Tableau Software Reviews

“See what's happening right now”

Pros

It integrates really well with our internal database so we can see our numbers in real time without a lot of hassle. One feature we really enjoy is the map view for our constituents especially when looking at alumni by region. It's also been incredibly useful to build different dashboards for different reporting needs. The platform is highly customizable, with plenty of filters that make it easy to review data in the ways that matter most to us. I also appreciate being able to use tabs within a single dashboard to take the same data and slice it into different views depending on what we want to analyze. There's honestly a lot you can do with it.

Cons

The only downside is that it can start to feel a bit overwhelming if you pack too much into a dashboard with lots of filters, tabs, charts and maps all at once. Staff may need a little onboarding at first when they begin using the reports but once they spend some time with it, it becomes very teachable and easy to use.

“A strong platform for data visuals”

Pros

Tableau is an incredibly powerful platform for turning large volumes of raw data into graphs, reports and just about any other kind of visual output you need.

Cons

One thing I really wish it included is free training or workshops because that would make learning how to use the program feel much more natural and simple.

“Good analytics for data teams”

Pros

It is an incredibly capable platform and its biggest strength is how deeply you can pull, explore and analyze data. Any organization that is serious about using data to shape practical, actionable business strategies should absolutely give Tableau strong consideration.

Cons

The most noticeable downside is that the platform can feel pretty slow and laggy at times. Even though I use it as an end user and not an admin, it also seems to go down for maintenance fairly often. I cannot tell whether that's something specific to my company's setup or an issue with the tool itself but it happens regularly either way. On top of that while the visualization tools are very powerful, learning your way around the platform takes some time. You should expect to spend at least a few hours getting familiar with it before feeling fully comfortable.

“Dashboards that are easy and fun to use”

Pros

The interface is very interactive and user friendly so it's simple to navigate and work with.

Cons

Some feature names don't really describe what they actually do which makes it harder to remember the steps when you need to do the same task again later.

“Rich visuals with strong dashboards”

Pros

One of Tableau's biggest strengths is how many different data sources it can connect to and pull together into a single professional dashboard where people can quickly find the information they need. The application is very user friendly for both developers and end users. It also comes with a lot of features that make the experience better such as a wide range of visualizations, drill-down options for more detailed data and the ability to build predefined views depending on a user's role within the company.

Cons

A downside is that making changes beyond the standard setup can be fairly challenging in it especially when those updates require JavaScript knowledge.

“Web connector still has issues”

Pros

When the data is already prepared in a format Tableau can connect to, the tool itself is fairly simple to use.

Cons

There's supposed to be a web data connector between FileMaker and this one but it doesn't work. On top of that the sales rep showed no concern about the issue.

“Works really well with Snowflake”

Pros

Creating dashboards in Tableau gives me a much clearer view of the data and it also integrates really well with Snowflake.

Cons

The only downside is that when I export from the tool, I sometimes have to reformat the file afterward which can be a bit time-consuming.

“Great visuals for tracking revenue”

Pros

Tableau has been fantastic for data visualization. It integrates to our company database, pulls whatever data we need and displays it in a wide range of useful formats. It makes it really simple to see what's happening with company revenue, how subscriptions are trending and even the reasons behind cancellations. The graph-based reports are especially helpful and give us a lot of valuable insight.

Cons

At first creating a report in it felt a bit challenging and I usually needed to reach out to our system administrator for help. That said, once you pick up a few tips and tricks, building reports becomes much more manageable and not all that difficult overall.

“Find useful insights in your data”

Pros

Using Tableau gives data a whole new level of meaning and it brings out fresh insights that feel genuinely new.

Cons

It does come with a learning curve so getting comfortable with the software takes time and real commitment.

“Good-looking data analysis”

Pros

Building visual analytics and stories is easy and the data capture and cleansing features are very helpful from a development standpoint.

Cons

When working with very large datasets, the application slows down and takes longer than expected to respond.

