Our clients from different industries use Tableau for data visualization purposes.
AGM - Digital Engineering & Strategic Solutions at DMS Software Technologies (Pvt) Ltd.
Scalable platform with a straightforward initial setup process
Pros and Cons
- "Tableau's most valuable feature is its ability to connect with various data sources and display real-time data on three different dashboards."
- "There should be stronger data modules for the platform."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
Tableau's most valuable feature is its ability to connect with various data sources and display real-time data on three different dashboards. It stands out in handling and utilizing data compared to other products like Oracle BI.
What needs improvement?
There should be stronger data modules for the platform.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Tableau for the past one and a half years.
Buyer's Guide
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June 2025

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The platform is relatively stable. I rate its stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The platform is highly scalable. I have five clients, and the total number of users across all clients is around 300 to 400. I rate its scalability an eight out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The platform's technical support services require improvement. There should be enough support during the deployment.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The platform is deployed on the cloud and on-premises. Its initial setup is straightforward. It took about an hour or two to deploy. I rate the setup process as a nine out of ten.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of Tableau should be better to remain competitive in the market, especially when compared to alternatives like Power BI. By adjusting the pricing, it can appeal to a broader range of markets and attract more customers.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the platform an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. reseller

Analytics Lead/Tableau Integrator at SOFTICO
Real time analysis, reliable, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
- "Technical support has been responsive."
- "There are not enough language options. It needs to be offered in more than just English."
What is our primary use case?
Our company uses dashboards to understand how much we can improve the situation, track performance in real-time and help managers react faster to non-obvious things.
For our clients, we carry out system integration, and pilot projects, develop first dashboard layouts, provide system support during integration and post-sales service, and provide training to our clients. The main goal of customers is to understand whether they will get profits in the future or not and be able to influence the situation right now.
How has it helped my organization?
Tableau helps the company to see insights. It will allow profit or loss to be predicted, but very flexible to react to changes.
Tableau's dashboard allows teams to see what's going on at a high level. Our company sells software licenses and it's very important for us to be able to track license expiration dates that may expire in the near future and to be able to contact customers and ask them to renegotiate contracts or to warn customers in time about possible license renewals or additional purchases of new licenses.
Instead of going deep into the CRM in detail, we can do it directly from the dashboards generated by Tableau, saving ourselves time and increasing our productivity.
Other customers can use the solution to check the duration of certain transactions. They can see how quickly they are completing transactions in a call center, for example. They can look at targets and get alerts to help them improve results.
What is most valuable?
Users don't have to wait for monthly reports, Tableau allows users to view numbers to make real-time decisions. It is easy and intuitive to use and has quick access to analytics, high performance even for very big data, and a built-in ETL tool to clean and prepare data.
Both web and mobile versions are supported. Updates take place at least once every three months. We always get the latest version with the latest features.
There is a huge community of Tableau users - 99.9% of questions are answered.
The solution integrates well with Python and R. The solution scales well and it is very stable.
The setup is quite easy and the technical support has been responsive.
What needs improvement?
Despite the number of available interface languages, I would like to see as many languages as possible represented in Tableau. So many companies really want to use this program and it suits them better than any other similar programs, but due to the lack of understanding of English, it is difficult for them to decide to integrate this particular product.
In addition to the existing set of common data types, Tableau Desktop has such a wonderful thing as a union of data on the principle of relationships for Multi-table. This type of union is very easy to work with the data source itself and does not overload the system.
At the moment, this type of union only exists for connections from databases. It would be nice if Tableau added this type of merging for data sources that are on the Tableau Server/Tableau Cloud.
Every three months, Tableau adds new features. There are always new features coming up.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's stable. It's reliable and has a good security program.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is very easy to scale. The Blueprint methodology shows how large companies can successfully implement and develop it.
We are a small company. Right now we have about eight users of the solution. Part of them prepare analytics and manage the solution on the server side as the analysts, architects, and solution engineers, and the rest are people who use the solution as users, viewers, and explorers.
How are customer service and support?
