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Datagaps BI Validator vs Spectacles

Checked Nov 15, 2026How we score

Verdict: Datagaps BI Validator scores 8.6/10 against 8.4/10 for Spectacles on our data score for BI report testing tools.

Spectacles has a free plan; Datagaps BI Validator does not.

Datagaps BI Validator and Spectacles lead on 2 checks each; 4 are even, out of 8 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 Spectacles for looker teams that want pull-request checks on LookML.

Scoreboard: 8 checks

CheckDatagaps BI ValidatorSpectacles
Free planLeads
Free trialEvenEven
Smaller seat minimumLeads
Power BILeads
TableauLeads
Other BI tools (Qlik, Looker, Cognos, MicroStrategy...)EvenEven
Report regression testingEvenEven
CI/CD integrationEvenEven
Total22

At a glance

Datagaps BI ValidatorSpectacles
Score8.6/10 (#3)8.4/10 (#5)
Best forEnterprise BI teams testing Power BI, Tableau or Oracle Analytics releases and migrationsLooker teams that want pull-request checks on LookML
Free planNoYes
Paid from (annual)See vendorSee vendor
Paid from (monthly)——
Free trial14-day free trial, extendable by 14 days on request; no credit card required14-day free trial of the hosted service (per terms of service)
Minimum seats41
PlatformsCloud, On-premisesCloud (SaaS), CLI (Python)

Features

ToolScorePower BITableauOther BI tools (Qlik, Looker, Cognos, MicroStrategy...)Report regression testingCI/CD integration
Datagaps BI Validator8.6/10YesYesYesYesYes
Spectacles8.4/10NoNoYesYesYes

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
Cons
  • 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
Datagaps BI Validator pricing →

Spectacles

Pros
  • Finds SQL errors in Explores by running queries in the database, which Looker's built-in validator does not
  • Content validator checks that LookML changes do not break saved dashboards and Looks
  • Integrates with GitHub, GitLab and Azure DevOps pull requests, plus an API and a dbt Cloud integration
  • Open-source CLI (MIT license) on GitHub, last released July 2026
Cons
  • Looker only; no Power BI or Tableau support
  • Hosted app pricing is not published
  • Checks report definitions and queries, not report values against a separate source system
Spectacles pricing →

Frequently asked questions

How do Datagaps BI Validator and Spectacles compare on features and price?

Datagaps BI Validator and Spectacles lead on 2 checks each; 4 are even, out of 8 checks (yes/no, price and seats) where we have data for both.

Is Datagaps BI Validator better than Spectacles?

Datagaps BI Validator scores 8.6/10 against 8.4/10 for Spectacles on our data score for BI report testing tools. Datagaps BI Validator is best for enterprise BI teams testing Power BI, Tableau or Oracle Analytics releases and migrations; Spectacles is best for looker teams that want pull-request checks on LookML.

Which is cheaper, Datagaps BI Validator or Spectacles?

Check each vendor's pricing page; one of them does not publish an entry price.

Do Datagaps BI Validator and Spectacles have free plans?

Datagaps BI Validator: no. Spectacles: yes.

See the full BI Report Testing Tools ranking for other options.

Sources