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Qlik

Business Intelligence (BI)

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★★★★☆ 4.4 / 5 on G2 · 4.4 on Capterra (600+ G2 reviews)
4.4 / 5
G2 rating, 600+ reviews [source]
Associative
Engine [source]
$20
Per user from / mo [source]
+ data
Integration [source]

Quick facts

CategoryAssociative BI and analytics
VendorQlik
Starts atFrom ~$20/user/mo
Best forAssociative analytics
DeploymentCloud, on premise
Free planNo; trial available
IntegrationsData integration, sources
G2 rating4.4 / 5
Capterra rating4.4 / 5

What is Qlik?

Qlik is a BI platform with a distinctive associative engine that lets users explore data freely in any direction, with strong data integration, suited to teams wanting flexible, exploratory analytics. Its signature associative engine indexes relationships across all data so users can click and explore in any direction, instantly seeing what is associated and, importantly, what is not (unlike query based tools that follow predefined paths), revealing hidden insights. Qlik (with Qlik Sense) offers interactive dashboards, self service exploration, and strong data integration and preparation (Qlik also has a data integration business), plus AI. Long established and used across enterprises, Qlik suits teams that want powerful, flexible, exploratory analytics and strong data handling. For associative analytics, Qlik is a leading choice.

Qlik's distinction is its associative engine for free, exploratory analysis in any direction. Unlike query based tools that follow set paths, Qlik's engine lets users explore associations across all data freely and see what is and is not related, surfacing insights others miss, combined with strong data integration, which standard BI tools do not match for associative exploration. That associative engine and data integration set it apart.

Qlik at a glanceQlik is a BI platform with a distinctive associative engine for free data exploration [Qlik]. It holds a 4.4 out of 5 rating across more than 600 reviews on G2 and 4.4 on Capterra, a leading choice for associative analytics.

Who Qlik is best for

Qlik is best for teams and enterprises that want powerful, flexible, exploratory analytics with its associative engine (free exploration in any direction) and strong data integration, especially where surfacing hidden associations matters. It suits associative analytics. It is a weaker fit for those wanting the cheapest all round BI, where Power BI fits, the best visual analytics, where Tableau fits, a modeled governed layer, where Looker fits, or search and AI self service, where ThoughtSpot fits.

Key features

The core strengths are the associative engine (free exploration in any direction, seeing related and unrelated data), interactive dashboards and self service, strong data integration and preparation, on premise or cloud deployment, and AI (Qlik AutoML, Insight Advisor). Qlik offers flexible, associative analytics with strong data handling. Its associative engine and data integration are its defining advantages.

Qlik pricing

Qlik (Qlik Sense) is priced per user, from around 20 US dollars per user a month (standard), with higher tiers and enterprise and capacity options, plus separate Qlik data integration products. So cost scales with users and tier. Confirm details on the Qlik pricing page.

Integrations and ecosystem

Qlik integrates with many data sources and has strong data integration and preparation capabilities (a distinct Qlik strength), plus AI and an ecosystem. Its strong data integration and connectivity, which prepare and unite data for associative analysis, are a signature strength alongside the engine.

Qlik and associative exploration

The associative engine for free, exploratory analysis in any direction is the signature strength: unlike query based tools following set paths, Qlik lets users explore associations across all data freely and see what is and is not related, surfacing insights others miss, with strong data integration, which standard BI tools do not match. For associative analytics, this is the main reason to choose Qlik.

Ease of use and support

Qlik is well rated for its associative engine, exploration, data integration and dashboards, with enterprise support, long established, though reviewers note a learning curve and that its approach differs from mainstream query based tools. Its G2 reviews praise the associative engine and data handling, with the learning curve the main consideration.

Is Qlik worth it?

For teams and enterprises that want powerful, flexible, exploratory analytics via the associative engine and strong data integration, Qlik is an excellent choice. The main caution is a learning curve and a different approach from mainstream tools, so all round value suits Power BI, visual analytics Tableau, governed modeling Looker, and search and AI ThoughtSpot, but for associative analytics Qlik leads.

Pricing

Standard

$20
per user / month
  • Associative analytics
  • Dashboards
  • Teams

Premium / Enterprise

Quote
capacity / users
  • More capacity
  • Advanced and AI
  • Scale

Data Integration

Quote
separate
  • Data pipelines
  • Integration
  • Add on

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Distinctive associative engine
  • Free, exploratory analysis
  • Strong data integration
  • Interactive dashboards
  • On premise or cloud

Cons

  • Learning curve
  • Different approach from mainstream tools
  • Pricing scales with users and capacity
  • Smaller mindshare than Power BI/Tableau

Qlik alternatives

These business intelligence tools come up most often against Qlik.

Microsoft Power BI

Market-leading BI and data visualization

Tableau

Visual analytics leader owned by Salesforce

Looker

Google Cloud's governed BI and modeling platform

Qlik FAQ

What is Qlik used for?
Qlik is used for business intelligence and analytics: its associative engine lets users explore data freely in any direction, seeing related and unrelated data, with interactive dashboards, self service exploration and strong data integration, for flexible, exploratory analytics that surface hidden insights.
How much does Qlik cost?
Qlik (Qlik Sense) is priced per user, from around 20 US dollars per user a month (standard), with higher tiers and enterprise and capacity options, plus separate data integration products. See the Qlik pricing page.
What is Qlik's associative engine?
Qlik's associative engine indexes relationships across all your data, so you can click and explore in any direction and instantly see what is associated and what is not, revealing hidden insights, unlike query based tools that follow predefined paths, which is Qlik's signature strength.
Qlik vs Power BI, which is better?
Qlik offers a distinctive associative engine for free, exploratory analysis and strong data integration, while Power BI is affordable, all round and Microsoft integrated. Qlik suits flexible associative exploration; Power BI suits all round, affordable BI.
Does Qlik do data integration?
Yes. Qlik has strong data integration and preparation capabilities (a distinct part of its business), alongside its analytics, so it can unite, prepare and analyse data, which is a notable strength for organisations needing both data handling and BI.
Is Qlik good for data exploration?
Yes. Qlik's associative engine is specifically designed for free, flexible data exploration, letting users explore associations in any direction and spot what is and is not related, which surfaces insights that query based tools following set paths can miss.

External links