Shlomi Lavi /
Apr 22, 2022
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Bottom Line: Which is Better - Microsoft Excel or Tableau Desktop?
Microsoft Excel is more expensive to implement (TCO) than Tableau Desktop, and Tableau Desktop is rated higher (90/100) than Microsoft Excel (56/100). Tableau Desktop offers users more features (13) than Microsoft Excel (3). There is a clear winner in this case and it is Tableau Desktop!
Looking for the right Business Intelligence solution for your business? Buyers are primarily concerned about the real total cost of implementation (TCO), the full list of features, vendor reliability, user reviews, and the pros and cons. In this article we compare between the two software products:
Microsoft Vs. Tableau Software
Microsoft:
Microsoft Corporation is an American corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses and supports a wide range of products and services related to computing. The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975. Microsoft is the world's largest software maker measured by revenues.
Tableau Software: Tableau Software provides easy-to-use software applications for fast analytics and visualization. Its products include Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server
Who is more expensive? Microsoft Excel or Tableau Desktop?
The real total cost of ownership (TCO) of Business Intelligence software includes the software license, subscription fees, software training, customizations, hardware (if needed), maintenance and support and other related services. When calculating the TCO, it's important to add all of these ”hidden costs” as well. We prepared a TCO (Total Cost) calculator for Microsoft Excel and Tableau Desktop.
Microsoft Excel price starts at $140 per license , On a scale between 1 to 10 Microsoft Excel is rated 4, which is lower than the average cost of Business Intelligence software. Tableau Desktop price starts at $70 per user/month , When comparing Tableau Desktop to its competitors, the software is rated 2 - much lower than the average Business Intelligence software cost.
Bottom line: Microsoft Excel is more expensive than Tableau Desktop.
Which software includes more/better features?
We've compared Microsoft Excel Vs. Tableau Desktop based on some of the most important and required Business Intelligence features.
Microsoft Excel: Data Import/Export, Basic Reports, Online Customer Support.
Tableau Desktop: Ad-Hoc Analysis, Ad-Hoc Reporting, Automatic Scheduled Reporting, Customizable Dashboard, Dashboarding.
Target customer size
There is no restriction of business size and industry to use Microsoft Excel. Tableau Desktop is best for small to medium sized businesses and enterprises.