QlikView vs Yellowfin BI: Comparative Analysis
Introduction
When it comes to business intelligence (BI) tools, Qlikview and Yellowfin BI stand out for their data visualization and analytics capabilities. Each offers unique features tailored to different business needs, from Qlikview's associative model to Yellowfin's collaborative approach.
Understanding the strengths and limitations of both platforms is key to selecting the right BI solution for your organization. This comparison will delve into the specifics of Qlikview and Yellowfin BI, highlighting their core functionalities and user experiences.
Additionally, we'll explore how Sourcetable presents a contemporary alternative with a spreadsheet-like interface that integrates seamlessly with your data, offering an intuitive solution for reporting and analytics tasks without the complexity often associated with traditional BI tools.
What is QlikView?
QlikView is a guided analytics solution designed to simplify the process of developing and delivering analytics applications and dashboards. It is known for its high-speed, in-memory data processing capabilities, enabling rapid data analysis.
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QlikView is a guided analytics solution designed to simplify the process of developing and delivering analytics applications and dashboards. It is known for its high-speed, in-memory data processing capabilities, enabling rapid data analysis.
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Core Features
- Associative engine that dynamically generates new data views.
- Compression of data for in-memory storage, allowing fast data exploration.
- Capability of concurrent data exploration by multiple users.
- Direct connectivity to various data sources.
- Provision of an associative experience across all data used for analysis.
- Flexibility for users to explore data without predefined drill paths or static dashboards.
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Benefits for Users
QlikView allows users to quickly build and share guided analytics applications and dashboards, facilitating collaborative data exploration without the constraints of predefined queries or dashboards.
What is Yellowfin BI?
Yellowfin BI is a comprehensive business intelligence platform with a 20-year development history. It enhances business analytics by making data more accessible, actionable, and visually appealing. The platform streamlines the analytics workflow, allowing for simplified connection and preparation of data, as well as the creation of dashboards and management reports.
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Yellowfin BI is a comprehensive business intelligence platform with a 20-year development history. It enhances business analytics by making data more accessible, actionable, and visually appealing. The platform streamlines the analytics workflow, allowing for simplified connection and preparation of data, as well as the creation of dashboards and management reports.
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Key Features
- No-code/low-code development environment
- Data accessibility improvement
- Enables actionable insights from data
- Provides data visualization capabilities
- Facilitates analytics workflow
- Dashboard and report creation
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Usability and Integration
Yellowfin BI is designed for a broad user base, enabling use by technical and non-technical personnel alike. It is suitable for deployment on both public and private clouds and offers integration with various applications.
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Adoption
The platform is utilized by over 29,000 companies globally, indicating a wide acceptance and trust in its capabilities for business intelligence needs.
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Key Features of QlikView
Associative Engine |
The associative engine is central to QlikView's uniqueness, offering a dynamic way to process data and uncover insights. |
Intuitive Visual Discovery |
Intuitive visual discovery enables users to easily interact with data, making analysis straightforward and accessible. |
Qlik Cloud Analytics |
As a cloud-based SaaS deployment, Qlik Cloud Analytics provides AI-powered insights, facilitating the transition to active analytics. |
Qlik Sense |
Qlik Sense serves as an on-premises solution, complementing QlikView by enhancing data analysis with artificial intelligence. |
Yellowfin BI Key Features
Analytics and Reporting |
Yellowfin supports enterprise and embedded analytics, providing a platform for building bespoke analytical applications. It integrates with JDBC and XML/A compliant databases, CSV files, and third-party sources, including a partnership with Exasol for fast database performance. |
ETL and Data Integration |
Yellowfin includes a complete ETL module that allows for data extraction, transformation, and loading, including the creation of custom transformation steps. |
Data Science and Machine Learning |
Integration of data science models into the platform is supported, leveraging machine learning for data insights discovery, scanning for changes, and providing notifications through Signals. |
Collaboration and Distribution |
Yellowfin facilitates collaboration with the ability to discuss, follow, and add Signals to Data Stories. It can also schedule and distribute reports regularly based on user-defined rules. |
Mobile Application |
The Yellowfin mobile app enhances user engagement with a feed that alerts users to new Signals, published Stories, and mentions. It supports biometric authentication and provides sharing capabilities to foster organizational insight dissemination. |
Advantages of Qlikview for Business Intelligence
Efficient Data Analysis
Qlikview's dynamic dashboards enhance quick data interpretation, facilitating efficient data analysis.
Collaborative Decision-Making
It fosters team collaboration, ensuring decisions are data-driven.
Implementation and Usability
Its simplicity aids in easy implementation and operation.
Data Security and Performance
Qlikview provides robust data security and maintains high-speed performance.
Innovative Technology
The platform's in-memory technology and QIX Engine optimize data handling.
