SAP Crystal Reports vs Tableau Enterprise vs XLCubed comparison

SAP and Salesforce are both solutions in the Reporting category. SAP is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.0, while Salesforce is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.2. SAP holds a 2.6% mindshare in RT, compared to Salesforce’s 15.6% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of SAP users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 90% of Salesforce users who would recommend it.

SAP Crystal Reports

Read 52 SAP Crystal Reports reviews

1,918 Views
1,592 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Tableau Enterprise

Read 309 Tableau Enterprise reviews

19,124 Views
8,606 Comparison Views

90% willing to recommend

XLCubed

Read 2 XLCubed reviews

439 Views
307 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

SAP Crystal Reports

Tableau Enterprise

XLCubed

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between SAP Crystal Reports, Tableau Enterprise, and XLCubed based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Salesforce, Domo and others in Reporting.

To learn more, read our detailed Reporting Report (Updated: January 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Reporting

January 2026

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Helped 881,757 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Reporting category, the mindshare of SAP Crystal Reports is 2.6%, down from 2.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Tableau Enterprise is 15.6%, down from 22.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of XLCubed is 0.9%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Reporting Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Tableau Enterprise	15.6%
SAP Crystal Reports	2.6%
XLCubed	0.9%
Other	80.9%

Reporting

Featured Reviews

Salman Mukhtar Baig

SAP Technical Manager at VS Furniture Middle East

Unlock data insights with seamless integration and robust reporting features

I assess the impact of SAP Crystal Reports' dynamic parameters on the customization and flexibility of my reports as very good. Sometimes it creates a problem when it suddenly closes during work due to improper shutdowns, but most of the time it's beneficial since I can fetch the data in one report very efficiently, which is great for the company. The sub reports in SAP Crystal Reports help me enhance the depth and detail of my reports by allowing me to use multiple sets of records, especially when I have very large requirements, such as company dashboards that show what sales, purchases, productions, and HR are doing. Using sub reports as the main report is very beneficial because I can pull multiple department data into the main report. Over the years, SAP Crystal Reports has had a very positive impact and benefits. It's a powerful tool to design any kind of report if you have knowledge of the database, and it can attach to both HANA and SQL databases. I can also connect this data with Excel, which makes it a very powerful tool for me.

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Uzair Faruqi

Head Of Analytics at Mjunction Services

Ease of developing dashboards and receiving strong technical support have enabled efficient data visualization

Introducing custom features, such as NLP-based reports, is not very good in Tableau. My MD has been asking us for a way to write in natural language to request reports that the system should generate, but that isn't very effective with Tableau. As a developer, I can develop an on-demand report in Python quite easily, but exposing a REST API on the Tableau platform is not a very easy task. AI enablement is an area for improvement for Tableau, and that is something they might have to work upon. I have heard that ThoughtSpot is quite better in this regard, but the cost of ThoughtSpot is much higher. ThoughtSpot has lots of natural language-based report generation features that Tableau lacks.

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it_user1391316

Head of Finance Systems at NHS

Cost effective with great capability, performance, flexibility and visuals

In general, we're happy with the solution but we're always looking to see what else is out there. The thing we've struggled with is our partnership with Tagetik UK, the consultants, and the issue we had gaining access to consultants to develop the solution on our behalf. Thankfully we connected directly with XLCubed and now have a pretty close and good relationship with them so the earlier problem we had of actually getting resources to help us develop has now been solved. One of the things that we've been asking for and would like as an additional feature is a sort of benchmarking functionality. The ability to be able to benchmark, directly against the company digital corporate numbers. That said, there seems to be improved functionality within the latest release that could help us develop that further.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I find Crystal Reports very easy to use, even for a non-technical person."

"The initial setup of the solution is pretty easy."

"The impact of SAP Crystal Reports' dynamic parameters significantly affects the customization and flexibility of reports, allowing adjustments to parameters based on client needs, such as date, users, and ledger views, ensuring data is correctly collected and formatted according to the client's requirements."

"We use SAP Crystal Reports for operational reporting."

"Over the years, SAP Crystal Reports has had a very positive impact and benefits; it's a powerful tool to design any kind of report if you have knowledge of the database, and it can attach to both HANA and SQL databases."

"It is an user-friendly solution."

"The overall environment is the best. Data management, graphs, and layout – everything is the best, in my opinion."

"Using SAP Crystal Reports had a strong impact on our organization; it saves significant time by automating routine reporting tasks and reduced manual effort in preparing customer letters and reports."

More SAP Crystal Reports pros

"Very user friendly."