We have full technical support for our clients. When we get a new client, we provide full support and handle pilot projects. We can also provide dashboards. We have a community for clients that are new to the solution.
Our company would like to improve the culture of data in our country. We're working to provide learning resources and free YouTube lessons to help new users understand the product.
As a company, we provide Tableau support for our clients. If our company cannot find any solution ourselves, we contact the brand's technical support, and they respond very quickly. Depending on the complexity of the problem, a solution can be delivered within two to three days up to a week.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In the past, I have also used Excel and some Power BI.
In our company we like to say that there is no perfect BI, only the tool that suits you and your goals. Therefore, most companies choose to work with a different set of tools, sometimes combining several different ones. The main thing is that they all work towards your main goal and the achievement of your results.
Despite the fact that the company sells both Tableau and Power BI, we mainly use Tableau.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very easy. That said, it's best to prepare your system. You need to understand how your system will be able to integrate with it. You also have to understand your data.
It can be set up by one person if it is a small company and he is well versed in the product and in his system. However, if the company is large and the process is complex, then of course a team of several people may be needed to share the integration process between working with server setup, analytics department, and working with clients.
The service can be set up completely automatically. This will depend on the server the company uses and whether additional add-ons for working with Tableau are enabled. Automation makes it easy to check data flows and dashboards, simplifies server operations and monitors errors that occur, and sends alerts or warnings if they occur.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is still quite high for many Tableau customers. That said, the company understands the value the solution provides. That, and the integration process is so much easier with Tableau. Even with the licensing being so high, it is worth it due to the simplicity and finally, they see the financial return of using the product.
What other advice do I have?
I'm an analytics lead. I'm an integrator of the product.
We work with Tableau Cloud and with the Tableau Server.
Make sure you are really ready to integrate with Tableau. That will make the deployment go much more smoothly. Users that are fully prepared will be able to get the most out of it. If they are not prepared, they will not use it to the fullest extent possible. Sometimes you have to change not just the tool; you have to change the entire company's process. The product implementation needs to be considered at all steps, both within the company and for all stakeholders.
I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
Buyer's Guide
Tableau
June 2025

Learn what your peers think about Tableau. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
860,632 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Fintech Project Manager at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees
Good for personal usage and small setups
Pros and Cons
- "A valuable feature of Tableau is that it is a useful tool for small setups. I shuffle between Tableau and MicroStrategy, so I use Tableau for personal purposes more than enterprise. I like the light version of Tableau for personal usage and doing some use cases on my own. When it comes to something small, I use Tableau for setups, rather than any other tool."
- "I think Tableau could be improved with cheaper or more flexible licensing, though this is a generic improvement and applies for any product. It would be better if they had more flexible payment and licensing plans so that they could suit small- and mid-sized organizations."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case of Tableau is to elaborate and demonstrate output from our big data solution. For example, we use it for finding out the best location for cases, such as fraud cases. Presently, we are using Tableau to find out the original fraud case, the initiator of the fraud process, and the network. Tableau is used with our big data solution, so it's embedded there, before Oracle even.
Tableau is deployed on-premise. In my organization, we have a very strict environment, so we don't have a policy for having anything on cloud.
What is most valuable?
A valuable feature of Tableau is that it is a useful tool for small setups. I shuffle between Tableau and MicroStrategy, so I use Tableau for personal purposes more than enterprise. I like the light version of Tableau for personal usage and doing some use cases on my own. When it comes to something small, I use Tableau for setups, rather than any other tool.
What needs improvement?
I think Tableau could be improved with cheaper or more flexible licensing, though this is a generic improvement and applies for any product. It would be better if they had more flexible payment and licensing plans so that they could suit small- and mid-sized organizations.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tableau since 2016.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't had any issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Theoretically, Tableau is scalable, but I haven't tried to scale it yet.
How are customer service and support?
I have never contacted technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I shuffle between available tools—I also use MicroStrategy, Microsoft Power BI, and Qlik.
Before using Tableau, I used Oracle BI, Oracle ODI, and Teradata.
How was the initial setup?
