The modern analytics and business intelligence (ABI) landscape is constantly evolving, with organizations prioritizing augmented capabilities and cloud ecosystems in their selection decisions. The Gartner Magic Quadrant report is a reliable source for organizations looking to evaluate and compare the leading ABI platforms.
In this article, we will delve into the strengths and limitations of three major data analytics and business intelligence ABI platforms—Power BI, Tableau, and Qlik—based on the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant report, focusing on the following categories: Deployment, Data Connectivity, Data Visualization, Data Transformation, Data Modeling, Reporting, and Pricing.
Qlik
Qlik was named a Leader in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for the 13th year in a row. Its primary offering is Qlik Sense Enterprise SaaS, which encompasses Qlik Sense, Qlik AutoML, and Qlik Application Automation within the Qlik Cloud platform. Qlik Sense can also be deployed as a client-managed product on-premises or in a customer’s own cloud. The company has top-level partnerships with major cloud providers (AWS, Microsoft, Google), as well as Databricks and Snowflake.
In 2023, Qlik released Qlik AutoML after integrating Big Squid, offering automated forecasting, clustering, and key driver analysis for citizen data scientists within the Qlik Cloud ecosystem. Qlik also introduced Augmented Authoring, which generates AI-powered dashboards with natural language inputs and automated layouts.
Deployment
Strengths
Qlik offers a multi-cloud strategy, allowing organizations to deploy its products on-premises, in their own cloud environment, or through Qlik’s SaaS offerings. This flexibility makes it an attractive choice for organizations with varying infrastructure requirements.
Cautions
Some customers might be confused by the availability of two distinct Qlik products—Qlik Sense and QlikView—and their migration paths.
Data Connectivity
Strengths
Qlik’s extensive data connectivity options enable users to connect to various data sources, including databases, cloud platforms, and file formats. Qlik’s strong partnerships with AWS, Microsoft, Google, Databricks, and Snowflake further enhance its data connectivity capabilities.
Weaknesses
None reported.
Data Visualization
Strength
Qlik provides diverse data visualization options, which facilitate the creation of interactive and visually appealing reports. Qlik’s Augmented Authoring allows users to generate AI-driven dashboards with natural language inputs and automated dashboard layouts, making data visualization more accessible to non-technical users.
Cautions
Qlik’s visualization capabilities might be perceived as less advanced than Tableau’s offerings.
Data Transformation
Strengths
Qlik offers powerful data transformation features through its integrated data integration technologies. The recent acquisition of Big Squid has led to the creation of Qlik AutoML, which supports automatic forecasting, clustering, and key driver analysis for citizen data scientists.
Weaknesses
Some users may find Qlik’s data transformation capabilities less intuitive than its competitors.
Data Modeling
Strengths
Qlik supports both simple and advanced data modeling with its associative engine, enabling users to create complex data relationships and hierarchies. The engine also allows for seamless navigation between different data sources without the need for complex data warehousing solutions.
Cautions
None reported.
Reporting
Strengths
Qlik offers robust reporting capabilities, including interactivity, custom visuals, and easy report sharing. Its Application Automation feature leverages a visual no-code approach to quickly assemble automated flows, enabling analytics to be embedded into business applications and processes.
Cautions
None reported.
Pricing
Strengths
Qlik offers various pricing options, catering to different organizational needs and sizes, with both user-based and capacity-based pricing models available.
Weaknesses
Qlik’s pricing structure may be perceived as less competitive than that of some of its rivals, such as Power BI. In particular, its lowest-priced product offering, Qlik Sense Analyzer, might be seen as more expensive than some competitors’ mid-tier user roles.
Qlik Summary
Qlik’s primary strengths lie in its multi-cloud strategy, platform completeness, and recent acquisitions that have enhanced its product offerings. Its extensive data connectivity options and strong partnerships with major cloud providers also set it apart. Qlik’s biggest weakness, however, is the potential confusion caused by the availability of two distinct products—Qlik Sense and QlikView—and the need for a clear migration path between them.
Tableau
Salesforce (Tableau) Tableau, owned by Salesforce, remains a Leader in the 2023 Magic Quadrant for their 11th consecutive year. The company focuses on visual-based exploration, enabling users to access, prepare, analyze, and present findings in their data.
CRM Analytics offers augmented analytics capabilities for analysts and citizen data scientists. In 2023, Tableau improved its contextualized insights with deeper integration with Salesforce Data Cloud and enhanced decision intelligence by integrating domain-aware insights into Salesforce-native apps.
Deployment
Strengths
Tableau offers flexibility in deployment with options for cloud-based, on-premises, and hybrid environments, catering to a range of organizational needs.
Cautions
Following its acquisition by Salesforce, Tableau’s cloud-first product strategy may lead to concerns about long-term support for existing on-premises clients and potential pressure to migrate to the cloud.
Data Connectivity
Strengths
Tableau provides extensive data connectivity options, supporting a wide variety of data sources, including real-time connections and integration with various platforms, such as databases, applications, and cloud services.
Cautions
While Tableau supports a vast array of data sources, customers may occasionally encounter challenges with specific connectors or require additional customization to meet unique integration needs.
Data Visualization
Strengths
Tableau is renowned for its pixel-perfect dashboards, advanced visualization options, and the ability to create visually stunning and insightful reports that cater to various business scenarios and audiences.