"It is very easy to create dashboards, charts, and graphs."

"Tableau is saving me time, money, and resources, which I would rate as ten."

"The solution is configurable and flexible. We can customize the dashboards and configure the interface the way that we want. The data can be manipulated and arranged in different ways, such as columns."

"Partner support is very good."

"I have found many of the self-service features valuable."

"All features are valuable. It is very user-friendly, and it is mostly drag-and-drop. If we have the dataset available, then we can develop any dashboard very quickly."

"Data handling, visualizations, and aesthetics of it are the most valuable features."

More Tableau Enterprise pros

"Great capability, performance, flexibility, visuals, and the solution is also very cost effective."

"I am looking forward to testing their full graphics that are available, as they looked very interesting in the demo."

Cons

"The financing part needs improvement."

"Maybe some Power BI-related features could be added, like dashboards or direct editing in reports."

"SAP Crystal Reports has some compatibility issues with third-party products."

"It has significantly enhanced security features, especially when compared to the standard security features of the earlier PeerSpot version I purchased. I've observed improvements in security, and overall, it's quite commendable. Regarding potential enhancements for the next release of this solution, I haven't closely examined SAP Crystal Reports 53. I've only encountered it briefly, perhaps once or twice. However, I anticipate that it likely offers advanced features distinct from its predecessor. I believe there may be notable improvements and additions in the latest version, and I look forward to exploring them further."

"Customer support for SAP Crystal Reports is nonexistent."

"If at all possible, a little bit of improvement on the analytical side is needed."

"I rate SAP Crystal Reports a seven out of ten because while reports sometimes lack clarity due to varying data scenarios affecting comprehension, the backend learning experience with data is ongoing and highlights existing challenges."

"SAP Crystal Reports should provide better support for dynamic connectors."

More SAP Crystal Reports cons

"If they could add global filters in the stories, more chart types, and default colours, it would help."

"The performance could be better."

"The visualizations should be user-friendly and allow for more custom visualizations."

"The forecasting feature in Tableau in my view is too limited because it must have dates but I should be able to predict the outcome of an event without having a date as part of the input."

"The pricing is a bit higher than the competition. They'll need to lower it to stay competitive."

"The user story model is the most deceptive part of Tableau. It is a big marketing option, however, the reality is that it is not enough."

"Creating empty extracts is not easy."

"Improvements needed for Tableau Enterprise include simplifying the initialization setup and enhancing data refresh performance, especially when dealing with a large data set, where I can see delays."

More Tableau Enterprise cons

"Would like the ability to be able to benchmark."

"There should be a better or an easier way to establish that connection to external sources."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We pay fifteen hundred dollars as licensing fee."

"SAP Crystal Reports is a very expensive solution."

"The cost of licensing can be a significant factor to consider when upgrading or transitioning to a new version of SAP Crystal Reports. It's important to evaluate the benefits and features offered by the new version against the associated costs to ensure it aligns with your organization's needs and budget."

"I feel that SAP Crystal Reports is a reasonably priced product."

"This product costs a lot of money."

"The cost of the solution should be improved."

"It is more expensive than other solutions."

"It is fairly expensive. I have no idea what they paid. We were on an enterprise license, so whatever it is they licensed at the enterprise level is what we paid."

"The price of Tableau is high, although there are different types of licenses available."

"Tableau has core-based and user-based licensing, and it is tied to scalability. The core-based licensing is about you buying a certain number of cores, and there is no restriction on the number of users who can use Tableau. The restriction is only on the number of cores. In user-based subscription licensing, there is a restriction on the number of users. Big companies and government organizations with a lot of users typically go for core-based licensing. User-based subscription licensing is a more common model. It has user roles such as creator, explorer, and viewer. A creator is someone who does the groundwork or development work. An explorer is someone who is into middle management but is not technically savvy, such as a category head. A viewer is like a typical decision-maker in senior management. For each role, Tableau is priced differently. The viewer role has the minimum price, and the creator role has the highest price. This pricing is available on their website. Everybody can see it."

"It is a bit difficult for some people when they hear $70.00 per month, as some solutions are available for less than $10.00 or for free."

"Buy 50 at a time. Project your use base every three months, and project your requirements forward."

"Tableau can be costly (but this can be indefinable, such as user experience vs. cheaper etc.)"

More Tableau Enterprise pricing and cost advice

"14,000 Pounds per year for licensing."

"I am still using the two-week trial, but at first sight, the price is reasonable."

