Choosing the right business intelligence tool is crucial for effective data analysis and reporting. Tableau and Qlik Sense are leading platforms that offer powerful features for data visualization and business intelligence.
While both have their strengths, they also come with distinct functionalities that may suit different business needs. This webpage will provide a clear comparison between Tableau and Qlik Sense, helping you make an informed decision.
In addition to comparing Tableau and Qlik Sense, we'll explore how Sourcetable offers a streamlined solution with a modernized, spreadsheet-like interface that syncs with your data, presenting an alternative for business intelligence tasks.
Tableau is a visual analytics platform that revolutionizes how data is used in decision-making. Founded in 2003 from a Stanford computer science project, Tableau aims to enhance data accessibility and comprehension through advanced visualization techniques. At its core, Tableau's VizQL technology enables users to transform raw data into understandable graphics with a simple drag-and-drop interface.
Tableau is a visual analytics platform that revolutionizes how data is used in decision-making. Founded in 2003 from a Stanford computer science project, Tableau aims to enhance data accessibility and comprehension through advanced visualization techniques. At its core, Tableau's VizQL technology enables users to transform raw data into understandable graphics with a simple drag-and-drop interface.
Tableau's user base spans a wide range of professions, including analysts, data scientists, educators, executives, and business professionals. The platform is designed to empower individuals and organizations to adopt a data-driven approach in their operations.
With Tableau, data exploration and management are simplified, allowing for quicker discovery of insights and more efficient sharing among users. The platform stands out in the business intelligence sector by providing a powerful, secure, and flexible analytics solution, which has significantly disrupted traditional data analysis practices.
Qlik Sense is a sophisticated data analytics tool that leverages artificial intelligence to deliver deep insights. It stands out for its speed and the use of associative analytics, enabling users to explore and discover data connections.
Qlik Sense is a sophisticated data analytics tool that leverages artificial intelligence to deliver deep insights. It stands out for its speed and the use of associative analytics, enabling users to explore and discover data connections.
Qlik Sense integrates with a vast array of data sources and offers a full suite of APIs for customization. It supports data prep and connectivity, ensuring seamless data integration. The platform can be accessed from anywhere, on any device, and can be embedded into other applications for extended functionality.
The tool is trusted globally, with over 40,000 customers leveraging Qlik Sense for their data analytics needs.
Analytics and Business Intelligence |
Tableau Accelerator allows rapid deployment of analytics for common business use cases. Bins help to group data for better histogram analysis. Data Stories provides automatic explanations in a narrative form. Explain Data offers statistical explanations for data points. Forecasting & Predictive Modeling supports advanced analysis trends. Geospatial Analytics enables mapping and location data visualization. |
Data Management and Performance |
Hyper is Tableau's in-memory data engine technology for fast analytics. Tableau Catalog ensures users find the right data and understand its context. Metadata API allows access to metadata for integration with other systems. Prep Conductor enables scheduled preparation of data flows. |
Integration and Collaboration |
Slack Integration facilitates collaboration on analytics within Slack. Table Extensions enhance dashboard functionality with third-party applications. ODBC Connector connects Tableau to various databases using ODBC drivers. |
Customization and Optimization |
LOD Expressions allow for precise data computation at different levels of detail. Workbook Optimizer analyzes workbooks to improve performance. Unified Tooltip offers a consistent interface for user interaction with tooltips. VizQL is a visual query language that translates drag-and-drop actions into data queries. |
Advanced Features |
Quality Warnings detect issues with data quality. Resource Monitoring Tool monitors the health of Tableau Server. Year Over Year Growth calculation is supported for comparative analysis. Zoom and Pan Controls improve user experience for detailed data exploration. |
Cloud and AI Capabilities |
Einstein Copilot for Tableau aids with AI-driven analytics. Tableau Cloud offers a fully hosted analytics platform in the cloud. Data Connect for Tableau Cloud streamlines data access and management in the cloud. |
Associative Analytics Engine |
The associative analytics engine is central to Qlik Sense, enabling deep exploration of data and revealing insights by allowing selections in any direction, instant calculations, and discoveries. |
Augmented Analytics |
Qlik Sense integrates AI and ML into its foundation, offering augmented analytics with features like AI-powered insights, predictions, automated insight generation, and natural language interaction. |
