Seeking top-rated data classification software? Find the X best options for 2024.
The best data classification software for enterprise use offers a wide range of features to help you categorize and organize data based on sensitivity, importance, or regulatory requirements to maintain data security, comply with industry regulations, and efficiently handle data throughout its lifecycle.
By applying labels or tags to data to indicate its level of confidentiality or compliance needs, data classification tools can help you manage business information, ultimately minimizing risks and ensuring responsible data management practices.
We evaluated the most popular enterprise data classification tools to see how they compared on core features, price, ease of use, integrations with other systems, and vendor customer support. Here are our recommendations for the best data classification software tools of 2024:
The comparison table below provides an overview of the core features of our six top data classification software solutions. It offers insights into how each vendor performs data classification, protects information, manages data retention, and the duration of their free trials.
| Data Classification | Data Protection | Data Retention Capabilities | Free trial duration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ManageEngine DataSecurity Plus | Manual and automated | Advanced role-based access control (RBAC) and advanced encryption | Advanced | 30 days |
| Collibra Data Intelligence Cloud | Manual and automated | Advanced RBAC and basic encryption | Advanced | 20 days |
| Netwrix Data Classification | Manual and automated | Basic access control and encryption | Advanced | 20 days |
| Varonis Data Classification Engine | Manual and automated | Basic access control and encryption | Comprehensive | 30 days |
| Informatica Enterprise Data Catalog | Manual and automated | Advanced RBAC and advanced encryption | Advanced | 30 days |
| Safetica Data Discovery and Data Classification | Manual and automated | Advanced RBAC and basic encryption | Advanced | 10 days |
Best for Overall Data Classification Software
ManageEngine Data Security Plus provides data visibility, classification, and security in one solution. It’s our top data classification software pick because of its extensive features—not just for classifying data, but for overall data management.
Data Security Plus systematically assigns labels or tags to data based on sensitivity and vulnerability for accurate classification, allowing you to safeguard critical data with the right level of security. The software uses automated and manual methods for data classification—the automated approach involves content-based and context-based techniques to identify and classify data, while the context-based technique considers file metadata, such as application, location, and creator, for automatic tagging.
Another standout feature of DataSecurity Plus is its solid capability for managing data in the cloud. It offers cloud protection features for monitoring web traffic, implementing control measures on cloud application usage, and generating comprehensive reports on upload requests across various web services.
ManageEngine Data Security Plus has a clean interface with collapsible sidebar and organized menus, making it easily understandable. It features a dashboard that presents a snapshot of all file accesses and modifications, so you can keep an eye on file integrity and spot potential security threats promptly.
ManageEngine DataSecurity Plus recently added new features to help your business become more adept at data-centric security. These features include NetApp Common Internet File System (CIFS) server auditing, which keeps track of who is accessing what files on a network, augmenting security and accountability, and all-round file activity monitoring.
Aside from its broad set of features and user-friendly design, we chose DataSecurity Plus because it can efficiently handle multiple data classification types. This capability makes it a versatile tool that can adapt to various IT environments while averting data breaches. In addition, it offers a variety of customer support options, and is the only data classification software on our list to display clear pricing details.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Reduces the load on the CPU by scanning only new and modified files | Limited integration options |
| Detects sudden anomalies in data transfers and file access patterns | Basic risk assessment capabilities |
| Executes tailored scripts that can disconnect rogue users’ sessions and shut down corrupted machines | |
| Clear pricing details |
ManageEngine includes data classification in three DataSecurity Plus plans.
Best for Comprehensive Data Insights
Collibra Data Intelligence Cloud features the unique self-learning Automatic Data Classification tool, which predicts the content of registered data sources by analyzing a subset of the data and suggesting data classes for individual columns. The Automatic Data Classification tool proposes data classes of selected columns and sends them back to the Collibra Data Intelligence Cloud, where users can confirm or reject the recommendations. User feedback refines the platform and future classifications.
In addition, the Data X-Ray tool automates discovery and classification of unstructured data and ingests metadata at scale to help you uncover unstructured data across all sources continuously, delivering in-depth insights. Together, these features equip your organization to glean meaningful data insights, maintain data quality, and establish good data governance practices for an informed data landscape.