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Comparison Review

it_user6330

Product Manager at a retailer with 10,001+ employees

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…

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

11%

Government

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

14%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

10%

University

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	18
Midsize Enterprise	15
Large Enterprise	22

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	117
Midsize Enterprise	67
Large Enterprise	184

No data available

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with SAP Crystal Reports?

SAP Crystal Reports could be improved with more modern user-friendly interfaces and better integration with cloud pla...

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What is your primary use case for SAP Crystal Reports?

I have been using SAP Crystal Reports for six months. I am using SAP Crystal Reports to develop data-driven reports a...

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What do you like most about SAP Crystal Reports?

We use SAP Crystal Reports for operational reporting.

See all answers

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 ...

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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 be...

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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....

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Comparisons

Microsoft Power BI vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 13% of the time

Windward Core vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 10% of the time

Syncfusion Report Platform vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 8% of the time

TIBCO Jaspersoft vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 7% of the time

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Microsoft Power BI vs Tableau Enterprise

Compared 17% of the time

Domo vs Tableau Enterprise

Compared 7% of the time

Amazon QuickSight vs Tableau Enterprise

Compared 4% of the time

Julius AI vs Tableau Enterprise

Compared 3% of the time

Databricks vs Tableau Enterprise

Compared 3% of the time

More Tableau Enterprise Competitors

Microsoft Power BI vs XLCubed

Compared 55% of the time

More XLCubed Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

SAP Crystals

January 2026

Download SAP Crystal Reports product report

Buyer's Guide

Tableau Enterprise

January 2026

Download Tableau Enterprise product report

Buyer's Guide

Reporting

January 2026

Download XLCubed product report

Also Known As

No data available

Tableau Desktop, Tableau Server, Tableau Online

No data available

Overview

Turn information from almost any data source into a sophisticated, interactive report with SAP Crystal Reports. This powerful, user-friendly application for small businesses and departments can help you deliver key insights to the right decision maker, at the right time, in the right format.

Click here for a free trial

SAP

Tableau Enterprise offers powerful features for creating interactive visualizations, dashboards, and maps, including drag-and-drop functionality and easy integration with multiple data sources, promoting real-time collaboration and self-service analysis.

Tableau Enterprise stands out with its ability to create user-friendly, interactive visualizations, making it pivotal for business intelligence applications. Users benefit from its seamless connectivity and advanced analytical functions, facilitating data blending and storytelling. Despite a complex learning curve and high licensing costs, its features like geospatial analysis and efficient content distribution drive its indispensable value for data-driven insights. Enhancements in predictive analytics and support integration with machine learning tools further its capabilities across industries.

What are the most valuable features?

Interactive Visualizations: Enables users to create engaging reports.
Drag-and-Drop Functionality: Simplifies data analysis processes.
Data Integration: Offers seamless connectivity with multiple sources.
Real-Time Collaboration: Supports synchronous data sharing.
Advanced Analytics: Provides predictive analytics and geospatial analysis.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Informed Decision-Making: Facilitates data-driven insights.
Efficiency in Reporting: Streamlines dashboard and reporting tasks.
Cost-Effectiveness: Despite high licensing, value in robust analytics tools.
Customizable Options: Tailors analytics to specific needs.

Tableau Enterprise is widely used for business intelligence, supporting industries like healthcare, telecommunications, and finance. Organizations utilize it to analyze performance indicators, operational insights, and financial analytics, enhancing decision-making through interactive reports and real-time data integration.

Salesforce

Produce insightful, interactive reports on, company-wide metrics for any business audience. Now all in Excel.
Pixel-perfect financial reporting with the skill sets you already have. No IT required.
Meet XLCubed: The data-connected Excel add-in for all your reporting needs.

Fluence Technologies

Sample Customers

City of Buenos Aires, ASR Group, Citrix, EarlySense, Usha International Limited, Automotive Resources International (ARI), LivePerson, Coelba (Grupo Neoenergia), RZD Russian Railways, National Basketball Association - NBA, TALLY WEiJL, El Machetazo, Young Heroes, Mozzart, Mitsui Knowledge Industry (MKI) , Surgutneftegas Open Joint Stock Company, The VELUX Group, AOK Bundesverband, AL-KO KOBER GROUP

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.

Marshalls Ltd, BP Exploration and Production, Thorntons, Ted Baker, Bristol-Myers, Rank Group, ING Bank Genve, Cargill Value Investment, Chloride Power, Auchan, Erste, UEFA, Novartis, Porsche Informatik, Raiffeisen Bank International

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, Salesforce, Domo and others in Reporting. Updated: January 2026.

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