Complete BI Tools Comparison (2025)

Compare all leading business intelligence tools in one comprehensive comparison table. See how Holistics, Tableau, Power BI, Looker, Sisense, and Domo stack up across features, pricing, and capabilities.

LAST UPDATED August 28, 2025

AUTHOR

Holistics Team

Complete Feature-by-Feature Comparison

This comprehensive comparison covers all major BI tools across 9 key dimensions and 25+ sub-features. Use the table below to find the best BI solution for your organization's needs.

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Dimension	Holistics	Tableau	Power BI	Looker	Sisense	Domo
Demo Playground Learn more Availability and quality of demo playground for testing the tool before purchase.
Demo Playground	Available Free 14-day trial with sandbox demo environment for evaluation. source 1 , source 2 , source 3	Available Free trials, demos, and Tableau Public for evaluation and skill development. source 1 , source 2 , source 3	Available Free account and Power BI Desktop for creating and viewing reports. source 1 , source 2	❌ No free trial. Sales-led demo model for enterprise clients. source	Available Developer Playground for hands-on exploration with 7-30 day free trials. source 1 , source 2	30-Day Free Trial Full platform access for unlimited users with onboarding support and self-service education. source 1 , source 2
Pricing Structure Learn more Pricing model and cost structure of the BI tool.
Pricing Metric	Feature Tier Feature-tier pricing with user-based licensing and usage-based for embedded. source 1 , source 2	User-Based Subscription User-based annual billing with Creator, Explorer, and Viewer licenses. source 1 , source 2 , source 3	User & Capacity Based Free account, user-based licenses, and capacity-based pricing for enterprise. source	Platform & User-Based Platform pricing for core instance plus user-based pricing for Developer, Standard, and Viewer roles. source	User-Based Custom Pricing Customized solutions based on users, data size, hosting type, and usage intensity. source	Consumption-Based Credit System Pay for what you use with credit system and base user fee starting at $750/year per user. source
Pricing Estimate	$9,000+/year Entry plan starts at $800/month. Enterprise plans available for larger teams. source	Contact Sales No pricing estimate available. Contact sales for a custom quote. source	$9,000+/year Power BI Embedded starts at $735.91/month for an A1 node (1 vCore) and increases with node type and count. source	$35,000-150,000/year Base cost starts at $35,000-60,000/year. Average mid-sized company cost is $150,000/year. source	$40,600-327,000/year Essential $40,600-60,000/year, Advanced $69,600-138,000/year, Pro $109,000-327,000/year. source	$50,000-200,000/year Small businesses $30,000/year, enterprise-level organizations can exceed $100,000 annually. source
Visualizations Learn more Chart and visualization capabilities of the tool.
Built-in Visualizations	40+ Chart Types Native chart types with Canvas Dashboard for free-form narrative reports. source 1 , source 2 , source 3	Extensive Native Charts Wide array of native chart types including advanced visualizations like Boxplot, Bullet, Gantt, Histogram. source 1 , source 2	Extensive Native Charts Hundreds of native chart types including bar, pie, line, area, matrix, and advanced visuals. source	Intuitive Dashboard Canvas Drag-and-drop canvas with diverse visualization options including tables, charts, and maps. source	Out-of-the-Box Charts Library of out-of-the-box charts, maps, and widgets for quick dashboard building. source	150+ Native Chart Types Over 150 native chart types including pie, line, bar charts, maps, scatter plots, and Gantt charts. source
Custom Visualizations	Vega & Vega-Lite Custom visualizations via Vega and Vega-Lite integration with Highcharts support. source 1 , source 2	Customizable Dashboards Flexible dashboard creation with drag-and-drop interface and storytelling features. source 1 , source 2	AppSource & Custom Dev Custom visuals from AppSource marketplace and self-developed using PBIViz tools. source	Marketplace Plug-ins Custom plug-ins for visualizations through Looker Marketplace with community and partner options. source	Custom Visuals via Code Create custom visualizations using JavaScript, third-party libraries, or Compose SDK. source 1 , source 2	Extensive Customization Customize visuals and dashboards with no-code design approach for personalized layouts and themes. source
Custom Styling	Custom Theming Comprehensive theming with custom CSS for brand alignment and styling. source	Theming for Branding Custom styling and branding with white-labeling for client-ready embeds. source	JSON Themes Custom styling through JSON themes with color palettes, typography, and branding. source	Embedded Interface Branding Customize Looker interface to match branding for external analytics and custom applications. source	Branded Experiences Interactive visualizations matching product look and feel with complete white-labeling in Pro plan. source	Personalized Branding Extensive custom styling and branding with user-friendly no-code design interface. source
