When it gets to Business Intelligence tools, Microsoft Power BI and Tableau are the standout players in the recent decade. Tableau, since its beginning, has come an extended way and has proved itself as the market leader for data analytics and BI tools. Microsoft Power BI though comparatively younger, has evolved to be the nearest competitor for Tableau. Both platforms have their weaknesses and strengths, and each will suit companies based on terms. We will do a correlation study between the two, which will assist companies to choose the best for their requirements.

Cost

Tableau will be more costly than Power BI when it comes to larger companies. To get the most utmost out of Tableau, you need to create data warehousing too, which will additionally increase the cost. If you see for an affordable answer, then Power BI is the obvious winner here. Power BI professional version cost shorter than 10$ per month per user, whereas the pro version of Tableau is higher than 35$ per user per month. If you are a startup or a little business, you can opt for Power BI and then update to Tableau if the need arises.

Data Visualization

If your main objective is Data Visualization, then Tableau is the most selected option. Tableau is the most useful tool when it gets to Data Visualization, whereas Power BI centers more on predictive reporting and modeling.

Deployment

Tableau has more adaptable deployment choices associated with Power BI. Power BI is accessible only as a SaaS model, whereas Tableau has made both cloud options and on-premises. If, for any possible causes, your company policy doesn't support SaaS, then Power BI is absent of the picture. Though costly due to its licensing options and flexible deployment and, Tableau is the champion here.

Bulk data handling capabilities

When it comes to handling the massive amount of data sets, Tableau still values better than Power BI. Power BI performs to be a drag slow while managing bulk data, which can be established by using direct connections alternatively of the import functionality.

Functionality

Tableau can solve most of the questions users would prefer to ask on the data accessible as opposed to Power BI. The depth of data discovery is further complicated with Tableau than Power BI.

Integration

Both the products efficiently combine with most of the available third-party data sources. Tableau yet has a slight edge over Power BI when it gets to out-of-the-box combinations.

Programming tools support

Both the software connects smoothly with programming languages. Tableau integrates much better with R Language compared to Power BI. Power BI can still be connected to the R language using Microsoft revolution analytics but is available only for enterprises level users.

User Interface

Tableau has a smooth user interface that allows the user to create a customized dashboard quickly. Power BI has a more natural interface and is much easier to acquire than Tableau. It's due to the integrity and ease of use, why enterprise users prefer Power BI.

Product Support & Community

There is no vital difference between the two when it comes to user communities and supporting. Microsoft Power BI is almost younger than Tableau and hence will have a smaller area but will catch up soon.