
After publishing my previous article on Data Visualization with Power BI, I received quite a few questions about the abilities of Power BI as opposed to those of Tableau or Excel. Data, when used correctly, can turn into digital gold. So what must you, as an individual or organization, use to analyze and visualize your data? Keep reading to find out.
In this article, we shall understand all three systems and compare their various features.
Microsoft Excel was released in the year 1985 and essentially is a tool that has features like calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macros programming language. It can be used on several operating systems such as Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, etc.
Next came Tableau. Founded in 2003, Tableau is an interactive data visualization software. It is recognized as the fastest growing data visualization tool mainly because of its ability to help users see and understand data. It simply converts raw data into a comprehensible visual that transforms the way people use data for problem solving and decision making.
Power Bi was released in 2014. It is a cloud-based analytics and business intelligence service by Microsoft. It aims to provide interactive visualizations and business intelligence capabilities along with simple data sharing, evaluation of data and scalable dashboards to it’s users.
Let’s list out a few parameters and compare all three softwares.

1. Data Sources
Excel, being a flexible, easy-to-use spreadsheet, is often used to create datasets. It can pull data from external data sources into your spreadsheet with the help of data connection features. It can also obtain data from sources such as the Web, Microsoft Query, SharePoint List, OData Feed, Hadoop Files (HDFS) etc. Consequently, Excel files are often used as a data source for Power BI and Tableau.
Tableau offers support for hundreds of data connectors including online analytical processing (OLAP) and big data options (such as NoSQL, Hadoop) as well as cloud options.

Power BI is very capable of connecting to a users’ external sources including SAP HANA, JSON, MySQL, and more. It enables users to connect to Microsoft Azure databases, third-party databases, files and online services like Salesforce and Google Analytics.
When users add data from multiple sources, Tableau and Power BI determine the relationships automatically. However, Power BI connects limited data sources while increasing its data source connectors in monthly updates.
2. Data Discovery
Data discovery is a process for detecting patterns and oddity in your data by visually navigating data or applying guided advanced analytics.
While working with Excel, you’re required to have an idea of where the data needs to lead you in order to find critical insights. Options such as Stocks and Geography in Excel help with fetching specifics of the data quickly.
Tableau and Power BI allow you to freely explore data without knowing the answer you want ahead of time. Using this software, you are able to spot correlations and trends, and then dig down to understand what caused them to happen, rather than the other way around. These systems allow you to understand your data at a glance.
3. Data models and suitability
Excel focuses on creating structured and simple data models with a wide range of features and is most suitable for statistical analysis of structured data.
Tableau allows you to create a simple data model, such as a single table or it can be more complex, with multiple tables that use different combinations of relationships, joins, and unions. It is most suitable for quick and easy representation of big data which helps in resolving the big data issues.
Power BI’s data models are focused on data ingestion and building potentially complex data models easily.
4. Visualizations
Visualizations are a great way to highlight the data that’s indispensable.
While working with excel for data visualizations, we first manipulate the data that is present and then different charts, graphs are created manually. To make the visualizations easily understandable, you should understand the features of excel well.
Users can choose numerous visualizations as blueprints, then insert data from a sidebar into the visualization using Power BI. In addition, it lets users create visualizations by asking queries with natural language. Power BI does place a 3,500 data point limit when it comes to drilling down into datasets to conduct analysis. However, there are a few exceptions to this data point limit: The maximum number of data point limit for R visuals is 1,50,000, for Power BI visuals there is a 30,000 data point limit and for scatter charts there is a 10,000 data points limit.
Tableau lets users create different types of baseline visualizations, including heat maps, line charts and scatter plots. In addition, users have the ability to ask "what if" questions of the data, as well as the freedom to use any number of data points in their analysis.
In addition, Power BI and Tableau allow the users to integrate programming languages like Python, R, etc for creating visualizations.
Furthermore, a good API makes it easier to develop a visualization by providing all the building blocks, which are then put together by the programmer. An API consists of a set of subroutine definitions, communication protocols, and tools for building software. Substantially, it is a set of clearly defined methods of communication among various components. Excel, Tableau, and Power BI allow users to amalgamate APIs and leverage the data to create striking visualizations.
5. Dashboards
Excel provides limited features to create your dashboard and refreshing it is a tedious process. Tableau and Power BI allow you to create customized dashboards that consist of different types of charts, maps and diagrams. It is easy to refresh your dashboards using Tableau and Power BI and they give their users the ability to create aesthetically pleasing dashboards. When it comes to embedding data, this can easily be done on all three systems, however doing this is a real-time challenge in Tableau as compared to Power BI.
6. User Interface
To utilize excel to full potential, macro and visual basic scripting knowledge is required.
Tableau and Power BI boast interfaces that don’t require coding knowledge to develop sophisticated and complex visualizations.
Tableau has an intelligent User Interface and is able to create the dashboards easily. As compared to Power BI, Tableau is a little difficult.
The Power BI interface is very easy to learn. Because of its simplicity, Power BI is often preferred by users.
7. Language dependency
VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) is the programming language of Excel and other Microsoft Office programs. Furthermore, Excel uses MDX to retrieve fields and data values when you choose items from a PivotTable Fields list. MDX queries can also be built manually when you import data from an Analysis Services cube.
But what is MDX? MDX, which stands for Multidimensional Expressions, is a query language for OLAP databases.
The software engineers at Tableau use a few programming languages, but the code that comprises the vast majority of the Tableau Desktop is C++.
DAX and M are languages that are used in Power BI and are used differently for building Power BI models and are not interdependent. M is a query formula language. M language can be used to view, edit and prepare the data in the Power Query Editor before loading it into the Power BI model. The expressions in M are automatically generated when transformations are done. DAX is an analytical data calculation language. You can use DAX to define custom calculations for Calculated Columns and for Measures (also known as calculated fields), all of which can be further used for in-depth data analysis during the Data View phase. DAX includes some of the functions used in Excel formulas and additional functions designed to work with relational data as well as perform dynamic aggregation.
8. Performance
Excel runs on a moderate speed with no option to quicken. Tableau and Power BI also run on moderate speed with options to optimize and enhance the progress of an operation. Power BI is built for the common stakeholder, not necessarily a data analyst. In order to help teams build their visualization, Power BI’s interface depends more on drag and drop and intuitive features. Overall, when it comes to data visualization, Power BI wins for ease of use, but Tableau wins in speed and capabilities.
9. Availability of data
Excel is user specific. However, you can use Power BI to share your Excel workbook with your colleagues.
The visualizations created on Tableau can be stored and shared on the Tableau server with other Tableau users.
Power BI is focused on reporting and analytical modeling and it allows you to store and share your dashboards by publishing it to a workspace so that everyone can collaborate on it. The storage capacity limits depends on the type of your workspace (Shared or Premium).
More information on this can be found here.
10. Products and Pricing
Excel is bundled with MS Office tools and can be purchased separately.
Tableau has numerous products such as Tableau Server, Tableau Online, Tableau Public Server, Tableau Desktop, Tableau Public Desktop, Tableau Reader, Tableau Mobile, and Tableau Prep Builder, all of which have different purposes. These products along with their details can be found here.
Using Tableau Public, which is a free software that anyone can connect a spreadsheet to or a file and create interactive data visualizations for the web. Next, we have Tableau Reader which again, is free and allows you to open and interact with the visualizations that are built in Tableau Desktop.
You can visit Tableau’s website for further details on their products and pricing.
Power BI has a few products as well such as Power BI Desktop, Power BI Mobile, Power BI Report Server, etc. All of their products can be found on their website.
More about the products and their pricing can be found in the table shown below:

