Summary
In this post, we compare two popular BI tools: Amazon QuickSight and Tableau. We’ll discuss the key differences between the two platforms and give recommendations, including their data source compatibility, data visualizations, collaborations, pricing, and advanced features.
Both tools offer powerful data visualization and analysis capabilities, so it ultimately comes down to which one better fits your needs and budget.
In this post, we’ll compare Amazon QuickSight and Tableau to help you choose the right tool.
Amazon QuickSight vs Tableau: Overview Comparisson
What is Amazon QuickSight?
Amazon QuickSight offers a range of features to help you analyze your data, including data preparation, data analysis, and data visualization tools. With QuickSight, you can easily connect to various data sources, create dashboards and reports, and share insights with others.
Amazon QuickSight is a powerful tool for business intelligence professionals that offers a range of features to help you analyze and visualize your data.
Image source: Amazon QuickSight
What Is Tableau?
Tableau is One of the most popular business intelligence tools on the market, Tableau offers interactive visualizations, world-class security, collaboration, and sharing features.
Tableau helps people analyze and visualize data in a user-friendly way. It has a range of features, including drag-and-drop functionality, interactive dashboards, and the ability to connect to various data sources.
Image source: Tableau
Business Intelligence tools are types of software used to gather, process, analyze, and visualize large volumes of past, current, and future data in order to generate actionable business insights, create interactive reports, and simplify the decision-making processes.
1. Amazon QuickSight vs Tableau: Data Sources and Connectivity
Data integration is the process of combining data from multiple sources, often with the help of a data warehouse, into one unified view, which enables users to analyze the data holistically.
How does data integration work in Amazon QuickSight?
Amazon QuickSight offers native connectivity to a range of data sources, including AWS services, databases, and third-party applications. You can easily connect to your data and start analyzing it in minutes.
In Amazon QuickSight, data integration works by allowing you to connect to multiple data sources, such as Amazon S3, Redshift, and RDS databases, as well as third-party data sources like Salesforce and Google Analytics.
Once the data sources are connected, users can perform data transformations, such as filtering, merging, and aggregating, to prepare the data for analysis. Amazon QuickSight also provides a range of data preparation features, such as data profiling, data cleaning, and data modeling, which help users to identify and address any data quality issues before performing analysis.
Below is an example of a workflow in Quicksight. Notice the first step, connect your data
Image source: Amazon QuickSight Documentation
Data Source Types
Amazon QuickSight can connect to many different types of data sources. This includes data sources such as databases (such as Amazon Redshift, MySQL, and PostgreSQL), cloud-based data sources (such as Amazon S3, Amazon Athena, and Salesforce), and even files (such as CSV, Excel, and JSON).
QuickSight also has built-in connectors for certain popular services like Google Analytics and AWS services like Amazon Aurora and Amazon RDS.
How does data integration work in Tableau?
Tableau offers a wide range of data connectors that enable users to connect to different data sources such as databases, spreadsheets, and cloud services like Salesforce and Google Analytics. The data connectors simplify the process of accessing and transforming data for analysis.
Tableau also provides a range of data blending capabilities that enable users to combine data from different sources and create more powerful visualizations and dashboards.
Overall, Tableau’s data integration and connectivity features are designed to simplify the process
Image source: Tableau
Data Source Types
Tableau can connect to a wide range of data sources, including spreadsheets, databases, and cloud-based systems. With Tableau, you can access data from various sources such as
- Excel
- CSV
- Google Sheets
- And many more..
And cloud databases such as
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Google Cloud
- Microsoft Azure
- Several others ..
Additionally, Tableau can connect to a variety of popular database management systems like MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server, as well as Hadoop and NoSQL databases like Apache Cassandra and MongoDB.
Tableau also supports direct connectivity to cloud-based data sources such as Salesforce and Google Analytics, making it easy to analyze data from various sources in one place.
