If you’re running a B2B go-to-market team—sales, marketing, or revenue ops—you’ve probably stared down a mess of dashboards, data exports, and “look at this chart!” emails. You want answers, not another BI tool that needs its own support group. This guide compares Domo to other top business intelligence platforms, focusing on what actually matters for B2B teams trying to hit targets, not just make pretty graphs.
We’ll keep it honest: what works, what’s hype, and what’s just not worth your time.
Why B2B Go-to-Market Teams Need More Than Fancy Charts
Let’s cut through the noise. For B2B go-to-market teams, BI tools have to do more than just visualize data. You need to:
- Pull together sales, marketing, product, and customer data—without a PhD in integrations.
- Enable non-technical folks to get insights (not just your two “data people”).
- Actually help you make decisions. If you can’t act on the data, it’s just expensive wallpaper.
Most platforms check some boxes. Few nail all three. So, how does Domo compare to Power BI, Tableau, and Looker when it comes to real-world needs?
The Contenders
Let’s briefly get our players on the field:
- Domo: Cloud-native BI with a big focus on connecting everything and making dashboards simple for non-analysts.
- Power BI (Microsoft): Tight with the Microsoft stack, affordable, and everywhere in enterprises.
- Tableau (Salesforce): Visualization powerhouse, now with deeper CRM hooks since Salesforce bought it.
- Looker (Google Cloud): Modern, developer-friendly BI, strong on modeling and data governance, but less plug-and-play.
Each has strengths, but none are perfect. Let’s dig in.
1. Data Integration: Getting All Your Stuff in One Place
Domo’s pitch: “Connect any data, anywhere, no IT required.” In practice, Domo has hundreds of prebuilt connectors (Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, Google Ads, Snowflake, etc.), and getting marketing and sales data talking usually takes minutes, not days. Non-technical users can set up simple syncs, but if you have custom stuff or on-prem systems, you’ll still need IT (or a consultant).
Power BI: Loves Microsoft data sources (Dynamics, Excel, Azure), but third-party connectors can be clunky. If your world is mostly Microsoft, it’s great. Mix in Salesforce or Marketo, and you’ll hit friction.
Tableau: Connects to just about anything, but most connectors are less user-friendly. You’ll often need to know your way around SQL, especially for anything complex.
Looker: Very strong for cloud warehouse data (BigQuery, Redshift, Snowflake), but marketing and sales SaaS connectors are usually DIY or require paid add-ons. Looker expects you have a data team.
Pro tip: If your sales and marketing stack is a zoo, Domo’s connectors save you a lot of pain. If everything’s already in a data warehouse, Looker or Tableau are just as good (and sometimes cheaper).
2. Usability: Can Sales and Marketing Actually Use It?
Domo: Built for non-technical users. The interface is clean, and you can build dashboards with drag-and-drop. It’s not as pretty as Tableau, but it’s fast, and most sales/marketing folks can use it without training. Sharing is easy—send a link, schedule reports, or set up alerts.
Power BI: If you’ve used Excel, you’ll pick it up. But building and publishing dashboards can get confusing, especially with “Power BI Desktop” vs. “Power BI Service.” Non-analysts can get lost.
Tableau: Gorgeous visuals and lots of flexibility. But there’s a learning curve. Non-analysts usually need templates or someone to set things up for them.
Looker: Not really for end-users to build their own stuff. It shines for data analysts who want reusable, governed data models. Business users mostly consume dashboards, not create them.
Pro tip: For B2B teams where sales and marketing need to self-serve, Domo is the least painful. Power BI is okay if your users are Excel-savvy. Tableau and Looker are best when you have a data team to “serve up” dashboards.
3. Collaboration and Alerts: Turning Data Into Action
Domo: Collaboration is baked in. You can comment on charts, assign tasks, and set up alerts for when metrics change. There’s even a “Buzz” chat feature. Some teams love it; others ignore it and stick to Slack.
Power BI: Sharing works well inside Microsoft 365. You can set up scheduled emails or Teams notifications, but it’s not as interactive as Domo. Real “collaboration” happens outside the tool.
