Qlik vs Tableau: Which Is a Better Business Intelligence Tool?

In today’s world, data is digital gold. 

Whether you’re a nurturing startup founder or planning to scale your enterprise, effective data management is crucial for your business.

So, once you’ve got your data stacking up, the only thing you need is the right business intelligence tool to make sense of your data and turn it into actionable insights.

And here’s when things become tricky: there are several best business intelligence tools, and you want to choose nothing but the best!

Therefore, to help you make the right choice, I’m going to take a detailed look at the debate between these two data analytical tools: Qlik vs Tableau.

Let’s get into it.

• Qlik vs Tableau: Which is a Better Business Intelligence Tool for 2025?
• TLDR: Who’s the Best? Qlik or Tableau
• What is Qlik?
• What is Tableau?
• Qlik vs Tableau: Similarities and Differences
• Qlik vs Tableau: Who Wins?

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick comparison between Qlik and Tableau, two of the top BI tools. Plus, see how we at Augmented Systems combine both to deliver the best data visualization services. 

TLDR: Which is the Best? 

Qlik: Powerful associative analytics, great for data exploration, but can have a steeper learning curve.

Tableau: User-friendly dashboard and offers intuitive visualizations, but works better with structured data. 

Augmented combines and uses both data visualization tools to deliver high-quality, scalable, and customized business solutions.

Here’s a comparison breakdown:

Since Qlik and Tableau both have strengths and limitations, why not combine them to get the best of both worlds?

With Augmented, you can have:

• Qlik’s powerful data exploration and Tableau's intuitive dashboard 
• Custom solutions to fit your business or project needs
• Expert support for smooth adoption and integration

So, you don’t have to choose between the two, rather have all the features of all the best business intelligence tools under a single umbrella. 

Qlik is a powerful business intelligence (BI) and data visualization tool that helps you make sense of your data.

What do I mean by that?

Qlik helps you use your data to solve problems, meet new business objectives and address critical business needs.

However, with so many BI tools in the market, you must be wondering:

What Makes Qlik Stand Out?

Qlik’s associative data indexing engine features let you explore your data freely without needing to stick to predefined queries.

In simple terms, it links your different data sets in a unique manner that makes it easier for you to explore connections, trends and patterns between different pieces of information.

For example, let’s assume you are analyzing sales data. If you were using a traditional BI tool, you might run separate queries for “Sales for Region” or “Sales for Product.”

With Qlik, you can click through different data points without needing a predefined query! For example, you can see how a sudden rise in sales in one region is connected to a specific product launch. 

At first glance, Qlik might seem like just another BI tool. But once you start using it, you’ll notice how its unique approach to data exploration and AI-powered insights makes it one of the best business intelligence tools!

Now, let’s break down Qlik’s features, pros, and cons to see what sets it apart. 

Qlik Features:

• Associative Data Modeling: Allows you to explore data freely. 
• Self-Service Analysis: No-code model allows you to create dashboards and reports without relying on IT teams. 
• AI-Powered Insights: It uses AI to highlight trends and anomalies. 
• Built-in Data Preparation: Cleans and prepares the data within the platform, you don’t have to work with multiple tools.
• Easy Integration: You can easily integrate with different business platforms, like cloud, on-premise databases and even third-party apps. 
• ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) Capabilities: Allowing you to clean, transform, and manipulate data before analysis. 
• Scalability: You can handle billions of your records, no matter the size of your business or data. 

Pros of Qlik:

• An interactive dashboard that allows flexible data exploration
• Easy-to-understand dashboard with powerful search tools
• Scales well for large businesses with big data
• AI-powered insights for faster decision-making
• Built-in tools for data preparation and cleaning
• Strong data security and governance features

Cons of Qlik:

• Complex for beginners or new users (learning curve)
• Higher pricing, making it not suitable for all business sizes
• Requires scripting knowledge for advanced analytics

If you ask me, Qlik is a fantastic tool if you need deep data exploration, scalability and AI-powered insights. While it may take some time to master it, the benefits are worth the time. (Especially if you are dealing with complex and big data!)

Next, let’s explore everything Tableau has to offer for us. 

