Key players in focus: Power BI vs. Tableau

Comparing self-service BI tools

As a partner of Tableau and Microsoft Power BI, we are faced with the same question over and over again in customer projects. Which of the two solutions for self-service BI is better suited to the specific requirements? This much should be anticipated: There is no general answer to this question. Power BI and Tableau are leaders in the self-service BI market. However, each company will have to decide individually which offer is the right one for the respective area of application and the individual requirements of their data analysis.

To provide an initial insight into the differences and strengths of the two tools, we selected and compared some relevant features.

Power BI vs. Tableau: Data connection and data preparation

Both Power BI and Tableau have a variety of options for connecting data sources. This supports all common data sources such as files (Excel, CSV), databases (SQL, Oracle) or online services (Salesforce, Google Analytics). As a result, there is no clear winner in the area of data connectivity. Because Power BI and Tableau both have a variety of connectors that make it easy for users to connect the most common databases and flat files.

However, after the data sources are connected to Power BI or Tableau, you can see significant differences in the topics of data modelling and data linking.

Power BI

In Power BI Data can be modeled and transformed either directly via the interface or via the Power Query “Formula Language M”. Data tables can be edited, linked, and edited directly in the Power BI interface. The familiar Microsoft menu structure and visual support make it possible to create complex data models directly in Power BI. In-depth programming knowledge is not required for this.

Power BI allows you to create ER models with various cardinalities. Classic data analysis structures can be taken directly from the data warehouse and enriched with additional tables, such as a date or region table. Power BI is able to map relational structures and allows cross-filters between tables.

tableau

tableau also provides various options for users to connect data sources with each other. In addition to the overall connection (union) of data, individual data sources can also be linked together in Tableau. Tableau supports links between tables in the same database and between tables in different databases. Tableau also offers the function of data blending. Data blending is helpful when the data sources used contain data that has a different level of detail or granularity.

At the moment, a flat table is created from all links in Tableau, which then forms the basis for data analysis and data visualization. This often results in requirements for the underlying data sources, which should, if possible, have a relational structure. Because this relational structure makes working with Tableau much easier.

Power BI vs. Tableau: Visualization via Reports and Dashboards

Power BI takes a different approach to creating reports and dashboards compared to Tableau. Visualizations are not first created in different worksheets and then integrated into dashboards. Instead, individual visualizations are placed directly within a worksheet and combined to form a dashboard.

This is done using a selection of predefined visualizations, which can then be filled with the appropriate dimensions and key figures. Compared to Tableau, this approach in Power BI isn't as free and flexible. It is based on the prevailing structure and selection within the visualization menus in Microsoft. Power BI offers a variety of settings when it comes to formatting. In this way, object size, object placement, fonts and colors can be set as desired. The extensive options are both a curse and a blessing. Inexperienced users won't find their way around so easily, but they will get clear and unambiguous help with formatting.

Marketplace enhancements

A special feature of Power BI compared to Tableau is the Microsoft Marketplace. Related to this is the ability to add additional visualizations to Power BI. At Tableau, there are initial tendencies to also offer a marketplace. However, in terms of the amount of content available, this is not yet comparable.

More data analysis with Tableau

Within Tableau, compared to Power BI, the aspect of data analysis is more prominent. It is therefore not surprising that visualizations in Tableau are initially created on individual worksheets. Overall, the visualizations in Tableau look very modern and appealing. Visualizations can be created quickly using drag & drop or the “Show Me” function. The design of dashboards in Tableau is particularly flexible and offers a variety of functions for individual design.

Tableau offers a variety of visualization options for presentation, which are already supported by “Show Me” as part of the built-in best practices. In addition, advanced users can create further visualizations. These include funnel charts, donut charts, Sankey charts or radar charts, which are not created immediately with a mouse click.

A summary of multiple worksheets is defined as a dashboard in Tableau. The visualizations (worksheets) can be put together as you like. Individual visualizations therefore only need to be created once and can then be added to any dashboard. Changes to a visualization are therefore only necessary once, so that they do not have to be created anew for each dashboard.

Tableau story option

Another way to prepare visualizations is the story function in Tableau. A story is a series of visualizations that together serve to convey information. Similar to a PowerPoint presentation, a series of visualizations and dashboards is created as part of a story. The difference is that, in contrast to PowerPoint, these include the complete functionality provided in the visualization or dashboard. Tableau offers several advantages, especially when it comes to creating visualizations and dashboards. Nevertheless, there are also a variety of formatting options in Power BI, which offer some design options.