Collibra Data Intelligence Cloud has a detailed user interface (UI) that shows different statistics on almost every part of the page. It has tabs, a sidebar with several elements, charts and graphs, and panels at the bottom—while the interface is undeniably informative, it can be overwhelming for some users.
Collibra has announced the general availability of Data Quality Pushdown for Snowflake and the public beta of Data Quality Pushdown for Databricks. These advancements boost efficiency and reduce costs associated with data quality in the cloud. Collibra maintains its emphasis on bringing customized experiences for enhanced workflow, lineage, and data marketplace capabilities.
We selected Collibra Data Intelligence Cloud because it reinforces data governance capabilities by bringing data clarity through metadata repositories, business glossary, data lineage, and impact analysis. This clarity is imperative for data integrity and informed decision-making.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Highly customizable | Auto classification feature not available for cloud self-hosted and government accounts |
| Built-in pattern recognition and self-learning | Lacks pricing transparency |
| Uses feedback to retrain the platform and improve future data classifications | Brief trial duration of 20 days |
Collibra doesn’t publish pricing information on its page; contact the vendor for detailed pricing.
Best for Managing Large Volumes of Data
Netwrix Data Classification delivers a range of features related to data classification and big data security, including high-fidelity data classification, automated risk remediation, and accurate data tagging. These capabilities let you locate and classify sensitive data with precision for easy retrieval and management. The software also automatically reduces vulnerabilities related to unsecured data.
The sheer volume of data that large enterprises handle can make it challenging to detect and manage sensitive information. Netwrix Data Classification addresses this by arranging your data into a logical order, cleaning up unneeded data, and ensuring sensitive information is kept only in properly secured locations with risk-appropriate access controls.
Netwrix has a straightforward interface with a few tabs, a sidebar, and graphs that give an overview of your data. This simplicity makes it easier to understand what’s happening at a glance. The collapsible sidebar adds to the neatness of the design.
Netwrix continues to upgrade its cybersecurity offerings and recently released eight products to amplify data security both on premises and in the cloud. This shows the vendor’s serious dedication to bolstering data protection for their users.
We picked Netwrix Data Classification because of its reliable data classification and security capabilities, user-friendly interface, and suitability for large enterprises dealing with vast amounts of data. Together, these features make it an important asset for large businesses facing challenges with big data management.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Uses advanced RegEx, compound term processing, and statistical analysis techniques for more accurate data classification | Reporting can be cumbersome for some users |
| Automated risk remediation | Brief free trial duration of 20 days |
| Cleans up redundant, obsolete, and trivial (ROT) data, reducing the attack surface and saving storage space | Lacks pricing transparency |
Netwrix doesn’t display pricing information on its website; request a quote for more details.
Best for Handling Sensitive Data
Varonis Data Classification Engine, part of the Varonis Data Security Platform suite, combines data classification and data security. It excels in discovering sensitive data, visualizing risks, automating classification, and seamlessly integrating with numerous third-party tools.
The engine’s strength lies in its ability to handle private information. It can classify a wide array of sensitive data types including personally identifiable information (PII), payment card information (PCI), and protected health information (PHI). It aids organizations in dealing with large volumes of confidential information appropriately while giving insights into user access and permissions of critical resources.
The uncluttered, user-centric design of the Varonis Data Security Platform features a sidebar with several dashboards you can choose from. Every dashboard shows different types of data grouped together, such as alerts, file servers, and directory services. The UI is full of valuable information logically arranged for easy understanding.
Varonis has expanded its cloud-native platform to include Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) for Snowflake, making it a more comprehensive data security solution that can support a wider selection of data storage platforms. This expansion means customers using Snowflake to store and manage data can now make use of Varonis’ DSPM to understand their data security posture, detect risks, and take action to strengthen security.
Varonis Data Classification Engine made our list for its accuracy, scalability, and extensive coverage. It delivers precise classification results across huge volumes of unstructured data and covers a wide range of data types and locations. Additionally, it supports a wide variety of third-party integrations. These features—along with its automatic policy updates—make it a powerful tool for organizations prioritizing data security and governance.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive metadata management | Resource intensive |
| Supports the discovery and classification of different sensitive data types, such as PII, PCI, and PHI | Complex setup |
| The Universal Database Connector simplifies the data classification process and reinforces the security of data across various databases | Lacks pricing transparency |
Varonis doesn’t disclose the pricing for products; get in touch with their sales team and request a price quote for details.