Summary: Data Sources for Amazon QuickSight vs Tableau
| Data Source | Amazon QuickSight | Tableau |
|---|---|---|
| Adobe Analytics | Yes | No |
| Amazon Redshift | Yes | Yes |
| Alibaba Data Lake and Analytics | No | Yes |
| Excel | Yes | Yes |
| Yes | No | |
| Yes | Yes | |
| Google Analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Google Ads | No | Yes |
| BigQuery | No | Yes |
| Hadoop | Yes | Yes |
| IBM DB2 | Yes | Yes |
| MySQL | Yes | Yes |
| Oracle | Yes | Yes |
| R Script | Yes | Yes |
| Python Script | Yes | Yes |
| SalesForce Report | Yes | Yes |
| Spark | Yes | Yes |
| SQL Server | Yes | Yes |
| Json | Yes | Yes |
| Text File | Yes | Yes |
Recommendation: AWS QuickSight vs Tableau for Data Integration and Sources
Short answer, it depends. Let me explain
Both platforms provide a range of data integration options and support a variety of data sources.
Amazon Quicksight offers seamless integration with AWS data sources, such as Redshift, S3, and RDS. It also allows you to connect to on-premises databases using Amazon’s Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) technology. If your organization is already using AWS, then Quicksight could be a good choice for you as it offers tight integration with other AWS services.
Tableau, on the other hand, offers more flexibility when it comes to data integration, supporting a wider range of data sources than Quicksight, including spreadsheets, databases, and cloud-based applications.
Tableau also has a large user community, which means there are many resources available online for learning and problem-solving.
Ultimately, the choice between Quicksight and Tableau for data Integration and data sources will depend on your organization’s specific needs and preferences.
2. Amazon QuickSight vs Tableau: Data Visualization and Reporting
Data visualization is the graphical representation of information and data.
Like dashboards, data visualization is synonymous with business intelligence. Data visualization is the practice of representing information graphically to communicate and contextualize data. It highlights important changes, patterns and trends using a visual format, such as charts, graphs, maps and plots, to help make data easier to understand.
How is data visualization and reporting handled in Amazon QuickSight?
QuickSight offers a range of visualization tools, including bar charts, line charts, scatter plots, pie charts, and tables, that allow users to create custom visualizations that best suit your needs.
QuickSight also provides a range of reporting features, including the ability to create dashboards, which are interactive reports that display multiple visualizations in a single view, making it easier for users to compare and contrast data.
Additionally, QuickSight allows users to share their visualizations and reports with others, either through email or by embedding them in other applications, so that everyone can have access to the same data-driven insights
Image source: Amazon QuickSight Documentation
How is data visualization and reporting handled in Tableau?
With Tableau, you can import data from various sources and use visual elements like charts, graphs, and maps to create interactive dashboards and reports that help you see and understand trends, outliers, and patterns in your data
In addition to creating visualizations, Tableau also allows you to build custom reports, filter and aggregate data, and share your insights with others. Overall, Tableau provides a powerful and flexible platform for creating engaging and informative data visualizations and reports.
Image source: Tableau
If you want to get some inspiration of amazing visualizations you can make with Tableau, check out: Tableau Viz of the day
Recommendation: AWS QuickSight vs Tableau for Data Visualization and Reporting
In my experience, it’s fair to say that Tableau is an extremely powerful tool, and has no equal in data visualization capabilities and performances. Not only for its speed, scalability, but also for offering the best tools to create visual answers to most of your business questions, from bar charts to more complex visualization, including rich maps with tons of customizations.
QuickSight is good at visualizations, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that Tableau is, in my opinion, the best on the market.
3. Amazon QuickSight vs Tableau: Machine Learning Integration
The use of business intelligence with machine learning can really help us make better and more efficient use of your data. By automating data processing and analysis, identifying patterns and trends, and predicting future outcomes, you can gain a competitive advantage with machine learning.
How does machine learning work in Amazon QuickSight?
Amazon QuickSight integrates with Amazon SageMaker to provide machine learning-powered insights. With SageMaker integration, you can easily build and deploy machine learning models to analyze your data and generate insights.
