Top Tableau Alternatives for 2024: Unlock Superior Data Visualization

What Is Tableau?

Offering answers to data-related problems, Tableau is a widely known and used visual analytics platform. It is a modern business intelligence software that contributes to pacing up the organization’s data-based decision-making process. It assists the teams in data exploration and management, the quick discovery of problem-relevant insights, and easy sharing while simultaneously offering flexibility with security. The organization has been taken over by Salesforce in 2019. Moreover, it can ease tasks of different professions, such as students, teachers, data scientists, business users, and executives.  

Use Cases of Tableau

Tableau not only eases the tasks of different professionals but is also utilized in diverse industries, like education, the public sector, finance, and healthcare. The expanded use cases are the witness of the same. Here’s how: 

Department Wise Use Cases

• Management of travel expenses and payable accounts while planning budget and expenditure in the finance department 
• Gaining information on employee satisfaction, open headcount, turnover rate, and new hire retention for human resources 
• Ensuring security patch compliance, helpdesk call volume, associated resolution time, planning based on hardware or software asset inventory, and resource allocation in the IT sector 
• Identifying work request volume and resolution time, physical operations and call center volume, and proper workload distribution in the facilities operations sector. 
• Gaining insights into leads and web and campaign engagement in the marketing department 
• Also used in the sales department for information on win/loss rate, sales/quote tracking, average deal size, and pipeline coverage 

Functional Use Cases

• To enhance the product quality 
• Find deeper customer insights 
• Enhance cybersecurity 
• Pace up the supply chain operations 

Features of Tableau

Tableau is loaded with features to ease organizations' usage. Here, we have discussed the key ones among them: 

1. Easy-to-grasp dashboards: The dashboard contains loads of relevant information. In Tableau, its arrangement and presentation are done so that the required information is easily found. It is customizable and allows the incorporation of visual objects, images, texts, and other aspects. 
2. Enhanced security: Tableau provides a fail-safe security system that depends on authorization and authentication mechanisms. Further, there is row-level filtering and connection with security protocols such as Kerberos and Active Director. 
3. Compatibility with data sources: Businesses can have data required for decision-making in any format. Tableau supports data from various sources, such as on-cloud data, data warehouses, relational and non-relational databases, big data, spreadsheets, and local files. It also integrates with a wide range of servers and data connections. 
4. Forecasting and predictive modeling: The software allows businesses to easily create predictive models and generate customized forecasts by ‘exponentially smoothing.’ 
5. Real-time analysis: It helps get updated information and streamlines decision-making. The timely insights further enhance productivity while providing visually attractive data. 

Top Tableau Alternatives 2024

Microsoft Power BI

Microsoft offers Power BI, a trustworthy software that can be deployed in the cloud, web-based, or as a SaaS. It helps to connect data from a single source, gain deeper insights, and contribute to organization-specific data-based decision-making. 

With Microsoft Power BI, problems like data movement and duplication don’t occur. Visual data presentation using advanced data analysis tools is also possible. Users also get access to Copilot in Power BI along with the AI.

Qlik 

The data-driven solutions are available with real-time agility. Providing enterprise-grade security coupled with world-class dashboard software, the solution to businesses is quicker, smarter, and based on modern analytics. The software is easily governable, offers scalability, and is deployable as cloud, web-based, SaaS, and on-premise Linux and Windows. 

The software offers diverse visualization options, BYOC compatibility, and AI-based automation, with quality features like pattern highlighting and outlining. It also offers cheaper pricing than Tableau.

Sisense

This software is among the best Tableau alternatives owing to its extended functionality, which provides a platform for preparing, analyzing, and visualizing complex data. It uses AI-powered in-chip technology to provide solutions from different sources to each query. Incorporating AI also enhances visualization, supports predictive analytics, and comprises embedded analytics and white-label APIs. 

It also supports coding, integration, and data connection. Because it is scalable, secure, and seamless, top data-rich companies prefer the software. Among the Tableau alternatives, it excels in the deployment parameter. Sisense can be deployed on-premise, as software, on the cloud or as a web-based source.

