We use Tableau for BI reporting.
Manager at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
A user-friendly and intuitive interface with good community support
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the interface, which is user-friendly and intuitive."
- "The charts in Tableau are quite limited."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the interface, which is user-friendly and intuitive. Even for somebody new, who has no idea of how a BI tool is supposed to function from a technical standpoint, it is very intuitive. You simply import the data and then use the drag-and-drop capabilities.
What needs improvement?
Data cleansing and data transformation functionality need to be improved. Tableau is not a full-stack BI tool, like Sisense. Including this type of functionality would add flavor to the tool.
The main point is that Tableau requires the data to be in a certain format for the end-user, in order for them to create charts. If it's not in a certain format, or in a certain structure, then the user will have to manipulate it.
The charts in Tableau are quite limited.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tableau for a few years.
Buyer's Guide
Tableau Enterprise
January 2026
Learn what your peers think about Tableau Enterprise. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,114 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Tableau caters to a lot of databases and flat files, which means that you can connect to multiple data sources. In this regard, I would say that it is quite scalable.
We have between 40 and 50 users in the company.
How are customer service and support?
We are quite satisfied with community support. It is always there if you need any help and I am pretty happy with it.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have worked with other BI tools including Spotfire and Power BI. There are not as visually appealing as Tableau and I would stay that purely from the UI perspective, Tableau definitely has the upper hand.
Conversely, Power BI has some capabilities that are missing in Tableau. Examples of this are charts and graphs. If you want to create something that's customizable, it's a very difficult and tedious task in Tableau. This is unlike Power BI or Sisense.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy. Once you download it, it is a typical setup with a series of screens where you just press the Next button. Anybody can install it in a few minutes.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I am currently researching Sisense to get an idea of what the pros and cons of the different BI tools are. Sisense is a more complete tool that includes data cleaning, data transformation, and ETL capabilities right in the tool.
Tableau, on the other hand, is used for visualizations, dashboards, and storytelling. Their data has been cleaned or preprocessed in an SQL database beforehand.
What other advice do I have?
Tableau is a product that I recommend.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Director of Development with 51-200 employees
Tableau provides very fast interactive visual analysis.
I do use both Tableau and QlikView. Although very different, I really like both solutions. They belong to the new BI generation known as Interactive Visual Analytics.
In my opinion, QlikView has a more intuitive interface for regular users or executives that are not technical experts but the development side is a little more complex. Up to version 12 QlikView did not provide drag & drop features.
If a user wanted to see something not included in the application the new object had to be created by a power user or developer because Qlikview's scripting has somewhat of a learning curve.
On the positive side, QlikView's scripting is a great asset as it functions as an ETL allowing the integration of hundreds of different data sources into the same visual app.
Another feature that’s extremely useful is Qlik’s proprietary Associative Model that allows the users to visualize data relationships that exist as well as those that do not.
Tableau on the other hand is a lot easier to use for developers, analysts or power users who need to connect, manipulate and visualize data rather quickly. While this makes Tableau a better fit for the more analytical crowd, it may not be as appealing or intuitive to the regular or casual business users as QlikView is.
Tableau has full pivot, drag & drop and drill down capabilities that are great for developers or power users. They can rotate measures and dimensions and graph them instantly using visualization best practices as suggested by the "show-me" feature.
Tableau’s provides a forecasting function and the capability to connect with the open source statistical program R to include predictive modeling.
Tableau includes a Data Interpreter that makes data cleansing, column splitting and crosstab pivoting very intuitive. Tableau’s latest versions allow joining tables from different data bases and have included the hyper data engine that provides 5 times faster query speeds.
The latest version includes "relationships" with an algorithm that makes
the necessary data connections automatically with no need to perform joins or add Level of Detail scripts (LOD) to eliminate duplicates. However one can still create joins to override relationships if for some reason it was necessary.
Also when opening older files containing joins they are kept under a
"migrated data base" or the migrated joins can be deleted to be replaced with simpler automatic relationships. Tableau releases updated versions once a quarter.
Both Tableau and Qlik continue to be excellent. They are positioned at the top of the leader's quadrant in Gartner's 2022 Magic Quadrant report for BI and Analytics platforms.