Tableau is one of the leading data visualization and analytics platforms. It is known for its user-friendly interface and beautiful interactive dashboards.

Just like any other data visualization tool, it helps you turn your raw data into actionable and meaningful insights. And the best part? You don’t even need technical expertise to use its functions!

Key Tableau Features + Pros and Cons You Should Know in 2025

Tableau offers us a range of data analytical tools to help visualize business trends. Let’s explore some of its most useful features, along with its pros and cons. 

Tableau Features:

• Drag and Drop: Unlike Qlik, which requires scripting for complex queries, here you can create beautiful dashboards and reports.
  
• Data Visualizations: Built for storytelling, you can use its variety of charts, maps and graphs to showcase your data in the most engaging manner. 
  
• Flexible Data Connections: You can connect your data from live sources, like cloud services, in real-time. Plus, it lets you optimize for speed whenever needed. 
  
• Data Blending: If you want to combine data from different sources, Tableau is the answer. You can easily merge different data points for a complete and clear picture of your business. 
  
• AI-Powered Insights: Using its Explain Data features, you can easily understand what’s happening with your data. Tableau automatically detects and highlights trends and anomalies for you. 
  
• Embedded Analytics: You integrate its dashboards directly into your websites and apps. 

Tableau Pros:

• Built for the best visualizations
• Connects seamlessly with multiple data touchpoints
• Handles large datasets quickly 
• Intuitive drag-and-drop feature for non-technical users
• Strong community support
• Offers regular updates

Tableau Cons:

• Limited data transformation tools compared to Qlik
• It can be expensive for some businesses 
• Requires powerful hardware for large datasets

That said, Qlik and Tableau both bring dynamic features to the table. And each tool shines in its own way! 

Since both Qlik and Tableau have their own strengths and use cases, deciding between them isn’t always easy. To make your choice simpler, I’ve put them both in a clear, side-by-side business intelligence software comparison.

Let’s check it out and see how they measure up! 

Before we check out their differences, let’s look at what these two tools have in common. Both are the best business intelligence tools in the visualization space and share several key features:

Here’s what they have in common:

With these similarities, you can leverage the tools for strong visualization and BI capabilities.

Okay, so now that we’ve seen how Qlik and Tableau are similar, let’s explore what sets them apart.

Here’s how they differ:

After this in-depth business intelligence software comparison, it’s clear that both Qlik and Tableau are suitable for different use cases.

Honestly, there is no right or wrong answer for which tool wins this battle, as it purely depends on your requirements. 

But at the end of the day, they are not the only business intelligence or data visualization tools.

There are many great providers out there! And the right choice depends on what works best for you!

At Augmented Systems, our mission is to help you make the most of both Qlik and Tableau to the fullest!

Our experts have tackled complex business data challenges to provide comprehensive solutions by combining the best features of the best data visualization tools.

As a result, our clients have seen a 55% reduction in data analysis time and a 68% boost in their overall productivity!

So, if you want to strengthen the way you work with your data and extract actionable insights from it, reach out to our best consultants for data visualization.

Connect with us for a commitment-free consultation and start your journey towards seamless data visualization! 

1. Why is business intelligence useful?

Business intelligence tools help you make data-driven decisions, improve business efficiency, and uncover hidden trends and patterns in your data. 

We use top BI tools, like Qlik, Tableau and Power BI to transform your unorganized data into meaningful insights. 

2. How does Tableau help businesses?

Tableau helps you make your data simple and visually appealing. You can use its interactive dashboards and easy-to-use interface to do so. 

3. Is Qlik free or paid?

Qlik offers both free and paid versions. The free version offers limited features, while the paid version requires a subscription. Their standard plan starts at $825/month (billed annually), which includes 25 GB of storage and access for 20 full users. 

4. Does Tableau require coding?

NO. For most tasks, Tableau does not require coding. And if there’s any task that does need coding, our data visualization experts are well-versed in programming languages like SQL, Python, and more. 

5. Is Tableau difficult to learn?

Tableau is user-friendly. Thanks to its intuitive design and user-friendly tools. With our veteran experts, you can quickly learn how to use Tableau effectively