Data Storytelling & Annotations	AI Narratives & Annotations GenAI data stories (Alpha) with manual chart annotations and text blocks. source 1 , source 2	Interactive Narratives Storytelling feature with AI-powered explanations from Tableau Pulse and Einstein AI. source 1 , source 2	AI Narratives & Text Smart Narratives, embedded text summaries, and Copilot for conversational insights. source	Narrative Dashboarding Craft compelling data stories with automated narratives and insightful text summaries. source	AI-Powered Narratives Sisense Intelligence features assistant and narrative generation for natural-language exploration. source	AI-Enhanced Data Stories Conversational AI (AI Chat) for natural language questions and automated alerts for key data changes. source
Ease of Use & Self-Service Learn more How user-friendly and self-service oriented the tool is for non-technical users.
Drilldown & Cross Filtering	Interactive Dashboards Drilldown, cross-filtering, and drill-through with dynamic date granularity. source 1 , source 2 , source 3	Interactive Dashboard Exploration Drilldowns, filters, and click-through exploration for data analysis. source	Interactive Drilldowns Drilldowns, filters, and click-through exploration for deeper data insights. source	Drill-to-Row-Level Detail Expand filters and drill down to row-level detail for comprehensive data comprehension. source	Interactive Dashboards Interactive no-code dashboards for exploration with filtering capabilities. source	Interactive Data Exploration Interactive dashboards with filters and customizable views for intuitive data analysis. source
Search & Discovery	Search & Discovery Keyword search, filtering, bookmarking, and tagging for content organization. source 1 , source 2	Natural Language Search Ask Data feature for natural language queries and immediate visualizations. source	Q&A Visual AI-assisted natural language queries using Q&A visual for instant answers. source	Marketplace Content Discovery Discover pre-built content, blocks, and custom plug-ins through Looker Marketplace. source	Natural-Language Exploration Sisense Intelligence features assistant and narratives for natural-language data discovery. source	AI-Driven Data Exploration AI Chat for natural language questions and instant actionable insights through conversational AI. source
Built-in Calculation	1-Click Calculations Native support for PoP, moving calculations, percent of total, and statistical operations. source 1 , source 2 , source 3 , source 4	Calculated Fields Extensive built-in calculation capabilities for common business metrics and KPIs. source	AI-Assisted DAX AI-assisted DAX calculations with point-and-click analytics for common operations. source	Table Calculations & LookML Standard calculations via Table Calculations. Complex analyses require LookML modeling. source	❌ No explicit built-in calculation features mentioned in documentation. source	❌ No explicit built-in calculation features mentioned in documentation. source
Ease of Report Building	Canvas Dashboard Drag-and-drop interface for creating charts and arranging visuals on free-form canvas. source 1 , source 2 , source 3	Intuitive Builder User-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality and guided report creation. source	Drag-and-Drop Builder User-friendly report canvas with drag-and-drop builders and guided tours. source	Drag-and-Drop Canvas Intuitive drag-and-drop canvas for creating visually appealing dashboards. source	❌ No explicit report building features mentioned in documentation. source	❌ No explicit report building features mentioned in documentation. source
AI-Assisted Data Analytics	AI Chat Interface Natural language queries with AI assistant for data exploration and insights. source	Tableau AI AI-powered features including natural language queries and automated insights. source	Comprehensive AI AI insights, auto-charting, natural language queries, and Key Influencer visual. source	Gemini AI Assistant AI assistant for visualization creation, formula building, data modeling, and report generation. source	❌ No explicit AI-assisted analytics features mentioned in documentation. source	❌ No explicit AI-assisted analytics features mentioned in documentation. source
Data Delivery Learn more How data and reports are delivered to end users.
Alerts & Subscriptions	Alerts & Subscriptions Data alerts and scheduled subscriptions via Email, Slack, and SFTP. source 1 , source 2 , source 3	Comprehensive Alerts Advanced alerting system with customizable thresholds and multiple notification channels. source	Custom Alerts Custom alerts and scheduled subscriptions for timely information delivery. source	Data-Driven Alerts Create subscriptions and data-driven alerts based on insights for individual users and teams. source	❌ No explicit alerts or subscription features mentioned in documentation. source	Automated Alerts Automated alerts for key data changes to keep users updated on important information. source
