Qlik Sense Pricing: How Much Does Qlik Cost?

Huy Nguyen -

Choosing the right business intelligence tool is one of those big decisions every organization faces sooner or later. It’s an investment in sharper analytical skills, real data-driven insights, and better decision-making. But to make it work, you’ve got to know what you’re signing up for, and that means understanding the price tag.

Here, we break down the Qlik Sense pricing models, how it stacks up against competitors, and what you need to know to calculate the total cost of ownership (TCO).

Qlik Sense Pricing Model: A Straightforward Breakdown

Qlik Sense’s subscription-based pricing is designed to give you some levels of flexibility without the hefty upfront investment. You pay a monthly or annual fee and scale as you need—no guesswork required.

Qlik Sense divides its offerings into three distinct pricing groups, each designed to tackle different aspects of data management and analytics. Let’s break down these groups to see which one might be your ideal match.

1. Data Integration and Quality Pricing

  • What It Is: Qlik Data Integration is client-managed and offers automated, governed, real-time data pipelines that deliver reliable, analytics-ready data.
  • Who Is It For: This pricing plan is for teams committed to maintaining high data quality for spot-on insights or businesses looking to automate their data integration processes and save time.
  • Pricing: Costs typically scale with the volume of data and the complexity of integrations. Fancy features like advanced data quality tools might come with a bit of an extra charge. You need to contact Qlik sales team for custom quote for AL/ML pricing.

2. Analytics Platform Pricing

  • What It Is: The Analytics Platform Pricing plans are all about giving you the tools to explore your data, build stunning dashboards, and generate insightful reports - features like interactive reports, visualization tools, and collaboration features.
  • Who Is It For: Data analysts and business users to build, share and explore reports.
  • Pricing: Pricing can vary based on the number of users and the level of analytics capabilities you need. Higher tiers often include advanced features like predictive analytics and real-time data processing, perfect for those who want to go beyond the basics.

3. AI/ML Product Pricing

  • What It Is: Qlik Sense offers AI and ML capabilities that bring your data analysis into the future. These plans integrate advanced algorithms to help you uncover deeper insights and automate complex analytical tasks.
  • Who Is It For: Advanced data science teams and machine learning enthusiasts. Organizations aiming to leverage AI for predictive and prescriptive analytics.
  • Pricing: AI and ML features typically come at higher price points due to their advanced nature. Costs may depend on the extent of AI/ML integration and the computational resources required. You need to contact Qlik sales team for custom quote for AL/ML pricing.

Qlik Sense Analytics Platform Pricing

Qlik Sense Analytics Platform: Pricing Breakdown

Qlik Sense’s pricing centers on two main factors:

  • Users:
    • Full Users: have complete application capabilities, including creating and managing analyses and visualizations. Full Users can also be made admins.
    • Basic Users: can only view and interact with analytics apps.
  • Data capacity: Essentially, the more data you want to analyze, the more it might cost. Pricing adjusts based on the volume and complexity of data you’ll be working with.

This approach means you’re only paying for what you need, with room to expand if your needs grow. It’s tailored to avoid unnecessary costs on features or data capacity that aren’t relevant to your business.

Qlik Sense Analytics Platform: Cost Estimation

Navigating Qlik Sense’s pricing can feel a bit like assembling furniture without instructions. Let’s break down the Standard and Premium plans so you can see exactly what you’re getting and how much it’ll cost.

Let's say you're leading a lean data team at a growing business with 20 full users. Here's how Qlik Sense cost looks like:

  • Standard Plan: The base cost is $825 per month for company licensing or usage, with 20 full users.
  • Premium Plan: You pay $2,700 a month, which includes 20 full-user licenses. In addition, you get 10,000 basic user licenses who can view and interact reports, so you can have a large user base, with up to 20 of them having full access. If you need more than 20 full users, you'll pay an extra fee for each additional person.

Choosing between the Standard and Premium plans boils down to your team size and the level of access your users need. If you’re a smaller team where everyone needs full access, the Standard plan is cost-effective. However, if you have a large organization with a mix of power users and basic users, Premium offers flexibility and potential savings as you scale.

Qlik Sense Pricing vs. Competitors

To see how Qlik Sense fares in the broader BI landscape, let’s look at how it stacks up against Power BI and Tableau.