Data Management
Excellent data compression capabilities enable effective data management.
Visualization Capabilities
Superior data visualization tools aid in presenting insights clearly.
Cost Efficiency
Qlikview is a cost-effective solution for business intelligence needs.
Disadvantages of Using Qlikview for Business Intelligence
Inefficiency in Real-Time Data Analysis
Qlikview may not be the optimal choice for real-time data analysis, which can be a significant drawback for businesses that require immediate insights and decision-making capabilities.
Technical Expertise Required
Application development in Qlikview necessitates a certain level of technical expertise, potentially increasing the learning curve and resource allocation for effective use.
Integration Challenges
Embedding Qlikview with other software solutions may present difficulties, potentially disrupting workflows and creating a disjointed user experience.
Customer Support Issues
Businesses may experience subpar customer support, which can be problematic when immediate assistance or troubleshooting is needed.
Outdated Tools and Interfaces
Qlikview’s tools and interfaces may not be up-to-date, posing a challenge to users who are accustomed to modern, user-friendly designs.
Cost Prohibitive for Some
The cost of Qlikview may be prohibitive for small to medium-sized enterprises, making it a less viable option compared to other business intelligence tools that cater to this market segment.
Suboptimal User Feedback
Qlikview may have received poor ratings in user surveys, indicating dissatisfaction among its user base and suggesting potential issues with its overall acceptance and effectiveness.
Frequently Asked Questions About Qlikview
How much memory does QlikView use when running a script compared to working in the layout?
QlikView uses 3-4 times as much memory when running a script as when working in the layout.
Can QlikView handle large data sets and what are the memory requirements?
QlikView can handle a few million rows of typical transaction data on a PC with 512MB of RAM, and up to one billion rows of transaction data on large servers.
How does QlikView manage fields with the same name or with different names?
QlikView can automatically join fields with the same name and can join fields with different names using an alias or AS statement.
Can QlikView update documents with new data and how?
QlikView can update a document using incremental reloads.
How can QlikView be shared with others and control access?
QlikView can be shared with others using QlikView Server or QlikView Publisher, and it can limit who can use a document using section access.
Use Cases for Qlikview
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Improving efficiency, customer service, and sales as demonstrated by Dominos Pizza
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Simplifying analytics through a company-wide portal as shown by Intuit
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Enhancing operational success like Urban Outfitters
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Lowering costs and reducing effort to convert loan prospects as seen with Integra Financial
Advantages of Yellowfin BI for Business Intelligence
Accessibility for All Users
Yellowfin BI enables both non-technical and technical users to engage with data analytics, fostering an inclusive environment for data-driven decision-making.
Self-Service Analytics
As a self-service tool, Yellowfin BI allows users to independently conduct data analysis, increasing operational efficiency.
Data Democratization
The platform democratizes data, granting access to insights across the organization and promoting informed decision-making at all levels.
Operational Agility
Yellowfin BI enhances business agility, enabling swift responses to market changes through real-time data analysis.
Consistency in Data Reporting
By providing a single source of truth, Yellowfin BI ensures consistency in reporting, crucial for accurate analytics.
Reduced IT Dependency
The tool reduces the burden on IT departments by enabling end-users to create reports and analyze data on their own.
Guided Data Exploration
Yellowfin BI guides users through data, simplifying the exploration process and ensuring that insights are easily obtained.
Disadvantages of Using Yellowfin BI
Accessibility and Security Limitations
Yellowfin BI lacks support for Table-Level and Field-Level Access Control within the BI-layer, which can pose significant challenges in managing data permissions and ensuring secure access to sensitive information.
Performance Issues
Users report a slow data extraction process that can hinder timely analytics. Additionally, experiences of lag and system hanging during report preparation can detract from the efficiency of business intelligence activities.
User Experience Concerns
Integration with Google Analytics has been found to be cumbersome, potentially complicating the analytics workflow. A desire for more dynamic charting options also suggests limitations in Yellowfin's data visualization capabilities.
Business Model Compatibility
The business model of Yellowfin may present alignment challenges with other business structures, potentially affecting the seamless integration and scalability of the BI solution.
Alternative BI Tools
Common alternatives such as Tableau Server, QlikView, and Tableau Desktop exist and may offer features that Yellowfin does not, potentially influencing the choice of BI tools for businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions About Yellowfin BI
Does Yellowfin BI provide any learning resources?
Yes, Yellowfin offers a support center that includes documentation, videos, community resources, and the Yellowfin University with courses on using Yellowfin.
What is Yellowfin University?
Yellowfin University is a part of the support center that offers courses on using Yellowfin.
Can Yellowfin BI users contribute to product development?
Yes, Yellowfin offers a community where users can vote on product ideas.