Advanced and Predictive Analytics |
Advanced analytics capabilities, including predictive analytics and the ability to create machine learning models with Qlik AutoML, are built into Qlik Sense for sophisticated data analysis. |
Data Integration and Preparation |
Comprehensive data prep and integration capabilities facilitate combining, loading, visualizing, and exploring data, supported by a fast data integration and connectivity feature. |
Visualization and Dashboards |
Interactive dashboards and a range of visualization tools enable users to create custom visualizations and self-service analytics for clear data presentation. |
Automation and Action |
Qlik Sense's alerting and automation features enable event-driven actions, application automation, and immediate action based on insights. |
Collaboration Tools |
Collaboration is enhanced with features like shared reports, discussion threads, notes, and the ability to collaborate on data-driven narratives and context. |
Customization and Extensibility |
With a full set of open APIs, Qlik Sense allows for custom app development, embedded analytics, and the creation of custom visualizations and analytics. |
Scalability and Performance |
High performance scalability and powerful data integration ensure that Qlik Sense can handle data from a wide array of sources, including apps, databases, and cloud services. |
Access and Mobility |
Qlik Sense is designed for mobility, providing users with cloud analytics and on-premises options, ensuring data analytics can be accessed anytime, anywhere. |
Tableau transforms complex textual and numerical information into interactive dashboards, enhancing data analytics and reporting capabilities for businesses.
With its ease of use and no need for technical skills, Tableau simplifies the operation for users, making data analytics accessible to a wider audience.
As a low-cost solution, Tableau provides an economical option for companies seeking to implement powerful business intelligence tools.
Tableau's mobile-friendly nature ensures that users can access and analyze data on-the-go, facilitating decision-making processes.
Quality customer service coupled with extensive resources equips Tableau users with the support needed to maximize the tool's potential.
A substantial fan base and excellent mobile support foster a community-driven environment for sharing best practices and troubleshooting.
Tableau excels in real-time analysis and data blending, offering businesses the ability to make timely, informed decisions based on a comprehensive data overview.
Tableau presents a high cost of ownership, with expensive pricing and complex pricing structures. The requirement for significant training to fully utilize its capabilities adds to the overall investment. For businesses where price is a barrier, Tableau may not be the ideal choice. Tableau Cloud further amplifies costs as it necessitates purchasing Desktop for full functionality.
Tableau's integration with other business systems is inadequate, leading to potential complications in established workflows. Performance and usability limitations may hinder the seamless execution of data analytics tasks. Scaling issues pose challenges as business intelligence demands grow.
Tableau's data management features require considerable effort to work with data, lacking tools such as PowerQuery for data cleaning. This can lead to increased time and resources spent on preparing data for analysis. Additionally, Tableau limits iteration and collaboration, which are crucial for a dynamic business intelligence environment.
The decline in the quality of Tableau's customer support can impact user experience and problem resolution. Furthermore, Tableau is not as competitive as other ETL tools available on the market, which may offer better functionality for specific data transformation and loading needs.
The Tableau Reader is a tool that allows users to open and interact with Tableau workbooks, revert changes, and use it within presentations. It also supports setting a preferred language.
Yes, the Tableau Reader can publish and export Tableau workbooks.
Tableau provides various APIs and SDKs including Tableau Connector SDK, Embedded Analytics Playbook, Extensions API, Hyper API, JavaScript API, Metadata API, Python Server (TabPY), REST API, Web Data Connector SDK, and Webhooks.
The Tableau Developer Program is a program that gives developers access to Tableau's Developer Tools and resources, including APIs, SDKs, and the Tableau GitHub.
The Tableau Community Forums is the place where you can ask questions, share insights, and connect with other Tableau users.
Resource allocation
Budget planning and spend
Sales/quota tracking
Employee satisfaction
Campaign engagement
Qlik Sense is a robust tool for business intelligence, offering self-service visualization solutions that enhance data literacy. Its user-friendly interface allows for efficient reporting and data analytics.
Qlik Sense is a robust tool for business intelligence, offering self-service visualization solutions that enhance data literacy. Its user-friendly interface allows for efficient reporting and data analytics.