Cautions
Despite its extensive capabilities, Tableau’s learning curve can be steep for some users, particularly those new to data visualization or with limited technical backgrounds.
Data Transformation
Strengths
Tableau offers powerful data transformation capabilities through its Data Prep feature, allowing users to clean, combine, and manipulate data from multiple sources efficiently.
Cautions
While Data Prep is a valuable tool, it might be less user-friendly for non-technical users and may require additional training or support to utilize effectively.
Data Modeling
Strengths
Tableau supports both simple and advanced data modeling, enabling users to create complex data relationships, hierarchies, and calculations to address a range of analytical needs.
Cautions
Tableau’s data modeling capabilities, while robust, may require a higher level of expertise to leverage, particularly for advanced use cases fully.
Reporting
Strengths
Tableau provides robust reporting capabilities, including interactivity, custom visuals, real-time data updates, and easy report sharing and collaboration features.
Cautions
Although Tableau’s reporting features are comprehensive, some customers may find that specific niche requirement or customizations may not be as easily achievable as with other platforms.
Pricing
Strengths
Tableau offers various pricing options, including tiered plans and role-based licensing, catering to different organizational needs and budgets.
Cautions
Despite the range of pricing options, Tableau’s pricing structure may be perceived as less competitive than some rivals, such as Power BI, and may require additional investments for add-ons or premium features.
Tableau Summary
Tableau is renowned for its pixel-perfect dashboards, advanced data visualization capabilities, and augmented analytics features. Its flexibility in data visualization is a significant strength. The biggest weakness of Tableau lies in its security and pricing, with some customers finding the pricing model less competitive than its rivals and requiring additional investments in security measures.
Microsoft Power BI
Power BI retains its position as a Leader in the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant. Its primary offering, Power BI, is a part of the Microsoft 365 suite and integrates seamlessly with Azure and Teams. Power BI can be deployed on-premises or as a cloud-based service and has strong partnerships with major cloud providers like AWS, Google, and its own Microsoft Azure.
In 2023, Microsoft introduced new features such as metric-tracking capabilities, Premium Gen 2 for improved price performance, and low-code data marts to enhance accessibility to self-serve managed relational analytics solutions.
Deployment
Strengths
Power BI offers seamless integration with Microsoft 365, Azure, and Teams, making it a natural choice for organizations in the Microsoft ecosystem. It supports both cloud-based and on-premises deployments, catering to a range of needs.
Cautions
Power BI is limited to Azure for its cloud deployment, which may not suit organizations using other cloud infrastructure providers or those concerned about vendor lock-in.
Data Connectivity
Strengths
Power BI supports a wide range of data sources, including real-time connections, and offers robust integration with various Microsoft services, products, and third-party platforms.
Cautions
Although Power BI provides extensive connectivity options, integration with non-Microsoft platforms may require additional customization or be less seamless compared to some competitors.
Data Visualization
Strengths
Power BI provides a user-friendly interface and a wide array of visualization options, making it easy for users to create visually appealing and interactive reports that address various business scenarios.
Cautions
Some users might find Power BI’s customization options less comprehensive than Tableau’s offerings, particularly for advanced or unique visualization requirements.
Data Transformation
Strengths
Power BI offers robust data transformation capabilities through Power Query, allowing users to clean, transform, and combine data from various sources efficiently.
Cautions
While Power Query is a powerful tool, it might be less intuitive for some users, particularly those with limited technical expertise, and may require additional training or support.
Data Modeling
Strengths
Power BI provides powerful data modeling capabilities, enabling users to create complex models with relationships, hierarchies, and calculations that cater to diverse analytical needs.
Cautions
Users may experience challenges in managing governance and content creation due to multiple ways to accomplish tasks in Power BI, which can lead to inconsistencies or inefficiencies in data modeling practices.
Reporting
Strengths
Power BI offers strong reporting features, including interactivity, custom visuals, real-time data updates, and the ability to share reports easily within an organization.
Cautions
Power BI’s limited headless, open architecture restricts interoperability with competitive BI platforms and may hinder organizations looking to integrate their reporting solutions with other tools or platforms.
Pricing
Strengths
Power BI’s flexible pricing and licensing options, including tiered plans and role-based licensing, make it a cost-effective choice for organizations of all sizes, from small businesses to enterprises.
Cautions
While Power BI offers competitive pricing, organizations may encounter additional costs for premium features, add-ons, or scaling to meet growing needs, impacting overall affordability.
Power BI Summary
Power BI stands out in its customer-driven feature development and rapid updates, which help address user needs and maintain its competitive edge. As a Microsoft product, Power BI also benefits from seamless integration with other Microsoft services. However, its biggest weakness is its Azure-only cloud deployment, which may lead to vendor lock-in for some customers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Gartner Magic Quadrant report provides Power BI, Tableau, and Qlik. The choice of platform depends on an organization’s specific needs and priorities. Power BI is a cost-effective option for small businesses, while Tableau offers more flexibility in cloud deployment and a powerful reputation for data visualization. Qlik stands out for its augmented intelligence functionality and ease of use. By leveraging the insights, the report provides and conducts thorough evaluations. Organizations can make informed decisions to drive success in 2023 and beyond.