Tableau vs Excel - What's the difference?

Tableau vs Excel is one of the most trending debates in the Data Science community. Mostly,  Excel is an established spreadsheet platform that has been around for decades. Whereas, Tableau is a relative newcomer to the domain, with many aspiring Data Scientists wondering about its benefits compared to Excel.   

With a 40-year history, Microsoft's Excel holds a firm grasp over the spreadsheet software market. But Tableau has emerged as its primary competitor. This blog will tell you all you need to know about the Tableau vs Excel debate, including a detailed comparison of its features and benefits. Read to find out more! 

Table of Contents 

1) What is Tableau? 

2) What is Excel? 

3) Difference between Tableau and Excel 

4) Can Tableau and Excel be used together? 

5) Conclusion 

What is Tableau? 

Tableau is a Business Intelligence (BI) software that facilitates creating and visualising interactive and shareable dashboards within a few clicks. This Business Intelligence tool sets correlations apart using colour, size, labels, and shapes – giving one additional context as one tries to explore data right to the minute detail. In a nutshell, this BI software allows non-technical users to visualise data and work with it almost in real-time, conveniently lowering the knowledge barriers. Let's look at the benefits and limitations of Tableau to understand the differences between Tableau vs Excel. 

Advantages of Tableau 

Tableau has several advantages that it provides to users, some of which are mentioned as follows: 

a) Tableau Dashboard consists of an outstanding reporting feature that facilitates convenient dashboard customisation. This feature can only be used on a mobile phone or laptop.  

b) Tableau allows integration with other technologies. Tableau users can use Python or R scripts to perform complex calculations.  

c) It can easily handle a large amount of data.   



 

Disadvantages of Tableau 

While it does offer several advantages, Microsoft Excel also has several disadvantages, which are mentioned as follows:  

a) While Tableau is a convenient tool for Data Visualisation, it cannot query data.  

b) Tableau does not offer the feature to refresh its reports with the help of automatic scheduling.  

c) The users do not appreciate the conditional formatting option and limited 16-column table displays provided by Tableau. 

What is Excel? 

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application that performs calculations, statistical operations, data analysis, and reporting. It stores data in rows and columns. This data is usually held in boxes made by the intersection of the rows and columns, known as cells. One can add tables, charts, graphics and various visualisations to make the spreadsheet more informative and presentable as per their specific requirements. Let's look at the benefits and limitations of Excel to understand the differences between Tableau vs Excel. 

Advantages of Excel 

Microsoft Excel has a few advantages that it provides to users, some of them are as follows:  

a) Excel can analyse large amounts of data to identify trends and patterns that help in more informed decision-making.  

b) Excel can perform a majority of mathematical and logical functions with ease. 

Unlock your full potential with our Microsoft Excel Course and become a spreadsheet virtuoso today!

Disadvantages of Excel 

While it does offer several advantages, Microsoft Excel also has several disadvantages, which are as follows:  

a) Excel is difficult to troubleshoot, i.e., trace, analyse and correct faults or problems.  

b) Excel is not considered to be fit for agile business practices.   

c) Excel does not facilitate the convenient sharing of worksheets online.

 

Difference between Tableau and Excel 

Tableau and Excel are often compared to each other. Both the data analysis tools have unique characteristics, all of which we will delve deeper into. The following table will help you understand the debate of Tableau vs Excel and learn the differences between both software.
 

Unlock your full potential with our Microsoft Excel Masterclass and become a spreadsheet virtuoso today! 

Can Tableau and Excel be used together? 

Is Tableau better than Excel? Or is Excel better than Tableau? The debate of Excel vs Tableau is an on-going one and determining which is better depends on several factors. A concrete answer to these questions depends on the purpose you are using it to achieve. While tens of thousands of companies use Tableau to see and understand their data, many organisations also use Excel, which has been the dominant spreadsheet software for decades. While Excel allows its users to analyse data and perform calculations, Tableau leverages visual analytics and has revolutionised Tableau Data Visualisation.

Tableau users can interact with data to find insights faster and make better informed critical decisions. They can also better serve their customers and improve products.

Supercharge your skills with our Microsoft BI Training and unlock the power of Business Intelligence reporting.

Conclusion 

Many people often say that Tableau and Excel are mostly the same in terms of need and usage, but this is not the case. Both can perform similar functionalities to a certain extent. However, one is forced to pick between the two whenever specific needs are considered. However, different companies will introduce various visualisation tools to the market every year, and industries cannot just stick to one particular tool for data analytics purposes. Instead of Tableau vs Excel, organisations should consider the prospect of Tableau and Excel. Implementing the tools together offers plenty of advantages to an organisation. 

Take your Business Intelligence to new heights with expert training from our Business Intelligence Reporting Courses.