Sharing & Distribution	Secure Sharing Internal RBAC sharing and external distribution with multiple export formats. source	Enterprise Sharing Enterprise-grade sharing with granular permissions and secure distribution options. source	Multi-Channel Sharing Secure sharing via Teams, PowerPoint, Excel with PDF, CSV, Excel export options. source	Content Sharing Guide Comprehensive documentation and guidance for effective content sharing within the platform. source	❌ No explicit sharing or distribution features mentioned in documentation. source	❌ No explicit sharing or distribution features mentioned in documentation. source
Embedded Analytics Learn more Capabilities for embedding analytics into other applications.
Embedding Mechanism	Iframe + API Basic dashboard embedding and self-service embedding for report creation. source	Multiple Methods Supports iframe embedding, REST API, and JavaScript API for integration. source	Azure PaaS Power BI Embedded as Azure PaaS for embedding interactive reports into applications. source	API-Driven Embedded Powerful embedded capabilities with robust API coverage for extensive data experiences. source	iFrames, APIs & SDKs iFrame embedding across all plans with REST API and Compose SDK for React, Angular, Vue. source	Embedded Analytics Embed analytics into any application, portal, or website to extend data reach and deliver insights. source
White-Labeling	Custom Theming Visual customization with custom CSS for client-ready embedded analytics. source 1 , source 2	Branding Options Customizable branding and theming for embedded analytics with CSS customization. source	Custom Styling Custom styling and branding of dashboards using themes and color palettes. source	Embedded Interface Branding Customize Looker interface to match branding for external analytics and custom applications. source	Customizable White-Labeling Complete white-labeling in Pro plan with limited options in lower tiers for OEM scenarios. source	Custom Branding White-labeling and custom theming for embedded content to reflect brand's look and feel. source
Embedded Report Builder	Self-Service Embedding Embedded users can create and edit their own reports and dashboards. source	Limited Self-Service Basic self-service capabilities for embedded users with appropriate licensing. source	❌ No direct embedded report builder for end users in embedded context. source	❌ No embedded report builder for end users in embedded context. source	Intuitive Dashboard Designer Dashboard Designer feature with Basic in Essential plan and Advanced in higher tiers. source	Self-Serve Analytics Simple drag-and-drop tools for teams to create visualizations within embedded content. source
Reliability & Performance Learn more System reliability, performance optimization, and monitoring capabilities.
Query Optimisation	Smart Caching & Pushdown Smart caching, query pushdown, pre-aggregations, and high-performance streaming engine. source 1 , source 2 , source 3 , source 4	Advanced Optimization Comprehensive query optimization with caching, incremental refresh, and performance tuning. source	Import Mode Import mode, pre-aggregation, and summary tables for performance optimization. source	In-Database Architecture In-database architecture optimizing performance by directly querying cloud databases in real time. source	Proprietary Elasticube System Proprietary Elasticube system for data storage and processing with scalable analytics and low latency. source	❌ No specific information on query optimization, caching, pushdown, or pre-aggregation mentioned. source
Monitoring & Alerting	Performance Monitoring Jobs monitoring dashboard, usage monitoring, and error alerts via email. source 1 , source 2 , source 3	Enterprise Monitoring Enterprise-grade monitoring with comprehensive performance insights and alerting. source	❌ No explicit built-in monitoring, freshness indicators, or error alerts. source	System Activity Explores System Activity Explores provide insights into user interactions, content engagement, and query performance. source	❌ No explicit monitoring, freshness indicators, or error alerts mentioned in documentation. source	Automated Alerts Automated alerts for key data changes, but no explicit freshness indicators or error alerts mentioned. source
Semantic Modeling Learn more Data modeling and semantic layer capabilities.
Semantic Layer	Data Modeling Layer Centralized semantic layer for consistent metrics, KPIs, and business definitions. source 1 , source 2	Data Model Tableau data model provides semantic layer capabilities with calculated fields and parameters. source	OneLake Data Hub Semantic modeling with OneLake data hub for single source of truth. source	Universal Semantic Layer Universal semantic modeling layer as single source of truth with LookML modeling language. source	Data Modeling & Unified Data Data modeling capabilities with intuitive workflows for unifying data across sources into actionable visualizations. source	❌ No explicit semantic layer or consistent metrics enforcement mechanisms mentioned in documentation. source
