Exploring Looker (Google), Tableau (Salesforce) & Visivo
Looker (Google) Vs. Tableau (Salesforce) Vs. Visivo
In this article, we'll compare the key features, capabilities, and differentiators between Looker (Google), Tableau (Salesforce), 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 | Looker (Google) | Tableau (Salesforce) | Visivo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment Model | Cloud-hosted (Google Cloud) | Desktop + Tableau Server, Desktop + (on-prem) Tableau Server, Desktop + Tableau Cloud (SaaS) | Open-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted |
| Pricing | Commercial (Proprietary); enterprise pricing (no free tier) | Commercial (Proprietary); ~$70/user/mo for Creator. Public edition free (cloud, limited) | Open source (GPL-3.0) |
| Cost | $$$$$ | $$$$$ | $ |
| Git Integration | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| CI/CD & Testing | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Real-time | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| AI | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Visual to Code | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| DAG-Based | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
Deployment & Pricing
Understanding the deployment options and pricing structure is crucial for making an informed decision. Here's how each platform handles deployment and what you can expect in terms of costs.
| Tool | Deployment Model | Pricing | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Looker (Google) | Cloud-hosted (Google Cloud) | Commercial (Proprietary); enterprise pricing (no free tier) | $$$$$ |
| Tableau (Salesforce) | Desktop + Tableau Server, Desktop + (on-prem) Tableau Server, Desktop + Tableau Cloud (SaaS) | Commercial (Proprietary); ~$70/user/mo for Creator. Public edition free (cloud, limited) | $$$$$ |
| 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.
Looker (Google)
Tableau (Salesforce)
Visivo
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.
Looker (Google)
Tableau (Salesforce)
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.
Looker (Google)
Tableau (Salesforce)
Visivo
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 |
|---|---|
| Looker (Google) | ❌ |
| Tableau (Salesforce) | ❌ |
| 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.
Looker (Google)
Robust web dashboards and exploratory interface. Good selection of chart types; custom visualizations via plugins or custom code. Highly customizable via LookML for data logic, but visual formatting is UI-driven (some limitations vs. Tableau).
Tableau (Salesforce)
Best-in-class drag-and-drop visualization. Wide variety of chart types and mapping; highly refined visual customization. Dashboards with interactive actions. Limited custom theming without extensions, but very flexible analytically.
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.
Looker (Google)
Tableau (Salesforce)
Visivo
Security & Architecture
Security and architecture are critical considerations for enterprise deployments. Here's how each platform handles data security and system architecture.
Looker (Google)
DB Access: Yes (direct read queries to DB with cached results). Virtualization: No internal engine – relies on source DB ('in-database' analytics). Push: No, pull-based queries (though persistent derived tables can be pushed into DB). Other: Fine-grained RBAC; row-level security; SSO/SAML support.
Tableau (Salesforce)
DB Access: Optional – can import data into Tableau's Hyper engine or query live. Virtualization: Live query leaves data at source (virtualized access). Push: Extracts are pull-based (scheduled). Other: Row-level security via data source filters; fine-grained user permissions on Server; supports SAML/OAuth for auth.
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.
$ curl -fsSL https://visivo.sh | bash
