Skip to main content
TrustRadius
Alation

Alation

Overview

What is Alation?

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…

Read more

Learn from top reviewers

Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Reviewer Pros & Cons

View all pros & cons
Return to navigation

Product Demos

Self-Service Analytics Guide

app.getreprise.com
Return to navigation

Product Details

What is Alation?

Alation offers enterprise data intelligence solutions, including data search & discovery, data governance, data stewardship, analytics, and digital transformation. Alation operates in the 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.

The vendor states that more than 450 enterprises drive data culture, improve decision-making, and realize business outcomes with Alation, including AbbVie, American Family Insurance, Autozone, Cisco, Draft Kings, Exelon, Fifth Third Bank, Finnair, Munich Re, NASDAQ, Parexel, Pfizer, Salesforce, Virgin Australia, and Vistaprint.

Alation Screenshots

Screenshot of Search: Finds data with natural language or advanced search capabilities like tags, and asset typesScreenshot of Curate: Documents data with valuable context for everyone to better understand and trust dataScreenshot of Compose: Queries multiple databases and provides guided navigation with recommended data to use

Alation Videos

Building a data-driven culture with Alation.
Alation makes it easier to power data intelligence across hybrid cloud.

Alation Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise, Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsWindows, Linux, Mac, CentOS, RedHat Enterprise Linux, Ubuntu, Debian, SUSE Linux, Fedora, Amazon Linux
Mobile ApplicationNo
Supported LanguagesEnglish

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Collibra Data Intelligence Cloud, data.world, and Atlan are common alternatives for Alation.

The most common users of Alation are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
Return to navigation

Comparisons

View all alternatives
Return to navigation

Reviews and Ratings

(43)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

Increased Data Collaboration: Users have appreciated the platform for facilitating increased data collaboration and knowledge transfer among teams, leading to improved decision-making processes and overall efficiency within the organization. This enhanced collaboration has resulted in a more cohesive approach to data management, with users leveraging diverse expertise to generate insights that drive business growth.

Search Capabilities: Reviewers have highlighted the Business Glossary feature and search capabilities as beneficial for enhancing data access and search functionalities, allowing users to quickly find relevant information and understand complex datasets more effectively. The robust search functionality has empowered users to locate critical data assets efficiently, promoting better-informed decisions across various projects.

Integration with Other Programs: The integration with SQL Server and Tableau has been seen positively by users, allowing for seamless connectivity between different tools, streamlining workflows, and promoting better insights through combined data analysis. By enabling smooth interoperability with popular programs like SQL Server and Tableau, the platform enhances productivity by simplifying data exchange processes and ensuring consistency in analytics outputs.

Confusing Data Mapping: Users have found the data mapping process to be perplexing, indicating a strong need for clearer guidance and more intuitive instructions to navigate this aspect effectively. Some users have mentioned struggling with understanding the relationships between different datasets and fields, leading to frustrations in setting up proper mappings.

Limited Support Service: Several users have expressed dissatisfaction with the support service, suggesting that enhancements are necessary to address existing issues and improve the overall level of assistance provided by the platform. Users have also reported delays in response times from support staff and difficulties in getting timely resolutions to their queries or technical issues.

Complex Lineage UI: Criticisms from users highlight the intricate nature of the lineage user interface, stating that it presents visual challenges in tracking specific paths. Simplification and enhanced visual clarity are recommended to facilitate smoother usability. Users have specifically pointed out instances where tracing data origins or dependencies becomes convoluted due to the cluttered design of the UI elements.

Reviews

(1-16 of 16)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why

Alation makes the data catalog easier

Rating: 9 out of 10
March 31, 2023
MB
Vetted Review
Verified User
Alation Data Catalog
1 year of experience
  • 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.

Alation Data Catalog

Rating: 10 out of 10
March 29, 2023
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Alation Data Catalog
1 year of experience
  • The User Interface is very easy to navigate making it user-friendly for all users.
  • The built in connectors allows for easy connection to important data sources and other tools.
  • Customization tools are a plus when it comes to combining different business units.
  • They have a bunch of learning material and documentation, especially Alation Community where you can find solutions to problems you are facing.

Release your data catalog from it's spreadsheet shackles and let it breathe the sweet air of Alation

Rating: 9 out of 10
March 29, 2023
AG
Vetted Review
Verified User
Alation Data Catalog
2 years of experience
  • Entering and editing content. The UI is easy to use and understand.
  • Browsing and searching for content is intuitive and detailed.
  • Adding data sources is easy to do through the UI without having to fiddle with configuration files.

A data catalog is a must

Rating: 9 out of 10
March 29, 2023
JH
Vetted Review
Verified User
Alation Data Catalog
2 years of experience
  • integrating with other programs (SQL Server, Tableau)
  • the ability to link terms to data elements and queries
  • searchability

Alation Data Catalog

Rating: 10 out of 10
March 29, 2023
KK
Vetted Review
Verified User
Alation Data Catalog
1 year of experience
  • Business Glossary
  • Search feature
  • Data source management

Early days, all on track.

Rating: 8 out of 10
March 29, 2023
AS
Vetted Review
Verified User
Alation Data Catalog
1 year of experience
  • Right Start
  • University and supportive training materials
  • Intuitive interface

Great data catalogue

Rating: 7 out of 10
March 20, 2023
MB
Vetted Review
Verified User
Alation Data Catalog
4 years of experience
  • Browsing through database
  • Quick access to SQL editor
  • Sharing queries with other

First experience with cataloging

Rating: 7 out of 10
March 20, 2023
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Alation Data Catalog
2 years of experience
  • Easy search between different objects with Advanced search.
  • AI generates titles. Majority of them are suitable.
  • Stewardship dashboard really helps stewards to work with sources they are responsible for.
  • There is a flexibility to add custom fields to objects` pages.
Return to navigation