Tableau Desktop vs Public vs Server vs Cloud - Business Scenario Comparison

Scenario Mode

👤 Your Role: You are a business intelligence analyst at a mid-sized company.

📋 Request: Your manager wants a clear comparison of Tableau Desktop, Tableau Public, Tableau Server, and Tableau Cloud to decide which tool fits the company's needs best.

📊 Data: You have a table listing features, access types, data privacy, cost, and typical use cases for each Tableau product.

🎯 Deliverable: Create a simple dashboard that compares these four Tableau products side-by-side, highlighting key differences to help the manager make an informed decision.

Sample Data

Product	Access Type	Data Privacy	Cost	Typical Use Case
Tableau Desktop	Installed Software	Private, local data	Paid License	Authoring and creating reports
Tableau Public	Free, Cloud-based	Public data only	Free	Sharing visualizations publicly
Tableau Server	On-premises Server	Private, controlled by company	Paid License	Sharing and collaboration inside company
Tableau Cloud	Cloud-hosted Service	Private, managed by Tableau	Paid Subscription	Cloud sharing and collaboration

1

Step 1: Create a table visualization with columns: Product, Access Type, Data Privacy, Cost, Typical Use Case.

Use the sample data table as the data source. Drag 'Product' to Rows and the other columns to Text or Detail in the view.

Expected Result

A clear table showing all four Tableau products with their features side-by-side.

2

Step 2: Add color coding to the 'Cost' column to differentiate free vs paid options.

Create a calculated field: IF [Cost] = 'Free' THEN 'Green' ELSE 'Red' END. Use this field to color the Cost text.

Expected Result

'Free' costs appear in green, 'Paid License' or 'Paid Subscription' appear in red.

3

Step 3: Add a highlight or icon next to 'Data Privacy' to show if data is public or private.

Create a calculated field: IF CONTAINS([Data Privacy], 'Public') THEN '🌐' ELSE '🔒' END. Place this icon next to Data Privacy text.

Expected Result

Public data rows show a globe icon, private data rows show a lock icon.

4

Step 4: Create a dashboard combining the table with a short text box summarizing key differences.

Add the table worksheet and a text box with bullet points: - Desktop is for creating reports locally. - Public is free but data is public. - Server is for internal sharing on company servers. - Cloud is Tableau-hosted sharing with subscription.

Expected Result

Dashboard clearly compares the four products with visual cues and summary text.

5

Step 5: Publish the dashboard to Tableau Public or Tableau Server for sharing with your manager.

Use Tableau's publish feature to upload the dashboard to the appropriate platform.

Expected Result

Manager can access the dashboard online and review the comparison easily.

Final Result

-------------------------------------------------------------
| Product        | Access Type        | Data Privacy | Cost              |
-------------------------------------------------------------
| Tableau Desktop| Installed Software | 🔒 Private  | 🔴 Paid License    |
| Tableau Public | Free, Cloud-based  | 🌐 Public   | 🟢 Free           |
| Tableau Server | On-premises Server | 🔒 Private  | 🔴 Paid License    |
| Tableau Cloud  | Cloud-hosted       | 🔒 Private  | 🔴 Paid Subscription |
-------------------------------------------------------------

Summary:
- Desktop: Create reports locally.
- Public: Free, public data only.
- Server: Internal sharing on company servers.
- Cloud: Tableau-hosted sharing with subscription.

✓Tableau Desktop is best for creating and authoring reports privately on your computer.

✓Tableau Public is free but all data and visualizations are public.

✓Tableau Server allows secure sharing inside the company on your own servers.

✓Tableau Cloud offers cloud-hosted sharing with subscription and managed privacy.

Bonus Challenge

Create an interactive filter on the dashboard to show only free or paid Tableau products.

Show Hint

Use a parameter or filter on the 'Cost' field to let users select 'Free' or 'Paid' and update the table accordingly.