Datagaps BI Validator vs Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector)
Verdict: Datagaps BI Validator scores 8.6/10 against 7.9/10 for Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector) on our data score for power BI report testing tools.
Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector) has a free plan; Datagaps BI Validator does not.
Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector) leads on 2 checks and Datagaps BI Validator on 1; 2 are even, out of 5 checks (yes/no, price and seats) where we have data for both.
Choose Datagaps BI Validator for enterprise BI teams testing Power BI, Tableau or Oracle Analytics releases and migrations. Choose Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector) for power BI developers enforcing report standards in Azure DevOps or GitHub pipelines.
Scoreboard: 5 checks
| Check | Datagaps BI Validator | Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector) |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Leads | |
| Free trial | Leads | |
| Smaller seat minimum | Leads | |
| Power BI | Even | Even |
| CI/CD integration | Even | Even |
| Total | 1 | 2 |
At a glance
| Datagaps BI Validator | Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector) | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.6/10 (#3) | 7.9/10 (#5) |
| Best for | Enterprise BI teams testing Power BI, Tableau or Oracle Analytics releases and migrations | Power BI developers enforcing report standards in Azure DevOps or GitHub pipelines |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Paid from (annual) | See vendor | See vendor |
| Paid from (monthly) | — | — |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, extendable by 14 days on request; no credit card required | — |
| Minimum seats | 4 | 1 |
| Platforms | Cloud, On-premises | Windows, macOS, Docker |
Features
| Tool | Score | Power BI | Report data validated against source | Report regression testing | Report performance testing | CI/CD integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Datagaps BI Validator | 8.6/10 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector) | 7.9/10 | Yes | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Yes |
- Only Datagaps BI Validator confirms: Report data validated against source, Report regression testing, Report performance testing.
Pros and cons
Datagaps BI Validator
Pros- Compares report visuals against source databases such as Snowflake, SQL Server, Oracle and Databricks using auto-generated SQL
- Covers Tableau, Power BI, Oracle Analytics, Cognos, AWS QuickSight and Microsoft Fabric in one test plan, including Tableau-to-Power BI migration checks
- Built-in Benchmark module for load testing with 5-20+ simulated concurrent users
- Test plans can be triggered from Azure DevOps or GitLab via CLI or REST API, and scheduled with email alerts on failure
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- No published prices; every plan is 'Request a Demo'
- Minimum of 4 users and a one-year contract term
- Validating additional BI platforms may cost extra, per the pricing FAQ
Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector)
Pros- Free and open source (MIT license)
- Outputs Azure DevOps task commands or GitHub Actions annotations for pipeline gating
- Rules can include DAX query and T-SQL query conditions, not only layout checks
- Runs against local item folders or published Fabric workspaces
- Community project, not supported by Microsoft
- Does not read PBIX files; reports must be saved as PBIP / PBIR folders
- Rules are written as JSON, which takes time to learn; base rules focus on report visual quality
Frequently asked questions
How do Datagaps BI Validator and Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector) compare on features and price?
Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector) leads on 2 checks and Datagaps BI Validator on 1; 2 are even, out of 5 checks (yes/no, price and seats) where we have data for both.
Is Datagaps BI Validator better than Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector)?
Datagaps BI Validator scores 8.6/10 against 7.9/10 for Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector) on our data score for power BI report testing tools. Datagaps BI Validator is best for enterprise BI teams testing Power BI, Tableau or Oracle Analytics releases and migrations; Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector) is best for power BI developers enforcing report standards in Azure DevOps or GitHub pipelines.
Which is cheaper, Datagaps BI Validator or Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector)?
Check each vendor's pricing page; one of them does not publish an entry price.
Do Datagaps BI Validator and Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector) have free plans?
Datagaps BI Validator: no. Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector): yes.
See the full Power BI Report Testing Tools ranking for other options.
Sources
- Datagaps BI Validator: official pricing page · Datagaps BI Validator product page · Datagaps pricing page · Datagaps contact page (HQ address)
- Fab Inspector (formerly PBI Inspector): official pricing page · Fab Inspector GitHub README · PBI Inspector (original) GitHub repository