Exploring Plotly Dash, Sisense & Visivo

Plotly Dash Vs. Sisense Vs. Visivo

In this article, we'll compare the key features, capabilities, and differentiators between Plotly Dash, Sisense, 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.

FeaturePlotly DashSisenseVisivo
Deployment ModelSelf-hosted (open-source) or Plotly Enterprise ServerWindows/Linux on-prem, Sisense Cloud (managed), Private cloudOpen-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted
PricingOpen-source (MIT); Enterprise plans for supportCommercial (Proprietary). Pricing by seat and consumption.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.

ToolDeployment ModelPricingCost
Plotly DashSelf-hosted (open-source) or Plotly Enterprise ServerOpen-source (MIT); Enterprise plans for support$
SisenseWindows/Linux on-prem, Sisense Cloud (managed), Private cloudCommercial (Proprietary). Pricing by seat and consumption.$$$$$
VisivoOpen-source, Cloud Service, Self-hostedOpen 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.

Plotly Dash

DevelopersHighly technical Data ScientistsStudents

Sisense

Product teams (embedded analytics)Enterprise analystsOEM partners

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.

Plotly Dash

Sisense

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.

Plotly Dash

dbtGithubGitLabGoogle Sheets

Sisense

SQL and cloud data warehousesSaaS applicationsJS embedding SDK

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.

ToolAI Features
Plotly Dash
Sisense
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.

Plotly Dash

Fully custom UI with code; any plotly or HTML component; highly flexible but code-driven

Sisense

Two flavors merged: traditional dashboard builder (drag-drop charts, with advanced widget for custom UI via scripting) and a notebook-style interface (from acquired Periscope Data) for SQL/Python. Visualizations include a wide range of widgets and the special Sisense BloX for custom coded infographic-like blocks. Highly customizable via JavaScript (for those inclined).

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.

Plotly Dash

+ Extreme flexibility in design and functionality (code-level control).
− Requires programming; not a drag-drop tool for non-devs.

Sisense

+ Strong embedding and customization – you can integrate analytics into your product with full control (white-label). Now with modern DevOps support (Git, CI/CD) making it enterprise-friendly.
− Can be complex to administrate; the full platform (with Elasticube manager, etc.) has a learning curve. Some legacy vs new UI inconsistencies after merging Periscope.

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.

Plotly Dash

Requires direct DB/API access in code (no built-in data layer); no built-in virtualization or push. App pulls data as coded; security handled by app deployment (auth, etc. configurable)

Sisense

DB Access: Depending on setup – Live mode: Sisense queries your DB on the fly (needs access); Elasticube mode: data is extracted into Sisense's proprietary in-memory cube (so queries don't hit source DB at runtime). Virtualization: Allows combining multiple sources in one view via its cubes (not exactly virtualization, more like federation into a single cache). Push: In Elasticube mode, data is essentially pushed into Sisense's storage on a refresh schedule. Other: Robust security – single sign-on, row-level security in Elasticubes, and extensive admin controls.

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
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Jared Jesionek (co-founder)
Jared Jesionek (co-founder)
Jared Jesionek (co-founder)
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How can I help? This connects to our slack so I'll respond real quickly 😄
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