Compare Microsoft Power BI and Tableau

At a Glance
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI
Star Rating
(1,557)4.5 out of 5
Market Segments
Enterprise (42.7% of reviews)
Information
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
Free 1 User
Browse all 3 pricing plans
Tableau
Tableau
Star Rating
(3,544)4.4 out of 5
Market Segments
Enterprise (42.2% of reviews)
Information
Pros & Cons
Entry-Level Pricing
$75.00 1 User Per Month
Free Trial is available
Browse all 3 pricing plans
AI Generated Summary
AI-generated. Powered by real user reviews.
  • G2 reviewers report that Microsoft Power BI excels in ease of use, with users appreciating its ability to quickly transform raw data into interactive dashboards. One user highlighted its seamless integration with multiple data sources, particularly within the Microsoft ecosystem, making it a go-to choice for teams looking for efficiency.
  • Users say Tableau shines in its versatility and user-friendly interface, with many praising the drag-and-drop feature that allows for smooth dashboard creation. Reviewers noted that it offers a wide range of inbuilt features, enabling the development of complex dashboards tailored to business needs.
  • According to verified reviews, Microsoft Power BI's real-time data refresh capabilities are a standout feature, allowing teams to make informed decisions based on the most current data. Users appreciate how this functionality supports better decision-making and enhances collaboration across departments.
  • Reviewers mention that Tableau provides a strong data visualization experience, with many users highlighting its ability to display data in a consumable way. This feature makes filtering and dashboard creation straightforward, which is particularly beneficial for users who need to analyze project success regularly.
  • G2 reviewers indicate that Microsoft Power BI offers robust security features, such as row-level security, which allows users to control data visibility based on user roles. This capability is especially valuable for organizations that require strict data governance and tailored access to sensitive information.
  • Users say that while Tableau has a strong reputation for its data handling capabilities, it sometimes faces challenges in meeting specific workflow needs, with some reviewers mentioning configuration difficulties. This can be a consideration for teams looking for a tool that aligns seamlessly with their existing processes.
Pricing
Entry-Level Pricing
Microsoft Power BI
Power BI in Microsoft Fabric
Free
1 User
Browse all 3 pricing plans
Tableau
Tableau Standard
$75.00
1 User Per Month
Browse all 3 pricing plans
Free Trial
Microsoft Power BI
Free Trial is available
Tableau
Free Trial is available
Ratings
Meets Requirements
9.0
1,250
8.7
2,469
Ease of Use
8.5
1,274
8.3
2,861
Ease of Setup
8.9
708
8.3
1,525
Ease of Admin
8.5
412
8.2
797
Quality of Support
8.5
1,106
8.3
2,116
Has the product been a good partner in doing business?
8.8
393
8.5
776
Product Direction (% positive)
9.3
1,223
8.8
2,442
Features by Category
9.0
1,194
8.5
1,982
Reports
8.9
1050
|
Verified
8.7
1757
|
Verified
8.4
965
|
Verified
8.2
1591
|
Verified
9.1
1051
|
Verified
9.1
1802
|
Verified
8.8
684
8.6
1371
9.1
1037
|
Verified
9.1
1789
|
Verified
Self Service
8.6
893
8.5
1693
|
Verified
8.9
891
8.7
1713
|
Verified
8.7
971
|
Verified
8.5
1639
|
Verified
8.5
852
8.2
1424
8.4
959
|
Verified
8.2
1518
|
Verified
8.2
877
|
Verified
7.9
1326
|
Verified
Advanced Analytics
8.3
736
|
Verified
7.8
1283
9.2
1044
|
Verified
9.2
1773
|
Verified
8.4
753
|
Verified
8.1
1302
Building Reports
8.8
585
|
Verified
8.3
1001
|
Verified
8.8
582
|
Verified
8.2
964
|
Verified
8.5
509
|
Verified
8.3
835
|
Verified
8.5
502
|
Verified
8.1
840
|
Verified
Platform
