Power BI vs Tableau: Which is better in 2024?
Introduction
Business intelligence (BI) is an integral part of every organization today. Data analysis and visualization empower enterprises to derive meaningful insights and make informed decisions.
Consequently, the global data analytics market is expected to reach USD $329.8 billion by 2030. When it comes to data visualization, Power BI and Tableau are two of the most popular platforms in the market.
Data analysts, data scientists, and CTOs often face a dilemma when evaluating BI tools. Through this blog, we explore the differences between Power BI and Tableau.
We will look at their features and advantages to consider when selecting the right tool for your needs.
What is Power BI?
Power BI is a business intelligence and data visualization tool by Microsoft. Power BI, released in 2015, is a newer but a strong competitor to Tableau in the market.
The data visualization tool enables users to extract data from a variety of sources, such as Excel, images, and tables. Through an intuitive interface, even non-technical users can create reports and dashboards.
Users can easily integrate Power BI with other Microsoft products such as Excel and SharePoint to improve business performance.
Power BI Features
Here are some of the most popular features of Power BI:
Filters: In Power Query, users can easily apply parameters to filter datasets into smaller parts. They can filter data at multiple levels, including page, report, and visual filters.
Report Automation: Power BI provides auto-refresh and manual refresh options to show latest, real-time data in reports. Users can define automatic refresh using ‘Scheduled Automatic Refresh’ for datasets.
Data Manipulation: DAX functions (Data Analysis Expressions) is a formula language in Power BI. These functions are essentially predefined codes that can perform analytics on data. For instance, create a custom table or column. Power BI offers over 200 DAX functions in its function library.
Natural-language query: Power BI provides a unique feature named ‘Q&A’ where users can ask questions in natural language. This AI-based tool ensures that users can interact with simple language and receive related visuals for the question. For example, what are my quarterly sales?
More Power BI Features: Enhanced User Experience and Reporting
Navigation pane: Power BI ensures a great user experience through its navigation pane feature. It provides options for datasets, dashboards, and reports for users to explore
Ad Hoc reporting and analysis: Ad hoc reporting helps to generate on-time reports with real-time data from various sources. This provides data-driven answers for business queries, ensuring faster decision making.
Online Analytical Processing (OLAP): Integrating OLAP with Power BI enables users to have multi-dimensional layers of data corresponding to different segments of information and have a holistic view of data.
Trend indicators: The trend indicators feature as part of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) in Power BI help users to analyze changes, growth, and downfall in the business/market information.
Real-time dashboards: Power BI ensures that any dashboard created by the users can display and update real-time data. A real-time dashboard will automatically update as new data appears in the dataset.
Content Packs: Power BI offers a collection of dashboards, datasets, and reports in ‘Content Packs’ to use and share these elements without having to share underlying reports.
Pros and Cons of Power BI

What is Tableau?
Tableau is an interactive data visualization tool from Tableau Software built in 2003. It was acquired by Salesforce in 2019.
Simply put, Tableau enables organizations to simplify the process of data analysis. It helps users connect data and create compelling worksheets and dashboards without requiring coding or technical knowledge.
In addition, its intuitive interface and powerful visualization capabilities make Tableau a popular choice among data professionals.
With over one million members and over 500 user groups, the platform has an active community that helps users. Support is available through Community Forums and programs.
Tableau Features
Some of the key features of Tableau include:
- Vector maps: The new versions from 2019.2 V and later have cleaner, smoother vector-based maps to explore maps and other geospatial data.
- Nested sorting: With nested sorting, users can select the field value used to determine the sort order.
- Data Highlighter: Tableau provisions highlighting specific fields or groups to explore data interactively when viewing large volumes of data.
- Workbook Formatting: Users can change fonts, theme, and other format settings at the workbook level instead of worksheet level.
- Custom Territories: It helps users create custom territories by grouping locations together on a map. Users can also utilize built-in territories such as area codes or countries.
- Data blending: The data blending feature allows you to combine data from multiple sources. This is useful for analyzing related data from multiple sources in a single view.
- Data collaboration and data notifications: Tableau lets users collaborate with their team members. This is possible whether you store the data on-premise, in cloud, or in a hybrid environment.
- Toggle view and drag-and-drop: Tableau is a user-friendly tool. It enables users to filter data points with a single click and drag and drop fields to visualize data.
- Dashboard commenting: Users can add comments to Tableau dashboards in real time, improving collaboration and performance.