Power BI and Tableau — report distribution

Once the data model and visualizations have been created in Power BI Desktop, users can publish the datasets and reports to the Power BI service (cloud) or the report server. If reports are to be released to other users, they also need a license for Power BI Pro. The reports can then be used via the Internet browser on any PC, tablet or smartphone. For users without a Power BI license, individual reports can be published and made available as a website or as an iFrame.

In Tableau, users can also share visualizations, dashboards, stories and data sources with other authorized users. All they have to do is publish them via Tableau Server. Users can then view the visualizations using any browser or native tablet and iPhone apps, adapt them as needed and create them as their own view. Tableau Server offers largely the same analysis options as within Tableau Desktop. Tableau also offers Tableau Mobile, an app that allows users to access Tableau Server from mobile devices as an alternative to a browser.

In addition to being delivered via Tableau Server, reports are saved and distributed as a Tableau Workbook including an extract. All users who have at least one Tableau Reader can open this file. Tableau Reader is a free desktop application. With it, users can not only open data visualizations, but also interact with them to filter data, explore it more closely, and gain new insights.

On-premise or cloud?

Tableau as well as Power BI provide options for distributing analyses and reports and providing them with various authorizations. The main difference is that, unlike Power BI (Pro), Tableau supports an on-premise solution, which is a necessary requirement for some users and companies. On the other hand, deployment in Power BI (cloud) is significantly cheaper and requires less effort. Many important features related to user management and deployment can be found in both BI tools.

Power BI vs. Tableau: Getting started and costs

Microsoft offers various license types for Power BI as a subscription: Power BI Desktop, Pro, and Premium. Power BI Desktop is available free of charge to individual users and can be used indefinitely. Power BI Pro, on the other hand, costs €8.40 per user per month and offers additional features such as collaboration, publishing, approval and ad hoc analyses. Power BI Pro is available for free for 60 days. In turn, Power BI Premium expands the range of functions of Power BI Pro and is licensed based on capacity. Power BI Premium provides dedicated capacity to support larger volumes of data in Power BI. With Premium, content can also be viewed by users who do not have Pro licenses.

Tableau also offers its solutions as a subscription or as a subscription. The prices for the individual license types (Tableau Creator, Tableau Explorer and Tableau Viewer) are offered per person and month and are billed annually. Tableau Creator includes the full functionality for data analysis and visualization and costs 70 US dollars per user per month.

Tableau Explorer is intended for users who want to access, interact with, or extend reports and data sources delivered on Tableau Server. Licensing Tableau Explorer requires a minimum purchase of 5 licenses. By combining at least one Tableau Creator and five Tableau Explorers, users can already use the Tableau Server, which is hosted locally or in the cloud. Tableau Explorer costs $35 per person/month. For a larger number of report recipients, Tableau offers the Viewer license form (minimum purchase of 100 licenses). The Tableau Viewer allows you to access and interact (for example, filter) reports that are stored on the Tableau Server. We would be happy to advise you on which tool is best for you and your company, with our BI & Data Analytics Consulting.

Comparing Power BI vs. Tableau: Conclusion

If the focus is on low implementation costs, reporting and, if necessary, data preparation/modelling, then there is much to be said for the introduction of Power BI. With a free start via Power BI Desktop, Power BI offers a way to analyze data quickly and at no cost and discover its added value for the company.

If there is a strong focus on visual data analysis, sophisticated map representations and the use of its own servers, Tableau can show its advantages.

When it comes to costs, Power BI is usually the cheaper option, at least initially. The free trial period is 60 days for Microsoft and just 14 days for Tableau. Power BI Desktop is also free to use without time limits. Getting started and gradually building up knowledge using the respective tool is therefore much easier with Microsoft Power BI, as the solution can be tested over a longer period of time.

How can you compare Power BI and Tableau yourself?

If you are just about to decide whether Power BI or Tableau is more suitable for your use case, feel free to contact us without obligation. We also use Power BI and Tableau in data discovery sessions, so that you can directly experience and compare the different approaches of the two solutions for data analysis and data visualization using your own data.