Best for Data-Driven Decision Making
Informatica Enterprise Data Catalog’s data classification feature leverages AI to automatically classify and identify domains and entities across all structured and unstructured data assets. This feature is part of a broader suite of capabilities that includes data lineage, data profiling, and data quality scorecards, among others.
Informatica’s data classification specializes in facilitating data-driven decision-making with its automated tools. It discovers and organizes data from multiple sources, comprehends the context of the data through domain and entity recognition, and even recommends additional relevant data. This integrated approach streamlines decision-making based on data, as all necessary information is readily available and intelligible.
Informatica Enterprise Data Catalog’s UI comes with a variety of dashboards with graphs and charts, detailed data lineage, and profiling statistics. It also has a search bar that allows you to locate specific data. While this abundance of data and options might be useful for technical users, it can become confusing for beginners.
Informatica has announced enhanced integrations with Databricks and Unity Catalog, making it much easier for users to bring in data from many sources, transform it without needing to code, and use it for AI and analytics workloads. These integrations also help manage data storage cost-effectively, and could be a game-changer for businesses looking to get the most out of their data.
We picked Informatica because of its AI-driven capabilities that enable efficient data discovery, classification, risk scoring, and automated protection. This solution also offers flexible data classification options, including data element classification and data entity classification. What’s more, it promotes transparency by mapping sensitive data to data subjects and tracking exposure.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| AI-powered catalog | Resource intensive |
| Data asset analytics | Unclear pricing details |
| Data similarity recommendations | Steep learning curve |
Other than stating that it follows consumption-based pricing, Informatica doesn’t publish clear pricing details; contact sales for additional information.
Best for Intellectual Property Protection
Safetica Data Discovery and Classification equips organizations with tools to identify, categorize, and safeguard sensitive data across their networks. It has sophisticated search capabilities to find sensitive data in various formats, including documents, databases, and emails. Its main features encompass data discovery, data in motion, unified data classification, content inspection, context-aware approach, and classification based on file properties.
Safetica’s advanced capability to search and classify data based on content inspection, context, and file properties makes it effortless to pinpoint sensitive information such as intellectual property and apply the necessary protection measures.
Its multiplatform content inspection with optical character recognition (OCR) allows for sensitive data detection in scanned PDF documents and image files. For example, an engineering firm might need to safeguard drawings that cannot be defined by their text content. With Safetica, they can classify all files stored on a shared network drive where these drawings are kept.
Safetica has an intuitive user interface that displays a complete overview of your enterprise data without being overwhelming. It has panels that nicely group charts, graphs, and lists together, further simplifying the design. Additionally, the collapsible menus in the sidebar let you hide unnecessary lists or details, so you can focus on specific information.
Safetica has updated its software to manage the use of over 200 Generative AI (GenAI) tools. As a result, organizations can now proactively block access to these tools and gain insights into their usage. This update bolsters data security and promotes responsible AI tool usage in the workplace.
Despite its brief free trial duration and unclear pricing information, we selected Safetica because of strong data protection capabilities, user-friendliness, and seamless integration with numerous third-party tools. In addition, it has a rapid deployment process, reducing the time and effort required for installation and configuration of the tool. These factors make Safetica a reliable choice for data discovery and classification.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Rapid deployment | Doesn’t support Linux |
| Automated risk detection | Lacks pricing transparency |
| Multiplatform content inspection with optical character recognition (OCR) for sensitive data detection in scanned PDF documents and image files | Brief free trial duration of 10 days |
Safetica doesn’t share pricing information; contact the vendor for pricing details.
Data classification tools enable organizations to organize, secure, and manage their ever-growing volumes of data based on several attributes so they can implement consistent security measures, comply with regulations, and streamline their data management processes. But a reliable data classification tool must have some key features for it to work effectively. By understanding these features, you can enhance data governance strategies, reduce risks, and ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information across your company.
Automated data classification uses rules and machine learning algorithms to categorize large data volumes efficiently and reduce manual effort and errors in data organization. However, combining manual and automated classification methods is essential in a data classification tool. Manual intervention provides a human layer of understanding and context, especially for complex or ambiguous data, which increases accuracy and allows organizations to leverage the strengths of both automated efficiency and human insight for effective data management and security.