In my experience the choice depends on the fit with the company culture and the users' profile.
Qlik introduction of their new platform called “Qlik Sense” provides intuitive drag & drop functionality to create visualizations. At this point Qlik Sense Desktop is free for personal and small group of cloud business users that need to easily develop analytic applications on their own - with virtually no IT intervention.
Recently Tableau has moved to a subscription based model but still offers free products: Tableau Public and Tableau Reader to ease the user entry process.
It certainly seems like Qlik Sense is an attempt to regain some of the impressive growth Tableau has enjoyed during the last few years playing in the truly self-service visual BI segment.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Tableau Enterprise
January 2026
Learn what your peers think about Tableau Enterprise. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,114 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Software Developer at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
An easy-to-deploy tool that performs well and enables users to create visualizations easily
Pros and Cons
- "The product’s performance is better than other tools."
- "Creating empty extracts is not easy."
What is most valuable?
The product’s performance is better than other tools. The working speed is good. Creating visualization on Tableau is somewhat easier than other tools.
What needs improvement?
The product has some limitations. Creating empty extracts is not easy. We faced some issues in the initial phase. Creating extracts side by side with multiple lines is not possible in Tableau. This feature is available in Power BI.
If we want to make any changes to the server, we must have the Administrator role. The product should also allow users with Explorer roles to make these changes.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for the past three and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The tool is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is scalable. Around 50 people are using the product in our organization. Everyone knows about the product. We have around seven administrators. The number of administrators varies based on the project and tasks.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is good. I raise a ticket in Tableau Community if I get stuck at any point. I can get the solution easily from the community.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I am also using QuickSight. When we create multiple visualizations and multiple sections using Tableau’s dashboard, the way of executing the visualization is quicker in Tableau compared to other tools. We can pull millions of data and create millions of tables. Apart from the performance issue, compared to other tools, the product provides the best and most advanced features.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. The time taken for deployment depends upon the data, the visualization, the types of reports, and the number of cards.
What other advice do I have?
We are also learning to use other tools. It is beneficial to learn Tableau. It will help us in the future. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
CEO at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
With a straightforward initial setup phase in place, the tool is useful for businesses to analyze their sales and service inventory
Pros and Cons
- "Tableau's initial setup was straightforward."
- "I don't have the ability in Tableau to create a tooltip and see the picture of a piece of jewelry or watch that is a best seller."
What is our primary use case?
I use Tableau in a jewelry company to analyze sales and service inventory.
What is most valuable?
I can't comment on the valuable features of Tableau. I am familiar with some of the other tools, but I can't point out one specific big feature of Tableau.
What needs improvement?
A specific thing in Tableau is that I have looked at how to add pictures to the reports. I don't have the ability in Tableau to create a tooltip and see the picture of a piece of jewelry or watch that is a best seller.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tableau for over five years. I don't remember the version of the solution I am using, but I feel it is the upgraded version. Maybe the server is not the latest one, which might be behind by a year. I am a customer of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Tableau does break down a little bit. The server version of Tableau doesn't allow you to see what is going on, making it a part of Tableau that is not great. Tableau's server version doesn't provide the ability to extract the information to see why the reports or dashboard didn't run properly. When you refresh in Tableau, you can't see what it's doing, and nothing happens since it doesn't show you what's going on, and then Tableau gets fixed all of a sudden.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
One of my biggest problems is getting all the users to use Tableau, but that's not a specific problem of the tool alone since it is one of the most common problems among BI tools.
I only have ten Tableau licenses that are used in my company.
How are customer service and support?
I have only sought some local support within Israel for Tableau. The only way to solve the problems in Tableau is through checking on forums.
How was the initial setup?
Tableau is deployed on-premises.
Tableau's initial setup was straightforward. When you need to make complicated dashboards, that can be very difficult in Tableau, but the initial setup was very quick. Connecting the data sources was very easy in Tableau.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing for Tableau is the same as the other products in the market. I haven't checked Tableau's price recently, but I don't think it is a factor when choosing the tool.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Before choosing Tableau, I had checked QlikView, which is now Qlik Sense, and I preferred the way Tableau works over Qlik Sense. Tableau made me feel independent and not dependent on programmers, making it more user-friendly.
