BI platforms compared
| Your question | DataOwn | Excel | Power BI | Power BI + Fabric | Tableau |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01Finding your own insights | |||||
| More self-serviceAnswering questions with your data | Filter and drill into one preconfigured model with central KPI definitions. You do not need to rebuild that foundation for each dashboard. Roadmap · Q4 2026 Integrated chat-with-your-data uses the same central model: ask questions in everyday language without setting up a separate AI platform. | Filter and calculate in a workbook yourself. Complex analyses need Excel skills. | Filter and drill into dashboards. Copilot chat is not included with Pro alone: it requires paid Fabric or Premium capacity, appropriate settings and a prepared data model. | Filter and drill into dashboards and ask questions through Copilot. Chat is included within paid Fabric capacity from F2 and consumes capacity. Your team prepares the data model and checks AI settings. | Filter and drill into dashboards. Tableau Agent chat requires an edition above Standard. Your team configures AI in Tableau and Salesforce and sets up dashboard permissions and business context; dashboard chat is still in beta. |
| Starting without building a platform first | The platform is ready. Connect sources and configure your metrics and dashboards. SourcesDataOwn · Features | Start with a workbook. A one-off analysis needs no data platform. | The dashboard environment is ready; a complete data platform is not included. Logic is configured per report or workbook unless you set up a shared model or shared data source. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | Cloud services are ready. Your team configures the warehouse, data flows and reports. | The dashboard environment is ready; a complete data platform is not included. Logic is configured per report or workbook unless you set up a shared model or shared data source. SourcesTableau · Product overview |
| Presenting insights with charts and filters | Create interactive dashboards with charts and filters. SourcesDataOwn · Features | Create charts, PivotTables and filters in a workbook. Building and maintaining the dashboard remains part of that file. | Create interactive dashboards with charts and filters. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | Create interactive dashboards with charts and filters. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | Create interactive dashboards with charts and filters. SourcesTableau · Product overview |
| Building new analyses without a data specialist | Build new analyses yourself using the data and KPIs in the existing semantic layer. New data sources or changes to that layer still require data knowledge. SourcesDataOwn · Features | Create simple analyses yourself. Complex formulas and models need Excel skills. | Viewers use dashboards; connections and custom calculations require data knowledge. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | Viewers use dashboards; connections and custom calculations require data knowledge. | Viewers use dashboards; connections and custom calculations require data knowledge. SourcesTableau · Product overview |
| 02One reliable foundation | |||||
| One semantic layerUsing the same KPI definitions everywhere | Define KPIs centrally once and reuse them across dashboards. SourcesDataOwn · Features | KPIs live in the workbook. One central definition across workbooks is not included by default; it requires a shared external model. | KPI calculations can differ between reports or workbooks. Consistent definitions across all dashboards require explicitly configuring a shared model or shared data source. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | KPI calculations can differ between reports or workbooks. Consistent definitions across all dashboards require explicitly configuring a shared model or shared data source. | KPI calculations can differ between reports or workbooks. Consistent definitions across all dashboards require explicitly configuring a shared model or shared data source. SourcesTableau · Databronnen |
| Suitability for building and making changes with AI | Fully text-based tools for transformations, the semantic model and dashboards. AI can read, generate and modify the definitions; changes are easy to compare and review. | AI can write formulas and transformation logic. Workbook layout, relationships and formatting also need review in Excel. | AI can write DAX and Power Query logic. Power BI projects also let you edit models and reports as text; you need to explicitly adopt that project workflow. | AI can help build SQL and Power BI project files. Fabric also offers Copilot. The workflow differs by component: data flows, models and reports each have their own setup. | Tableau Agent helps with calculations, visualizations and Prep steps. This requires an eligible edition and AI configuration; building remains tied to the Tableau environment. |
| Combining numbers from several systems | Combine numbers from several systems. Available connectors determine which sources you can use. SourcesDataOwn · Features | Combine numbers from several systems. Available connectors determine which sources you can use. | Combine numbers from several systems. Available connectors determine which sources you can use. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | Combine numbers from several systems. Available connectors determine which sources you can use. | Combine numbers from several systems. Available connectors determine which sources you can use. SourcesTableau · Databronnen |
| Building data transformations with a graphical interface | No graphical transformation editor. Build transformations with SQL/dbt: DataOwn chooses open, portable logic over a vendor-specific graphical format. SourcesDataOwn · Features | Build transformations with clicks and menus in Power Query, without writing SQL yourself. | Build transformations with clicks and menus in Power Query, without writing SQL yourself. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | Build transformations with clicks and menus in Power Query, without writing SQL yourself. | Build transformations with clicks and drag-and-drop in Tableau Prep, without writing SQL yourself. |
| Getting a central database with your solution | A central database is part of the platform. SourcesDataOwn · Features | No central warehouse included. You can connect an external database. | No central warehouse included. You can connect an external database. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | A central database is part of the platform. | No central warehouse included. You can connect an external database. SourcesTableau · Databronnen |