Tableau: You can comment on dashboards and set up subscriptions, but it’s not built for deep collaboration. Most teams still export to PowerPoint for meetings (yes, really).
Looker: Alerts and scheduled reports are solid, but collaboration is basic. Most conversation happens in Slack or email, not in Looker itself.
Pro tip: Don’t buy a BI tool for its “collaboration” features alone. Most teams still argue about numbers in Slack or meetings. But Domo’s built-in alerts are genuinely useful for keeping folks focused on KPIs.
4. Customization and Extensibility: Going Beyond the Basics
Domo: Has its own app store and scripting (Domo Bricks, JavaScript widgets, etc.), but most B2B teams never touch these. If you need custom workflows or embedded analytics, it’s there, but expect to pay extra.
Power BI: Strong support for custom visuals and embedding in Microsoft products. Lots of community add-ons, but advanced stuff often requires a developer.
Tableau: Famous for customizable, beautiful dashboards. You can build just about anything, but advanced stuff means advanced skills.
Looker: Built for serious data modeling. If you want governed metrics, reusable logic, or embedded analytics, Looker is hard to beat. But again, you need a data engineer.
What to ignore: Unless you’re planning to build a “BI-based product” for customers, you probably won’t use most of the advanced extensibility in any tool. Focus on what your team will actually use in the first three months.
5. Pricing: What Will This Really Cost?
Domo: Pricing isn’t transparent—expect a sales call. It’s subscription-based, usually priced by user and data volume. Not cheap, but you’re paying for connectors and ease of use.
Power BI: The cheapest for small teams. Per-user pricing starts low, but if you want advanced sharing, expect to pay for Pro or Premium.
Tableau: Per-user pricing, but can get expensive at scale. Viewer licenses are cheaper, but creators pay a premium.
Looker: Negotiated pricing, and it’s not for small budgets. You’re mostly paying for power users, not casual viewers.
Pro tip: Always negotiate. All four vendors will discount for big deals or multi-year commitments. Don’t get upsold on features you won’t use in year one.
6. Security and Governance: Not Sexy, But Critical
Domo: Strong cloud security, SSO support, and granular permissions. Easy to set up role-based access. If you’re in a regulated industry, double-check compliance.
Power BI: Enterprise-grade security, especially for Microsoft shops. Integrates with Azure Active Directory and supports data loss prevention.
Tableau: Good security, but managing permissions can get fiddly as dashboards proliferate.
Looker: Excellent governance—for teams who care about data modeling, audit trails, and access control. But it’s overkill for small orgs.
What to watch for: If your team is small and not in a regulated industry, don’t overthink governance. But if you’re at scale, plan for it early—BI sprawl is real.
7. Support and Community: Who Helps When You’re Stuck?
Domo: Support is responsive if you’re a paying customer. There’s a community forum, but it’s smaller than Tableau or Power BI.
Power BI: Huge community, tons of tutorials, and lots of consultants. Microsoft support is hit or miss, but odds are someone’s had your exact problem before.
Tableau: Massive user community, lots of third-party resources, and in-person events (if that’s your thing).
Looker: Growing community, but more technical. Google support is improving, but it’s still maturing compared to the others.
Pro tip: For non-technical teams, Domo’s support is a real selling point. For technical teams, the community resources in Power BI and Tableau are hard to beat.
Bottom Line: What Actually Matters for B2B Go-to-Market Teams
Here’s the no-spin summary:
- Domo is great if you want everything connected fast, with minimal IT headaches, and you need non-technical users to build and explore dashboards on their own.
- Power BI is an obvious pick for Microsoft-heavy orgs or budget-conscious teams who like Excel and don’t mind a little DIY.
- Tableau is the best for beautiful, custom dashboards, but be ready to train your team (or have a data analyst do the heavy lifting).
- Looker is for companies with real data teams, cloud warehouses, and a need for governance—not for “quick wins” or non-technical users.
Keep it simple: Don’t chase features you won’t use. Start with the tool your team can actually adopt, solve real business problems, and iterate as you grow. A dashboard won’t close your deals, but the right insights—when they land in the right hands—just might.