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
8.5
1,206
8.1
2,023
Reports
8.9
1050
|
Verified
8.7
1757
|
Verified
8.4
965
|
Verified
8.2
1591
|
Verified
9.1
1051
|
Verified
9.1
1802
|
Verified
8.8
684
8.6
1371
9.1
1037
|
Verified
9.1
1789
|
Verified
Data Preparation
8.9
660
|
Verified
8.6
873
|
Verified
8.8
624
|
Verified
8.4
850
|
Verified
Data Modeling and Blending
8.9
654
|
Verified
8.5
889
|
Verified
9.1
666
|
Verified
8.8
912
|
Verified
8.8
669
|
Verified
8.5
883
|
Verified
Generative AI
7.7
303
7.4
429
7.7
301
7.5
453
Agentic AI - Analytics Platforms
7.6
146
7.5
133
8.0
148
7.5
136
8.4
147
7.8
138
8.2
149
7.6
132
7.9
148
7.7
129
8.1
147
7.4
129
8.4
152
7.8
134
Self Service
8.6
893
8.5
1693
|
Verified
8.9
891
8.7
1713
|
Verified
8.7
971
|
Verified
8.5
1639
|
Verified
8.5
852
8.2
1424
8.4
959
|
Verified
8.2
1518
|
Verified
8.2
877
|
Verified
7.9
1326
|
Verified
Deployment & Integration - Analytics Platforms
8.8
125
8.4
138
8.8
127
8.3
114
8.4
115
8.1
110
9.1
144
8.5
130
Advanced Analytics
8.3
736
|
Verified
7.8
1283
9.2
1044
|
Verified
9.2
1773
|
Verified
8.4
753
|
Verified
8.1
1302
Performance & Scalability - Analytics Platforms
7.9
144
7.7
142
8.6
114
8.2
111
Advanced Analytics & Modeling - Analytics Platforms
8.8
116
8.2
112
8.6
113
8.0
107
8.4
110
7.8
110
Agentic AI Capabilities - Analytics Platforms
8.0
108
7.6
107
8.1
110
7.7
105
8.3
108
7.8
108
7.8
107
7.6
107
Personalized Intelligence - Analytics Platforms
8.0
110
7.7
107
8.2
112
7.9
113
8.1
110
7.8
107
Building Reports
8.8
585
|
Verified
8.3
1001
|
Verified
8.8
582
|
Verified
8.2
964
|
Verified
8.5
509
|
Verified
8.3
835
|
Verified
8.5
502
|
Verified
8.1
840
|
Verified
Embedded Business IntelligenceHide 15 FeaturesShow 15 Features
Not enough data
8.5
1,973
Reports
8.9
1050
|
Verified
8.7
1757
|
Verified
8.4
965
|
Verified
8.2
1591
|
Verified
9.1
1051
|
Verified
9.1
1802
|
Verified
8.8
684
8.6
1371
9.1
1037
|
Verified
9.1
1789
|
Verified
Self Service
8.6
893
8.5
1693
|
Verified
8.9
891
8.7
1713
|
Verified
8.7
971
|
Verified
8.5
1639
|
Verified
8.5
852
8.2
1424
8.4
959
|
Verified
8.2
1518
|
Verified
8.2
877
|
Verified
7.9
1326
|
Verified
Building Reports
8.8
585
|
Verified
8.3
1001
|
Verified
8.8
582
|
Verified
8.2
964
|
Verified
8.5
509
|
Verified
8.3
835
|
Verified
8.5
502
|
Verified
8.1
840
|
Verified
Not enough data
9.2
31
Cartography
Not enough data
9.4
26
Not enough data
9.2
26
Not enough data
9.6
28
Not enough data
9.4
27
Analysis
Not enough data
9.0
28
Not enough data
9.2
27
Not enough data
9.3
27
Not enough data
9.0
27
Reporting
Not enough data
9.3
27
Not enough data
9.2
26
Not enough data
9.1
26
Not enough data
8.3
263
Data Source Access
Not enough data
8.7
234
Not enough data
8.8
236
Not enough data
8.3
229
Data Interaction
Not enough data
8.2
227
Not enough data
8.1
231
Not enough data
8.3
229
Not enough data
8.5
233
Not enough data
8.3
230
Not enough data
8.3
227
Not enough data
8.4
229
Not enough data
8.3
227
Data Exporting
Not enough data
8.5
223
Not enough data
8.4
226
Not enough data
8.4
223
Generative AI
Not enough data
7.4
219
Not enough data
9.1
65
Additional Functionality
Not enough data
8.9
61
Not enough data
9.3
62
Basics
Not enough data
9.2
62
Content
Not enough data
8.9
59
Data
Not enough data
9.3
61
Interoperability
Not enough data
8.9
59
Performance
Not enough data
9.2
62
Not enough data
Not enough data
Deployment & Integration - Semantic Layer Tools
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Data Connectivity & Federation - Semantic Layer Tools
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Data Modeling & Metrics - Semantic Layer Tools
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Performance Optimization - Semantic Layer Tools
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Governance - Semantic Layer Tools