| Updating data on a schedule without manual work | Schedule automatic updates. Your team monitors connections and failed runs. SourcesDataOwn · Features | Connections can refresh; reliable updates without an open workbook need extra automation. | Schedule automatic updates. Your team monitors connections and failed runs. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | Schedule automatic updates. Your team monitors connections and failed runs. | Schedule automatic updates. Your team monitors connections and failed runs. |
| 03Working together with clarity | |||||
| Letting colleagues view online | Share online dashboards with colleagues. Configure who gets access. SourcesDataOwn · Varianten | Share online workbooks with colleagues. Configure who gets access. | Share online dashboards with colleagues. Configure who gets access. | Share online dashboards with colleagues. Configure who gets access. SourcesMicrosoft · Fabric licenses | Share online dashboards with colleagues. Configure who gets access. |
| Configuring access by department | Show each manager only their department once permissions are configured. SourcesDataOwn · Features | No central department-level access control within one shared workbook. Share separate files or add another solution. | Show each manager only their department once permissions are configured. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | Show each manager only their department once permissions are configured. | Show each manager only their department once permissions are configured. SourcesTableau · Databronnen |
| Giving people outside your organization easy access | Invite external users and give them access to the right dashboards. They do not need to belong to your organization. SourcesDataOwn · Features | Share a workbook by invitation or sharing link. External users can view it in a browser; your organization must allow external sharing. | External sharing requires Microsoft Entra B2B guest access, admin permission and suitable licenses or capacity. This adds steps for you and external users. | External sharing requires Microsoft Entra B2B guest access, admin permission and suitable licenses or capacity. This adds steps for you and external users. | Invite external users with their email address. Assign a role and license and grant access to the right dashboards. |
| Handing over technical platform operations | The vendor runs the online service; your team manages data, reports and access. SourcesDataOwn · Features | Your team manages workbooks, formulas, connections and permissions. | The vendor runs the online service; your team manages data, reports and access. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | The vendor runs the online service; your team manages data, reports and access. | The vendor runs the online service; your team manages data, reports and access. SourcesTableau · Product overview |
| Checking where a number comes from | Integrated lineage shows the path from source through calculations to dashboard so you can trace where a number comes from. Roadmap · Q4 2026 Integrated lineage and data descriptions are planned for Q4 2026. | Sources and calculations can be inspected. Explaining a number depends on setup and documentation. | Sources and calculations can be inspected. Explaining a number depends on setup and documentation. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | Sources and calculations can be inspected. Explaining a number depends on setup and documentation. | Sources and calculations can be inspected. Explaining a number depends on setup and documentation. SourcesTableau · Databronnen |
| 04Control over cost and your future | |||||
| Digital autonomyReusing data and business logic when switching | Data, calculations and dashboard definitions use open tools and standards. Reuse them in the underlying tools; moving still requires setup. Roadmap · To be agreed Integration code for self-hosting will also be open source. | You can take your files. Check whether formulas and connections work in the next tool. | You can take your data. Dashboards and product-specific calculations often need rebuilding in another tool. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | You can take your data. Dashboards and product-specific calculations often need rebuilding in another tool. | You can take your data. Dashboards and product-specific calculations often need rebuilding in another tool. SourcesTableau · Product overview |
| A Dutch vendor and hosting in the Netherlands | Dutch vendor with your data hosted in the Netherlands. Roadmap · To be agreed A self-hosted variant is on the roadmap; timing is to be agreed. | US vendor. Store files locally or in Microsoft cloud. | US vendor. Storage region depends on your cloud setup. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI | US vendor. Storage region depends on your cloud setup. SourcesMicrosoft · Fabric licenses | US vendor. Choose cloud hosting or self-hosted Tableau Server. SourcesTableau · Product overview |
| Monthly cost for one author and nine viewers | €90/month for Small, current offer. Small is the relevant variant for one author and nine viewers. SourcesDataOwn · Varianten | €121.30 for 10 Microsoft 365 Business Standard licenses with Teams. €0 extra if everyone already has them. | €121 for 10 Pro licenses. An additional warehouse is not included. SourcesMicrosoft · Power BI prijzen | About €404: about €283 for F2 capacity and €121 for 10 Pro licenses, plus storage. Significantly more expensive than the other options in this example. | €210 for 1 Creator and 9 Viewers in Tableau Standard. An additional warehouse is not included. |
| Growing with more data and users | Expand capacity as your organization grows. The central semantic model keeps KPI definitions consistent across more dashboards and users without redefining them in each dashboard. Roadmap · Q1 2027 Large adds a test environment and notebooks. | Separate workbooks do not provide a central foundation for growing numbers of dashboards and users. Copies and KPI definitions need increasing management. A worksheet holds 1,048,576 rows; a Data Model can hold more. | Add licenses and capacity as usage grows. Costs grow with them. | Add licenses and capacity as usage grows. Costs grow with them. SourcesMicrosoft · Fabric licenses | Add licenses and capacity as usage grows. Costs grow with them. |
RoadmapA Roadmap label means planned, not yet available. Timelines may change.
Monthly costs: example for one report author and nine viewers. Software and platform costs, excluding VAT, implementation and work on your data and reports.
Power BI, Microsoft 365 and Tableau: monthly equivalents with annual billing. Fabric: F2 in West Europe, running 730 hours/month, pay as you go; about €283 capacity + €121 Pro, excluding storage. F2 is an entry-level example: higher workloads need more capacity. Existing Microsoft licenses or a Fabric annual reservation can reduce incremental costs.
Prices checked: 28 October 2026. Comparison by DataOwn.
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