Qlik Sense vs. Power BI Pricing

Power BI offers a tiered pricing structure to meet various needs and budgets:

  • Power BI Free: Zero dollars, but with limited features—great for solo users or small projects.
  • Power BI Pro: $9.99/user/month. Unlock collaboration, sharing, and more robust analytics.
  • Power BI Premium: Starts at $20/user/month or $4,995/month for dedicated cloud resources. Ideal for large organizations needing advanced features and greater data capacity.

Let's go back to our example where you have 20 full users (analysts) to create reports and set up reporting environments.

  • Qlik Sense Standard comes in at $825 per month for 20 full users. This plan is great if you need robust features and are willing to invest more upfront for comprehensive analytics capabilities.
  • Power BI Pro is significantly more affordable, costing just $199.80 per month for 20 users. This makes it an excellent choice for small to medium-sized businesses looking to maximize their budget while still accessing powerful BI tools.
  • Power BI Premium Per-User offers enhanced features at $400 per month for 20 users. It’s a middle ground if you need some of the advanced functionalities that go beyond what Pro offers but don’t require the full capacity-based Premium plan.

While Power BI’s free tier may seem tempting, Qlik Sense can offer greater value for organizations looking for advanced analytics, larger data capacity, and seamless enterprise-wide deployment. So here's some additional considerations:

  • Feature Set: While Power BI Pro is cheaper, Qlik Sense offers different strengths, such as flexible user-based pricing and potentially more advanced data integration capabilities. Consider what features are most important for your team.
  • Scalability: Qlik Sense allows for negotiating lower per-user costs as you scale, which can be beneficial for larger teams. Power BI’s tiered pricing also offers scalability, but the cost savings are more pronounced at lower user counts.
  • Integration Needs: If your organization is deeply embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem, Power BI might offer smoother integrations, potentially reducing additional costs related to data handling and collaboration.
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Read more: Power BI Pros, Cons and Alternatives

Qlik Sense vs. Tableau Pricing

Like Qlik Sense, Tableau uses a subscription-based model with several options:

  • Tableau Creator: $70/user/month. This gives you full access to all features—perfect for data wizards who love to create and analyze.
  • Tableau Explorer: $42/user/month. Ideal for those who need to interact with dashboards and do some light data tweaking.
  • Tableau Viewer: $15/user/month. Best for users who just need to view and consume reports without any editing hassles.

For a team of 20 full users (or Creators in Tableau term), Qlik Sense and Tableau are pretty close in terms of monthly costs—$1,425 versus $1,400. Here are a few extra nuggets to consider:

  • Qlik Sense offers a flexible pricing structure with potential savings as you add more users. It’s great if you foresee your team growing and want the ability to negotiate better rates down the line.
  • Tableau provides a straightforward, no-fuss pricing model. If you prefer simplicity and predictability without a base fee, Tableau’s Creator plan might be your best bet.

Beyond the cost, think about what each platform brings to the table. Qlik Sense excels in flexible data integration and scalable user management, while Tableau shines with its powerful visualization capabilities and user-friendly interface. Consider your team’s specific needs, existing tools, and long-term goals to make the smartest choice.

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Read more: Should you choose Tableau? A Pros, Cons and Pricing Review

When Qlik Sense Makes the Most Sense

While every BI tool has its pros and cons, Qlik Sense is particularly valuable if:

  • You have a complex data environment. Qlik Sense’s associative model lets you connect diverse data sources to draw insights that might otherwise go unnoticed.
  • You need advanced analytics. Beyond simple visualizations, Qlik Sense supports powerful associative analysis, helping users explore relationships and uncover new insights.
  • You want embedded analytics. With extensions, APIs, and integration options, Qlik Sense makes it easy to embed analytics into other tools and workflows your team already uses.

Estimating the Total Cost of Ownership for Qlik Sense

When looking at Qlik Sense’s SaaS pricing, remember TCO is more than just the subscription fee. Here’s a list of key factors to consider:

  • Implementation costs: Setup, data integration, user training, and any customizations.
  • Maintenance and support: Software updates, tech support, and any maintenance along the way.
  • Infrastructure costs: Relevant if you choose an on-premise or hybrid deployment.
  • Data storage costs: The type and amount of data you’ll store can influence overall costs, especially with cloud storage.

Factoring in these additional costs will give you a more accurate picture of Qlik Sense’s TCO, ensuring it’s the right fit for your budget and strategy.