Sisense vs. Tableau

Sisense is a BI tool that lets you analyze complex data with thorough agility. Easy data preparation with beautiful & user-friendly dashboards and rich analytics, Sisense gives a simple way to manipulate, analyze and anticipate virtually composite data.

It was founded by Sisense Inc. in 2011 with a presence both on the Desktop as well as on the cloud. The revenue of this organization is less than $500M but it is growing beyond leaps and bounds.

Tableau is also an efficient BI tool that allows easy correlation with data, anticipates, and creates visual control panels that can be shared. It is so easy that any novice users, who know the basics can learn it, and achieve mastery to satisfy the most complex and engineer inquisitive problems. Tableau Software Inc. has founded in 2003 with a presence on the desktop. Revenue lies in the range of $500-$1000M.

Ease of Use – Sisense vs. Tableau

For Sisense, the graphical user interface is very pleasant and user-friendly. It is well-integrated and quick to learn. However, in comparison to Tableau, visualization needs to be improved when heavy customizations are required to be added.

Without a doubt, Tableau set the pace for easy-to-use data visualization and exploration software. It allows the creation of graphs, charts, and visual control panels in a way needed by individuals with the simple option of drag and drop.

Both provide Database Connectivity (DB) layer, which integrates data between software and third-party vendor tools such as Microsoft’s Excel/ SAP Crystal Reports. By creating connections between respective software and the business, they have attracted a vast set of user-base.

They use a fast column-based database so that very large queries can be executed at the fastest speed, which makes it stand out from its competitors and in turn promotes ease of use.

Reliability – Sisense vs. Tableau

Sisense support is excellent. Responses are fast and the support staff has the required knowledge and experience. Tableau support is not par in comparison with Sisense.

Tableau lacks in providing support personnel having sound knowledge and experience. Moreover, since Sisense is also available on the cloud, it is always reliable as compared to Tableau, which is just available as a desktop server.

Both of these solutions provide support on phone as well as online but Sisense is one-step ahead by providing a way of allowing logging tickets for incidents. In this way, one could keep track of historical items. They have 24*5*365 days of support as per their norms.

Security – Sisense vs. Tableau

In both software, management of data access is governed by IT through the Data Server. They provide data isolation and multi-usability. Multiple “sites” can be hosted on a single server with each having multiple projects, which in turn have multiple workbooks enabling each entity managed as desired. Authentication support Microsoft’s Active Directory, SAML & OAuth.

It helps in creating a seamless mapping between Sisense/Tableau and other systems while offering unique authentication policies, which in turn provide single sign-on across organizations. In addition to these, Sisense provides one more layer by providing security at the cloud level.

Speed – Sisense vs. Tableau

Tableau is one-step ahead of Sisense when performance is considered. Since Sisense is loaded with functions such as mapping large data, and complex query formation it lacks throughput.

It also requires larger memory when ran from the desktop, so, there are challenges in performance making the application unresponsive at times. If Sisense is configured from a Cloud network, there are chances of performance degradation since there will be multiple user bases who will be accessing the content.

In Tableau, the data sets can be uploaded quickly through various API connections with options of multiple attachments, which reduces overall execution time.

Features – Sisense vs. Tableau

Key features of Sisense include drag-and-drop GUI where components can be placed as needed.  Multiple options of widgets help in analysis, whereas charts and graphs help in better representation.

Eye-pleasing visualization is yet another trademark of Sisense. A complicated business scenario query solution can be achieved without an SQL query that saves response time.

Some of the other features are as below:

  • Unlimited data manipulation size
  • Natural graphical user interface
  • Exports data to Excel, PDF, CSV, and other formats
  • Merges with web portals
  • Analysis of enormous-volume data
  • Integrates with exterior software or websites
  • Access features on panels that allows only a particular group of users to have the right to view
  • Write or update managed by the Administrator
  • Option of logging tickets in case of failure with Technical support staff.

Tableau includes “no-code” data queries – patented by Stanford University can create queries without writing SQL code. It also helps to translate queries to perceptions and get the desired output. Multiple ranges and sizes of data can be imported with minimum time duration using multiple APIs.

Some of the other features are as below:

  • Create rich and sharable visual control panels
  • Information management i.e. rename fields, merge fields into groups,
  • Create subsets by selecting groups of points, and building new hierarchies
  • Panel commenting
  • Automatic scheduled reporting where reports can be scheduled and delivered on a required basis.

Sisense’s unique end-user tools enable non-technical users to perform tasks that require support from database admins, data experts & engineers. This is not the case in Tableau where a support team is required.

In addition, Sisense comes with the option of setting it up entirely within the organization, implementation fees and enormous costs of outsourcing can be cut off which adds to the overall benefit. Even with enormous data volumes and concomitant users, Sisense can handle data at par on a single server without causing issues of slowness across peak hours.

It also helps prevent high costs of data warehouse, OLAP servers, or clustered solutions.

Even though Sisense is a complete business product, its total pricing is still lower overall compared to Tableau with the almost same level of functionality including software, hardware, and services.

It is lowest in terms of pricing when compared with other multiple competitors like Tibco’s Spotfire or Qlikview. All of Sisense’s components are very well integrated and can be deployed by non-developers without any implementation issues.

Summary – Sisense vs. Tableau

Finally, it’s upon end-users who can decide which out of the above two compared suits their requirement. Sisense is about data scrutiny, discovery, and taking a developer’s approach, Tableau prides itself on “Smart Intelligence”- getting to details quickly and dealing with universal questions.

Tableau is old and renowned but Sisense has been making efforts constantly to catch up by continuously showing out new and advanced features. In case you are still confused, or which option to go for, try out the free trial versions of both and take your choice. It is a matter of time before we may have a winner in our hands.

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