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Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs Tableau comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft SQL Server Report...
Ranking in Reporting
5th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
20
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Tableau
Ranking in Reporting
2nd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.4
Number of Reviews
306
Ranking in other categories
BI (Business Intelligence) Tools (2nd), Data Visualization (1st), Embedded BI (1st)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the Reporting category, the mindshare of Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is 3.4%, down from 4.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tableau is 21.7%, down from 23.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Reporting
 

Featured Reviews

MartinSimons - PeerSpot reviewer
Ensures database access and monitoring have been manageable, but batch load analysis needs better support
There are occasions during maintenance runs when the Check Point monitoring system reports a lot of blocked sessions. This is typically due to system processes or maintenance processes that temporarily block themselves. Additionally, a tool within the studio for performing SQL analysis does not provide useful information for batch load processes, often advising not to use an index, which is expected with batch loads.
Nattawat Choosuwan - PeerSpot reviewer
Real-time data connection enhances workflow and decision-making process
An area for improvement in Tableau is the Explorer license type. It is not as useful, and the product owner should enhance its benefits or clarify its role. Additionally, the frequent updates with many versions available for download can be confusing and could affect stability. They should avoid providing access to older versions on their website.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"I am impressed with the product's seamless integration. It can work with different databases like Oracle."
"We get good support from Microsoft."
"The stability of SSRS has been reliable, with minimal issues encountered during our usage."
"I'm very satisfied with the customer service. And usually, whenever we have any issue or details, we get to the person for the support. I'm really satisfied with the service. Within a few minutes or within a few hours, the support person will be available."
"I like Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services' automated reporting feature."
"In Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, the installation and configuration are easy."
"Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services has been functional whenever I needed to use it."
"I mainly use the solution for the ease of reporting and for executive dashboards."
"The geospatial maps representation and the visualizations are nice."
"The best thing I like about Tableau is that you don't have to go for creating; it is calculated free."
"Provides a very good sound analysis quotient."
"It is very good for data visualization. It has very powerful visualizations and is easy to use."
"Tableau has comprehensive, insightful charts, which allow you to build stunning dashboards and enrich your support decision-making."
"It allows us to basically understand and evaluate our numbers in an expedient manner."
"It's intuitive and highly mature"
"Tableau will automatically show charts for the related data that I choose making it very easy to use."
 

Cons

"It doesn't have quite the flexibility of a Tableau or something like that. Many users are more comfortable with Tableau and I'm not quite sure why that is right now, but it seems to be the case."
"We have had issues with the refresh interval since we have too many reports scheduled. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is also expensive."
"The product should improve its performance."
"I would like the solution to add the scheduling feature for reports."
"They could improve the scalability and stability of SQL Server Reporting Services."
"Sometimes, we need to make sure that the configuration stays consistent across the reporting instances. They all connect to the same database. So, it shares that same backend, but the reporting services itself can also be configured. On the application level, for reporting level. And it is, based on my own experience, it is a manual effort to make sure that the reporting servers are configured the same across the environment."
"There is room for improvement in the pricing model."
"The product could be improved by reducing the time it takes to build and deploy reports."
"If they could add global filters in the stories, more chart types, and default colours, it would help."
"The interface needs improvement as sometimes it is locked, and it takes some time for the visualization and dashboards to load."
"The performance could be better."
"I would like to be able to set the parameters in a more specific manner."
"From a customer's point of view, I have noted that after the acquisition by Salesforce, the customer service for Tableau has declined significantly."
"Small multiples (a.k.a. Trellis charts) are possible only through very hacky means. Update: Still remains a challenge."
"More integration with Python or something related to machine learning would be a good improvement."
"Areas for improvement would be visualization and augmented analytics. In the next release, I would like to see automated insights from the data added to the dashboard."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is pretty good."
"The tool's licensing costs are expensive."
"The pricing is high."
"Value-wise, the solution's pricing is good for the price that we pay."
"The solution is expensive."
"The product pricing is reasonable in terms of suitable features for business."
"The solution is cheaper than its alternatives."
"The solution is free to use for developers."
"Its price is higher than Power BI and QlikView. Tableau costs around $70 per user per month, whereas Power BI is around $8 to $9. QlikView is around $30. Tableau has various prices for various models such as Creator, Designer."
"It is a bit overpriced."
"The solution is very expensive. If you have many users then it is going to cost your company a lot of money."
"If they want to be competitive in the market, the price must be improved."
"Buy 50 at a time. Project your use base every three months, and project your requirements forward."
"The cost is high."
"It is reasonable based on what it offers."
"I rate the product price in the Indian region a seven to eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is a low price, and ten is a high price."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Reporting solutions are best for your needs.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Comparison Review

it_user6330 - PeerSpot reviewer
May 2, 2013
MicroStrategy vs. Tableau
After a recent presentation, several attendees asked me about the applications of Visual Insights and Tableau. Many companies are investing in both tools and are trying to figure out the right tool for specific applications Tableau has found its sweet-spot as an agile discovery tool that analysts…
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Government
11%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Educational Organization
38%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?
I mainly use the solution for the ease of reporting and for executive dashboards.
What needs improvement with Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?
They could improve the scalability and stability of SQL Server Reporting Services. I haven't used it recently, so I can't provide detailed suggestions on improvements.
Seeking lightweight open source BI software
It depends on the Data architecture and the complexity of your requirement. Some great tools in the market are Qlik Sense, Power BI, OBIEE, Tableau, etc. I have recently started using Cognos Enter...
Tableau vs. Business Objects - Which is a better solution for visualization and analysis?
Both tools have their positives and negatives. First, I should mention that I am relatively new to Tableau. I have been working on and off Tableau for about a year, but getting to work on it consta...
Which would you choose - Tableau or SAP Analytics Cloud?
Tableau is easy to set up and maintain. In about a day it is possible for the entire platform to be deployed for use. This relatively short amount of time can make all the difference for companies ...
 

Also Known As

SQL Server Reporting Services, Microsoft SSRS, SSRS, MS SQL Server Reporting Services
Tableau Desktop, Tableau Server, Tableau Online
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

CMS Wire, The New York Times
Accenture, Adobe, Amazon.com, Bank of America, Charles Schwab Corp, Citigroup, Coca-Cola Company, Cornell University, Dell, Deloitte, Duke University, eBay, Exxon Mobil, Fannie Mae, Ferrari, French Red Cross, Goldman Sachs, Google, Government of Canada, HP, Intel, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Macy's, Merck, The New York Times, PayPal, Pfizer, US Army, US Air Force, Skype, and Walmart.
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs. Tableau and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
856,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.