Tableau Software Reviews

“good tool”

Pros

Connecting to all kinds of data sources is one of the best things about Tableau. It lets you perform joins, pull the data straight into worksheets and start working with it right away. Building dashboards is quick and publishing them to Tableau Server makes sharing with everyone really convenient. Tableau Story is also a really effective feature for presentations.

Cons

It still struggles when working with unstructured data. I'd also love to see more chart options especially the kind of variety you can get with d3.js.

“Tableau saves us so much time”

Pros

Monthly reporting takes a fraction of the time now with Tableau. Tasks that used to mean pulling multiple downloads from different data sources and constantly updating spreadsheet tabs can now be handled with just a few clicks. Instead of spending hours just assembling data, I am able to focus much more on the actual analysis.

Cons

Getting started with it was probably the toughest part for me because the learning curve is real. It isn't especially user friendly when you're new and it's pretty easy to make mistakes without realizing it if you're not paying close attention. The good thing is that Tableau offers plenty of training and there are also lots of helpful resources online to make the process easier.

“Nice visuals for presentations”

Pros

Creating clear, attractive visuals with this tool has been a really positive experience. It comes with plenty of features that help put together strong presentations and there are lots of simple ways to build charts that look professional and are easy to understand.

Cons

One downside is the user interface especially how cluttered the screen space can feel.

“Access your data from anywhere”

Pros

It's a powerful platform for presenting data and the fact that it can be accessed from anywhere is a big advantage.

Cons

Putting data into a truly usable presentation isn't very easy with this system. You really need a strong understanding of both data and how to present it effectively.

“Dashboards that work for every team”

Pros

At our company this tool helps us evaluate all kinds of data across different business units and products. It offers multiple dashboards that can be customized to match the needs of any team. There are also plenty of useful filters and settings to work with so you can refine the data as much as necessary and get exactly the view you need.

Cons

Getting around the platform can be a bit confusing at times especially if you're a regular employee and not someone who works with data every day. I needed a coworker to walk me through one specific dashboard and if you're trying to use several of them, it definitely takes some trial and error to get comfortable with the interface and understand where everything is.

“Track and report data easily”

Pros

It gives us a really advanced way to monitor data and build reports.

Cons

The biggest downside is the amount of time it takes to fully learn the software.

“All your data in one place”

Pros

Having everything centralized in one program has been a huge improvement for us. My company introduced it not long ago and everyone has really taken to it. All the detailed information I need is gathered in one place and the layout makes it very organized and simple to navigate. Reporting used to take me hours because I had to dig through each customer one by one but now Tableau pulls their information together so I can just click a tab and everything I need is right there.

Cons

Every now and then some inaccurate information shows up in the tabs. On one report, for example, it listed clients with reservations in future dates, even though they had not stayed with us yet so that data was not actually valid for that report. Thankfully, it was a simple issue to correct.

“Useful dashboards with easy access”

Pros

One thing that really works well is how accessible the reports are. Across our company, we have a lot of folders and Tableau reports set up that support our day to day work and make the information we need much easier to get to.

Cons

The email subscription feature has been frustrating for me because it does not work reliably. Most of the time the reports never arrive and when they do, I sometimes get the same report multiple times which becomes annoying. We have also created specialized reports to view different kinds of data but some filters and functions still are not available because of its settings.

“Beautiful dashboards with flexible displays”

Pros

Compared with building charts in Excel, this saves a lot of time on data visualization. The graphs look professional, the setup process is pretty user friendly, there are plenty of ways to present different kinds of information and connecting it to exported data is pretty easy.

Cons

The pricing is a major barrier and makes the software out of reach for a lot of users.

“Useful visuals with some limitations”

Pros

Using this professionally for data visualization has been a pretty good experience overall. One thing I appreciate is how approachable the software is since it lets you build different kinds of visualizations without needing deep technical knowledge of the platform. It also does a nice job of suggesting chart types based on the data you are working with which saves time and helps with choosing the right presentation. Another major benefit is the ability to connect to data from multiple sources which makes it practical for real work.

Cons

There are a few drawbacks that stood out while using it. The range of graphs and charts available for building visualizations is somewhat limited. Since it is paid software access is also a barrier and not everyone can use it freely. On top of that it does not offer enough functionality for creating large-scale data reporting which can be a downside for bigger reporting needs.

“Endless possibilities with strong analytics”

Pros

Tableau is an incredibly powerful analytics and data platform. It comes packed with features and is capable of handling almost anything you can think up.

Cons

Compared with Domo I feel it is less user friendly and more expensive. Getting it up and running can be tough unless you have an experienced team or plenty of time to spend on setup.