The installation was an easy process, and I've done it myself twice. I'm a technical guy, so I didn't need a technical team to help with deployment, I did it on my own.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented this solution myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We pay for the enterprise license for Tableau. The licensing could be cheaper and more flexible.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Tableau an eight out of ten. I recommend Tableau, and I even recommend it here in my organization. Their plan was to replace it with Qlik, but I did an assessment and advised them not to pay extra costs for other tools when Tableau was already in place in our organization.
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.
IT Manager at Glovis Europe
Enables you to make a dashboard for internal users and generate KPI reports
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is that we can integrate with our own database, and it will displays the KPIs. This is highly required from the business side."
- "It's already using 32 gigabytes of memory, but the performance is not so good. It's very heavy."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Tableau to make a dashboard used by our internal users, and then it is being used for a KPI report. This part is also shared with our customers. The customers access the web, and they check some limited version of the KPI report.
We are using the Tableau server for clients and desktop. The solution is deployed on-prem. We are kind of a 3PL provider, and we are using Tableau to meet the requirements of our customers. We are implementers.
How has it helped my organization?
We introduced Tableau because it provides many features that can be customized by users. We provide training to make the dashboard look how our business side wants, and they are manipulating the dashboard for their needs.
On the technical side, we are IT support and sometimes we provide some education and information on how to use the solution.
I think it would be much better if Tableau provided some API-based integration. I did try to integrate the Tableau web page and web dashboard into our own application. Some parts were successful, but other parts have some open points. If Tableau provided this kind of package with some integration, it would be much, much better.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is that we can integrate with our own database, and it will display the KPIs. This is highly required from the business side.
What needs improvement?
An improvement would be changing the design of the layout of the dashboard from the business side. Sometimes there are requests for the possibility to enhance the performance and the data depending on what they need more of. It depends on the situation.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tableau for about four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's already using 32 gigabytes of memory, but the performance is not so good. It's very heavy.
We have roughly 20 people using this solution. Most users have the role of logistics operator. Most users are doing their job regarding logistics, and they take more effort to make dashboards.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Currently, we have a strategy to open the reports to all customers, but I think we should develop more business-related skills, not only with the system or in some application terms. Our users do not have enough skills or insights for the dashboard.
How are customer service and support?
We are doing our own technical support by searching the technical Wiki or things like that.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup is straightforward because it's a simple concept.
I'm not sure how long deployment takes because this is usually managed by our data engineer. There's no strategy regarding deployment itself. We just make some temporal or test dashboard and then communicate with our users. After confirming, we just announce it with email, and then they start to use it as an official version of the dashboard.
What about the implementation team?
We didn't use an integrator, reseller, or consultant for the deployment. The number of staff required for deployment and maintenance just depends on the case. Sometimes it will be simple, so there are only two or three people to make suggestions. After they apply that, sometimes we officially open it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Basically, we prefer a permanent license. A one-time charge is much better.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We didn't really evaluate other options. Every application provides some concept of a dashboard in using the data in that application. We have our own homemade dashboard and our business application, but users normally don't use it.
I think Tableau has many features for display, like graphs or pie charts. We can change dynamically, but our own dashboard doesn't provide that. It takes much more time if we change the layout there.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution 8 out of 10. Tableau has many features, and it's very nice, but it is very heavy. Tableau has to consume a lot of server resources.
It has many options and features but it's complicated. The users are having problems or difficulties to adapt or to learn the Tableau software because there are so many features. The many possibilities means that users should run a lot of it. It takes time to get used to Tableau. From my point of view, it's harder to learn.
For those who want to implement this product, I recommend that they research it themselves.
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 Teamlead at Elmenus
Raw data aggregation gives us real insight into how different business areas are performing
Pros and Cons
- "Although Tableau isn't the best for us when it comes to processing and working on live data, it is very good at extracting data for analysis."
- "Most of the problems in Tableau Online that I have noticed have to do with performance or weird, inexplicable bugs that I can't pin down. For example, you might try unloading some data, and you'll be waiting for a long time without anything happening."
What is our primary use case?