Power BI is generally a more affordable option when it comes to pricing. For users who prioritize free trial capabilities, Power BI offers a robust 60-day Pro trial, while Tableau’s free trial is 14 days and the Excel application doesn’t provide a free trial unless it’s paid for. Additionally, Power BI starts at $9.99 per user per month, while Tableau Explorer starts at $35.
What’s the final verdict?
After reading the comparison mentioned above for all three systems, it’s time for you to decide what you or your organization require by asking yourself the following questions:
- Is your focus more on data processing or data visualization?
- What kind of reports do you or your organization need?
- How often will you be creating reports?
- What’s your budget like?
Excel works well for creating quick, one-off reports. Although Excel is a robust tool to use, creating and maintaining repetitive reports, creating visualizations and presentations, and drilling down into granular views of data require some advanced knowledge of its functionality.
However, choosing one over the other depends on the user’s business size and needs.
Small businesses with limited financial and human resources who are seeking for a more affordable business intelligence solution should start out with Power BI. However, medium and enterprise companies that prioritize data analytics and have the human capital to support them will be better off with Tableau.
Keeping business executives in mind, Tableau was created. Its data visualization and self-service functions allow decision makers to pull up a report or dashboard and freely drill down to granular levels of information. The solution can be expensive, but it’s worth the cost if you’re creating many recurring reports that must be updated quickly. If your business creates more one-off reports instead of updating recurring reports, you may want to consider learning Excel’s more advanced features. Tableau allows users to integrate an infinite amount of data points in their analysis and offers comprehensive support options.
Power BI, Tableau, and Excel don’t work on the same ideologies and principles. So, it is challenging for us to decide which is best. According to our requirements, we can choose the system that we need.
I hope that this article, along with the comparison of numerous parameters mentioned above have been helpful for you to decide what you need to invest your time and money in.
Thank you for giving it a read.
References
[1] Excel help & learning : https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/excel
[2] Get Started – Tableau : https://help.tableau.com/current/pro/desktop/en-us/gettingstarted_overview.htm
[3] Power BI documentation: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/#:~:text=Power%20BI%20amplifies%20your%20insights,how%20you%20use%20Power%20BI.