Amazon QuickSight uses machine learning (ML) to help users make data-driven decisions. Specifically, it applies ML algorithms to large amounts of data to identify patterns, predict future outcomes, and recommend actions based on the data.
This allows QuickSight users to go beyond basic descriptive and diagnostic analysis and move into forecasting and decision-making with confidence. QuickSight’s ML capabilities include natural language processing, anomaly detection, and forecasting, among others.
By leveraging machine learning, Amazon QuickSight makes it easier for users to understand their data and make more informed decisions.
Image source: Amazon Web Services (AWS) Machine Learning
How does machine learning work in Tableau?
In Tableau, machine learning algorithms can be applied to data through the use of predictive analytics functions.
For example, Tableau offers the ability to use the “forecast” function, which applies a machine learning algorithm to historical data to make predictions about future trends. Another example is the “cluster” function, which uses a machine learning algorithm to group data into clusters based on similarities.
Recommendation: AWS QuickSight vs Tableau for using Machine Learning in BI
I would choose Tableau over Amazon Quicksight for business intelligence with machine learning. While both tools offer similar features and functionality, Tableau has a more extensive library of machine learning algorithms and is more customizable for complex data analysis.
Additionally, Tableau is widely recognized as the industry standard for data visualization and has a larger user community, which means more resources and support available for users.
Overall, both Amazon Quicksight and Tableau are great options for business intelligence with machine learning, but in my experience, Tableau offers more advanced features and a larger user community.
4. Amazon QuickSight vs Tableau: Collaboration and Sharing Capabilities
Simply put, how easy and supportive are the tools of collaboration and sharing dashboards, reports and projects with others. Data democratization, is the process of creating a data-driven culture where business intelligence data is accessible to all users within an organization, is one of our top trends in Business Intelligence.
How is collaboration in Amazon QuickSight?
Amazon QuickSight offers collaboration and sharing capabilities to help you work with others. You can easily share your dashboards and reports with others, collaborate on projects, and provide access to your data.
How is collaboration in Tableau?
Tableau makes it easy to collaborate with others and share your work. You can publish your dashboards and reports to Tableau Server or Tableau Online, where others can access and interact with them. Tableau also has a variety of sharing options, including embedding dashboards in websites and sharing them via email.
Recommendation: AWS QuickSight vs Tableau for Collaboration and Sharing
Choosing between Amazon Quicksight and Tableau for collaboration and sharing capabilities would depend on specific needs and priorities. Both tools offer collaboration and sharing features, such as sharing dashboards and reports with others, embedding visualizations into websites or applications, and setting up data alerts.
However, there are some differences to consider.
Amazon Quicksight is a cloud-based BI tool that is known for its ease of use, fast deployment, and low cost. It integrates with other Amazon Web Services (AWS) products, making it a good option for businesses that already use AWS.
Quicksight offers collaboration features, such as sharing dashboards with others and creating groups to control access to data. It also supports user-defined dashboards, so each user can create their own view of the data.
Tableau, on the other hand, is a more established BI tool that offers advanced analytics and visualization capabilities. It offers collaboration features, such as publishing workbooks to Tableau Server or Tableau Online and setting up alerts for data changes.
Tableau also offers more advanced sharing options, such as commenting on visualizations and sharing insights with others through Tableau Public.
Ultimately, the choice between Amazon Quicksight and Tableau for collaboration and sharing capabilities would depend on the specific needs of the business.
If ease of use, fast deployment, and low cost are top priorities, Amazon Quicksight may be the better choice.
If advanced analytics and visualization capabilities, as well as more advanced sharing options, are important, then Tableau may be the better option.
5. Amazon QuickSight vs Tableau: Pricing
Depending on who you ask, perhaps the most important aspect – what is the cost of the business intelligence tool.
What is the price of Amazon QuickSight?
QuickSight is priced on a per-user basis and ranges from
- Reader: $5 per month
- Author: $28 per month
If a user goes a month without logging in, they pay nothing.
