scientists then extrapolate how panel insights relate to larger population sectors.
Why Choose Nielsen vs. Gartner?
While Gartner offers solutions for B2C, B2B, and government entities, Nielsen is fully focused on reaching consumers effectively.
If you run a media company, or your business model relies on marketing and advertising to individuals, then Nielsen Holdings data could be very useful to you.
However, if you’re trying to reach a B2B audience or are more interested in what consumers are talking about online organically (versus as part of a panel study), then you’ll probably want to check out a different Gartner alternative.
How Much Does Nielsen Cost?
Because Nielsen offers a variety of different data sets and tools, you’ll need to get in touch with the company for a customized price quote.
5. Bain & Company
Bain & Company is a consulting company providing insights and advice to help businesses keep up with global change.
Their clients span a wide variety of industries, including in the following categories:
- Retail
- Private equity
- Manufacturing
- Consumer products
- Healthcare
- Chemicals
- Oil and gas
- Mining
Through working with Bain & Company, you can get support for business initiatives like:
- Developing an Agile operations plan
- Improving sales and marketing
- Crafting business strategy
- Deploying enterprise technology
- Working with Web3 and the metaverse
- Understanding analytics
- Deploying automations
Why Choose Bain & Company vs. Gartner?
If you’re looking for customized advisory services, but aren’t so interested in events and networking, then Bain & Company may be a solid pick (versus services like Gartner or Forrester).
Anyone primarily interested in access to databases is less likely to take full advantage of Bain & Company’s services. In that case, it’s probably best to try out one of the other companies on this list.
How Much Does Bain & Company Cost?
You can access a number of Bain & Company reports for free to get a sense for the firm’s focus, approach, and insights.
Clients interested in advisory services must contact the company for a price quote.
6. IDC
The International Data Corporation (IDC)—part of the International Data Group (IDG)—offers customized data, analytics, and consulting services for the tech sector.
This data is intended for use by vendors, client-side buyers, and investors. IDC’s platform can help you:
- Access metrics that can help you capture a larger market share
- Review sales data
- Learn about industry benchmarks
- Assess company valuations
The company also organizes industry events that can be useful for learning best practices and networking with other professionals in similar sectors.
Why Choose IDC vs. Gartner?
If you’re interested in working with fully tech-focused advisors and networking with other professionals in your sector, IDC could be a good choice.
You can also turn to IDC if you’re strictly interested in reading reports. IDC allows customers to purchase a single report versus paying for an ongoing subscription. Depending on how much data you need, this may be a cost-effective option.
If you aren’t in the tech industry, though, you’ll want to go with a different consulting and analytics solution.
How Much Does IDC Cost?
IDC’s consulting services carry a custom price tag—you’ll need to get in touch with the company for a quote.
You can purchase individual reports or recorded presentations for $4,500 each.
7. QMarkets
QMarkets is an innovation management tool that helps businesses organize their research for R&D and product development.
Rather than using the platform to discover insights, like Gartner, you use QMarkets to organize data that your team sources. With QMarkets, you can:
- Collect and log data from external stakeholders and sources
- Add to data entries with new insights, research, and ideas
- See how data intersects with your company’s strategic goals
The complete platform includes several tools for collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, assessing impact, and sourcing new technologies.
Why Choose QMarkets vs. Gartner?
If you already have a robust research and development (R&D) team or existing advisors and partners you prefer to work with, you may not need Gartner’s full slate of services.
A tool like QMarkets can potentially help you better leverage your existing sources and insights to innovate more efficiently.
However, if you’re in need of data as well as a way to organize it, you’ll want to look closer at other Gartner competitors for a more complete solution.
How Much Does QMarkets cost?
QMarkets offers its users a few different tools, so you’ll need to get in touch with the company to discuss pricing options.
Discover the Top Trends Shaping Your Industry
Whether you opt for a bespoke consulting service or not, it can be incredibly helpful to have on-demand access to data about changing industry trends.
With this information on hand, you can be prepared to pivot and shift as necessary to keep up with your customers’ wants and needs.
And because the Exploding Topics Pro database is updated daily, it’s one of the best ways to get accurate, timely information about how your industry is evolving.
