Tableau is a mature, enterprise-focused analytics platform with advanced visualization capabilities and broader data connector support, while Sigma is a cloud-native, collaborative alternative designed for modern teams that prioritizes ease of use and real-time data exploration with lower total cost of ownership.
Tableau vs Sigma — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Enterprise business intelligence and data visualization platform owned by Salesforce.
Cloud-native collaborative analytics platform designed for self-service data exploration and business intelligence.
Pricing Model. Cloud-Native Architecture. Data Connectors Available. Mobile App Support. No-Code Query Building. Enterprise SSO & Security Certifications. Market Share in Enterprise Analytics
Choose Tableau if you need an enterprise-grade solution with extensive data connectors, mobile apps, and regulatory certifications for large organizations with dedicated analytics teams. Choose Sigma if you prioritize affordability, ease of use, collaborative workflows, and are deploying cloud-native analytics for modern teams that value self-service exploration without extensive training.
Tableau: Limited - Requires workarounds | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Role-based permissions system | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Steep (weeks of training) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Limited - separate tool | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Tableau Server - robust | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: $70 per user (Creator), $39 per user (Viewer) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: No (14-day trial only) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: 8-40 hours (Desktop + skill curve) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: $50,000-150,000+ annually (50 users) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Standard across all tiers | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Cloud, On-premise (Enterprise only) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: SAML, OIDC, Kerberos, Active Directory | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: $5,600 (10 users × $560/user/year) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: 100+ native connectors | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: 60-120 minutes average | Sigma: N/A
Annual Per-User License Cost (Standard Edition)
Maximum Concurrent Users per Server License
Tableau: Unlimited (named licenses) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: $840 (12 × $70/user minimum) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Limited (API-based) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Basic (requires API/webhooks) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Excellent (statistical graphics) | Sigma: N/A
Enterprise Annual License Cost (Single Server)
Tableau: 30-60 (requires training) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: API-based (manual) | Sigma: N/A
Typical Enterprise Implementation Timeline
Tableau: Manual optimization required | Sigma: N/A
Learning Curve (Hours to First Dashboard)
Tableau: 4-8 hours (business user) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Available with separate licensing tier | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: No native semantic layer, custom solutions needed | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: 100+ visualizations | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: 5/10 (connection-based) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Multi-tenant Cloud, On-Premise, Hybrid | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: 70+ native connectors | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: $840 per Creator user | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: 2-4 weeks (self-service ready) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Beginner-friendly (visual interface) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: 95% of desktop features | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Optional add-on (Tableau Catalog) - limited | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Average 2,500ms for 100M rows | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Yes (iOS/Android with offline) | Sigma: No (web-responsive only)
Tableau: 3-5 seconds (average) | Sigma: 2-3 seconds (average)
Tableau: Yes (moderate and high levels) | Sigma: No
Tableau: Limited (basic workbook sharing) | Sigma: Full (simultaneous editing, comments, version history)
Tableau: 100+ visualization types | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Semantic layer with visual definition | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Full iOS and Android apps with offline capabilities | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Billions (no limit) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Automatic (configurable intervals) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: 0.5-1 hour (drag-and-drop) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: 80+ (visual analytics focused) | Sigma: N/A
Tableau: Native with full permissions | Sigma: N/A
Enterprise Monthly Cost Per User (500+ users)
Tableau: N/A | Sigma: Beginner (spreadsheet familiar)
Tableau: N/A | Sigma: Yes (live simultaneous)
Tableau: N/A | Sigma: View-only primarily
Tableau: N/A | Sigma: Limited (spreadsheet UI only)
Tableau: N/A | Sigma: Basic role-based access control
Tableau: N/A | Sigma: Unlimited (query-based on warehouse)
Concurrent User Seats Included in Base Plan
Tableau: N/A | Sigma: Up to 3 viewers per seat (Team plan)
Tableau vs Sigma — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Tableau vs Sigma. Contains 116 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Tableau vs Sigma — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Tableau vs Sigma.
Which is better for non-technical business users?
Sigma is significantly better for non-technical users. It uses a familiar spreadsheet interface that requires zero SQL knowledge, with most users becoming productive within 4-8 hours. Tableau requires 40-60 hours of training and SQL proficiency, making it better suited for technical analysts and data engineers.
Can I use Tableau or Sigma with Snowflake and BigQuery?
Both platforms support Snowflake and BigQuery. Tableau has native connectors with advanced optimization features. Sigma is purpose-built for cloud data warehouses and offers real-time querying on Snowflake/BigQuery with no data movement required. Sigma's approach is generally faster for modern cloud-native environments.
What's the total cost of ownership over 3 years for 50 Creator users?
Tableau: 50 users × $1,080/year × 3 years = $162,000 plus implementation ($20,000-$40,000) = ~$182,000-$202,000 total. Sigma: 50 users × $348/year × 3 years = $52,200 plus minimal setup ($2,000-$5,000) = ~$54,200-$57,200 total. Sigma costs approximately 73% less over 3 years.
Does Sigma have mobile app support like Tableau?
No. Tableau has native iOS and Android apps with offline capability and full dashboard interactivity. Sigma only offers mobile web access through responsive design, which provides basic viewing but not the full interactive experience of native apps. This is a significant gap for organizations requiring mobile-first analytics.
Which platform is better for government and regulated industries?
Tableau is the clear choice for government and regulated industries. It holds FedRAMP certification at both moderate and high impact levels, HIPAA compliance, and SOC 2 Type II certification. Sigma has SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA but lacks FedRAMP, making it ineligible for many government contracts and classified environments.
Pricing Model: Tableau has $70-$110/user/month (Creator/Explorer), while Sigma has $8-$50/user/month (Team/Pro).
Cloud-Native Architecture: Tableau has Hybrid (on-premise and cloud), while Sigma has Cloud-only (Sigma Cloud).
Data Connectors Available: Tableau has 150+ connectors, while Sigma has 80+ connectors.
Mobile App Support: Tableau has Full-featured mobile apps (iOS/Android), while Sigma has Mobile web responsive only.
No-Code Query Building: Tableau has Requires some SQL/technical knowledge, while Sigma has Fully no-code, spreadsheet-like interface.
Consider: Enterprise SSO & Security Certifications
Enterprise SSO & Security Certifications: Tableau has SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP, HIPAA certified, while Sigma has SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA certified (no FedRAMP).
Consider: Market Share in Enterprise Analytics
Market Share in Enterprise Analytics: Tableau has 28% global market share (2024), while Sigma has 3-5% estimated market share (2024).