Exploring Tableau (Salesforce), Qlik Sense & Visivo

Tableau (Salesforce) Vs. Qlik Sense Vs. Visivo

In this article, we'll compare the key features, capabilities, and differentiators between Tableau (Salesforce), Qlik Sense, 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.

FeatureTableau (Salesforce)Qlik SenseVisivo
Deployment ModelDesktop + Tableau Server, Desktop + (on-prem) Tableau Server, Desktop + Tableau Cloud (SaaS)Client-managed (Windows), Client-managed (Kubernetes), Qlik Cloud (SaaS)Open-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted
PricingCommercial (Proprietary); ~$70/user/mo for Creator. Public edition free (cloud, limited)Commercial. Qlik Sense Enterprise is subscription (by user or capacity). Qlik Sense Desktop free for personal use.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
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)$$$$$
Qlik SenseClient-managed (Windows), Client-managed (Kubernetes), Qlik Cloud (SaaS)Commercial. Qlik Sense Enterprise is subscription (by user or capacity). Qlik Sense Desktop free for personal use.$$$$
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.

Tableau (Salesforce)

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

Qlik Sense

Enterprise BI usersData analystsGoverned self-service users

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.

Tableau (Salesforce)

Qlik Sense

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.

Tableau (Salesforce)

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

Qlik Sense

Multiple data sources via connectorsPython/R Server Side ExtensionsWeb APIs and databases

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
Tableau (Salesforce)
Qlik Sense
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.

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.

Qlik Sense

Powerful interactive visuals with unique associative filtering: all charts update with each selection, and show gray 'excluded' values to encourage discovery. Chart types cover most needs, and extension mechanism allows custom charts. Good formatting control but primarily via UI (no raw HTML/CSS editing).

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.

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.'

Qlik Sense

+ The Associative Engine is Qlik's hallmark – users can freely explore data without query limitations (no SQL needed when using the app). Great for uncovering relationships in data.
− Requires data to be loaded into memory for full power, which can be heavy. Learning Qlik's script and the "set analysis" syntax for expressions has a learning curve.

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.

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.

Qlik Sense

DB Access: Typically Qlik imports data into its engine (so not needed at runtime). The new Direct Query option (in Qlik Cloud) allows leaving data in DB and querying on interaction for huge data sets. Virtualization: Qlik's standard method is not virtualization but in-memory copies. However, with Direct Query it behaves virtually. Push: Data is pushed into Qlik via load scripts (you schedule reloads). Other: Strong security – Section Access to implement row-level security inside Qlik apps, and robust user access control on the server.

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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