I recently had a chance to try Tableau Next, and in this blog, I want to share some differences between Tableau Desktop and Tableau Next. This might help you decide which one fits your needs better.
Tableau Desktop
Tableau Desktop is a locally installed application. It’s very powerful for building dashboards and analyzing data. You can connect to many data sources, create detailed visualizations, and have full control over your work.
Tableau Next
Tableau Next is different. It’s cloud-based and works inside the Salesforce ecosystem. Here are the main things I noticed:
- Works in a browser – no installation needed.
- Feels like Tableau, but some parts are different from Desktop.
- AI features – for example, the Concierge agent for conversational analytics.
- Semantic Model – it keeps metrics and definitions consistent, so everyone uses the same numbers.
- Integration with Salesforce apps – you can create and see analytics directly inside Salesforce.
- Drag-and-drop analytics – similar to Tableau Desktop, but within the cloud environment.
My First Thoughts
Using Tableau Next for the first time felt familiar but new at the same time. It’s easy to get started if you know Tableau, and it’s interesting to see how cloud, AI, and Salesforce integration work together. For companies already using Salesforce, it can be very useful.