Exploring Redash, Tableau (Salesforce) & Visivo

Redash Vs. Tableau (Salesforce) Vs. Visivo

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

FeatureRedashTableau (Salesforce)Visivo
Deployment ModelSelf-host (open-source), Docker deployment, Community cloud forksDesktop + Tableau Server, Desktop + (on-prem) Tableau Server, Desktop + Tableau Cloud (SaaS)Open-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted
PricingOpen-source (BSD 2-Clause); acquired by Databricks, maintained community version.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.

ToolDeployment ModelPricingCost
RedashSelf-host (open-source), Docker deployment, Community cloud forksOpen-source (BSD 2-Clause); acquired by Databricks, maintained community version.$
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)$$$$$
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.

Redash

SQL analystsData engineersTechnical teams needing quick dashboards

Tableau (Salesforce)

Enterprise OrganizationsData analysts & business users (self-service BI)

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.

Redash

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.

Redash

SQL and NoSQL databasesAPI-based data sourcesSimple query runner architecture

Tableau (Salesforce)

Major SQL and cloud data warehousesPython/R via TabPydbt through published data sources

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
Redash
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.

Redash

Very basic visualizations: each query can be visualized as a table, chart (line, bar, pie, scatter) or pivot. Limited formatting options. Dashboards are grids of query results visualizations and text. Suited for lightweight reporting.

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.

Redash

+ Light footprint, easy to deploy. Great for engineers to quickly share SQL results with team (share link to dashboard).
− Minimal feature set by modern standards: no semantic layer, weak visualization variety, and no fine-grained permissions (all users can see all queries by default in OSS). The project has slowed development (Databricks shifted focus).

Tableau (Salesforce)

+ + Renowned for its ease of use and visual analytics power – users can explore data fluidly. Strong community and support. AI: 'Ask Data' (NL queries) and 'Explain Data' insights in newer versions.
− Licensing cost; less programmable (proprietary formulas, no Git). Large deployments require governance to avoid 'spreadmarts.'

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.

Redash

DB Access: Yes, stores DB credentials and queries the source directly for each refresh. Virtualization: No – it's a thin layer over the DB. Push: No, only pull (with caching of recent results). Other: Basic user roles; can embed visualizations via public URLs (security relies on random tokens). Lacks advanced security features like row-level controls.

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
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Jared Jesionek (co-founder)
Jared Jesionek (co-founder)
Jared Jesionek (co-founder)
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