xmetric vs Tableau Public: when your data can't be public (2026)

Chart a private CSV without publishing it

Drop the CSV you would have put on Tableau Public. xmetric reads every row in this browser (the CSV chart accepts up to 160 MiB and 3.5 million rows, or 32 MiB on low-memory or unknown-memory devices) and draws a first chart; change the grouping or the measure with one click. Nothing is uploaded and there's no account.

Choose a CSV

No file loaded yet. You can also drop a CSV on this box.

Downloaded a workbook from Tableau Public? Look inside it

Drop the .twbx to see its sheets, dashboards and data sources, every calculated field with its formula, and the data files packaged inside, ready to save. It's read in this browser, not uploaded.

Choose a workbook

No file loaded yet. You can also drop a workbook on this box.

xmetric and Tableau Public, side by side

	xmetric	Tableau Public
Who can see your data	In your browser. Files are not uploaded. source	Workbooks and data published to a Tableau Public profile are not private: anyone can interact with the views or download the workbooks and data sources. source
What's free	Free in your browser. No account needed to open a file. source	Free platform to publish vizzes publicly; free Tableau Desktop Public Edition (Windows and Mac) can also save workbooks locally. source
Tableau's private free option	Saving a workbook online and sharing a link need a free account. source	Not confirmed on the vendor's site (checked 2026-10-17)
Sharing	Sign in to save a workbook online and share a view-only link. Co-editing is coming. Files you don't save stay in your browser. source	Each view on Tableau Public has a Share button that gives code to embed it in a web page. source
Opening a .twbx	Opens .twbx and .twb in the browser app with dashboards, quick filters and filter actions working, plus sheets, data sources, formulas and packaged extracts. source	Yes, native format. Opens in Tableau Desktop or Tableau Reader. source

Tableau Public facts are taken from Tableau's own pages and were checked on 2026-10-18. Each cell links to its source.

Where Tableau Public is the better choice

You want people to see it. A portfolio, a data story, a public dataset: Tableau Public hosts it for free, and Each view on Tableau Public has a Share button that gives code to embed it in a web page. source xmetric can't publish anything.
You want real Tableau, privately, at no cost. Tableau Desktop Free Edition: full Desktop analytics for one person, stored locally; no publishing, online sharing or sharing packaged workbooks. source On Windows or Mac, that's Tableau without the publishing.
Dashboards. Tableau Public and Tableau Desktop build full dashboards today. xmetric draws a first chart from a CSV and reads what's in a workbook; building dashboards is in development.
Learning Tableau for a job. Practising in Tableau itself teaches the exact product hiring managers ask for.

Where xmetric fits

Nothing leaves the tab. Your CSV or workbook is read by code running in this page. No upload, no profile, no account.
Nothing to install. It works in a browser on Linux, a Chromebook or a locked-down work laptop, where Tableau can't be installed.
Every formula in a public workbook. Download a .twbx from Tableau Public and see each calculated field the author wrote, in one table.
Test a calculation on your own rows. The formula playground runs a Tableau calculation and shows the SQL behind it, and calculation errors lets you test a fix on your own CSV.

If your data can't be public, pick by this

You need Tableau dashboards and can install software on Windows or Mac: Tableau Desktop Free Edition. Your files stay local; it can't publish or share packaged workbooks.
You need a quick chart of a confidential CSV, on any computer, now: the box at the top of this page.
Your team has to share private dashboards: a paid Tableau Cloud or Tableau Server deployment (a Creator seat is $75 per user/month, billed annually). In xmetric you can share a view-only link; co-editing is coming.
You want the world to see it: Tableau Public.

What "public" means on Tableau Public

Saving to Tableau Public isn't a private save with a share button. The publishing step makes an extract of your data and puts the workbook on your profile, where anyone can interact with the views or download the workbook and its data source. The free Desktop Public Edition can also save a workbook to your computer source, but anything you publish from it is public. If the data came from work, ask whoever owns it before it goes anywhere near your profile.

Questions people ask

Is Tableau Public safe for confidential data?

No. Workbooks and data published to a Tableau Public profile are not private: anyone can interact with the views or download the workbooks and data sources. For private work, use Tableau Desktop Free Edition, which stores files locally, or read the file in a browser tool that doesn't upload it, like the one on this page.

Can I save a Tableau Public workbook to my computer?

Yes. Free platform to publish vizzes publicly; free Tableau Desktop Public Edition (Windows and Mac) can also save workbooks locally.

Does xmetric upload my CSV?

No. The file is read by code running in your browser tab. You can load this page, disconnect from the network, and then open the file.

Can xmetric build the dashboard I would have built on Tableau Public?

Not yet. Today it draws a first chart from a CSV, regroups it in one click, and reads everything inside a .twbx. Building views with shelves and dashboards is in development.

Chart a private CSV above, or read xmetric vs Tableau for Desktop and paid seats.

Sources, checked 2026-10-18

Prices and features of Tableau on this page were checked against these pages on 2026-10-18. Prices change; the vendor's page is the final word.

xmetric is an independent project, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Salesforce, Inc. Tableau is a trademark of Salesforce, Inc. The name is used only to identify the product being compared.