What other advice do I have?
I would look at Microsoft Power BI. I am unsure if I would push Tableau since it is not a widely used tool. I don't know if others in the field of jewelry use Tableau.
Overall, I rate the solution between a seven and eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Director at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Data is easily understood at all levels of the company
Pros and Cons
- "Partner support is very good."
- "Tableau is a company that does not respect partners."
What is our primary use case?
Creates data visualization for final users, then shares these visualizations throughout the entire company.
We offer Tableau as a product. As a partner, we recommend it to our customers. We use it internally to manage all our KPIs and services, so we also use it as a customer.
How has it helped my organization?
- Data is easily understood at all levels of the company.
- Business insights are shared across various departments.
- They allow you to quickly mount decision scenarios, and point you in the right direction of issues.
What is most valuable?
- Its ease of use and ability to convert drag and drop gestures into queries.
- The ability to create complex calculations.
- The completeness of things you can do.
- It has a very nice dashboards.
- You do not need a technical background to fulfill your business needs.
What needs improvement?
- Conditional formatting could be an interesting feature to provide to final users. It is a long-term request of our users.
- The data preparation/blending options are very basic. They could be improved.
- More willing to hear customer/user suggestions.
For how long have I used the solution?
Five to ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
No stability issues. I never had it crash my computers. The stability is awesome.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It can be achieved, but it is not what most companies focus on. You can have a huge server with core licenses. You can have a lot of users using and consuming information and dashboard use it continuously, but the thing is to still have a PC or text components, which is the weakest link in the chain.
Scalability may be good. Not awesome, but good.
How are customer service and support?
Tableau's support could improve.
Partner support is very good.
In five years, I have been working with Tableau. I have used technical support only one time. They did not complete what I needed. I figured out the solution myself, but I understand this may be due to my own expertise. However, in general, our customers are very satisfied with the support.
I would rate technical support as an eight out of 10.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used Cognos, BusinessObjects, and QlikView. I switched because of the paradigm change to self-service capabilities and ease of use.
We also have a lot projects to change previous tools. For example, we replaced six Enterprise QlikViews in six different companies which had been working there for six or seven years.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very simple and the deployment is easy. Both tools (Desktop & Server) have a very simple wizard.
The typical installation from Mexico to Argentina, which is the market that I serve, is very easy to perform.
What about the implementation team?
Both. Expertise on this tool is very high throughout all of the Tableau ecosystem.
What was our ROI?
It is very high, but it requires a data preparation/blending tool.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Tableau's licensing is pretty straightforward and simple.
However, Tableau is a company that does not respect partners. Tableau is a company that overlaps and steps onto the partners' total deal. We had a very good example in Panama with one of the biggest companies in the country. They stepped in without notice, without having a partner laid out. The company turned down the deal and took it another year and a half to resurface. Finally, when it was close to closing, Tableau stepped in and messed it up. That is a common behavior of the boss company in Latin America.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Power BI, which was in its early stages at the time, but now sprawling across Latin America. Yellowfin, who we are a partner with now. We are now looking at Birst.
We chose Tableau because they were the whole package at the time.
What other advice do I have?
Do not hesitate to implement Tableau. You will not regret it if you are looking for a visualization and discovery tool.
Most important criteria when selecting a vendor:
- Customers' experiences
- Transparency
- The financial stability of the company.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. My company is a Tableau Partner.
Expert Analyst at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Simple interface, user-friendly, and good support
Pros and Cons
- "Tableau has many good features. It is user-friendly, has a simple-to-use interface, and has a customizable dashboard."
- "When you create new fields in Tableau and you enter the formulas, there is a new small window that is there in the interface. You can enter the calculated fields, it could be more user-friendly. At this time it is limited and hard to understand at the beginning. The fields should be easier to use, such as in Microsoft Excel. You can have a difficult time understanding what to do in the fields, you end up doing trial and error to figure it out."
What is most valuable?
Tableau has many good features. It is user-friendly, has a simple-to-use interface, and has a customizable dashboard.
What needs improvement?