Git Version Control	Native Git Control Native Git version control for models and dashboards with standard development workflows. source 1 , source 2	Limited Version Control Basic version control through Tableau Server/Online with limited branching capabilities. source	❌ No explicit Git version control for semantic models. source	Git Version Control Git-based version control for data models with proprietary dashboard versioning capabilities. source	Git Integration Git integration for developers with version control capabilities and marketplace add-ons. source	❌ No information about Git version control for managing semantic models or BI artifacts mentioned. source
Automated Metadata Sync	dbt Metadata Sync Integrates with dbt to sync metadata from manifest.json to BI layer. source 1 , source 2	Manual Sync Manual metadata management with limited automated synchronization capabilities. source	❌ No explicit automated metadata sync from dbt or data warehouses. source	❌ No explicit automated metadata syncing from dbt or other warehouses into semantic layer. source	❌ No explicit automated metadata synchronization from dbt or data warehouses mentioned. source	❌ No explicit automated metadata synchronization from dbt or data warehouses mentioned. source
Analytics-as-Code	Analytics as Code AML/AMQL DSL for defining BI artifacts with CI/CD workflows and version control. source 1 , source 2 , source 3	Limited Code Support Limited code-based management with some API capabilities for automation. source	❌ No explicit analytics-as-code for dashboards or models. source	LookML Analytics-as-Code LookML modeling language enables code-based definition of dimensions, measures, and business logic. source	Pro-Code to No-Code Pro-code, low-code, and no-code capabilities for building dashboards with JavaScript and Compose SDK. source	❌ No information about defining dashboards or models in YAML/DSL formats or CI/CD workflows mentioned. source
Security and Governance Learn more Security features and governance capabilities.
Access Control	RBAC & SSO Role-based access control with RLS/CLS and SSO integration via SAML. source 1 , source 2 , source 3 , source 4	Enterprise Security Comprehensive RBAC, SSO, and group-based access control for enterprise environments. source	Microsoft Governance Microsoft security standards with data governance and sensitivity labeling. source	Unified User Management Unified user management with SSO via Google Cloud IAM and role-based access control. source	Trust & Security Enterprise-grade security in Pro plan with marketplace add-ons for data governance and SSO. source	Enterprise-Level Security Enterprise-level security, compliance, and governance with SSO and encryption capabilities. source
Audit & Compliance	SOC2 Type II & GDPR SOC2 Type II certified with GDPR/CCCP compliance. Audit logs for user actions and data access via SFTP/SQL export. source 1 , source 2 , source 3 , source 4	Compliance Features Built-in compliance features with audit logs and monitoring for regulatory requirements. source	❌ No explicit audit compliance features mentioned in documentation. source	System Activity Explores System Activity Explores serve as audit logs for monitoring platform usage and system efficiency. source	❌ No explicit audit compliance features mentioned in documentation. source	❌ No explicit audit compliance features mentioned in documentation. source
Data Masking & Encryption	Column Security & AES Column-level security for data masking. AES encryption for credentials, decrypted only in memory during queries. source 1 , source 2	Advanced Security Advanced data masking, encryption, and security features for enterprise data protection. source	❌ No explicit data masking or encryption features mentioned. source	❌ No explicit data masking or encryption features mentioned in documentation. source	❌ No explicit data masking or encryption features mentioned in documentation. source	❌ No explicit data masking or encryption features mentioned in documentation. source
Monitoring & Logging	Built-in Monitoring Usage monitoring, activity logs, and job monitoring dashboard. Export audit logs for external SIEM integration. source 1 , source 2 , source 3	Enterprise Monitoring Enterprise-grade security monitoring and logging with comprehensive visibility. source	❌ No explicit monitoring or logging capabilities mentioned. source	System Activity Explores System Activity Explores provide insights into user interactions, content engagement, and query performance. source	❌ No explicit monitoring or logging capabilities mentioned in documentation. source	❌ No explicit monitoring or logging capabilities mentioned in documentation. source