I work in the hospitality industry and I use Tableau Online and Tableau Bridge with our food ordering company. In our specific uses, I have found that Tableau is very good for extracting data, rather than for working live on the data.
Although the process of transferring data to Tableau isn't the best, once the data is already on Tableau, it works completely fine. I will typically make use of layer aggregation and other operations such as slicing and analyzing it by getting right inside the data in various ways.
How has it helped my organization?
Due to the demands of our industry, we always have things that we would like to see more in-depth over different dimensions, such as restaurants, branches, cities, and so on. With Tableau's help, our company can aggregate all the raw data and then analyze by rows, to see, for instance, which restaurant is doing the best by comparing them with one another. It also enables us to easily split areas into zones and use the data to test for not only which restaurants are doing the best, but also where (i.e. in which cities and branches).
What is most valuable?
Although Tableau isn't the best for us when it comes to processing and working on live data, it is very good at extracting data for analysis. Once you have extracted the data, the aggregate layers you can create, along with slicing and other operations, are very handy. It allows us to really get inside the data, and it is, in my opinion, better than any other tool I have used with the same pricing model.
Of the best analysis features, multi-aggregation layers come out on top for me, because they let you extract raw details while making multiple aggregations on different time levels and different dimensions, and you still manage to get your work done quickly without having to load a lot of data grouped over different dimensions.
Tableau Bridge is also a very good tool, however I can tell that it does need a few fixes and some maintenance. That said, it's still good for its first few years since release.
What needs improvement?
Most of the problems in Tableau Online that I have noticed have to do with performance or weird, inexplicable bugs that I can't pin down. For example, you might try unloading some data, and you'll be waiting for a long time without anything happening.
These bugs always seem to happen when we perform big upgrades or do maintenance work, and we have had to send a lot of tickets for unexplained issues during these times. It doesn't seem to be a problem only for us, but also for customers all over the world, such as in Ireland, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the US, too.
As for future features, I would like to see major upgrades in Bridge and the Flow Tool, allowing us to do more data engineering work. I think it would give Tableau a big edge in the market to look into how to incorporate more data engineering tools into their product.
Besides that, I would also like the charts to be more realistic and easier on the eyes.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tableau Online for three years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is okay. It's not 24/7, but you can say it's stable enough. In the start, it's more stable, especially compared to our OBIEE problems, which have taken two or three days to solve in the past.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's easy to contact Tableau and ask to increase users or resources. They'll do it in the blink of an eye.
At present, we have 20 users, 12 of which are shift users. The majority of our users in total are board members or high-level managers.
How are customer service and support?
I wouldn't give their support more than a seven out of ten rating.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have previously used Power BI, Qlik Sense, and Qlikview. I switched because Tableau was better in working with different sources compared to Power BI which was the only one that was truly on par. Qlik Sense and QlikView were easy to use but didn't have most of the features that Tableau and Power BI offered. Then there's OBIEE which I have used for the past two years, but it is quite difficult for non-technical users.
I also didn't like that Power BI is typically coupled with Microsoft Azure, whereas Tableau works well with AWS and Google which are a lot easier.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is straightforward. I mean, there's not much setup at all. It's easy for any mid-level user to do it. For example, I just used the documentation they provided and did everything myself. The documentation was sufficient
and the implementation strategy doesn't take more than 20 days.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented Tableau by myself using the documentation they have made available. And for maintenance on one single node, you might need only two to three people involved.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For data extraction and analysis, Tableau is better than any other tool I have used with the same pricing model.
What other advice do I have?
My ultimate advice is that you should know what the tool is capable of first and what your needs are. I think it's better to use the Server edition, and not Cloud, because there are a lot of problems in the Cloud version that don't seem to be present in the Server version. As for myself, I will likely switch to Tableau Server next year after doing a bit more research on how to do the changeover.
I would rate Tableau an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Business Analyst at a media company with 10,001+ employees
A lot of complex visualization features that can make the visualization powerful
Pros and Cons
- "The geospatial maps representation and the visualizations are nice."
- "If you wanted to create something without making it an extra column in the data set, you can't just rename it to a more user-friendly short name."
What is our primary use case?
