Tableau Software Reviews

“Better results than other BI tools”

Pros

Tableau delivered much better results for me than other BI and BA tools I have used, like Pentaho and PowerBI.

Cons

Learning the software is tough because there's a lot of detail to take in and the interface could definitely be improved.

“Great visuals for understanding clients”

Pros

It is still fairly new in our company and we started using it after one of our colleagues in data analytics recommended it. He relies on it for an important client project and has been getting a lot of value from the way it pulls out different insights through its excellent visualization features. As a consulting firm, we depend on tools like this to create more value for customers and up to this point it has delivered well for us.

Cons

At times, the built-in tools can feel a bit too complicated for mid-level executives to fully understand so extra training and support are usually needed.

“Good analytics boost for customer data”

Pros

Working with Tableau in my business development role has completely changed how we turn raw data into business insights. Once it's connected to our database, I can explore the data from all kinds of angles, break it down however I need and handle customer analytics on my own without having to write SQL queries every single time.

Cons

I'd still like to see more training to help users get comfortable with SQL. When you're not confident with it, writing custom queries to pull the exact data you need can still be a challenge.

“Excel-based dashboards show promise”

Pros

The tool is fairly easy to use especially since I am using Excel as the data source. I am really looking forward to connecting it to our database which should make accessing data much more smooth.

Cons

One thing that gives me a little pause is the pricing since it seems like costs could climb quickly as usage scales up. It's only a minor concern for now though because we're still a long way from that becoming an immediate issue.

“Customize with great visuals”

Pros

Creating dynamic visuals in Tableau is very easy since you can build them with drag and drop and don't need any coding knowledge to get started. At the same time advanced users can connect Tableau with R, Python and similar tools to create highly customized graphics. From what I have used, the parameters and pages features are especially impressive.

Cons

One thing that really frustrates me is that it doesn't allow dashed lines in line charts. There are times when I need something other than color to separate groups in a graph and it feels very limited in that area. The mapping features also need improvement because it's not really possible to work with user-provided addresses and latitude/longitude coordinates together. It would be much better if these features were developed more along the lines of GIS tools.

“Clear dashboards for tracking KPIs”

Pros

At our company Tableau is used to present large volumes of data in KPI dashboards that are quick to read and easy to follow. It can turn timeline-based information into visuals like Gantt charts or display shift status across the past several months. Since I am mostly an end user and don't create content in Tableau very often, it still ends up being a very useful tool in my day to day work.

Cons

Some coworkers mentioned that the data has to be formatted a certain way in the tool for everything to display correctly. So if you haven't had formal training, setting it up properly can be a bit tricky. But as an end user I really don't have any complaints about the software.

“Import data with strong charts”

Pros

Being able to import different kinds of data and turn them into visualizations like graphs, charts, scatterplots and more was a big plus for me.

Cons

Getting started took some time because I had to spend a while understanding how the tool worked before I could actually build the visualizations I wanted.

“good analytics”

Pros

Tableau has been an excellent data analytics platform to work with. It comes with a wide range of useful features, supports many types of data analysis and lets you build all kinds of charts and dashboards. It presents information in a way that is clear for customers to view and understand. Permission management is also simple and getting started is not difficult especially with all the online forums and support resources available.

Cons

One thing it still lacks is a stronger set of statistical tools. Having more built-in statistical capabilities would make the product even better.

“my experience!”

Pros

Pretty much every company I know relies on Tableau for reporting and it makes sense why. It's highly customizable and the number of data sources it can connect to and pull from feels almost unlimited. It has completely changed the way I look at and understand results.

Cons

Because it offers so many features, it can feel a little complex at times. That said as long as I stick to my usual reporting tasks, it doesn't really concern me.

“Quick connections”

Pros

Tableau is an excellent visualization platform and one of its biggest advantages is how directly it integrates to a wide range of data sources which makes refreshing reports and graphs very simple.

Cons

Creating basic visuals is very easy but once you move into more advanced or layered visualizations, it gets a lot harder. Some complex chart types that are fairly simple to build in Excel can actually take much more effort in it.

“Polished visuals with strong features”

Pros

It comes packed with plenty of features and the visual designs look really professional and attractive.

Cons

Getting comfortable with the software is challenging and it can take quite a while to understand how everything works.

“Helpful tutorials”

Pros

Being able to tailor reports around our organization's specific needs has been a big plus and the online tutorials make it much easier to learn and get more out of the software.

Cons

One thing that can be frustrating is the gap between Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server. Even with Desktop access, Server still feels limited in what it can do.

“Easy visuals with instant charts”

Pros

Turning raw data into visuals in Tableau is incredibly easy. You can simply paste in the data and the charts are generated automatically which saves a lot of time. The interface is also user friendly as well so working through the platform is very natural.

Cons

The biggest downside is the cost. It is expensive so it may not be a practical option for every organization. Since there are more affordable alternatives on the market some teams may prefer to choose those instead.

“Real-time insights that help”

Pros

Real-time data tracking is one of the most impressive parts of this program. It also offers a variety of ways to sort, analyze and visualize data which makes working with information much more effective.

Cons

It would be better if this tool were customized for more convenient access across multiple operating systems and devices. At the moment it still isn't compatible for use on a phone.

“Secure sharing but training is needed”

Pros

Sharing it across the organization is very easy and I also like how secure the data feels.

Cons

Getting started isn't very easy so you'll probably need to watch online tutorials or even take formal training to use it properly.

“All sales data in one place”

Pros

Keeping track of sales data with this software has been excellent. It lets you view every metric you need, from revenue generated to deals closed and appointments set, all in one place. Everything feels transparent and simple to work with.

Cons

Honestly I don't have any complaints about the software itself. The only downside was having to wait three years to finally get access to it but that was due to my company's delay, not the product.

“Strong dashboards with useful insights”

Pros

Tableau has been a really powerful BI tool for understanding business data and turning it into clear visual insights. It supports a wide range of chart types, including pie charts, donut charts and more and the overall performance is very good. It also lets you connect to many different kinds of data sources which makes it very flexible.

Cons

There is a bit of a learning curve and working with it can feel somewhat complex at first. It is also a little expensive. That said the performance and functionality it offers outweigh those drawbacks.

“Drag-and-drop dashboards work great”

Pros

This software is very simple to use. Anyone with basic computer skills can use it for data visualization without needing programming or networking knowledge. Building dashboards from large data sets feels simple since you can just drag and drop rows and columns to create something like a bar chart.

Cons

One limitation is that the data has to be structured in a specific way before it can use it as a data source.

“Dashboards with helpful maps”

Pros

Creating custom client dashboards with Tableau has been much easier. It is especially helpful for building maps and doing geographic analysis without needing deep GIS expertise.

Cons

The tool still has a few limitations and dashboards built in it tend to look very professional. I feel like it would be better to have more customization options.

“Flexible sources with easy reporting”

Pros

Tableau is pretty easy to use and using it is quite user friendly. It supports several data source formats which makes it possible to connect different databases without much hassle. The report templates also cover a wide range of business needs so it helps speed things up when building dashboards and reports.

Cons

One thing that can be frustrating is how difficult it is to enable SQL native mode in queries. Another limitation is that the conceptual data models are inferred from the database models and that does not always reflect the real business reality accurately.