Power BI vs Tableau: Which is best for my Small Business in 2023?
Explore this article and discover which among the two most popular data analytics and interactive data visualization tools: Microsoft’s Power BI or Salesforce’s Tableau is best for your growing business.
But before that, let me mention a few things in terms of questions that pop up in your head whenever you try to decide which way to go – Tableau or Power BI.
And these below questions might resonate with you:
- Why use data and data analytics tools?
- Which is the best data visualization tool I can use to make sense of tons of data?
- Is it even relevant to make decisions based on data in today's chaotic markets where businesses go from zero to billions overnight?
- What is happening?
- Which business intelligence (BI) tool should I choose?
In this article, you can ride the vehicle of exploring fascinating stories and get to know about Power BI and Tableau - two powerful data analytics tools in today's digital world.
This blog also compares the costs, performance, and user-friendly interfaces of each platform.
You'll also be uncovering the diverse data sources and ease of use for both tools and their programming support and data visualization capabilities.
I'll help you unfold the innovative machine-learning capabilities and customer support offered by Power BI Partners and Tableau.
Now that you know how powerful a BI tool can be, let’s learn a bit about the two most popular data visualization tools – Power BI and Tableau.
Navigating through Business Intelligence (BI) can be overwhelming at times, especially when faced with the decision - which tool to learn or use in your daily work.
But fret not, Power BI and Tableau are two of the most important and popular BI technologies that offer the ability to collect, integrate, analyze, and present business information with ease.
By leveraging Power BI’s data visualization capabilities, you can analyze and visualize data, extract valuable insights for next level decision-making, and share it across various departments in your organization - all possible with Microsoft.
However, Tableau merely transforms data into actionable information, streamlining the flow of data and presenting it through various interactive visualizations.
Let's dive into the key differences between Power BI and Tableau and help you make a confident decision for your BI needs.
Cost Difference: Microsoft Power BI vs. Tableau
Power BI Tableau Power BI offers a more budget-friendly option compared to Tableau. The professional version of Power BI costs under $10 per user per month, with an annual subscription fee of around $100. Whereas, Power BI Premium, which is licensed through dedicated cloud resources, comes with a monthly cost of $4,995. Tableau is a pricier option compared to Power BI, with its Pro version costing a pretty penny at over $35 per month per user. A yearly subscription to Tableau will set you back around $1000. Meanwhile, the Tableau Creator is available at roughly $70 per month and the Tableau Viewer is available at $12 per month.
Note: If you're a small business or startup, you may want to start with the budget-friendly Power BI, and upgrade to Tableau when your needs grow, and business demands acceleration.
| Power BI | Tableau |
| Power BI offers a more budget-friendly option compared to Tableau. The professional version of Power BI costs under $10 per user per month, with an annual subscription fee of around $100. Whereas, Power BI Premium, which is licensed through dedicated cloud resources, comes with a monthly cost of $4,995. | Tableau is a pricier option compared to Power BI, with its Pro version costing a pretty penny at over $35 per month per user. A yearly subscription to Tableau will set you back around $1000. Meanwhile, the Tableau Creator is available at roughly $70 per month and the Tableau Viewer is available at $12 per month. |
Performance Difference: Microsoft Power BI vs. Tableau
| Power BI | Tableau |
| Power BI offers user-friendly functionality and excels in performance for small to medium-sized data sets. However, when dealing with enormous quantities of data, Power BI may experience a decline in speed and efficiency. | Tableau excels in handling vast amounts of data with speed and efficiency. With its extensive visualization features, it supplies a complete and in-depth view of your data, free from limitations such as a restricted number of data points or imposed row or size restrictions. |
Difference in User Interface (UI): Microsoft Power BI vs. Tableau
| Power BI | Tableau |
| The Power BI user interface is designed with simplicity in mind, making it intuitive and straightforward to navigate. Integration with other Microsoft products is seamless, adding to its ease of use. The user-friendly design allows for quick and effective navigation, with the ability to switch between the report view, data view, and model view from the left side of the canvas. Power BI is an accessible tool that can be easily learned and understood, enhancing your productivity. | Tableau's user interface is designed with the user in mind. It allows you to easily create and customize dashboards to meet your specific needs. With an engaging workspace that inspires exploration, you can experiment with your data and achieve insightful results. The workspace includes a range of tools such as cards and shelves, a toolbar, a sidebar, a data source page, a status bar, and sheet tabs. |
Difference in Data Sources: Power BI and Tableau
| Power BI | Tableau |
| Power BI has a wide range of data source compatibility, but its access to other databases and servers may be limited compared to Tableau. Some of the supported data sources in Power BI include Microsoft Excel, MS SQL Server, Text/CSV files, Folders, Oracle Database, IBM DB2, MySQL database, Access DB, and PostgreSQL database. | You can seamlessly integrate with a wide range of data sources and servers, including Excel, Google Sheets, text files, Dropbox, Google Drive, PDFs, JSON files, Amazon Redshift, statistical files, Google Analytics, Cloudera Hadoop, among others. |
Data Visualization Difference: Power BI vs. Tableau
| Power BI | Tableau |
| Power BI makes data analysis a breeze with its intuitive drag-and-drop functionality. It elevates the visual appeal of your data by offering a vast array of appealing and informative visualizations. The Power BI service even allows you to ask questions and receive meaningful insights directly from your data. With Power BI, creating reports and dashboards has never been more straightforward. | You can customize dashboards in Tableau for your specific device. Tableau's data visuals are interactive and support insights on the fly. With Tableau, you can translate queries into insightful visualizations that will help you follow trends, ask relevant questions, and identify business opportunities. There is no need to have prior knowledge to work on Tableau since it has in-built table calculations where users can easily build reports and dashboards. |
Customer Support: Power BI vs. Tableau
| Power BI | Tableau |
| Power BI, developed by Microsoft, is newer in the market compared to Tableau but it has 5 million subscribers (about twice the population of Mississippi), and the user base is quite effective in providing quick solutions. | Tableau has a substantial user community with over 160,000 active users in 500 global groups and 150,000 active customers on the online community. |
AI/Machine Learning Capabilities: Power BI vs. Tableau
| Power BI | Tableau |
| Power BI leverages Microsoft's business analytics advantages, including Azure Machine Learning, SQL Server Analysis Services, real-time data streaming, and multiple Azure database options. This eases data comprehension and trend analysis. | Tableau integrates Python machine learning capabilities, enabling machine learning operations and data forecasting on datasets. |
Also Read: Dynamics 365 Business Central vs. QuickBooks: Which one to go with in 2023?
So, Which one is the Best for your Business?
With knowledge of the differences between Power BI and Tableau's business analysis and intelligence capabilities, you can make an informed decision based on your business needs and budget.
To enhance your business analysis or accelerate your growth, you can contact Power BI Partner like Dynamics Square for User Training, which also includes Power BI Desktop layouts, reports, dashboards, and DAX commands. Get in touch now.
Ayush Jain is a seasoned Digital Marketing specialist renowned for his expertise in harnessing the power of cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions to propel business growth. With an impressive track record spanning more than four years, he has cultivated fruitful partnerships with numerous SaaS enterprises, driving substantial brand recognition and unlocking revenue potential.
