Power BI or Tableau certification - which should I choose?

Choose by the platform your target employers use. Microsoft's PL-300 certifies Power BI; the Tableau Desktop Specialist certifies Tableau. The analytics concepts transfer, so the tool matters more than the exam - follow the job postings in your field.

Data analyst or data engineer certification - what's the difference?

Analyst credentials (Power BI PL-300, Tableau) certify that you can model data and build reports and dashboards. Data engineering credentials (Microsoft Fabric DP-700, Databricks, SnowPro Core, Google Professional Data Engineer) certify that you can build the pipelines and platforms that feed those reports. Pick by whether you want to present data or to move and store it at scale.

Data & Analytics

Data & Analytics certifications

Data and analytics certifications compared on cost, difficulty and focus - from business-intelligence tools (Power BI, Tableau) to data engineering platforms (Microsoft Fabric, Databricks, Snowflake, Google Cloud).

Data certifications split into two broad jobs: analysing data (business intelligence with Power BI or Tableau) and building the pipelines that move and store it (data engineering on Fabric, Databricks, Snowflake or Google Cloud). The right credential depends on which side of that line your target role sits.

This hub compares the main data certifications side by side - by platform, cost and depth - so you can choose by the tools your employers use and the career you want, from data analyst to data engineer. Every page is source-checked and links to the official provider.

6 exams in this field

Certification pathway

Foundation

Tableau Desktop Specialist

Associate / core

Databricks DE Associate DP-700 PL-300 SnowPro Core

Advanced / expert

PDE

A rough progression by level, not a strict order - start where your experience fits.

All Data & Analytics exams

Databricks

Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate

Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate guide: the 45-question format, US$200 cost, two-year validity, what it covers and whether it is worth it.

intermediate

Microsoft

Microsoft Fabric Data Engineer (DP-700)

Microsoft Fabric Data Engineer (DP-700): exam format, cost, the three skills measured, difficulty and whether this Fabric certification is worth it in 2026.

intermediate

Google Cloud

Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer

Google Professional Data Engineer (PDE): the exam domains, cost, difficulty and whether the GCP data engineering certification is worth it in 2026.

expert

Microsoft

Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300)

Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst (PL-300): exam format, cost, the four skills measured, difficulty, and whether this Power BI certification is worth it in 2026.

intermediate

Tableau (Salesforce)

Tableau Desktop Specialist (Tableau Desktop Foundations)

Tableau Desktop Specialist (now Tableau Desktop Foundations) explained: format, cost, the four weighted domains and whether this entry-level exam is worth it.

beginner

Snowflake

SnowPro Core Certification (COF-C03)

SnowPro Core (COF-C03) exam guide: the format, ~100-question structure, cost, the 750/1000 pass mark, what it covers, and whether the credential is worth it.

intermediate

Compare these certifications

Related career paths

How to become a data analyst: the certs, then the path to data engineer

Frequently asked questions

Power BI or Tableau certification - which should I choose?: Choose by the platform your target employers use. Microsoft's PL-300 certifies Power BI; the Tableau Desktop Specialist certifies Tableau. The analytics concepts transfer, so the tool matters more than the exam - follow the job postings in your field.
Data analyst or data engineer certification - what's the difference?: Analyst credentials (Power BI PL-300, Tableau) certify that you can model data and build reports and dashboards. Data engineering credentials (Microsoft Fabric DP-700, Databricks, SnowPro Core, Google Professional Data Engineer) certify that you can build the pipelines and platforms that feed those reports. Pick by whether you want to present data or to move and store it at scale.