With a pricing model of $30 per user per month, Qlik Sense is an affordable option for businesses seeking to leverage data analytics without incurring significant expenses.
Qlik Sense's compatibility with a wide range of devices ensures accessibility, promoting informed decision-making across different platforms.
The mobility feature and responsive design of Qlik Sense facilitate on-the-go access to data, enabling dynamic reporting and analysis.
A comprehensive security framework protects data integrity, while a centralized hub streamlines collaboration and information sharing among users.
With open APIs and customization options, Qlik Sense allows users to tailor analytics solutions and develop custom apps and visualizations to meet specific business requirements.
Qlik Sense's intuitive and powerful interface, coupled with AI capabilities, simplifies complex data analytics, making it a user-friendly solution for businesses.
Qlik Sense can experience decreased performance when handling large data sets, leading to slower data processing speeds.
For businesses with large teams, the cost of Qlik Sense may be excessive, representing a significant investment.
Users may encounter limitations when downloading information to Excel, which could hinder data portability and reporting flexibility.
Expenses can increase further due to the necessity for add-ons and plugins, which come at an extra cost with Qlik Sense.
You can pay for training with a credit card, Training Card, or invoice.
You can take training recommendations to find which courses to take for your role.
You can check your registration status on the My Training page.
No, Training Cards cannot be used to pay for certifications.
You have 12 months from the purchase date to use the Training Card.
Improving efficiency and customer service in the food service industry
Creating a company-wide portal for analytics in the finance sector
Enhancing operational success in retail
Reducing cost and effort in converting loan prospects in the financial services industry
Sourcetable stands out by offering streamlined data integration, allowing users to sync data from various services into a user-friendly spreadsheet interface. This contrasts with Tableau's multiple analytics capabilities, which may require more complex data management.
Unlike Tableau, which is designed for extensive visual analytics, Sourcetable provides a simplified, spreadsheet-like interface that may be more familiar to users, facilitating quicker adoption and ease of use for everyday business intelligence tasks.
For organizations looking for efficient reporting and analytics, Sourcetable offers a direct and intuitive approach. This can be particularly beneficial compared to the AI/ML and deep analytics capabilities of Tableau, which might be more than what is needed for simple reporting.
Sourcetable's emphasis on a spreadsheet-like interface allows for easy collaboration and accessibility, which can be more approachable compared to the visual storytelling and collaboration features of Tableau that may require a steeper learning curve.
Both Tableau and Qlik Sense are visual analytics platforms designed to help users understand and work with data.
Each platform can integrate with a variety of data sources and can be deployed in flexible environments, such as the cloud or on-premises.
Tableau and Qlik Sense offer intuitive interfaces, aiming to make data analysis accessible to users of varying skill levels.
Both platforms boast large, active communities providing support, resources, and opportunities for learning and collaboration.
Tableau and Qlik Sense include AI/ML capabilities, enhancing data analysis with predictive analytics and intelligent insights.
Both platforms emphasize collaboration among users and the ability to create compelling data visualizations for storytelling.
Data governance and management are key capabilities of both Tableau and Qlik Sense, ensuring data integrity and security.
Tableau offers flexibility in deployment with options for cloud, on-premises, or native integration with Salesforce CRM. Qlik Sense also provides various deployment choices, but lacks native integration with Salesforce CRM.
Tableau boasts a community of over a million members, providing a vast network for connection, learning, and inspiration. Qlik Sense has a strong user community, but Tableau's community size emphasizes its extensive support network.
Tableau is recognized for its intuitive interface, designed to facilitate data analysis without interrupting user flow. Qlik Sense also focuses on user experience but may have a steeper learning curve for some users.
Tableau's visual analytics platform is geared towards visual storytelling and collaboration, enabling users to see, understand, and act on data. Qlik Sense also provides robust visualization capabilities but with a different approach to data exploration.
Both Tableau and Qlik Sense have AI/ML capabilities; however, Tableau's AI/ML features are fully integrated within its platform, enhancing its data analysis and predictive capabilities.
Tableau has governance and data management capabilities, ensuring secure and reliable data usage across organizations. Qlik Sense offers similar features, but the approaches and implementation details may differ.