Looker

Available from Google, Looker offers excellent analytical powers. It also possesses all the features expected of alternatives to Tableau, such as data visualization, integration, segmentation, and decision-making. While it is available among free Tableau alternatives, more features are available in paid versions. It uses the data modeling language LookML to resolve queries and solutions. 

Requiring technical expertise, Looker incorporates AI for efficient analytics. With Google Looker, businesses can collaborate and share easily, customize the dashboards with drag-and-drop features, get real-time insights, and embed the dashboards in third-party apps and websites. 

Domo

Domo offers efficient and user-friendly visualization, another paid and free alternative to Tableau. Domo allows users to create interactive visualizations for business ideas, including maps, graphs, and pie charts. Domo Analyzer offers an alternative to creating visualizations from scratch.

The product is available cloud, software, or web-based and offers self-serve reporting, embedded analytics, and business apps. It also includes pro-code tools, task automation, app distribution, and data storytelling. 

Google Analytics 360

Another Tableau alternative from Google is Analytics 360. Available as an online version, it provides an enterprise-level analytics platform. Comparable to Tableau in multiple aspects, it intakes data through website tracking and hence provides specific user-based analytics. With Google Analytics 360, users get standard and in-built visualizations and reports effectively designed to analyze. 

Analytics 360 quickly provides results, provides smarter insights into ROI improvement, assists in decision-making, and offers transparency. The solution can also be integrated with other Google products to streamline processes. The reports are easy to generate, share, and visualize with synoptic overviews. The product is widely used by BI professionals, marketers, and online businesses. 

Oracle

Analytics Cloud, available from Oracle, is one of the best Tableau alternatives. It is a cloud-based service that serves as a platform for all the steps in the analytics process. By offering a better place for data ingestion, modeling, preparation, enrichment, visualization, and collaboration, businesses get effective security to carry out tasks easily and efficiently. The solution is also available on-premises. The integration of AI is also there to ensure user-friendliness in Oracle usage. 

Considered among better alternatives to Tableau, Oracle offers a comprehensive package for enterprise management. Tableau and Oracle offer personalized views, drag-and-drop interfaces, data visualization options, multiple integration, mobile access, and specificity based on integrations like Lever, Google Analytics, SurveyMonkey, and pre-built with Magento, NetSuite, and SAP.

Zoho Analytics

It is both a paid and free alternative to Tableau. BI and data analytics offer numerous functionalities such as data handling, connection, preparation, analysis, and attractive visualization. It is available on a cloud-scale data platform architecture and contributes to instant data-based decision-making in the organization through real-time updates. 

The software's features also include data import from various sources and more than 50 visualization types. The dashboard customization is available with an easy drag-and-drop interface to exhibit patterns and trends easily. The security is also top-notch here. Similar to Tableau, Zoho Analytics also handles huge datasets well. 

Metabase

Metabase is another free alternative to Tableau that acts as a BI and visualization tool. Widely used by businesses of different scales and agencies, it is a better counterpart to Tableau in supporting all devices, including Windows, Apple, and even phones. The effective features include a visual query builder that calculates columns, joins, and drill-downs. 

The dashboards can be customized and interactive and handle huge amounts of data witnessed in routine operational workflows. Hence, it is compatible with Big Data. More than 15 visualization types and options exist to create metadata-rich semantic models. The KPIs and visual analytics are additional key features of Metabase. 

Dundas Data Visualization

Among the excellent performing Tableau alternatives, Dundas BI outperforms Tableau in product strategy, net emotional footprint, breadth of features, and numerous other factors. It is browser-based BI software that helps with data analysis and creating customized dashboards and reports. Dundas BI has a notes feature for leaving comments, offers easy sharing in varying forms, and links the slideshows with live feeds for effective presentation and storytelling. 