Pros and Cons of Tableau

Tableau vs Power BI Comparison
Power BI | Tableau | |
Parent Company | Microsoft | Salesforce |
Establishment Year | 2013 | 2003 |
Pricing | Cost-effective. The Pro plan starts at $9.99 per month per user. | Costly. The basic Creator bundle starts at $70 per month per user. |
Licensing | No license keys required. | License keys are required. |
Usability | Small, medium, and large enterprises | Large enterprises |
Performance | Rich in data visualization, integration, and manipulation. | Hypothetical visualization, ad-hoc analysis, capable to handle a huge volume of datasets |
Security | Row-level security and role restriction. | Offers row-level security and set up filters. |
Learning Curve | Power BI can be utilized by both experts and beginners. | Tableau is best suited for seasoned data analysts. |
Underlying language | Power BI uses DAX (Data Analysis Expression) for calculated columns and measures. It affects speed and reporting capabilities. | Tableau employs MDX (Multidimensional Expressions). for dimensions and measures. |
Supported language | R language-based visualizations are supported. | Fully integrated support for R and Python is provided. |
Deployment | – On Cloud – On-premise – Windows | – On Cloud – On-premise – On Linux – On Mac – On Windows |
Supports SQL | Yes | Yes |
Performance | It can handle a limited volume of data. | It can handle a huge volume of data with better performance. |
Data Capacity | Power BI can handle only 10 GB of data. Anything more than that requires cloud services like Azure. | Tableau can handle billions of data without any requirement for cloud services. |
Easy to use | Easier to learn and use. | Takes time and expertise to master. |
Tableau vs Power BI: All Differences in Detail

1. Data Visualization
Tableau is known for its data visualization capabilities. Users can create interactive and customized dashboards that are compatible with different devices.
Whereas Power BI offers data visualization using numerous data points. Its easy drag-and-drop functionality is a great option for technical and non-technical users.
Power BI visualizations include Column Bar/Stacked//Cluster charts, Area charts, Line charts, Ribbon charts, and Funnel charts. Tableau offers visualizations ranging from simple charts such as Bar charts or Pie charts to complex ones like Bullet charts, Gantt charts, and boxplots.
Tableau also includes pre-installed information on geographical data, such as Administrative Boundaries, postal codes, Cities, etc. This allows users to make detailed maps using Tableau.
It has various kinds of maps, including Flow maps, Heat maps, Choropleth maps, and Point distribution maps.
2. Products
Power BI and Tableau have launched various products for data analytics and the business intelligence market. Here are the different types of products and services for Power BI and Tableau:
Power BI’s Products And Services
Power BI is a part of the Microsoft Business Intelligence MSBI Suite.
It offers a wide range of products and services:
- Power BI Desktop: A free visualization and reporting tool.
- Power BI Service: Cloud-based service to publish and share reports and dashboards. It includes Free, Pro, and Premium license versions.
- Power BI Pro: A self-service Business Intelligence tool in the cloud.
- Power BI Premium: Cloud-based advanced analytics and data visualization service with advanced AI capabilities.
- Power BI Mobile: An app that lets you monitor and access Power BI dashboards anytime, anywhere.
- Power BI Report Server: An On-premise enterprise reporting server. It is available in two licenses: Power BI Premium and SQL Server Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft Fabric: A SaaS platform for self-service analytics and syncs the data engineering, data warehousing, and security parts, all in a single cloud portal.
Tableau’s Products And Services:
- Tableau Server: An enterprise-level online platform to manage data and data sources.
- Tableau Public: A free platform to create and publicly share data reports and visualizations.
- Tableau Online/Cloud: A fully-hosted, cloud-based, analytics platform that makes sharing and collaboration easy.
- Tableau Desktop: A self-service business analytics and data visualization tool.
- Tableau Prep: A visual tool designed to make preparing your data easy and intuitive.
- Tableau Reader: A free desktop application to view and interact with data visualizations.
- Tableau Mobile: An app for Tableau Online and Tableau Server, giving you access to your Tableau site on the go.
3. Cost
Tableau is expensive compared to Power BI. The yearly subscription for Tableau’s Pro version is ten times more than the Power BI Pro version.
So, Power BI can be a better option for organizations with budget constraints or already using Microsoft Suite.
Startups and small businesses can begin with Power BI to keep initial costs low. Then upgrade to Tableau as your business needs to expand and evolve.
