Tableau Software Reviews

“Drag and drop to build dashboards”

Pros

Using Tableau feels very user friendly especially when building visualization charts with its drag and drop approach. Importing different kinds of data sources is simple and creating charts and dashboards is quick and convenient.

Cons

Compared with other options it is fairly expensive which is why students usually do not consider buying it. There can also be security concerns when using Tableau Public.

“Analyze data from any source”

Pros

Compared with plain Excel sheets, Tableau feels much more capable for data analysis. The data does not need to sit in one place either since it can come from databases or files and the platform supports many different data sources. Even complex queries can be used as sources and it can join multiple sources in different ways. On top of that Tableau can further compute the data for analysis. It separates data into dimensions and values and those values can also be calculated, similar to how one cell in Excel can depend on others and continue as a chain. Interactive filters can be added directly to the analysis screen and dashboards can be hosted on the server. The server also keeps a history of uploaded changes which works somewhat like version control because you can move back and forth between versions and download them as well. It also offers data refresh options such as live and scheduled refreshes. Live keeps querying the data source and shows current data, while scheduled refreshes can run at set times, with the schedule logic managed on the server. Another plus is the strong community support and documentation. There is also a 30-day free trial for the Tableau application, after which a product key is required.

Cons

One limitation is that it still does not offer proper version control. It would be much better if it had something like Git integration because without that, parallel development is not really possible. In practice it feels like only one developer can work on a dashboard at a time. It is possible to copy one sheet from one dashboard to another which does help a little and can act as a workaround for parallel development but it is not a very clear or structured approach.

“not very flexible”

Pros

It's built in a way that lets us put together tables, filters and charts with very little SQL which makes the setup and reporting process much quicker.

Cons

The tradeoff is that it's less flexible than something like Periscope, where you build more from scratch but get more control because of it. It also requires an Explorer license to download full data, whereas a Viewer license won't cover that.

“Turn data into pictures easily”

Pros

Tableau is one of the best tools out there for presenting and visualizing data. The only thing is that data manipulation isn't very user friendly so you still need to rely on queries for that part.

Cons

I do wish it included more built-in data manipulation capabilities, similar to what Alteryx offers.

“Good tools for visual analytics”

Pros

It comes with a wide range of tools that are really useful for analyzing client data. It also offers graphs and other visualizations that make it much easier to spot insights and patterns that are not immediately obvious.

Cons

Getting the most out of this software really requires some training. It includes a lot of features and many of them are not very easy to use without prior experience or guidance.

“Nice visuals that connect to anything”

Pros

One thing I really enjoy about Tableau is how easy it is to use. It integrates to a wide range of data sources, offers many different chart and graph options and handles calculations more easily than Excel when working with formulas.

Cons

The pricing is reasonable overall but the premium membership feels a bit expensive. It also takes some training before you can use it effectively and I think the certification should be included for free.

“Build your own custom visuals”

Pros

Whenever I need to put something together fast, Tableau makes it simple to create custom, distinctive data visualizations. It also integrates well with your own data sources so you can pull in the right information for the analysis. On top of that there's a huge library of visualization examples and a very active online community that's useful for ideas and inspiration.

Cons

The biggest downside is the price since it's fairly expensive overall. If your needs are limited to more basic charts or visualizations, a cheaper tool would probably make more sense.

“Clean charts with flexible views”

Pros

Tableau comes with a wide range of chart types that make data look clear organized and easy to understand. Having so many visualization options really helps when working with different kinds of datasets.

Cons

It offers very limited computing capabilities and is really designed mainly for data visualization rather than deeper data processing.

“Dashboards with helpful maps”

Pros

Putting together dashboards is very easy with the drag and drop interface and I had one built within minutes. The mapping feature is easily my favorite part. For company analytics reporting, this has been the best tool I have used so far. There are also lots of visualization options available, plus a large online community that makes it easier to get help when needed.

Cons

It does struggle with complex queries and there are times when reports take quite a while to run. The personal license also is a bit pricey. If it offered better discounts for home users, it could really become the go-to all-in-one analytics tool.

