Exploring Hex, Preset & Visivo

Hex Vs. Preset Vs. Visivo

In this article, we'll compare the key features, capabilities, and differentiators between Hex, Preset, Visivo. This comprehensive comparison will help you make an informed decision about which platform best suits your data visualization and analytics needs.

Quick Comparison

A high-level overview of key features and capabilities across these BI tools. This comparison helps you quickly identify which platform best matches your needs.

Feature	Hex	Preset	Visivo
Deployment Model	Cloud (SaaS), Private cloud, Enterprise VPC	Cloud (multi-tenant), Cloud (VPC), Managed service	Open-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted
Pricing	SaaS subscription (free tier with limited projects; paid for teams). Closed-source.	Managed service (subscription per creator & usage). Underlying Superset is Apache-licensed.	Open source (GPL-3.0)
Cost	$$$	$$$	$
Git Integration	❌	❌	✔️
CI/CD & Testing	❌	❌	✔️
Real-time	❌	❌	❌
AI	❌	❌	✔️
Visual to Code	❌	❌	✔️
DAG-Based	❌	❌	✔️

Deployment & Pricing

Understanding the deployment options and pricing structure is crucial for making an informed decision. Here's how each platform handles deployment and what you can expect in terms of costs.

Tool	Deployment Model	Pricing	Cost
Hex	Cloud (SaaS), Private cloud, Enterprise VPC	SaaS subscription (free tier with limited projects; paid for teams). Closed-source.	$$$
Preset	Cloud (multi-tenant), Cloud (VPC), Managed service	Managed service (subscription per creator & usage). Underlying Superset is Apache-licensed.	$$$
Visivo	Open-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted	Open source (GPL-3.0)	$

Target Users & Use-Cases

Each BI tool is designed with specific user personas in mind. Understanding the target audience helps ensure you choose a platform that aligns with your team's skills and needs.

Hex

Data scientistsAnalytics engineersData teams collaborating on notebooks

Preset

Data teams wanting managed SupersetOrganizations without resources to self-hostEnterprise analytics teams

Visivo

Analytics EngineersData teamsBusiness usersEngineers

Ease of Development & Deployment

The development experience can significantly impact your team's productivity. This section compares how easy it is to build, deploy, and maintain dashboards in each platform.

Hex

Preset

Visivo

Key Integrations & Ecosystem

A robust ecosystem of integrations is essential for modern BI tools. Here's how each platform connects with other tools in your data stack.

Hex

Cloud data warehouses (Snowflake, BigQuery, etc.)dbt models and Git reposPython/SQL data sources

Preset

Same database integrations as Supersetdbt Cloud for metadataOAuth connections to popular DBs

Visivo

dbt coreAll major databasesCustom connector frameworkSlack for alertsGithub

AI & Advanced Features

Artificial intelligence is transforming how we interact with data. Compare the AI capabilities and advanced features offered by each platform.

Tool	AI Features
Hex	❌
Preset	❌
Visivo	✔️

Visualization Capabilities

The ability to create compelling and insightful visualizations is a key differentiator between BI tools. Here's how each platform handles data visualization.

Hex

Hybrid UI: notebook-style cells that can contain Pandas dataframes, SQL, or Python code, and separate 'app' view for interactive visual output. Visualizations can be created by pointing and clicking on a dataframe result (common chart types), or fully custom via Python libraries. Can add input widgets for interactivity.

Preset

Identical visualization capabilities to Apache Superset (Preset is built on Superset) – plus a nicer UI/UX and theme. Custom visualizations can be added via Preset's marketplace.

Visivo

Highly custom UI with easy defaults

Detailed Differentiators

Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses. Here's a detailed breakdown of what sets each tool apart, including both advantages and limitations.

Hex

+ Mix of code and no-code: data pros can write Python or SQL, then non-tech stakeholders can use the polished published app with interactive controls. Strong collaboration (multiple users can edit same notebook).

− Geared towards data team usage – not a pure drag-and-drop BI for end users. To fully utilize, one needs coding ability.

Preset

+ Easiest way to use Superset – fully managed infrastructure and support from Superset experts. New features and custom connectors often available.

− Still catching up to feature parity with mature BI tools in terms of collaboration (Git, fine-grained content permissions).

Visivo

+ BI-as-code approach enables version control, collaboration, and CI/CD workflows. DAG-based architecture provides powerful data transformation capabilities and dependency management. Seamless visual-to-code workflow allows both technical and non-technical users to build dashboards effectively.

− Requires understanding of data concepts; not a pure drag-and-drop tool like Tableau. Initial setup requires technical knowledge for optimal configuration.

Security & Architecture

Security and architecture are critical considerations for enterprise deployments. Here's how each platform handles data security and system architecture.

Hex

DB Access: Yes, connects directly using provided credentials to sources. Virtualization: No separate semantic layer; queries are run in notebooks. Push: No, though can output results to external sinks via code. Other: Offers granular access controls on projects (who can view/edit). Supports OAuth for data sources so credentials aren't exposed.

Preset

DB Access: Yes (your databases' credentials are stored in Preset; it queries them directly). Virtualization: No, live queries on sources (with optional result caching). Push: No – you supply data to your DB, Preset pulls on viz. Other: Managed security – SSO integration, teams/roles setup in UI. Data stays in your cloud DB; Preset does not persist data (aside from cached query results).

Visivo

No db access required. Very strong security features due to the DAG-based access controls and the push based deployment model.

Why Visivo Stands Out

While each platform has its strengths, Visivo offers unique advantages that make it an excellent choice for modern data teams.

DAG-Based Architecture: Enables complex data transformations and dependencies
Visual to Human-readable Code: Seamlessly switch between visual and code-based development
Ease of Development: Multiple approaches to build for both technical and non-technical users
AI-Powered Development: Leverage AI to accelerate dashboard creation
Git Integration: Full version control and collaboration capabilities

Ready to experience the power of modern BI? Try Visivo today and see how it compares to other tools in your stack.

$pip install visivo