| Aspect |
Power BI |
Tableau |
| Company and Licensing |
Developed by Microsoft, Power BI offers both a cloud-based SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) version and an on-premises version called Power BI Report Server. It provides different licensing options, including a free version (Power BI Desktop), Power BI Pro, and Power BI Premium. |
Tableau was developed by Tableau Software, now a part of Salesforce. It offers a cloud-based SaaS version (Tableau Online) and an on-premises version (Tableau Server). Tableau's licensing model is typically based on named users and is considered relatively more expensive compared to Power BI. |
| Data Connectivity and Integration |
Power BI offers seamless integration with Microsoft products like Excel, SharePoint, Azure services, and SQL Server. It also supports numerous data connectors to various third-party sources. |
Tableau supports a wide range of data sources and offers extensive integration capabilities with cloud services, databases, spreadsheets, big data platforms, and other applications. |
| Ease of Use |
Power BI is known for its user-friendly interface, especially for users already familiar with Microsoft products. The drag-and-drop functionality makes it relatively straightforward to create visuals and reports. |
Tableau also has an intuitive interface, but some users may find it slightly steeper to learn compared to Power BI. |
| Data Modeling and Transformations |
Power BI Desktop allows users to perform data transformations using Power Query Editor (Get Data) and build relationships using a user-friendly interface. |
Tableau's data preparation features are powerful but may require more advanced knowledge. Data transformations are done using Tableau Prep or through custom calculations. |
| Visualization Capabilities |
Power BI offers a broad range of visualizations and custom visuals, and its default visuals are sleek and modern. The built-in themes and formatting options are also user-friendly. |
Tableau is renowned for its powerful visualization capabilities and interactive dashboards. Its "Show Me" feature helps users quickly select appropriate chart types based on data. |
| Performance |
Power BI is optimized for performance and integration with Microsoft's cloud infrastructure, providing fast and responsive dashboards, especially with Power BI Premium or Power BI Premium Per User. |
Tableau is known for its high-performance analytics engine, providing fast data querying and rendering, especially when working with large datasets. |
| Collaboration and Sharing |
Power BI offers collaboration features like shared workspaces, real-time collaboration, and content sharing with specific users or groups. Users can also embed reports into other applications. |
Tableau provides collaboration capabilities through Tableau Server or Tableau Online, allowing users to share, comment, and work together on reports and dashboards. |
| Cost and Licensing |
Power BI offers various licensing options, including a free version (Power BI Desktop), Power BI Pro for individual users, and Power BI Premium for organizations with broader needs. |
Tableau's licensing model is typically based on named users and is considered relatively more expensive compared to Power BI, especially for large organizations. |