Right now I use Tableau for learning purposes, such as open data sources, trying to learn the various visualizations that can be done on it.
What is most valuable?
I liked the representation of the geospatial map. It was really cool to have that visual and be able to create hierarchies using the geolocation cities, states, just wording those names into appropriate provisions on the map. So that's really something nice. I feel the visualizations come out very pretty.
What needs improvement?
The price is definitely a point that can be improved because smaller firms, like my bank firm, don't use Tableau because it's an expensive tool. If there were an option that catered toward smaller firms, that would be great because Tableau does in fact help with a lot of different kinds of data sources. For instance, it lets you upload CSV on Excel. However, other tools that we currently use, such as Looker, do not let you upload Excel files for ad hoc analysis. So, definitely, this is something price-wise that can be catered toward smaller firms.
Creating variables, creating new fields in Tableau during analysis, actually adds columns to the data. That's something that could potentially give us an option. Do you want it as a column added to the data set or do you want it ad hoc in the visualization sheet? So if you create a measurement or a dimension, that creates a new column, but if you try to create a new filter directly on the visualization, it doesn't let you rename it. Basically what you see is just the calculation that you put in there. If you wanted to create something without making it an extra column in the data set, you can't just rename it to a more user-friendly short name. An improvement would be adding the ability to rename ad hoc creations if you do create a mark or a filter on the visualization. That doesn't really get added to the actual data fields.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Tableau for a few months now as a learning, research activity rather than a day-to-day activity at work. So I primarily was going to a Tableau Public Learning.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
As of now, I haven't had any issues with the stability of the solution. Not any glitches.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Given that it's Tableau Public, I don't feel I could give the right answer to that. However, given that you could share your visualizations on a server without sending a file to people, scalability seems like a good option here.
How are customer service and support?
I have not used their tech support, but I did refer to a textbook to learn how to use Tableau.
Tableau has resources for learning using videos as well.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
My company currently uses Looker, not Tableau. I've been working on Tableau on my own time outside of work, trying to learn their free application, Tableau Public.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was pretty straightforward. It doesn't take much to get it all set up.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Tableau is an expensive tool for smaller firms.
What other advice do I have?
Do take time to learn the solution, because Tableau has a lot of features, a lot of complex visualization features that can make the visualization pretty powerful. I would advise people to learn it completely so they can use Tableau to its full extent rather than just ad hoc simple visualizations.
I would rate Tableau right at 8.5, leaning toward 9.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Assistant Manager at a retailer with 10,001+ employees
A BI solution with a useful calculation feature, but it would be better if there was more automation
Pros and Cons
- "I like the calculation feature. I would not say it's such a good feature in Tableau, but if you have the knowledge, you can make that feature visible to everyone. It's not a feature that we can drag and drop and get the information. But whatever the data, whatever the calculation, I'm able to do. It's basically the knowledge base. Whatever knowledge I have, I can make that information public and publish it for management."
- "Many things have to be improved in Tableau. Right now, we make the calculation, and then we get that information. It would be better if business users could do that. I would ask the people at Tableau to provide that option to business users to get that information in one click. It would be better if they automated some calculations. There should be more automation in Tableau. However, there are many things in automation mode, but it is very limited at the moment. We need automation for people who do not know much about Tableau. It would also be better if there were good community support like in Alteryx."
What is our primary use case?
We use Tableau to make dashboards and valuable information and insights available for management. We are creating some solutions and a dashboard, and people are using it to see the information. We use it globally across 118 countries.
It is basically the manufacturing clients we have all across the globe. They want to measure the production level, how we are getting the product delivered to the customer, and where they are lacking. They want answers to questions like "why are we not getting it up? Where do we need to improve?" They are preparing and analyzing which steps are taking too much time to get that delivered.
How has it helped my organization?
Tableau has helped improve our organization by enabling layman people to use it.
What is most valuable?
I like the calculation feature. I would not say it's such a good feature in Tableau, but if you have the knowledge, you can make that feature visible to everyone. It's not a feature that we can drag and drop and get the information. But whatever the data, whatever the calculation, I'm able to do. It's basically the knowledge base. Whatever knowledge I have, I can make that information public and publish it for management.