“Beautiful visuals that impress people”

Pros

One thing that really stands out about Tableau is how much emphasis it puts on clean, professional visual design in the final result of data analysis. Plenty of other tools can do similar things functionally but It really separates itself through the look and quality of its visualizations. When I teach others how to use the software, they usually pick it up pretty quickly and are genuinely impressed and excited by what they're able to create.

Cons

Where it seems more limited is in sharing and using those visualizations outside the software itself. It keeps things fairly contained within the program which is common with tools like this but I'd really like to see more options for sharing visualizations more broadly with a wider audience.

“Blend data with great visuals”

Pros

The best parts of it is how well it integrates to different data sources. The drag and drop approach keeps everything very simple and the range of data analysis and visualization features makes working with data much simpler. Its ability to combine multiple data sources and use them together as a single source is especially impressive.

Cons

One issue with it is that it does not automatically adjust its resolution based on the system being used. Another downside is that creating and publishing reports requires a lot of space which is not always available.

“Create great visuals in seconds”

Pros

A really strong analytics platform that delivers insightful visualizations within seconds.

Cons

The platform could be a little more easy to navigate.

“Fast analysis with strong connectors”

Pros

Getting started with data analysis is really easy because Tableau offers a wide range of connectors so there's not much setup hassle or red tape involved. Once the data is extracted I can explore it without interruptions which makes working on the go much more convenient.

Cons

When a report gets large and includes many database connections, it doesn't manage that load very well. The web server editor is also extremely slow, to the point that it becomes frustrating to use. On top of that the default panel design could use a serious upgrade and having SQL syntax colors in the standard editor would be a very welcome addition.

“Flexible insights with strong dashboards”

Pros

Turning data into professional dashboards and infographics is pretty easy with Tableau. You can begin by connecting it to a data source like a SQL database or an Excel file, then use its tools to present analytics in a visual format that's much easier for people to follow. It works with a wide range of input formats and gives you a lot of freedom in how you explore, analyze and display information. Another big plus is that the visualizations can be shared as static outputs like PDFs or PowerPoint files or published online for a more interactive experience. It also works well for presenting high-level insights while still allowing your audience to drill down into the details.

Cons

There is definitely a bit of a learning curve. I am usually comfortable teaching myself new software and prefer to click around and experiment before opening manuals or documentation. It isn't especially hard to use but some things you want to do are not immediately obvious. At first for instance I had trouble figuring out how to add subtotals to data I had imported. I was able to solve it quickly once I checked the help files but it still felt like the kind of task that should have been more easy to discover on my own.

“liked the reporting”

Pros

Connecting it to databases is pretty easy and the platform does a smart job of analyzing data and producing detailed reports. The customizable dashboards are really useful because they let us focus only on the information we want to see right away after logging in. I also appreciate the sorting options which make it possible to view data in the exact order needed. On top of that financial, marketing and other reports can be exported to Excel or PDF and shared easily with non-technical users.

Cons

The per-user pricing feels a bit expensive.

“Reporting power that really stands out”

Pros

Once you get the hang of this program, it makes you feel like the king or queen of the office when putting reports together. Becoming skilled with it can really separate you from the competition, even though it does take effort to learn. Even with that challenge, I really enjoy using it and plan to keep it in my toolkit.

Cons

Without someone properly trained showing you how to use this software, it can be pretty tough to learn. Online tutorials were not very helpful for me since I learn better by doing things hands-on which made the process more frustrating. Even so, I still continue to use it.

“Great interface with strong reporting”

Pros

Tableau has been an excellent tool for taking data analysis further while keeping the process simple. I have also worked with PowerBI from Microsoft which offers many comparable features but its interface is something special. The overall user experience feels much better and the platform stands out in how it handles reporting, chart creation and data analysis. There are plenty of BI tools available, yet the range of reports, visuals and analytical capabilities in it really puts it ahead of the rest. Its clean and user friendly design also makes forecasting and analysis very hassle free which is a big help when planning projects.

Cons

When it comes to security and reliability I would still lean toward Microsoft PowerBI. Another downside is that it offers only limited integrations with other tools. With PowerBI, I was able to connect with Microsoft Cortana and use O365 for faster, more effective results and that kind of integration feels missing here.

“Forecast and view data easily”

Pros

Getting started with reporting in Tableau has been really exciting. I am genuinely impressed by how many features it offers and the different ways you can structure and organize data. It took some time to export, import and map everything correctly but now that we're testing the forecasting tools, the results seem quite accurate which has been awesome to see.

Cons

The setup does require a bit of time and the cost can be high if you want to give the whole team access. We're also still in the process of deciding exactly which data sources we want everyone to connect to it.