What is the Quick Start Program offered by Yellowfin?
The Quick Start Program by Yellowfin is designed for ISVs to take software applications to market, specifically for embedded BI.
How can I stay updated with Yellowfin BI news?
Yellowfin has a newsletter called the Y-Files that you can subscribe to for updates.
Use Cases for Yellowfin BI
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Embedded analytics for retail industry dashboards
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Data storytelling in finance sector reporting
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Automated business monitoring for healthcare organizations
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Data visualization for automotive companies
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Business intelligence for telecommunications companies
Why Sourcetable is the Superior Choice for Business Intelligence
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Simplified Reporting
Sourcetable streamlines the reporting process by centralizing data into a user-friendly spreadsheet interface. This eliminates the need for complex tools often associated with traditional BI solutions like Qlikview and Yellowfin BI.
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Enhanced Data Analytics
With Sourcetable, analytics become more accessible due to its intuitive design, which contrasts with the sometimes intricate systems of Qlikview's associative engine and Yellowfin's BI tools.
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Data Synchronization
Unlike Qlikview and Yellowfin BI, Sourcetable offers seamless synchronization across all services, ensuring that data is always up-to-date and reducing the manual effort required to consolidate information.
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User-Friendly Interface
The spreadsheet-like interface of Sourcetable is familiar to most users, lowering the learning curve and empowering more team members to engage with data, in contrast to the more specialized interfaces of Qlikview and Yellowfin BI.
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Comparing Qlikview and Yellowfin BI
Analytics Solutions
Both Qlikview and Yellowfin BI are advanced analytics solutions designed to help organizations make data-driven decisions.
Visual Discovery
Qlikview and Yellowfin BI provide intuitive visual discovery interfaces, allowing users to easily interpret and analyze data through visual reports and dashboards.
Deployment Options
Each platform offers flexibility in deployment. Qlikview can be deployed on the cloud or on-premises, similar to Yellowfin BI, which also supports various deployment models to suit different business requirements.
Business Intelligence Accessibility
Qlikview and Yellowfin BI aim to democratize business intelligence, making it accessible to a broader range of users within an organization.
Real-time Collaboration
Both solutions emphasize real-time collaboration and action, enabling teams to work together efficiently and make timely decisions based on current data.
AI-Powered Insights
Qlikview uses AI to enhance insights, a feature that parallels Yellowfin BI's use of automated analysis and machine learning to provide advanced data insights.
QlikView vs. Yellowfin BI
Deployment and Accessibility
QlikView offers both cloud-based SaaS with Qlik Cloud Analytics and on-premises solutions with Qlik Sense. Yellowfin BI, contrastingly, primarily focuses on cloud-based solutions.
Data Processing
QlikView uses an associative engine for data processing, enabling intuitive visual discovery. Yellowfin BI utilizes traditional query-based approaches and leverages automated analysis.
User Interface and Discovery
QlikView provides an intuitive visual discovery interface, designed to put business intelligence in the hands of more users. Yellowfin BI offers a range of dashboard and data visualization options, with a focus on storytelling and collaboration.
AI and Insights
QlikView enhances data analysis with AI-powered insights, particularly in its Qlik Sense on-premises solution. Yellowfin BI also incorporates AI, but with a focus on automated insights and signals.
Collaboration
QlikView promotes real-time collaboration and action, a feature that is inherent in both Qlik Cloud Analytics and Qlik Sense. Yellowfin BI emphasizes collaborative storytelling and offers social BI features for sharing insights.
Regulatory Compliance
For industries with strict data regulations, Qlik Sense as an on-premises solution is well-suited. Yellowfin BI also supports compliance with governance and security features in its cloud offerings.
Comparison of QlikView, Yellowfin BI, and Sourcetable
QlikView Overview
QlikView, known for being Qlik's first analytics solution, integrates an associative engine that facilitates intuitive data discovery. It has broadened access to business intelligence across organizations. QlikView is versatile in deployment, offering both cloud-based SaaS on Qlik Cloud Analytics and on-premises solutions with Qlik Sense.
Yellowfin BI Overview
Yellowfin BI is a business intelligence and analytics platform that emphasizes collaborative features, storytelling, and dashboards. It also supports both cloud and on-premises deployments. Unlike QlikView, Yellowfin focuses on ease of use and storytelling to deliver insights.
Sourcetable Overview
Sourcetable is a spreadsheet-based analytics tool designed to work across different data sources, simplifying data analysis. It's user-friendly and accessible to users with varying levels of technical expertise, much like QlikView's goal to make business intelligence more accessible.
Deployment Options
Data Analysis and Discovery
Accessibility and Usability
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Frequently Asked Questions About Sourcetable
What is Sourcetable and who typically uses it?