The policy-based classification feature applies predefined rules and guidelines to categorize and label data according to established organizational policies and compliance standards. This capability is necessary for maintaining consistency in data handling, making sure that sensitive information is treated in accordance with regulatory requirements and internal security protocols. It reduces the risk of non-compliance and unauthorized access and boosts security and compliance in your data environment.
Content discovery refers to the process of locating varied types of data within your organization’s digital environment. This includes documents, files, databases, and other information stored across different platforms. Content discovery is a critical component of data classification software because it enables the error-free categorization of data based on its sensitivity, importance, or relevance.
By discovering and understanding the content within a system, data classification tools can apply appropriate labels, access controls, and encryption measures to safeguard sensitive information. This supports informed decision-making and mitigating potential risks associated with data mishandling or unauthorized access.
Incorporating data protection features within a data classification tool is essential for securing sensitive information. If data classification involves categorizing and organizing data based on its sensitivity or importance, data protection ensures the confidentiality and integrity of the classified data by shielding it from unauthorized access, potential loss, or corruption through encryption and access controls. Data protection features within a data classification software helps you maintain compliance with privacy regulations and offers proactive defense against security threats.
Metadata management is another vital feature that streamlines the process of organizing and retrieving information. Metadata serves as contextual information about data, with details like creation date, author, and file type. It elevates data governance by providing clear insights into the content and context of information, aiding in compliance efforts and regulatory requirements. It plays a fundamental role in optimizing data management and increasing data classification accuracy.
In order to find the top data classification software, we conducted an in-depth analysis of multiple data classification tools available today.
Our assessment focused on five major criteria: cost, core features, integrations, customer support, and ease of use. We methodically evaluated each data classification software’s performance against these factors, assigned scores, and then computed the total ratings.
To calculate the scores for this criteria, we considered factors as pricing transparency as well as the duration of the free trial of each vendor.
Criteria Winner: ManageEngine DataSecurity Plus
For the core features, we verified if the data classification tools have manual and automated data classification, policy-based classification with customizable rules, and advanced content discovery across various data sources. We also checked if each software comes with granular policy configuration, versioning, and automated lifecycle management as part of its data retention feature.In addition, we researched the comprehensiveness of their metadata management and risk assessment capabilities. Lastly we investigated the level of the data protection the data classification software tools offer.
Criteria Winner: Informatica Enterprise Data Catalog
To measure the scores for this criteria, we checked if the data classification tools offer out-of-the-box integrations with relevant third-party solutions, like DLP software, data governance and compliance tools, SIEM systems, IAM software, and cloud security platforms. We also considered if the tools support custom integrations.
Criteria Winner: Varonis Data Classification Engine
We researched the variety of customer support options offered to all users to calculate scores for customer support. The availability of 24×7 support to all customers regardless of payment tier, as well as the support response times are also taken into consideration.
Criteria Winner: ManageEngine DataSecurity Plus
To determine the scores for this category, we considered user feedback across numerous independent review sources. We factored in the ease and speed of implementation and the user-friendliness of the software to users of all skill levels.
Criteria Winner: ManageEngine DataSecurity Plus and Safetica Data Discovery and Data Classification
These top data classification software recommendations aim to guide you on the most trusted data classification tools in the industry today and should give you an insight into the features you should look for in a data classification software. Consider the type and volume of data you’re handling, your budget, and the level of data protection you require in selecting a data classification software for your business. No data classification software is perfect, but there are many good options—choose the data classification tool that works best for your business.
Selecting the right data classification tool is the first step toward effective data management, but the journey doesn’t end here. To truly master data management, read our in-depth guide on data management best practices and transform the way you handle and protect your data.
Liz Ticong is a tech industry expert with hands-on experience in AI, software testing, and product analysis. Specializing in AI news, software reviews, and buyer’s guides, she rigorously tests and experiments with the latest AI and tech tools to provide in-depth, practical insights. As a contributor to Datamation, eWeek, and TechRepublic, she simplifies complex topics, helping readers make well-informed decisions.
Datamation is the leading industry resource for B2B data professionals and technology buyers. Datamation's focus is on providing insight into the latest trends and innovation in AI, data security, big data, and more, along with in-depth product recommendations and comparisons. More than 1.7M users gain insight and guidance from Datamation every year.
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