Tableau Software Reviews

“Drag-and-drop visuals are a delight”

Pros

One thing that really stands out is how quickly you can drag and drop your data to build visualizations. The wide range of visual options also makes the software much more engaging and appealing to use.

Cons

There's not a lot to complain about. That said, the analytics side could definitely be expanded and it would be helpful to have more built-in features that work directly with R and Python.

“Easy visuals with flexible data connections”

Pros

Working in Tableau is very easy because the interface is user friendly, colorful and largely self-explanatory. The overall design fits perfectly with charting and the professional visualization tools it offers. The charts are user friendly and the default settings are already helpful while still letting you format, color, resize and customize them however you need. The built-in Server functions are also very useful especially when users need to pull raw data directly or receive it in a format that works for reporting. Another feature I really like is the Server subscription option which makes it simple to get reports delivered daily, weekly or monthly by email. On top of that the data source functionality is one of the best parts of the platform since it can connect to almost anything out there, from SQL queries and Excel files in OneDrive to Azure tables and SharePoint lists.

Cons

Speed can be a bit challenging at times which is something you run into with most tools of this kind. Once you start working with very large volumes of data, performance can slow down and charts may take longer to load. Adding joins, blends or dashboards that rely on multiple data sources especially with datasets in the millions of rows can definitely create some frustration. That said most of those issues become much more manageable once you learn how to prepare and structure the data properly for your visualizations.

“Customize with strong connectors”

Pros

One of the best parts of Tableau is how approachable it is for people who aren't very advanced, while still offering a lot for more experienced data visualization users. The wide range of data connectors and the almost unlimited customization are easily the features I appreciate the most.

Cons

There isn't anything major to complain about but integration with certain Microsoft features like OneDrive could be simpler especially when publishing dashboards and setting up automation since subscriptions don't work with OneDrive.

“Quick updates with great visuals”

Pros

Getting started with Tableau is simple, even for people without a technical background. It handles everything from Excel spreadsheets to large Hadoop databases really well and it offers more than 30 visualization options. It also integrates nicely with statistics and analytics tools which makes it even more useful.

Cons

I honestly cannot think of any real downsides. They release new versions very quickly, usually every 2-3 months which helps address shortcomings and keeps adding new features.

“Rich visuals with strong analytics”

Pros

Tableau has been a really capable data tool for us when it comes to working with different types of data and using those insights to improve operational efficiency across the company. It also comes with a lot of built-in features and functionality, including useful options like geographical overlay.

Cons

The part I enjoy the least is that it takes time to learn well. The learning curve is fairly steep so it definitely requires practice before you can use it confidently.

“Monitor anything regardless of vendor”

Pros

I use it for business operations to keep an eye on data feeds coming from network elements and one of the biggest advantages is how vendor-agnostic it is. Unlike some competing tools, it doesn't tie you down to a single vendor which makes it much more flexible for our environment.

Cons

At times, the data reports don't appear properly and when we use it with certain DPI vendors, the feeds have to be restarted to get things working again.

“Strong integrations with good dashboards”

Pros

Right from the start Tableau's feature set has been impressive especially the way it integrates with databases to build effective dashboards and reports. It comes with plenty of out-of-the-box functionality which makes it very capable for reporting and visualization work.

Cons

Nothing specific comes to mind as a downside here. As an end user, I genuinely appreciate the overall functionality the software provides.

“Dashboards built for stakeholders”

Pros

Being able to pull multiple data streams into one dashboard that's both easy to view and interact with has been a huge advantage. It makes presenting information to stakeholders fast, clear and effective.

Cons

Setting up custom webhooks took more effort than I expected, even though it was ultimately worth it. I understand that it's a necessary part of the process but making that setup simpler would definitely help with broader adoption.

