Alation Data Catalog vs. Alteryx Platform

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Alation
Score 8.7 out of 10
N/A
Alation offers enterprise data intelligence solutions, including data search & discovery, data governance, data stewardship, analytics, and digital transformation. Alation operates in thethe data catalog market. With its Behavioral Analysis Engine, inbuilt collaboration capabilities, and open interfaces, Alation combines machine learning with human insight with the goal of tackle the most demanding challenges in data and metadata management.N/A
Alteryx Platform
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
The Alteryx AI Platform gives organization automated data preparation, AI-powered analytics, and machine learning with embedded governance and security. Its self-service functionality, with self-service data prep, machine learning, and AI-generated insights, gives enterprise teams with a simplified user experience allowing everyone to create analytic solutions that improve productivity, efficiency, and the bottom line. Alteryx Designer can be used to automate every analytics step…
$14,850
per year 3 users (minimum), cloud edition
Pricing
Alation Data CatalogAlteryx Platform
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Designer Desktop
starting at $5,195
per year per user
Designer Cloud Professional Edition
Starting at $4,950
per year per user (minimum of 3 users)
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
AlationAlteryx Platform
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Alation Data CatalogAlteryx Platform
Considered Both Products
Alation
Chose Alation Data Catalog
Alation Data Catalog is so far above and beyond the functionality we had in Talend. The flexibility between user pages/groups stands out as the first major improvement. We have the connectors available to us for the different types of software we use. The ability to query …
Alteryx Platform