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Advanced Intelligence - Semantic Layer Tools
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Agentic AI Enablement - Semantic Layer Tools
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Data Connectivity and Prep - Agentic Analytics
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Autonomous Insight Generation - Agentic Analytics
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Interaction and Workflow - Agentic Analytics
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
AI Agent Management - Agentic Analytics
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
Not enough data
8.6
289
Statistical Tool
Not enough data
8.4
251
Not enough data
8.4
254
Not enough data
8.4
244
Data Analysis
Not enough data
9.0
275
Not enough data
8.9
268
Decision Making
Not enough data
8.7
259
Not enough data
9.4
272
Not enough data
9.1
267
Not enough data
8.7
263
Generative AI
Not enough data
8.0
177
Not enough data
8.0
176
Categories
Categories
Shared Categories
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI
Tableau
Tableau
Microsoft Power BI and Tableau are categorized as Analytics Platforms and Semantic Layer Tools
Unique Categories
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI has no unique categories
Reviews
Reviewers' Company Size
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
20.6%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
36.7%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
42.7%
Tableau
Tableau
Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)
21.3%
Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)
36.5%
Enterprise(> 1000 emp.)
42.2%
Reviewers' Industry
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI
Information Technology and Services
16.2%
Computer Software
6.8%
Financial Services
4.9%
Hospital & Health Care
3.1%
Telecommunications
3.1%
Other
65.8%
Tableau
Tableau
Information Technology and Services
11.6%
Computer Software
7.3%
Financial Services
7.1%
Hospital & Health Care
4.5%
Marketing and Advertising
4.3%
Other
65.1%
Alternatives
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI Alternatives
Oracle Analytics Cloud
Oracle Analytics Cloud
Add Oracle Analytics Cloud
Looker
Looker
Add Looker
Sisense
Sisense
Add Sisense
Domo
Domo
Add Domo
Tableau
Tableau Alternatives
Qlik Sense
Qlik Sense
Add Qlik Sense
Alteryx
Alteryx
Add Alteryx
GoodData
GoodData
Add GoodData
Domo
Domo
Add Domo
Discussions
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI Discussions
Is Power BI a Microsoft tool?
5 Comments
Tazunnisa B.
TB
Yes, Power BI is a business analytics tool developed by Microsoft. Read more
What is Microsoft Power BI Desktop used for?
4 Comments
Darewin M.
DM
PowerBI desktop is the desktop version of PowerBI unlike the web version which you open in a web browser like Google Chrome or EDGE. The desktop version has...Read more
What are some of the top features of Microsoft BI?
3 Comments
Prakash R.
PR
Data Visualization: Microsoft Power BI excels in creating interactive and visually compelling data dashboards and reports, making ramified data easy to...Read more
Tableau
Tableau Discussions
why did saleforce by tableau? IS SFDC reporting going to change now?
2 Comments
Tobias R.
TR
Perfect answer by Derrick. I totally agree.Read more
What does Tableau Desktop do?
2 Comments
Naveen A.
NA
Tableau Desktop help create interactive Dashboards offline and publish it to the wider audience through Tableau public. Tableau Desktop is one of the version...Read more
Do I need Tableau Desktop if I have Tableau Server?
2 Comments
Luis T.
LT
Anyway, whether you need Tableau Desktop depends on your specific use case and requirements. If you're unsure, you can consider the following Evaluate...Read more