Data Visualization Tools

As with visualizations, Qlik’s “associative” data engine which lets you explore ALL of your data from any angle, directly within dashboards. Qlik’s cognitive engine uses machine learning to get smarter over time – giving you ideas of what to explore next.

Because Tableau uses a SQL database, users are restricted to specific, predetermined paths within a narrow portion of data. That means the platform only analyzes part of your data, leaving out key patterns and connections.

Power BI also operates on a SQL database, restricting users to query paths that are linear and predetermined.

Qlik includes a full range of AI capabilities which are built into the platform at a foundational level and span different users and use cases. For example, you can ask questions in natural language and get in-depth answers. And as you explore your data, Qlik automatically makes suggestions for new ways to look at your data.

Because Tableau’s Ask Data feature is not core to the platform, it only connects to data sources, which means it can’t leverage the insight your analysts have built. Specifically, it doesn’t work with the business logic built into workbooks because it can’t access workbooks.

Power BI bolted on Microsoft AI to add the Quick Insights and Q&A features. Accessing these features requires you to purchase the whole Microsoft stack. And, once you do, these are objects on a dashboard that you need to include every time.

Because responsive design and touch are native to Qlik, users can complete the same functions on the full-native mobile app that they can on their desktop or laptop—even offline.

Tableau’s mobile app limits you to basic functions, such as downloading one sheet from a larger workbook. You can’t filter, either. Instead, you’ll have to highlight one value at a time and then scroll around to find where that value displays in related charts.

Desktops are the main tools for Power BI users, and you’ll have to use different pieces of software for different tasks. Power BI offers cloud capabilities for uploading reports—with limited editing capabilities.

Qlik’s associative engine provides instant calculation performance, even with massive data sets, real-time data and high numbers of users. And, with the ability to add, change or remove records, you can keep data updated in a much smaller build window.

Tableau has trouble processing large volumes of disconnected data—especially when complex analytics are involved. In addition to slower performance, you can’t increment data and keep it fresh in small build windows.

Power BI can get very expensive when operating at scale. Power BI Pro’s has an extremely low limit of 1GB per data set, so it’s likely that you’ll quickly need to upgrade to Premium.

Qlik offers a variety of APIs to help you integrate with your web and application technologies, including products, portals, workflows and edge devices. For example, embed a dashboard into your mobile app, complete with individual numbers, values and metrics.

Tableau offers a very limited amount of APIs. For example, you can only embed a complete dashboard, not individual values.

Power BI does allow for dashboard and object embedding, but Power BI is not API-first and many capabilities are not available in their software development kits.

Qlik provides a full enterprise SaaS environment and both on-premise or private cloud options. Qlik is also independent, so you have total freedom and control of your data.

Stability is important. Now that Salesforce owns Tableau, what does that mean for Tableau customers’ data? You don’t want to be left wondering where your data could end up or whether or not it could get locked in.

When it comes to deployment, Microsoft’s Power BI offers one cloud option: Microsoft’s cloud solution, Azure. And, because the cloud experience differs from on-premise, the user experience could get bumpy.

With Qlik, all content creation on Qlik happens in the cloud, where it’s governed and controlled. These governed libraries provide reuse and standardization for analytics. Qlik also centralizes and unifies your data, creating governed data models with robust data security.

With Tableau, users keep work on their hard drives. Because it’s desktop software, users may or may not share on a server. That means potential issues with version control, and the chance your data could become polluted or outdated.

Managing and validating data with Power BI is challenging. Because the platform decentralizes data, it’s scattered across user desktops and the cloud.

All users in your business can perform all activities—from visualization to data analysis—on the same platform with a common analytics engine, AI capabilities and analytics data pipeline.

Tableau focuses on a single use case: data visualization. However, to create these visualizations, you’ll need business authors who have database and SQL expertise.

With Power BI, you can perform a range of uses if you invest in a range of Microsoft products. And you’ll need to switch between multiple products to do so.

Qlik Sense has best-in-class Data Integration capabilities for combining and transforming data and data cataloging. Qlik also offers an enterprise class Data Integration platform providing a seamless analytics data pipeline.

Tableau has data prep capabilities in Tableau Desktop and in Tableau Prep. But they solve different problems (and neither can solve all). So which should you use? And what do you do about the data problems Tableau can’t solve?

Power BI’s disparate offerings makes it hard to integrate your data. To make it work, you’ll need to buy and add stack products.

Users of any skill level can freely explore their data using Qlik’s self-service tools. For instance, users can create reports with a simple drag-and-drop. You can also take advantage of Qlik’s data literacy as a service—an offering that blends training, processes and technology.

Tableau requires you to be an author to make discoveries. So their data literacy initiative is only focused on authors. That’s data literacy for data dictators and leaves the rest of us behind.

The only Power BI users who can access self-service are authors. After content has been published, there aren’t a lot of options for other users to further interact with data. For deeper exploration, users need to go back to the author.

Qlik offers lower TCO than Tableau or Power BI, and doesn’t require extra data or compute costs down the line. With Qlik, you get total transparency.

To replicate what’s in a single Qlik app, you’d need to create many Tableau reports. That would take time, and time is money. Plus, refreshing that content could cost extra.

Power BI users who want to work at the enterprise level will have to pay substantial upgrade and add-on fees. Learn more.