Exploring Tableau (Salesforce), Evidence.dev & Visivo

Tableau (Salesforce) vs. Evidence.dev vs. Visivo

Compare key features, capabilities, and differentiators between Tableau (Salesforce), Evidence.dev, Visivo. This comprehensive analysis will help you make an informed decision for your data visualization needs.

Quick Comparison

Key features and capabilities at a glance

FeatureTableau (Salesforce)Evidence.devVisivo
Deployment ModelDesktop + Tableau Server, Desktop + (on-prem) Tableau Server, Desktop + Tableau Cloud (SaaS)Self-host (static site), Self-host (server), Vercel/Netlify deploymentOpen-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted
PricingCommercial (Proprietary); ~$70/user/mo for Creator. Public edition free (cloud, limited)Open-source (MIT); free to use. New hosted service as of fall 2024 (can also deploy on Vercel, Netlify, etc.)Open source (GPL-3.0)
Cost$$$$$$$
Git Integration
CI/CD & Testing
Real-time
AI Features
Visual to Code
DAG-Based

Target Users & Use-Cases

Each BI tool is designed with specific user personas in mind.

Tableau (Salesforce)

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

Evidence.dev

Analytics engineersData-savvy users who prefer code/markdown workflowEngineers & Academics

Visivo

Analytics EngineersData teamsBusiness usersEngineers

Ease of Development & Deployment

Development experience directly impacts team productivity and time-to-value.

Tableau (Salesforce)

3/5

Evidence.dev

3/5

Visivo

5/5

Key Integrations & Ecosystem

A robust ecosystem of integrations is essential for modern BI tools.

Tableau (Salesforce)

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

Evidence.dev

SQL databases via JDBC/ODBCdbt metadata integrationStatic site deployment platforms

Visivo

dbt coreAll major databasesCustom connector frameworkSlack for alertsGithub

Visualization Capabilities

The ability to create compelling visualizations is key to data storytelling.

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.

Evidence.dev

Reports built as Markdown with embedded SQL and charts. Outputs static HTML dashboards. Customization via editing Markdown/HTML/CSS; not a point-and-click UI.

Visivo

Highly custom UI with easy defaults

Detailed Differentiators

Each platform's unique strengths and limitations.

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.'

Evidence.dev

+ Write dashboards as code – lightweight, reproducible, easily integrated with dbt pipelines. Great for data narratives that combine text, data, and charts.
Static output means no ad-hoc drilling by end users; requires comfort with writing Markdown/SQL.

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

Critical considerations for enterprise deployments.

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.

Evidence.dev

DB Access: Queries run at build time (or page load if in server mode); not needed for end viewer (static pages). Virtualization: By nature, it materializes results into the page (no live DB query once published). Push: Yes – essentially a push of data into static site. Other: No runtime user management (pages are static); security depends on where you host (you wouldn't include sensitive data in a public build).

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 for modern data teams.

DAG-Based Architecture for complex data transformations
Visual to Human-readable Code conversion
Multiple development approaches for all skill levels
AI-Powered dashboard creation
Full Git integration and version control
Open-source with enterprise features

Ready to Experience Modern BI?

Try Visivo today and see how it transforms your data analytics workflow.

$ curl -fsSL https://visivo.sh | bash
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