When you create new fields in Tableau and you enter the formulas, there is a new small window that is there in the interface. You can enter the calculated fields, it could be more user-friendly. At this time it is limited and hard to understand at the beginning. The fields should be easier to use, such as in Microsoft Excel. You can have a difficult time understanding what to do in the fields, you end up doing trial and error to figure it out.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tableau for approximately seven years.
How are customer service and support?
Tableau has a good online community that I used for support hat is very good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Tableau is relatively simple. For new users of the solution, it is easy for them to grasp. You need to understand how to connect to the Oracle or SQL Server, having knowledge of databases will make the process easier.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing model of Tableau has changed since we initially purchased it three years ago and it is more complicated, and I have found it to be more expensive. They have lost market shares to Microsoft BI. My company will probably change solutions this year because of the increased pricing model.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated Microsoft BI.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to others that are wanting to implement this solution is for them to use use the online community. There are many good resources, and examples for implementing solutions. There is plenty of support.
I rate Tableau a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Educator at a university with 11-50 employees
Automatically shows charts for the related data that I choose
Pros and Cons
- "Tableau will automatically show charts for the related data that I choose making it very easy to use."
- "In the next release, there should be more information describing each chart because users have a difficult time telling them apart. They should also include the animations/videos, similar to Power BI."
What is our primary use case?
I use Tableau for the ability to use the sheets/histories, dashboards, and various charts (some with GPS locations). I am also able to publish reports to my own server.
What is most valuable?
Tableau will automatically show charts for the related data that I choose, making it very easy to use.
What needs improvement?
In the next release, there should be more information describing each chart because users have a difficult time telling them apart. They should also include the animations/videos, similar to Power BI.
I also think that the trial period should be extended. It is currently only twenty-one days which is a short amount of time to get acquainted with the solution.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We looked at Power BI and realized that would would need some experience to use this solution since it will not automatically pair a chart with the data that it is related to.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Data Analyst at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
A flexible product that makes it easy to do a lot of things and comes with great support
Pros and Cons
- "It is so easy to do a lot of things. There is a lot of flexibility and creativity in this product. In other products, you don't have this flexibility."
- "I would like Tableau Prep to be integrated with Tableau Desktop. I would also like more customizations for tables."
What is our primary use case?
We are a consultant, and it is our main product for consultancy.
It is deployed on the cloud as well as on-premises.
What is most valuable?
It is so easy to do a lot of things. There is a lot of flexibility and creativity in this product. In other products, you don't have this flexibility.
What needs improvement?
I would like Tableau Prep to be integrated with Tableau Desktop. I would also like more customizations for tables.
Its setup should be simple. It is complex to deploy if you work in a test environment.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is easy to scale. It is suitable for small, medium, and large enterprise
How are customer service and support?
Their technical support is great.
How was the initial setup?
It is complex. If you work in a test environment, it is complex to deploy. It should be more simple. You need someone who can help you with deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is reasonable based on what it offers.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise following Tableau Blueprint in your deployment. There are guidelines that will help you.
I would rate it a nine out of 10.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Tableau Enterprise Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: January 2026
Popular Comparisons
Microsoft Power BI
Informatica PowerCenter
Teradata
IBM Cognos
Amazon QuickSight
Qlik Sense
SAP Analytics Cloud
SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform
Oracle OBIEE
MicroStrategy
QlikView
SAS Visual Analytics
Oracle Analytics Cloud
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Tableau Enterprise Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- QlikView or Tableau - Which is better?
- What's your experience or opinion about Spotfire vs. Tableau vs. Qlik?
- I currently use Panorama Necto as a viewer on SQL Analysis services cube--what other solutions are out there?
- Business users moving from Tableau to MS Report builder
- Tableau vs. Business Objects - Which is a better solution for visualization and analysis?
- Tableau vs. Spotfire - What do I need to know regarding pricing and usability?
- I'm looking for real info about licensing, ease of setup and other costs involved. Can you help?
- Tableau 10: Best New/Improved Features
- A journalist is writing a story about which Data Visualization software product to choose. Can you help him?
- Tableau vs. QlikView - functionality and pricing schemes














Thank you Mr.Guillermo (Bill) Cabiro You Had shared a Great knowledge about Tableau and Qlikview and I had learn More information in this post Thanks a lot...onlineitguru.com/tableau-online-training-placement.html