“positive experience”

Pros

Tableau has given us a reliable way to turn complex data into accurate, visually engaging presentations that are easy to share and understand.

Cons

The interface can be difficult to work with at first and getting comfortable with it takes time because the learning process is not very user friendly.

“Maps and visuals work together well”

Pros

One of the best parts is the real-time data visualization which makes analysis much more dynamic. It also works with a wide range of data sources so bringing information together is not a problem. The geodata capabilities are especially useful for work involving maps and location-based analysis. On top of that the learning curve is pretty approachable and the tutorials available on the site do a really good job of helping new users get started with the software.

Cons

Adding visualizations for error or deviation in charts can be more complicated than it should be. To get the result you want, you often have to rely on different workarounds instead of having a more direct built-in option.

“Lots of features but takes time to learn”

Pros

There's a lot built into Tableau and the feature set feels very detailed and advanced. It does a good job of bringing data together, the interface is clear overall and the self-paced learning and training resources are genuinely helpful.

Cons

Because there are so many detailed features, it takes a while to get comfortable with everything and it can feel confusing rather than simple at first. Refresh times also aren't very fast.

“Really slow and hard to figure out”

Pros

Honestly there's nothing positive I can point to here. It rarely works properly and every update takes an incredibly long time to finish.

Cons

Right from the start, it feels extremely slow and often refuses to load information at all. On top of that the data is scattered everywhere which makes it very difficult to read and understand.

“Polished dashboards that refresh on their own”

Pros

It client facing output looks really professional and it can be configured to refresh automatically by integrating directly to databases which makes recurring reports very convenient to manage.

Cons

Quite a few features especially building calculations from data, still require writing queries and that should be much more user friendly from a usability standpoint.

“Good design but you have to learn it”

Pros

The design side of the software is well done and refreshing or uploading data is pretty easy. It's also helpful that there's a community forum where you can ask questions and get support.

Cons

Getting comfortable with the product takes time. You're also pretty limited to its way of designing things and when there are several row and column options, it can be confusing to tell which one you're actually working in. On top of that it has corrupted my original data files before.

“See how productive your team is”

Pros

Whenever I need to pull data tied to productivity, Tableau really stands out. It lets me dig all the way down into the smallest details and build charts and graphs that make the information much clearer. It has become an essential tool for monitoring and tracking both sales and productivity.

Cons

Since the platform is so deep and lets you keep drilling down almost endlessly, it can feel a bit complex at times and may start to slow down or get bogged down. If you're still new to the software, it's also pretty easy to lose your way and have trouble navigating back efficiently.

“Visuals that work for everyone”

Pros

Creating impactful data visualizations in Tableau is surprisingly easy and it makes complex information much more digestible for all kinds of users.

Cons

There was a slight learning curve at first but nothing beyond what you'd expect with any new software. After spending a little time exploring it, things start to click.

“Easy reporting that anyone can use”

Pros

With just a few clicks, this software lets you compile, view sort and create datasets without much effort. It feels very user friendly and offers plenty of customization options.

Cons

When working with a very large report, it can take a little time for the software to pull the data needed to complete the command.

“Dashboards that connect to many sources”

Pros

Tableau is a widely adopted visualization tool so plenty of business users are already familiar with it. It's user friendly overall and integrates nicely with most data sources.

Cons

Quite a few of its features aren't especially user friendly and reports and stories can become complicated as they evolve over time. Building dashboards and stories beyond basic analysis usually takes some training.

“A flexible tool for all your data”

Pros

One of Tableau's biggest strengths is how flexible it is when it comes to visualizing data. Whether we're uploading CSV files or connecting to a database and pulling data through SQL, it handles just about everything we need it to do.

Cons

The part I am less enthusiastic about is the overall look and feel of the software. I have used other tools that seem cleaner and make the visualizations easier on the eyes. Since they all more or less accomplish the same tasks, it mostly comes down to which platform feels more comfortable to use.