Dundas BI is also user-friendly, owing to the recommendation for choosing suitable visualizations. Further, the single and multi-tenant deployments and the presence of HTML5 add to ease of usage. Its higher customization and flexibility make it among the preferred alternatives to Tableau. 

Google Data Studio

Google Data Studio is another offering from Google that serves as a free alternative to Tableau. Available as a cloud, web-based and software service, it provides data dashboard creating and visualization tools. Mobile access is a preferred option. Importing data from numerous sources, the tasks are user-friendly and allow interactive visualizations to be created. 

Further, the reports and metrics are easy to read and interpret. The simple processing is coherent, with collaborative functional access to the screen. Google Data Studio offers greater flexibility with programs like Google Ads, YouTube Analytics, and others than Tableau. 

MicroStrategy

Combining AI and BI, Microstrategy is one of the best Tableau alternatives. It comprises key features like advanced analytics, data source connectivity, mobile access, reporting, data querying, embedded analytics, and much more, and its functionality is comparable to Tableau's. Microstrategy also offers partner integrations with messaging and project management platforms. 

Both counterparts offer subscription-based packages along with free trials to benefit from. They offer real-time analytics and data filtering. Further, both the BI tools are compatible with differently scaled companies. 

GoodData

It is another AI-incorporated data analytics platform that eases data discovery with interactive visualization. The software allows the inclusion of charts with user-friendly, no-code UI and AI features. GoodData also offers two products: embedded analytics and an end-to-end data platform. The solution assists by providing analytical service and full data management. 

Users get the platform to integrate, cleanse, analyze, and publish data to report apps and tools. The software’s user-friendly interface allows the completion of tasks and provides insights enough to run the business without requiring data scientists. It also functions with minimal staff and resources.  

IBM

IBM offers IBM Cognos Analytics with an AI-powered Business Intelligence platform. Further assisting with analytics while also offering visualization-based reporting solutions, it comes from a multinational technology company. With IBM Cognos Analytics, businesses can enhance their dashboards and obtain automated platforms for data preparation and professional reports. The higher security, along with AI, offers instant solutions to business problems. Moreover, the additional benefits include web-based data modeling and data exploration and prediction. 

SAS

SAS DI or SAS Data Integration Studio is an ETL or Extract Transform Load tool. It offers software to aid in developing interactive visuals. Further, it aids in building, implementing, and managing data processes on all applications and platforms, along with different data sources. The user-friendly interface with a drag-and-drop option allows for easy handling and interpretation of enterprise data and the associated processes. 

SAS Business Intelligence

Among the earliest software providers, SAS offers business intelligence and analytics software. The software eases tasks like hunting for data, scrutiny, and visual interactions while offering compatibility with mobile compatibility. With SAS BI, businesses get customizable dashboards that are easily integrated with SAS-generated reports and external sources like Excel and Outlook. 

SAS also has an advantage in interactive data visualization over Tableau. Graphs and charts help interpret data patterns and relationships easily. Using SAS BI does not require coding, allowing usage without technical expertise.

Alteryx

Alteryx Tableau alternatives offer quality AI platforms to aid in business endeavors. Complying with the requirement of data-driven decision-making, the software helps save costs while simultaneously offering value-based results. The AI-associated platform comes in both on-premises and cloud forms. Further, it can perform functions like data preparation, ETL, Extract, Transform, and Load, offering generative and conversational AI and reporting and automation. It is an effective tool for business automation, data literacy, and self-service analytics and insights. 

Board

An age-old company established in 1994, Board is a reliable BI software provider. Promising future-proof planning, reporting, and analytics, the Board exhibits its leadership in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Financial Planning Software. Businesses get intelligent platforms, approaches, and solutions with board intelligent planning across varying data sources. The reports developed on the platform allow adding visual elements like bubble charts. Heat maps and waterfall charts. 

Further, it allows exploration in different file formats, such as HTML or CSV, while offering a drag-and-drop function. The software is among the alternatives to Tableau, and businesses get self-service predictive analytics, mobile access, and integration with MS Office tools. 