“ideal reporting tool”

Pros

One of the biggest strengths of this software is how wide ranging the reporting and analytics capabilities are. Being able to combine multiple data sources to track and assess performance across all of our metrics and KPIs is incredibly valuable. The variety of visualization options also makes a big difference as there's a chart type for just about every scenario so you can present data in the way that best fits your needs.

Cons

The biggest downside has been the speed. We work with large datasets but I would expect plenty of companies deal with far more data than we do and I can only imagine how difficult it would be to use at that scale. Even something as simple as changing the date range on a report can take close to a minute. Pausing the report and switching filters helps only a little since there's still a noticeable delay of several seconds.

“Bring data together from many places”

Pros

I like how well it pulls together and organizes data into a format that can then be refined and worked with.

Cons

Getting started can feel intimidating especially if you don't have any background in data analytics.

“Team performance all in one view”

Pros

Having all of my team's performance data in one place has been really valuable. I am not part of the group that builds the reports but I have used Tableau long enough to help put together content for new teams and different projects.

Cons

It depends on several teams working together to run properly. My biggest frustration is that even a small issue can lead to inaccurate results and if you're not the person handling the programming side, getting it corrected can take a while.

“Cleaner insights with easy dashboards”

Pros

Tableau has been very user friendly. Pulling data into dashboards feels clean and simple and it makes analytics much easier to work with.

Cons

The part I liked least is the licensing since it can get pretty confusing depending on the type of project and the team using it. That piece could definitely be improved.

“Good visuals with strong integrations”

Pros

The graphic design is excellent, customer support has been very reliable and it integrates really well with other apps for transferring files without hassle.

Cons

One thing to keep in mind is that the learning curve is a bit steep so it can take a few hours, days or even weeks to get comfortable with some of the key features.

“Clear visuals with strong analytics”

Pros

Tableau is a highly advanced platform that lets me perform many different kinds of analysis. On top of that it helps turn data into visuals that are clear and understandable for everyone.

Cons

There is definitely a steep learning curve. Also to get the most out of its full capabilities, a company really needs to use more of the broader product suite such as Tableau Server.

“Good visuals overall”

Pros

It works really well for data analysis. The interface is very user friendly which makes it simple to connect data sources and build clear visualizations from datasets.

Cons

When you compare it with competitors like IBM Watson and Microsoft Power BI, there's still room for improvement in its processing power. At times, the software slows down when handling more complex analyses.

“Nice visuals for analytics work”

Pros

After 15 years working as a data analyst, I have spent a lot of time in Excel so Tableau feels like an excellent choice for businesses that really want to maximize the value of their data. I especially appreciate being able to connect it with my Excel dashboards for clients whose data volumes are simply too much for Excel to manage well. The visualizations look fantastic and On top of that the platform is incredibly user friendly.

Cons

One downside is that updates can become slow with larger datasets which does get frustrating.

“The go-to tool for data visuals”

Pros

To me Tableau feels like the Adobe of data. With properly structured data, the range and quality of visualizations you can create is incredible.

Cons

Because it can do so much, it takes some dedicated time to really read through and understand its many features. There's a lot packed into the software so naturally there's also a lot to learn.

“Detailed dashboards with easy navigation”

Pros

It's a great application for working with data and metrics. The level of detail is impressive and moving around the platform is very easy.

Cons

It can be a bit slow when pulling up information and after extended use it may occasionally crash.

“Good analytics for healthcare”

Pros

Tableau works really well for tracking healthcare analytics and has been a strong product for that use case. At the same time, it still feels like a difficult platform to navigate.

Cons

Pulling the data you need can be burdensome at times and the UI still feels clumsy when you're trying to track multiple providers.

“Live dashboards with clear views”

Pros

One of the best parts of Tableau is the clear visibility it gives into the data coming from our reporting and analytics team. The dashboards stay current because the information refreshes automatically from the source which makes it much more useful day to day.

Cons

I really don't have any complaints at this point. If anything, I'd just like to spend more time learning the product and figuring out more ways to make better use of it.