Qlik Sense vs Redash: What are the differences?

Introduction

Qlik Sense and Redash are two popular business intelligence tools that are used for data visualization and analysis. Despite having similar purposes, they have key differences that set them apart from each other.

1. Data Sources and Connectivity: Qlik Sense allows users to easily connect to a wide range of data sources, including databases, files, and cloud services, making it versatile for various data integration needs. On the other hand, Redash offers limited connectivity options, primarily focusing on databases and some third-party services, which may restrict the types of data sources users can work with.

2. User Interface and Dashboard Design: Qlik Sense provides a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface for creating visually appealing and interactive dashboards without the need for extensive coding skills. In contrast, Redash requires users to write SQL queries to generate visualizations, which may be challenging for non-technical users and limit the flexibility in dashboard design.

3. Collaboration and Sharing Features: Qlik Sense offers robust collaboration features, allowing multiple users to collaborate on the same dashboard in real-time and share insights easily with others within the organization. Redash, on the other hand, does not provide as extensive collaboration capabilities, making it less suitable for teams that require frequent collaboration on data analysis projects.

4. License and Pricing Model: Qlik Sense follows a subscription-based pricing model, where users pay for licenses based on the number of users and features required. In contrast, Redash is an open-source tool with a self-hosted option, making it a cost-effective choice for organizations that prefer a free or self-managed solution.

5. Customization and Extensibility: Qlik Sense offers extensive customization options, allowing users to create custom themes, extensions, and integrations to tailor the tool to their specific needs. Redash, while customizable to some extent, has more limitations in terms of extensibility and may not provide as much flexibility for advanced customization.

6. Scalability and Performance: Qlik Sense is known for its enterprise-level scalability, capable of handling large amounts of data and complex analytics tasks efficiently. Redash, while suitable for smaller-scale projects, may face limitations in performance and scalability when dealing with extensive datasets or high user volumes.

In Summary, Qlik Sense and Redash differ in terms of data connectivity, dashboard design, collaboration features, pricing model, customization options, and scalability, making each tool better suited for specific use cases and user preferences.