Sourcetable is a spreadsheet application that replaces workflows typically done in Excel, Google Sheets, and Business Intelligence tools. It is used by growth teams and business operations teams to centralize, analyze, and model data that updates over time.
How does Sourcetable integrate with other applications?
Sourcetable allows users to access and sync data from over 100 third-party applications and most databases. Data integrations update every 15 minutes on the regular plan and every 5 minutes on the pro plan.
Do I need to know how to code to use Sourcetable?
No, Sourcetable does not require any coding to use. Users can query data and build live models that update automatically without needing to write code.
How much does Sourcetable cost?
Sourcetable costs $50 per month for the starter plan and $250 per month for the pro plan. Each plan includes a 14-day free trial, and additional seats can be added for $20 per month per user.
How quickly can I start creating reports with Sourcetable?
Users can start creating reports with Sourcetable within minutes of setting up their account.
Qlikview Pricing Plans
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Standard Plan
Qlikview's standard plan is designed for a minimum of 20 full users. It provides essential features including the ability to connect and combine hundreds of data sources, interactive data visualizations, dashboards, and augmented analytics with AI. Collaboration capabilities and 24x7 customer support are also included. Subscribers receive 25 GB/year for data analysis.
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Premium and Enterprise Plans
The premium and enterprise plans encompass all features of the standard plan with enhanced data analysis capacities of 50 GB/year and 500 GB/year, respectively. They offer additional functionalities such as automated report compilation, predictive analytics with machine learning, and advanced no-code automation. These plans also emphasize data governance and a personalized customer success plan.
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Capacity Alerts
Users are notified by Qlikview when nearing their data capacity limit, ensuring proactive management of resources.
Yellowfin BI Cost Structure
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Pricing Models
Yellowfin BI offers a straightforward pricing structure designed to scale with business requirements. The pricing models include a utility option, server core pricing, and a revenue share approach.
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Utility-Based Pricing
This model is tailored to match the way businesses sell, providing a cost-effective solution for various sales strategies.
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Server Core Pricing
Yellowfin's server core pricing offers a cost based on the server resources used, aiming for simplicity and scalability.
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Revenue Share Pricing
The revenue share model aligns the cost of Yellowfin BI with the revenue generated, ensuring a fair pricing strategy.
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Embedded Analytics Pricing
For embedded analytics, Yellowfin provides a flexible pricing model that aligns with the go-to-market strategy and ensures cost predictability and scalability.
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Transparency
With Yellowfin BI, there are no hidden costs, ensuring a transparent investment for businesses.
User Reviews and Ratings of QlikView
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Overall Impressions
QlikView has been rated with an overall score of 4.3, reflecting a positive user sentiment. It is recognized for its versatility in data visualization and its ability to combine multiple data sources for complex reporting. However, users note that it struggles with heavy data volumes, leading to slow response times and delays in real-time data synchronization.
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Functionality
The functionality of QlikView is highly regarded, with a rating of 4.5. Users find it powerful for creating sales and inventory dashboards, and appreciate its in-memory processing and fast data processing capabilities. Despite this, there are limitations noted, such as the lack of exporting a list of all currently licensed users and no possibilities for R integration.
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Usability
Ease-of-use and customer support both score a rating of 4. The software is deemed easy to implement, with an intuitive interface and the ability to customize reports and processes using VBA or other programming languages. Nevertheless, the user interface is described as clunky and less user-friendly with certain data sources, such as BW and Big Data.
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Value and Cost Considerations
With a value for money rating of 4, QlikView is considered to provide substantial value. It's particularly noted as beneficial for students writing their thesis. However, it is described as expensive, and while it is available in a free version, it is not regarded as the best option for detailed reporting when compared to other BI tools like Qlik Sense, Tableau, and PowerBI.
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Comparing to Competitors
Users have compared QlikView to other business intelligence tools, stating that it falls short in visualization capabilities against Qlik Sense, Tableau, and PowerBI. While it is praised for its BI capabilities, fast data processing, and ease of use, QlikView is criticized for its less effective visual tools and the inability to write back to the database.
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Community and Support
QlikView boasts a wide user group over the internet and a support forum, suggesting a robust community for user collaboration and support. This community is an asset for troubleshooting and sharing best practices among users.
Conclusion
Qlikview offers robust data visualization and discovery capabilities, suitable for enterprises requiring powerful analytics. Yellowfin BI provides strong collaborative features and is user-friendly, catering to businesses that prioritize ease of use and communication.
Both platforms have their unique strengths and can serve different business intelligence needs effectively. However, the complexity of these tools can be a barrier for some users.
Sourcetable addresses this gap by offering a simplified business intelligence experience. It syncs data in real-time across various services into a spreadsheet interface, making the process familiar and accessible.
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