WGU INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Power BI vs. Tableau
Many modern businesses and organizations collect and assess data to improve operations, forecast trends, and minimize risk. Amid ever-increasing volumes of data, these organizations have come to rely on data visualization tools. Such tools are designed to clarify complex data sets and help users interpret their meaning.
Efficient data visualization products like Power BI and Tableau are specially designed for business intelligence and enterprise analytics. Both of these products enable individuals and organizations to make better-informed, data-driven decisions.
How do these two data visualization tools compare, and how can you use each one effectively? Read on to find out—plus, learn how WGU can teach you skills in both.
Overview of Power BI and Tableau
Power BI and Tableau play important roles in data analytics. Each brings comprehensive data services to beginner- and advanced-level users for a variety of applications.
Power BI is a comprehensive business analytics service that collects data and illustrates that data via different visual hierarchies. Users can interact with visual elements to interpret complex sets of data. Power BI can collate large volumes of data at scale that traditional programs like Microsoft Excel and Google Analytics cannot.
Tableau was established to improve the way digital data is interpreted. Since its inception, it has become a robust data visualization tool designed to analyze a wide range of data and statistics. Tableau management software simplifies dense data by converting it to digestible bar charts, graphs, maps, reports, and more. Tableau users can engage with its simple drag-and-drop features and dashboards to assess data efficiently.
Below are comparisons of specific Power BI and Tableau features:
Pricing and Licensing
Power BI
- Power BI Desktop: Free
- Power BI Pro: $13.70 per user per month (Included for free for Microsoft 365 users)
- Power BI Premium: $27.50 per user per month
Tableau
- Tableau Public: Free
- Tableau Viewer: $15 per month per user
- Tableau Explorer: $40 per month per user
- Tableau Creator: $70 per month per user (Includes Tableau Desktop, Tableau Prep Builder, and Tableau Server).
Power BI is a great option for small organizations or startups that use Microsoft’s ecosystem while Tableau is usually better suited to larger, more established organizations.
Power BI
Power BI uses Power Query for its data exploration, preparation, and transformation. Power Query can import either single data sources or multiple databases. It can also be used for data cleaning and manipulation.
Tableau
Tableau Prep is the primary tool for preparing, shaping, and transforming data in Tableau. This tool includes a visualization layer and a query layer that make data preparation and transformation fast and user friendly.
Power BI
Power BI can display data in the following formats:
- Column charts
- Area charts
- Funnel charts
- Line charts
- Ribbon charts
These charts and other dashboards are designed with an emphasis on readability.
Tableau
Tableau can display data in the following formats:
- Pie charts
- Bar charts
- Bullet charts
- Boxplots
- Gantt charts
- Maps (geographic, flow, heat, point distribution)
Tableau offers more complex forms of data visualization and encourages more user customization than Power BI.
Power BI
Power BI users can share data with others via Microsoft products like Excel, SharePoint, and Teams. Power BI also allows users to update dashboards in real time with comments or additional data.
Tableau
Tableau lets users share data via the cloud or on-premises. Users can collaborate through Salesforce, Google Drive, and Slack. Other third-party tools can enhance the collaborative features of Tableau.
Power BI
Power BI can display data in the following formats:
- Column charts
- Area charts
- Funnel charts
- Line charts
- Ribbon charts
These charts and other dashboards are designed with an emphasis on readability.
Tableau
Tableau can display data in the following formats:
- Pie charts
- Bar charts
- Bullet charts
- Boxplots
- Gantt charts
- Maps (geographic, flow, heat, point distribution)
Tableau offers more complex forms of data visualization and encourages more user customization than Power BI.
Power BI
Examples of real-world organizations that use Power BI include:
- Adobe
- Rolls Royce
- The North Face
- Geico
- Bayer
Tableau
Organizations known to use Tableau include the following:
- Verizon
- Nissan
- Pfizer
- Charles Schwab
Learn more about WGU programs and courses that teach skills in using these data visualization tools:
Technology
Data Analytics – B.S.
Lean into data, and walk away with a cutting-edge online degree:...
Lean into data, and walk away with a cutting-edge online degree:
- Time: 62% of graduates finish within 36 months.
- Tuition and fees: $3,735 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 39 total courses in this program.
Certifications in this program at no additional cost include:
- AWS Cloud Practitioner
- CompTIA Data+
- CompTIA Project+
- Udacity Nanodegree—a unique, highly recognized credential designed to prepare you for a career in data science
- MSI Change Management (Optional Certification)
- Certiprof Design Thinking Professional Certificate (Optional Certification)
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Data management
- Data wrangling
- Statistical analysis
- Visualization
- Leadership and management
- Model deployment & storytelling
Technology
Data Analytics – M.S.
Lead businesses with strong analysis skills:...
Lead businesses with strong analysis skills:
- Time: 61% of graduates finish within 20 months.
- Tuition: $4,520 per 6-month term.
- Courses: 11 total courses in this program.
Skills for your résumé that you will learn in this program:
- Data Analytics Lifecycle
- Data Science and Advanced Analytics Applications
- Data Mining Techniques
- Machine Learning
- Data Management
Master data mining, visualization, and SQL—and lead analytics at the business of your choice.
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