Tableau offers flexibility in deployment, available in the cloud, on-premises, and with native integration with Salesforce CRM. Qlik Sense also allows for cloud and on-premises deployment but does not natively integrate with Salesforce CRM. Sourcetable's deployment options are not specified in the provided facts.
Tableau boasts a community of over a million members that offers a place to connect, learn, and grow. While Qlik Sense has a community for collaboration, its size is not mentioned. Sourcetable's community attributes are not detailed in the facts provided.
Tableau has fully integrated AI/ML capabilities, governance, data management, and visual storytelling, designed to be intuitive for users. Qlik Sense focuses on user-driven, self-service analytics with associative data modeling. Sourcetable's capabilities in AI/ML, governance, data management, and storytelling are not mentioned in the facts provided.
Tableau is known for its intuitive products, including Tableau Desktop and Tableau Public. Qlik Sense also prioritizes an intuitive user experience with a responsive design. Details about Sourcetable's user interface and ease of use are not provided in the facts.
Tableau is used by organizations of all sizes, aiming to accelerate innovation, improve operations, and enhance customer service. Qlik Sense is also versatile, catering to various industries and business sizes. Information regarding the types of organizations Sourcetable serves is not specified in the provided facts.
Tableau and Qlik Sense are both robust visual analytics platforms, with Tableau offering a larger community and Salesforce integration. Sourcetable's comparison is limited due to the absence of details in the facts provided.
Sourcetable is a spreadsheet application that allows users to access data from most 3rd party applications, query data, and build live models. It is typically used by growth teams and business operations folks.
Sourcetable syncs data from over 100 applications and most databases, with updates occurring every 15 minutes on the regular plan and every 5 minutes on the pro plan.
No, Sourcetable does not require any coding to use.
Sourcetable costs $50 / month for the starter plan and $250 / month for the pro plan. All plans come with a 14-day free trial.
Sourcetable replaces workflows typically done in Excel, Google Sheets, and Business Intelligence tools. Users can start creating reports within minutes.
Tableau Creator's pricing varies depending on the billing cycle and currency. Annually, it costs $75, €75, or £60 per user per month. Monthly billing increases the cost to $105 per user. Additionally, in certain regions, the price is 9,000 per user per month.
Tableau Creator's pricing varies depending on the billing cycle and currency. Annually, it costs $75, €75, or £60 per user per month. Monthly billing increases the cost to $105 per user. Additionally, in certain regions, the price is 9,000 per user per month.
Subscribers of Tableau Creator receive Tableau Desktop, Tableau Prep Builder, and a Creator License for either Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud.
Tableau's subscription licenses grant time-limited access to its services, including necessary maintenance. This maintenance ensures users have the latest features and updates without extra charges.
Qlik Sense offers an annual billing cycle for its Cloud Analytics Plans, ensuring users commit to a long-term data analysis solution.
The Premium plan of Qlik Sense is available starting at $2,700 per month, catering to businesses seeking advanced analytics capabilities.
Enterprise plans are designed for larger scale data needs, beginning with a data allowance of 500GB per year for comprehensive analysis requirements.
Subscribers to Enterprise plans receive full access to all the features included in the Premium plan, delivering a complete analytics package for extensive enterprise needs.
Reviews mention that Tableau is considered expensive, with complex pricing that escalates upon scaling. Smaller companies find the cost particularly prohibitive.
Users report that Tableau has a steep learning curve and is difficult to learn, requiring time to master the vast number of features.
Tableau is critiqued for not allowing iterative data analysis and requiring additional tools for modern data analysis. Performance issues when connecting to other tools are also reported.
Users point to limited formatting/customization options and performance/usability limitations within Tableau.
Tableau Cloud, being cloud-based, necessitates the purchase of Tableau Desktop for full functionality, adding to the overall cost and complexity.
In conclusion, Tableau offers robust data visualization capabilities, while Qlik Sense is recognized for its associative data modeling.
Both platforms have their unique strengths and cater to different business intelligence needs.
Sourcetable provides a more streamlined approach, integrating real-time data across various services into an easy-to-use spreadsheet format.