For example, while Alteryx users need to build a formula to alter and cleanse a data point Tableau users can simply click and rename the data in the data step and Tableau Prep will do the rest. Alteryx’s is much more functional, putting the tool at the heart of the analysis, while Tableau puts the data at the heart of the flow with in-line charts and data-steps built directly from interactions with the data. Tableau Prep, on the other hand, needs slightly more complex tricks to perform these functions, which could include using Python or R scripts in the flow.įor Alteryx users, used to these functions, this makes taking the step “backward” into Tableau Prep difficult, though new users are perhaps less inclined to miss such functionality if they step directly into Prep.įunctionality Clearly Alteryx offers a much richer set of analytical functions, right up to data science tools, but for Data Preparation users both tools offer similar experiences. This means functions like adding Record IDs, “Cursor” type functions (looking at the previous/next row in a formula) and other functions that need an intrinsic record order are simple in Alteryx. Tableau opts for a set-based engine, meaning data-sets are processed in bulk while Alteryx processes data row-by-row. How do the two stack up for those wishing to prepare their data for analysis?įoundations At their hearts Tableau and Alteryx offer fundamentally different approaches to processing data under the hood. Tableau users have historically turned to Alteryx for their data preparation needs and so the introduction of Tableau Prep offers users a new choice in data prep tools. The Alteryx roadmap features very much on improvements to its Server product and more advanced analytics capabilities meaning development on data preparation in the product appears to be all but complete. Other customers use Alteryx as a lightweight ETL tool for running line of business ETL into Tableau and SQL Databases.Īlteryx’s price tag of $5,195 (£4,195), at the time of writing, for an annual licence doesn’t stop customers adopting en-mass, with deployments of hundreds of licences in large enterprise organisations not unusual, although the median deployment size is likely to be in single digits given their appeal across a wide base right down to small single-user tactical implementations.Īutomation and scheduling in Alteryx are performed via the Alteryx Server product $58,500 (£46,750) a year, at the time of writing providing both scheduling of workflows and Analytical Apps - dynamic processes run by Server users who can input variables such as values, strings, and locations to run analytics on. Data Preparation use cases are often relatively simple, replacing crude, lengthy Excel processes with robust and automated workflows which can be error checked and tweaked, often with impressive savings of many hours or days of effort. While Alteryx offers tools for the citizen “data scientist” it is its self-service data preparation tools where customers see more immediate value and the vast majority of them use Alteryx solely for its data preparation, saving their longer-term aspirations for its data science capabilities. Boasting well over 200 tools it gives users the choice of running their analysis “in-database” (taking advantage of database performance) or locally (pulling data to the local machine) - the latter offering a much broader range of functionality. I hadn’t intended to use this post for long articles on single subjects but we very rarely see discussions or comparisons of the two tools from users, though I discuss it almost weekly, and so I thought I’d dive in and offer some thoughts on the similarities, differences and where each tool is heading.Īlteryx is a tool with a long pedigree that goes well beyond “simple” data preparation, Alteryx is an Advanced Analytics tool offering geospatial and predictive/prescriptive machine learning algorithms. I thought I’d start the series with a few thoughts on Alteryx and Tableau Prep, a subject I’m often asked on in my position as both a Tableau Zen Master and Alteryx ACE. Welcome to #DataDump my weekly overview of all things data.
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