Overview
Tableau is the market-leading visual analytics platform, known for beautiful visualizations and intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Acquired by Salesforce in 2019, it remains the gold standard for self-serve BI and data exploration.
Key Features
- ✓ Visual Analytics: Best-in-class visualization engine
- ✓ Drag-and-Drop: Intuitive for non-technical users
- ✓ Tableau Public: Free version for public data
- ✓ Prep Builder: Visual data preparation
- ✓ Server/Cloud: Enterprise deployment options
- ✓ Mobile: Native mobile experience
Pros
- 👍 Most powerful visualization capabilities
- 👍 Intuitive for business users
- 👍 Large community and resources
- 👍 Excellent performance on large datasets
- 👍 Tableau Public for learning/sharing
Cons
- 👎 Expensive at scale
- 👎 Governance can be challenging
- 👎 No true semantic layer
- 👎 Salesforce integration push
Best For
Organizations prioritizing visual analytics and self-serve exploration. Ideal when business users need to create their own analyses.
Founded: 2003 HQ: Salesforce (Seattle, WA)