“devent reporting features”

Pros

It pulls together really valuable metric reports in a format that's clear and easy to read. I am genuinely impressed by how many capabilities it offers.

Cons

It does crash more often than I'd prefer. It doesn't happen all the time but when it does, it can interrupt my workflow.

“Nice visuals for your data”

Pros

Among data visualization tools, Tableau feels like one of the strongest options out there. It does take some time to learn at first but once you get comfortable with it, you can work through large datasets and turn them into presentations that are both distinctive and meaningful.

Cons

The formatting choices can feel a little restrictive in some areas. Getting started is also tough because the platform can do so much that it becomes overwhelming at first. Honestly I'd probably ignore most of the official documentation and start instead with sample projects shared by other users.

“Strong dashboards with nice visuals”

Pros

Turning raw data into clear, meaningful reports is much simpler with Tableau. It saves me a lot of time during data preparation because I can connect to multiple data sources in one place. The drag and drop interface makes it very approachable and I can experiment with different views without needing any coding skills. I was also able to learn a lot from the free training the company provides which was really helpful. Another feature I really enjoy is the interactive dashboards since they make reports more engaging and interesting for viewers. On top of that the mobile and tablet support is very good so reports are easy to access anytime.

Cons

One downside is that the pricing feels a little high. At times, the error messages are not very clear which can be frustrating. I am also not a big fan of the limited crosstab options. Even with those issues, it's still an excellent product and one I would definitely recommend to others.

“Good analytics that connect well”

Pros

The analytics are clear and accurate and it also integrates well with our company's internal systems.

Cons

The functionality isn't very user friendly at first so you do need to spend some time learning the tool before using it comfortably.

“Analytics that help you grow”

Pros

Out of all the data analytics tools I have used, this one has been the fastest by far. It has helped our business turn raw data into valuable insights that supported our growth.

Cons

Getting started with it can feel a bit overwhelming at first but once you spend some time exploring the features, it becomes much easier to navigate and transform data into meaningful information.

“Reports that look professional”

Pros

Tableau makes working with data feel far less overwhelming, even if you are not a Big Data expert. The platform is very simplified and it helps me put together reports that are clear, easy to understand and impressive enough to share with my bosses confidently.

Cons

At the same time there are so many features packed into it that it can be hard not to lose track of everything. Even after using it for more than a year, I still would not say I have fully mastered it.

“Drag and drop to analyze data”

Pros

Working with Tableau feels very approachable because there's no coding required. You can import almost any type of data, whether it's CSV, tab-delimited files, Excel, R, Python, Azure, SQL and more. Most visualizations are built with drag and drop which makes the process fast and user friendly. Another really valuable feature is the ability to create calculated fields on the fly so you can build new fields based on specific conditions whenever needed.

Cons

The biggest downside is the pricing. The free trial only lasts 15 days and sometimes it may be extended by another 15 days. Students can get a full year free which is helpful but for larger companies the cost can be quite expensive. It's also not very convenient to add other SQL databases into it and then publish the visualization.

“excel export is confusing”

Pros

It presents data visually in a very flexible way and makes it simple to drill down into the details. In some respects, it feels like a more powerful version of Microsoft Excel when it comes to charts and tables.

Cons

Working with Excel imports and exports is really frustrating. When exporting data to Excel, the formatting comes out in a way that's difficult to handle and hard to manipulate.

“Useful insights from your data”

Pros

Tableau comes with a really strong set of features for anyone trying to get a better handle on project data especially when that data can be complicated and hard to interpret at times.

Cons

One downside is that it takes time to learn so it is not the right fit for everyone. It would be much better if there were more tutorials or training exercises available to help new users get up to speed.

“Rich visuals with strong dashboards”

Pros

Using Tableau is very fun since most things work with simple drag and drop actions. It comes packed with a wide range of features and plenty of customization options and there are all kinds of chart types available to visualize data in different ways.

Cons

The only downside is that it runs a bit expensive and the pricing is based on licenses rather than actual usage.