What needs improvement?
Many things have to be improved in Tableau. Right now, we make the calculation, and then we get that information. It would be better if business users could do that. I would ask the people at Tableau to provide that option to business users to get that information in one click.
It would be better if they automated some calculations. There should be more automation in Tableau. However, there are many things in automation mode, but it is very limited at the moment. We need automation for people who do not know much about Tableau. It would also be better if there were good community support like in Alteryx.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tableau for the last three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Tableau has been stable for us.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability depends on your data and how you make calculations. That becomes your scalability. About 20% of all our organizational users are currently using Tableau.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support for Tableau is just online, and they don't have an option where I can call support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used OBIEE Oracle before, but it was very limited. We were moved on to a different solution because we saw it as a better option. Tableau is a better option when compared to OBIEE, and we have been using it for six or seven years.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward for people who are using it at a basic level. The advanced level is highly complex. The implementation strategy depends on the requirements we are getting from the people and the stakeholder. I would say that management is talking to us, and they are asking us to build the solution they want to have in place. They do not know whether it is technically feasible or not, but they know that this is the requirement.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented this solution on our own.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In Indian Rupees, Tableau costs about 30,000 to 40,000 per year.
What other advice do I have?
I would tell potential users that many things are not available in Tableau. Even Power BI is better than Tableau because there are many things that are good for the business. Effective visualization is not there in a Tableau. If I know of a better solution than Tableau, I would surely go for that other solution.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Tableau a four.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Manager.Marketing Strategy & Analysis. at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Expensive, not scalable, but customizable
Pros and Cons
- "The solution has great features which nobody can beat, you can do a lot of customizations, such as use different dimensions and colorize them. Additionally, you can use the numeric values for the customization, which is an exceptional feature."
- "Whenever it comes to specialized visualization, Tableau is an absolute failure."
What is our primary use case?
We use Tableau for data analysis. We integrate 15 sources of data and then that data is brought into AWS. From the AWS, the data is uploaded onto a dedicated Tableau server where we have all our dashboards running. We then run code on the data to return results, such as the regression and causation.
What is most valuable?
The solution has great features which nobody can beat, you can do a lot of customizations, such as use different dimensions and colorize them. Additionally, you can use the numeric values for the customization, which is an exceptional feature.
What needs improvement?
There is a lack of visualization in Tableau which could be improved. For example, if you want to do a Sankey in Tableau, you have to do a lot of work to do it. Sankeys are available, they are for sale for a minimum of $400, which is out of the question. Whereas if I wanted to do a Sankey, it is simple for me to use a free visualization and put in the data, and from what I already have, receive a fancy Sankey.
Whenever it comes to specialized visualization, Tableau is an absolute failure.
The integration between Tableau and our statistics software or other software, such as Python is very loose and undefined. If they improve that it would be a benefit.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Tableau for approximately two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
If I have web analytic data on session IDs, Tableau or Power BI both fail miserably in scalability because you are not able to go on a session-level and have 18 million rows fire up visually.
We have approximately 100 users using the solution.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is simple.
What about the implementation team?
We had a local team of two technicians that do the implementation and maintenance of the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We are on an annual license which costs us $1,400 which is very expensive. Microsft BI is less expensive.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have evaluated Microsoft BI.
What other advice do I have?
The reason why we are not getting rid of Tableau is because of legacy reasons. Legacy, meaning it is being carried over and our organization does not have time and energy to transfer everything to Microsoft BI.
I will not give any credit to Tableau or Power BI for the very simple reason that everything is in the hands of the developer of how you visualize the data. There is not any magic in what Tableau is doing, the magic is from the developers who are creating the visualization. Any visualization tool which gives that capability sets you apart.
I would not use Tableau if I am working out of a financial organization because it is lacking fancy visualization. However, if I was a bank or a government organization where I am only looking at trend charts and bar charts I think Tableau comes out ahead of other solutions, such as Microsoft BI.
I rate Tableau a five out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

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Updated: June 2025
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