Power BI Pro | Tableau |
Starts at $9.99 per month | Creator: $70 per user/month Explorer: $42 per user/month Viewer: $15 per user/month |
Power Bi Premium : – Per User: $20/user/month – Per Capacity: $4995/capacity/month | — |
Power BI Cost
Note: Users don’t necessarily need a subscription to Office365 to use Power BI.
Power BI Pro, a self-service BI in the cloud costs $10 per user/month.
Power BI Premium provides advanced analytics, on-premises and cloud reporting.
Power BI Premium is licensed on 2 plans:
- Per User: $20/user/month
- Per Capacity: $4995/capacity/month
Power BI is highly affordable for companies that already use Microsoft software in their ecosystem.
Tableau Cost
Compared to Power BI, Tableau has a completely different pricing system- individuals, teams, and embedded analytics.
For teams, the pricing is further divided into Tableau Creator, Tableau Explorer, and Tableau Viewer.
Tableau Creator costs $70 per month. . It provides access to Tableau Desktop and Tableau Prep Builder and offers a Creator license of Tableau Server or Tableau Online.
Tableau Explorer provides one license for Tableau Server at $42 per month and a minimum of 5 explorers. Tableau Viewer is priced at $15 per month with a minimum of 100 viewers.
4. Security
Power BI uses Azure BLOB storage and Azure SQL database for storing and managing data storage security. It also provides row-level security (RLS) for role-based data access.
Also, Power BI uses Azure Active Directory for user authentication and enforces Transport Layer Security (TLS) for network communication.
Users can configure authentication, data security, and network security in Tableau.
Tableau has the following pre-set user roles:
- Viewer
- Interactor
- Editor
These roles are available for the publisher to set up access permissions.
Tableau also provides RLS options for admins. It recommends SSL and HTTPS configurations for network communication between client-Tableau Server and Tableau Server-database.
5. Dashboards – Ease of Use
Power BI is equipped with modern features to help convert raw data into interactive and visually appealing dashboards. The design allows users to visualize data insights without prior knowledge or experience.
Besides, creating dashboards is simple. You can use tiles or visible metrics that link to reports and datasets.
Power BI Dashboard:
Tableau features are as powerful as Power BI. However, compared to Power BI, many of the features are hidden behind menus.
Tableau is known for its visually stunning dashboards that are easy to create using drag and drop functionality.
Tableau Dashboard:
6. Data Sources
Companies use different methods to store their data. For example, different departments might store data across BigQuery, Google Cloud Bucket, Amazon Redshift, and CSV files.
When choosing a BI platform, it’s important to select one that supports multiple data sources. Both Tableau and Power BI support multiple data lakes and storage.
Below, you will find a table that highlights all popular data sources that Power BI and Tableau supports.
Note: Power BI, connection to some of the data sources require Data Gateways.
Data Source | Power BI | Tableau |
Adobe Analytics | Yes | No |
Amazon Redshift | Yes | Yes |
Alibaba Data Lake and Analytics | No | Yes |
Excel | Yes | Yes |
Yes | No | |
Google Analytics | Yes | Yes |
Google Ads | No | Yes |
BigQuery | Yes | Yes |
Hadoop | Yes | Yes |
IBM DB2 | Yes | Yes |
MySQL | Yes | Yes |
Oracle | Yes | Yes |
PostgreSQL | Yes | Yes |
R Script | Yes | Yes |
Python Script | Yes | Yes |
SalesForce Report | Yes | Yes |
Spark | Yes | Yes |
SQL Server | Yes | Yes |
JSON | Yes | Yes |
Azure SQL | Yes | Yes |
Text File | Yes | Yes |
What are the advantages of Power BI over Tableau?
Power BI can create real-time streaming datasets directly. It is also better at handling complex relationships between tables and data sources.
Power BI is faster and gives quick insights. It is more user-friendly and comparatively cost-efficient than Tableau.
Power BI also brings the power of transformations to the table. It can even include machine learning algorithms through clustering as you load your data into your analysis.
What are the advantages of Tableau over Power BI?
Power BI tends to drag slowly when handling bulk data. Tableau can handle large volumes of data quickly, is faster, and provides extensive features for visualizing large data sets.
Tableau doesn’t limit the number of data points in visualization, nor does it enforce row or size limitations. It provides a 360-degree view of your data.
Key differences between Power BI vs Tableau | Which one is better?
Well, it depends on your requirements.