QuickSight Author is a user who can connect to data sources (within AWS or outside), create visuals and analyze data. Authors can create interactive dashboards using advanced QuickSight capabilities such as parameters and calculated fields, and publish dashboards with other users in the account
QuickSight Reader is a user who consumes interactive dashboards. Readers can only view reports and dashboard, not build and configure them. This means that readers can view shared dashboards, filter data, drill down to details or export data as a CSV file.
What is the price of Tableau?
Tableau has three pricing options, all of which are required to be paid in full regardless of monthly usage. Tableau’s plans range from $12 to $70 per month.
- Creator, who builds the data flow and visualization in Tableau Desktop, is charged $70/user/month.
- Explorer and Viewer are cheaper at $35 and $12 per user per month respectively for on-premise deployment
Similar to QuickSight Reader, users with the Tableau Viewer license can view and interact with published visualizations and dashboards, but not create and manage them. In other words, a read-only account
Image source: Tableau
Conclusion and Recommendation: Tableau vs QuickSight
When it comes to comparing Amazon QuickSight and Tableau, there are some factors to consider.
One important factor to consider is pricing. Amazon QuickSight offers a more affordable option, especially for those already using AWS services, while Tableau tends to be more expensive but with a wider range of features.
Another factor is ease of use. While both tools offer intuitive user interfaces, Amazon QuickSight has a simpler drag-and-drop interface, making it easier for beginners to create basic visualizations. Tableau, on the other hand, offers more advanced features and customization options for experienced users.
Recommendation: QuickSight vs Tableau
As for personal experience, I have used Tableau for several years and appreciate its flexibility and advanced features. For instance, Tableau offers more control over data blending and preparation, allowing me to clean and format data more easily.
However, for a recent project, I used Amazon QuickSight for its quick and easy setup with AWS data sources and its affordability.
In conclusion, when deciding between Amazon QuickSight and Tableau, it is important to consider factors such as pricing and ease of use, as well as personal experience and specific project needs. Both tools offer powerful data visualization and analysis capabilities, so it ultimately comes down to which one better fits your organization’s needs and budget.
Definition of Business Intelligence
Business Intelligence (BI) is a technology-driven process of analyzing and visualizing data to extract valuable insights and inform decision-making. It involves the use of various tools and techniques to collect, store, and analyze data, and then presenting it in an easy-to-understand format.
The goal of BI is to provide organizations with the information they need to make informed decisions and drive business
Learn more about diffferent roles in Business Intelligence in our comprehensive guide to different roles in BI
FAQ: Tableau vs AWS QuickSight
What are the key differences between Amazon QuickSight and Tableau?
Amazon QuickSight and Tableau are both data visualization tools that allow you to create visual representations of data. However, there are some key differences between them. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eQuickSight is a cloud-based tool that is more focused on creating dashboards and reports, while Tableau is a desktop-based tool that offers more advanced data analysis and visualization features.
Which platform offers more advanced data visualization features?
Tableau is generally considered to offer more advanced data visualization features than Amazon QuickSight. For example, Tableau allows for more complex visualizations such as heat maps, tree maps, and box plots. Tableau also offers more advanced mapping features.
How does the pricing of Amazon QuickSight compare to Tableau?
The pricing of Amazon QuickSight is generally more affordable than Tableau. QuickSight has a pay-per-session pricing model, meaning you only pay for the sessions you use. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eTableau, on the other hand, has a more traditional licensing model that can be more expensive, especially for larger organizations.
Can both Amazon QuickSight and Tableau connect to the same data sources?
Both Amazon QuickSight and Tableau can connect to a variety of data sources, including databases, spreadsheets, and cloud-based data warehouses. This means that they can both access the same data sources.
What kind of support and training resources are available for Amazon QuickSight and Tableau?
Both Amazon QuickSight and Tableau offer a variety of support and training resources. QuickSight offers documentation, user guides, and a support forum. u003cbru003eu003cbru003eTableau offers online training courses, user forums, and a knowledge base. Additionally, both tools offer professional services such as consulting and training.