SAP

Offering numerous resources with a free trial version, SAP BI launchpad, part of SPA Business Objects BI Suite, is an effective enterprise reporting tool. It offers easy integration of OLAP and OLTP databases. SAP offers customizable dashboards and the option of notification when incorporating new content. It also allows for the saving of content for later discussions or decisions while easily returning to where the user left off. 

Redash

Redash offers an interactive dashboard with the facilities of SQL clients combined with the benefits of cloud-based service. As a paid and free alternative to Tableau, the software allows the click to insert and create snippets with reuse and a powerful online SQL editor. Redash also allows drag-and-drop and resizing of visualizations, automatic data updates from data sources, and easy dashboard sharing with the team and the public. 

Further, it supports NoSQL, SQL, API data sources, and Big Data. Also, Redash has a simple and intuitive visual interface with visualizations like pie and bar charts and scatterplots. 

Amazon QuickSight

Among the best Tableau alternatives available from Amazon, this software offers businesses data-based solutions. It allows business analysts and users to meet their analytic needs via interactive dashboards. Amazon QuickSight also offers paginated reports, embedded analytics, and natural language queries. The AI integration allows natural language processing for building, discovering, and sharing meaningful insights, assisting businesses in making an impact. Further, it is also scalable and available at lesser costs. 

What Does Tableau Do?

Tableau assists businesses in several ways. Here is how it is used: 

• For data visualization 
• In business intelligence, interpret the information 
• For data sharing 
• To connect and extract data from different sources and platforms 
• To create reports, dashboards, and charts 
• For trend discovery 
• To collaborate among the teams 
• To perform real-time data analysis
• For management of large sizes of metadata 
• To query translation into visualization 
• To blend the data 
• To create no-code data queries 

Why Choose Tableau?

While there are multiple alternatives available for Tableau, its preference is high. The demand can be attributed to the following reasons: 

• Ease of usage that does not require extreme technical expertise 
• Multiple modes of customer support to offer unhindered service 
• Presence of customer-focused innovation exhibited by modifications based on customer feedback 
• The presence of limitless visual data exploration with excellent visualizations
• Role-based licensing to provide what’s specifically required 
• Integration with multiple data sources 
• Ease of adding datasets with time efficiency 
• Flexibility with drag and drop feature to try new things without requiring extra time to learn 
• Availability of segmentation 
• Real-time updates
• A large community of experts and professionals to learn and share knowledge 
• Time-efficiency and scalability

Master Tableau Desktop and excel in data visualization, reporting, and business intelligence. Advance your career in analytics through our Tableau Training and gain job-ready skills.

Conclusion

Tableau is a well-known, efficient, and widely used Business Intelligence software. It is capable of driving important data-driven decision-making through effective visualization. However, the pricing structure and certain other factors lead to the usage of its alternatives. There are multiple top alternatives available in both free and paid categories. Clarity on one’s requirements is essential to selecting the best one suiting the demand.

Moreover, if you want to excel in Tableau, you can enroll in the Tableau course by Simplilearn.  

FAQs

1. Which is better, Power BI or Tableau?

While the better of the two depends on the context and specific requirements of the company, certain differentiating factors exhibit the superiority of one over another. While Power BI lags in handling bulk data, Tableau smoothly functions under the same conditions. Tableau works smoothly with multiple data points. However, Power BI is easy for new users to use.  

2. Why would someone look for a Tableau alternative?

The pricing and license structure, its architecture, the lower frequency of feature updates, and anonymous data sharing are certain reasons users look for better alternatives to Tableau. 

3. Are Tableau alternatives suitable for beginners?

Yes, alternatives to Tableau are suitable for beginner usage. 

4. How do I choose the right Tableau alternative for me?

Choosing alternatives based on factors like ease of usage, number of features, and options for attractive visualization and pricing can help you get the best software. 

5. Can Tableau alternatives handle big data?

Yes, Tableau alternatives like Alteryx and others allow big data to be handled.