Both have their own set of features and strengths in terms of powerful data analytics and data visualization.
If you’re a beginner, Power BI is the more suitable choice as it is more user-friendly. Any non-technical user without prior coding knowledge can create interactive dashboards.
Power BI can also work with multiple data points and is suitable for small teams with limited resources. Its pricing plans are also more affordable than Tableau’s. Tableau is capable of handling large datasets. It is best known for its visually attractive data visualizations and is suitable for medium and large enterprises.
Organizations with huge data repositories (mostly medium and large enterprises) prefer Tableau. It enables users to customize dashboards specifically for devices and has an extensive community of users for support.
Power BI and Tableau Updates in 2024
Power BI 2024 Updates
1. AI-Powered Insights
Power BI enhances advanced Machine Learning algorithms to detect trends, anomalies, and patterns within datasets. This helps users to leverage insights that might otherwise be missed during manual analysis.
lntroduction of predictive analytics is another update. This helps enterprises to anticipate future trends and take proactive measures.
2. Expanded Data Connectivity
One of the strengths of Power BI as we have mentioned is its ability to integrate with a wide range of data sources. Users can now connect to a broader range of databases, third-party applications and cloud services. Businesses can centralize data in one place and have a holistic view of reports and dashboards.
3. Enhanced Data Storytelling
New customization options are available for data visualizations. These tools to create more engaging and interactive reports ensure that non-technical users can access and understand complex data, improving overall collaboration.
4. Integration of Microsoft Copilot
This game-changer feature acts as a virtual assistant within Power BI. Users can create reports, set up dashboards and analyze data with Copilot’s help. It gives suggestions for best practices and optimization tips to make the most out of Power BI which is useful for both beginners and experienced users.
Tableau 2024 Updates
1. Introduction of Tableau GPT
A major update of Tableau is the introduction of Tableau GPT, an AI-driven feature that integrated automation in every part of analytics, from data preparation to consumption. Users can query data using natural language prompts to derive insights and create visualizations. This saves time and cost for users while achieving data democratization.
2. Enhanced Data Blending Capabilities
The platform has introduced better data blending features to improve handling of data from multiple sources and provide seamless experience. This is especially beneficial for businesses that rely on diverse data streams.
3. New Collaborative Features
Tableau’s new collaborative features ensure efficient workflow and productivity. The update enables improved sharing and commenting within the Tableau environment. Team members can share and discuss dashboards and reports in real-time.
4. Focus on Data Governance
The updates in 2024 also iterates on data governance. The platform offers more robust tools to manage access to sensitive data. Users with right privileges are allowed to retrieve data, maintaining right level of access and enhancing security.
5. Performance Improvements
Tableau now processes large datasets with enhanced efficiency and speed. This ensures that generating report and visualizations are done faster. An use case could be businesses working with big data that needs insights delivered in a timely manner.
Conclusion
So, Power BI vs Tableau- Which is better?
In short, both Tableau and Power BI are two powerful tools for business intelligence and data visualization. While both have strengths, the choice ultimately comes down to your requirements and budget.
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FAQ
1. Which is better, Power BI or Tableau?
It depends on the users’ needs. Both Tableau and Power BI have extensive capabilities that can be used based on specific requirements.
If you’re a beginner, Power BI can be a good option. It’s user-friendly and affordable, has extensive data points, and is suitable for small teams with limited resources.
Tableau can easily handle large datasets and is known for data visualizations. It’s suitable for medium and large enterprises.
2. Should I learn Power BI or Tableau?
Most data analysts focus on honing their skills in specific visualization tools. Both Tableau and Power BI have unique features and capabilities despite their similarities. If you’re a beginner, Power BI can be a slow and good start. Ultimately, the decision depends on your goals, work, and industry.
3. Does Tableau require coding?
No, you don’t need coding skills to use Tableau. But to enjoy the extensive capabilities of data analysis and visualization, it’s good to know any programming language, including Python, Java, and SQL.
4. Tableau or Power BI: which is better for career growth?
Both are popular and widely used data visualization tools in business intelligence. The job market has analytics skills in high demand. Depending on factors such as geographic location, industry, and specific skills, you can choose any of these for career growth.
5. What are the different types of visualizations in Tableau?
Tableau provides various visualization options, including bar charts, line charts, pie charts, scatter plots, heat maps, tree maps, Gantt charts, histograms, and geographical maps. These tools enable users to compare data effectively, track trends, analyze distributions, and visualize relationships.