{
    "products": [
        {
            "slug": "power-bi",
            "name": "Power BI",
            "kind": "web",
            "website": "https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/products/power-bi",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/power-bi",
            "tagline": "Microsoft's business intelligence tool for reports and dashboards",
            "summary": "Power BI is Microsoft's business intelligence product for building interactive reports and dashboards. Power BI Desktop, a Windows app, creates reports, and the Power BI service shares them in a browser. Sharing needs a Pro or Premium license.",
            "developer": "Microsoft",
            "platforms": [
                "windows",
                "web"
            ],
            "pricing": "freemium",
            "price_note": "Free account; Pro is $14 per user a month, paid yearly",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "Desktop app for designing reports, plus a browser service for sharing",
                "Connects to Excel files and many other sources",
                "Free account to start building reports"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Report design happens in the Windows-only Desktop app",
                "Sharing reports needs a paid Pro or Premium license"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Power BI has two main parts. Power BI Desktop is a Windows app where people connect to data, model it and design report pages. The Power BI service is a cloud platform in the browser where published reports are shared and viewed, and a mobile app lets people view reports on the go. Microsoft lists KPI tracking and scorecards among its report features.\n\nThe free account lets people start building reports, and sharing needs a Pro or Premium license. Pro is listed at $14 per user a month, paid yearly. Power BI suits organizations that already use Microsoft 365 and Excel, and because report design happens in the Windows app, Mac and Linux users need a Windows machine or the browser service to build reports."
        },
        {
            "slug": "tableau",
            "name": "Tableau",
            "kind": "app",
            "website": "https://www.tableau.com/",
            "page": "https://listme.name/software/tableau",
            "tagline": "Visual analytics and dashboard software from Salesforce",
            "summary": "Tableau is Salesforce's visual analytics platform for building interactive dashboards from many data sources, with desktop and cloud products, a free Tableau Public for public data, and per-user paid licenses.",
            "developer": "Salesforce",
            "platforms": [
                "windows",
                "macos",
                "web"
            ],
            "pricing": "subscription",
            "price_note": "Per-user paid licenses; Tableau Public is free for public data",
            "free_to_use": true,
            "open_source": false,
            "strengths": [
                "Strong visual exploration of data",
                "Wide range of data connectors",
                "Large community and training material"
            ],
            "limits": [
                "Paid licenses are per user",
                "The free edition publishes work publicly"
            ],
            "checked": "2026-10-10",
            "connected_to_publisher": false,
            "overview": "Tableau lets analysts connect to databases, files and cloud services and build interactive charts and dashboards by dragging fields onto a canvas. Tableau Desktop is used to author work, and Tableau Cloud or Server shares it with viewers who can filter and explore.\n\nPaid licenses are per user and role-based. Tableau Public is a free edition for publishing work to the open web, so it is unsuitable for confidential data. Power BI is the most common alternative, and open-source options such as Metabase and Superset cover simpler needs without license fees."
        }
    ],
    "differences": [
        "Only Tableau runs on macOS.",
        "Power BI: free plan, paid upgrades. Tableau: subscription."
    ],
    "shared_rankings": [
        {
            "list": "dashboard-and-data-visualization-tools",
            "name": "Dashboard and data visualization tools",
            "page": "https://listme.name/best/dashboard-and-data-visualization-tools",
            "of": 12,
            "results": [
                {
                    "product": "power-bi",
                    "rank": 1,
                    "score": 92,
                    "verdict": "The broadest report builder here, with a free Desktop app and a browser service for sharing. Report design is limited to Windows, and sharing needs a paid Pro or Premium license.",
                    "best_for": "Microsoft-based teams building shared business reports",
                    "spec": {
                        "source": "Excel and many other sources",
                        "desktop": true,
                        "selfhost": false
                    }
                },
                {
                    "product": "tableau",
                    "rank": 2,
                    "score": 90.5,
                    "verdict": "Highly flexible visual analysis with many data connectors and sharing options, but paid per-user licenses and a free edition that publishes publicly. Power BI is the usual lower-cost alternative.",
                    "best_for": "Interactive dashboards for analysts and larger teams",
                    "spec": {
                        "source": "Databases, files and cloud services",
                        "desktop": true,
                        "selfhost": false
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "list": "business-intelligence-tools",
            "name": "Business intelligence tools",
            "page": "https://listme.name/best/business-intelligence-tools",
            "of": 10,
            "results": [
                {
                    "product": "power-bi",
                    "rank": 1,
                    "score": 91.5,
                    "verdict": "The strongest report designer in this list, with a free account and a Desktop app for Windows. Sharing needs a Pro or Premium license, and Mac and Linux users depend on the browser service.",
                    "best_for": "Microsoft-based teams with complex reports",
                    "spec": {
                        "deploy": "Windows app plus cloud service",
                        "sources": "Excel and many other sources",
                        "desktop": true
                    }
                },
                {
                    "product": "tableau",
                    "rank": 2,
                    "score": 90,
                    "verdict": "Excellent visual exploration and a huge connector and training ecosystem, but licenses are per user and the free edition publishes publicly. Power BI is cheaper for Microsoft shops, and Metabase is free to self-host.",
                    "best_for": "Analysts who build rich, interactive dashboards",
                    "spec": {
                        "deploy": "Desktop authoring plus Tableau Cloud or Server",
                        "sources": "Databases, files and cloud services",
                        "desktop": true
                    }
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "ranks_higher_in_closest_shared_list": "power-bi",
    "page": "https://listme.name/compare/power-bi-vs-tableau",
    "json": "https://listme.name/api/v1/compare/power-bi-vs-tableau.json",
    "notes": [
        "Scores are editorial and only comparable inside one list. Products with connected_to_publisher true receive a disclosed ranking lift: https://listme.name/methodology"
    ],
    "source": "https://listme.name",
    "license": "Free to read and cite with attribution to listme.name.",
    "docs": "https://listme.name/developers"
}