No answer on this topic

User Ratings
Alation Data CatalogAlteryx Platform
Likelihood to Recommend
8.7
(20 ratings)
9.1
(138 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.0
(2 ratings)
8.9
(19 ratings)
Usability
8.2
(5 ratings)
9.1
(53 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(4 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
8.9
(45 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(4 ratings)
9.2
(52 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
8.5
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(1 ratings)
8.0
(5 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(2 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(3 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(3 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(2 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
7.3
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Alation Data CatalogAlteryx Platform
Likelihood to Recommend
Alation
Alation is well suited to helping a user find a column or even a query using a business term search. In this regard Alation is excellent because it's easy to not only associate these items with each other, but there are also many ways to link the column and/or query to that business term/concept
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Alteryx
I would 100% recommend Alteryx to a friend, for me its friendly interface is the best, it has all the tools I need without the headache that programming is. It can be used for simple or complex analysis, so honestly, I don’t see a scenario where it wouldn’t suit. I’ve used Alteryx to make simple things I could do in Excel, for example, but it was less complex and faster to do in Alteryx, so why not? Its a very versatile tool.
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Pros
Alation
  • Ability to link objects using the @ symbol. It allows us to easily provide a way to get more information or context. So if the business concept is part of a hierarchy, we can link to the other terms in that hierarchy.
  • The customization is really helpful. Most object types have robust customization options. Others are less so, but it is improving. We've created multiple custom fields to support our data governance framework.
  • The search feature with filtering is helpful in narrowing down what you're looking for.
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Alteryx
  • Pulling data from multiple disparate data sources.
  • Allows users to see the data at every step of the workflow to be able to cleanse, analyze, and optimize the data.
  • Provides an analytics platform that is easy for users of all levels to thrive in whether they are just starting out in their analytics journey or they have a master's degree in Data Science.
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Cons
Alation
  • The lineage UI is not ready for primetime. I would not recommend this feature for my users at this time because it's too complex to understand and is visually difficult to track down specific paths.
  • The underlying infrastructure of the on-premise version of the software is fragile and unnecessarily complicated, using too many modules and technologies.
  • The license model of the on-premise version contains too many add-ons. I would like to pay one price and get all of the features.
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Alteryx
  • Steeper Learning Curve: Alteryx can have a steep learning curve for users who are new to the platform or have limited experience with data analytics. Enhancements to the user interface and user onboarding resources could help make the learning process more intuitive and accessible to a wider range of users.
  • Enhanced Data Visualization Capabilities: Alteryx offers basic data visualization capabilities, but there is room for improvement in terms of advanced visualizations and interactive dashboarding features. Adding more sophisticated chart types, interactive widgets, and customization options would enhance the data visualization capabilities within the platform.
  • Improved Error Handling and Debugging: Alteryx provides error handling mechanisms, but enhancing the error reporting and debugging capabilities would be beneficial. Improved error messages, better visibility into data flow, and debugging tools could help users troubleshoot and resolve issues more efficiently.
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Likelihood to Renew
Alation
Overall, we are happy with the functionality of the platform. While there are are areas that we would like to see further improvement in, the tooling is highly configurable and aligns well with our use case. A mature API layer makes it straightforward to integrate with other data tooling. Alation stands out for its pro-active engagement with their customers, both to resolve issues and in communicating their feature roadmap
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Alteryx
We've developed a working partnership with Alteryx. As an enablement suite, we're continuing to innovate and deliver great products with use of Alteryx in our solutions. Alteryx use expands to our global product development teams and is in use in multiple parts of our organization. Alteryx also delivers Experian demographic content to other clients in their product offering. We're highly likely to renew, but that decision is way above my pay grade.
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Usability
Alation
Alation Data Catalog is generally easy to use for finding datasets, reviewing documentation, and understanding ownership. The platform makes data discovery more efficient and improves trust in shared assets. I rated it 7 because the navigation can be complex at times, and the search results could be more precise and easier to refine.
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Alteryx
I've found that while some things might take a little longer to create, the flexibility of Alteryx allows you to perform any function needed. I haven't found a use that was not available in Alteryx yet. APIs and XMLs can be created to perform certain functions. In addition, CMD line commands can be sent using Alteryx to perform certain functions as well.
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Reliability and Availability
Alation
No answers on this topic
Alteryx
I use many programs and compared to others, Alteryx virtually never goes down, freezes up or gives an application error. Over a 4 year time period that I have used this program, any of these may have happened 3 times. It is an incredibly stable program that I feel completely confident in.
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Performance
Alation
No answers on this topic
Alteryx
I already gave the example of journal entries created in less than a second. What else can I tell you about.... I can tell you those 2 journal entries have historically had to be split into separate accounting systems so the outputs had to be very different (D365 vs Intacct) such that they are exactly ready for uploading. I can tell you I used to have some tire and battery queries hitting a line item detail table and they took hours to run UNTIL I asked IT for a view in SQL and now they're ready in about 5 minutes total. I guess I'd say if anything does take a long time - do some research with others and figure out what would speed them up
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Support Rating
Alation
The account management and technical support teams are both excellent. There is regular account manager engagement, and technical issues are generally resolved very quickly. The vendor engages us in product development through regular updates on the product strategy & feature roadmap.
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Alteryx
Stellar, bar-none. Some of the best support folks of any vendor. The Alteryx Community is the most responsive and supportive. On the rare occasion of a release issue or bug, we've been able to get quick help to solve the core problem. Alteryx does not play the blame game. They genuinely help the users solve their issues or respond to questions
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In-Person Training
Alation
No answers on this topic
Alteryx
1st level of trainings which I've attended in Paris was easy and I was already knowing %90, that learning could have been an e-learning instead of in-person
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Online Training
Alation
No answers on this topic
Alteryx
Very good, detailed online trainings which you can take at your own pace, and strong certifications exists, certifications are extremely detailed and hard...
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Implementation Rating
Alation
Key insight from implementing Alation is that, as a cloud-based SaaS product, the majority of effort is not infrastructure-related but instead focused on security configuration and integration with existing platforms, including identity management, access controls, and metadata connectivity to core data systems. Because of its data profiling functionality, careful consideration had to be given to data security and data sovereignty.
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Alteryx
There is really not much to it (the installation, that is). Once you get it installed, along with any of the add-ons (demographics, R, etc.), you are up and running almost immediately. There is really no additional setup. You can immediately begin blending data, running demographics, performing spatial queries, running predictive analysis, etc. And for many of these functions, the learning curve is quite easy.
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Alternatives Considered
Alation
Alation provided the right balance of connection with systems in use, trusted reputation and affordability. The product integrates with current ways of working and does not require reorganisation within other lines of business.
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Alteryx
Alteryx is MUCH more user friendly. both provide the ability to code within them, but Alteryx has much nicer interface. The formula tools have a more simple language that is easier to learn than formulae in SSIS. Alteryx is easy to read with multi colored tools identifying what each one does. It also allows for macros. You can build your own tool to process records of data or batch records together.
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Scalability
Alation
No answers on this topic
Alteryx
Individual analysts can quickly generate results using their own copy of Alteryx Designer. But using the Server and developing macros for more complex needs can be time consuming.
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Return on Investment
Alation
  • We've had limited but very positive impact for 3 data subject matter experts. In the past they were fielding very similar questions from users stumbling on their data. Now, rather than responding to each email or chat message, they not only direct users to the catalog but they also reach out to me to do a walk-through of Alation's other features.
  • Another positive impact is having the data dictionary live in one location. This has been tremendous in making the dictionaries accessible and consistent.
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Alteryx
  • Error handling - allows controls to be built into workflows easily and allows them to be isolated and spat into control reports that can be easily reviewed and audited, thanks to the ability to create multiple outputs in one go.
  • Time-saving - saved huge amounts of time, especially when moving Excel processes into Alteryx.
  • Product development - allowed my firm to create products that we have been able to market and sell to clients.
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ScreenShots

Alation Screenshots

Screenshot of Alation Intelligent Search, which helps to democratize access to enterprise data and foster a robust data culture.Screenshot of a display of end-to-end lineage to understand data flows, relationships, health, and impact analysis.Screenshot of where users can access the privacy policies. This helps everyone in an organization to make data-driven decisions while also ensuring compliance and security.

Alteryx Platform Screenshots

Screenshot of Alteryx APA - Automating asset inputsScreenshot of Alteryx APA - Automating outcomesScreenshot of Alteryx APA - Data enrichment and insightsScreenshot of Alteryx APA - Data quality and preparationScreenshot of Alteryx APA - Data science and decisions