Snowflake Summit 2026: In-Depth Comparison of 9 Exhibiting BI Tools
At Snowflake Summit 2026, nine BI vendors exhibited. Report on features of Sigma, ThoughtSpot, Qlik, and migration trends from Tableau.
Snowflake Summit 2026 was held in San Francisco from June 1 to June 4, 2026. This world-class data conference, hosted by the cloud data platform Snowflake, featured booths from numerous vendors once again. A particularly notable aspect was the presence of nine BI (Business Intelligence) vendors exhibiting at the Expo floor.
Mr. Teranishi, a consultant at Nowcast (a subsidiary of Finatext), visited each booth and posted primary information obtained directly from representatives on Zenn. This article organizes the features of each product and key selection points based on that report.
Products from the 9 Exhibiting Vendors and
Sponsor Ranks
The BI vendors that exhibited at Snowflake Summit 2026 are listed below. Sponsor ranks, from highest to lowest, are: “Heli-Ski,” “Double Black Diamond,” “Black Diamond,” “Blue Square,” and “Snow Row.”
| Product | Category | Main Competitors | Sponsor Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sigma | Spreadsheet BI | Tableau, Power BI | Heli-Ski (Main Sponsor) |
| Domo | All-in-One BI | Power BI, Tableau | Double Black Diamond |
| ThoughtSpot | AI Search Analytics | Sigma, Tableau AI | Double Black Diamond |
| Qlik | BI + Data Integration | Tableau, Power BI | Black Diamond |
| Omni Analytics | Semantic Layer BI | Looker | Blue Square |
| Astrato | Analytics Headless BI | Tableau, Sigma | Snow Row |
| Euno | KPI/Finance Analytics | Metric Insights | Snow Row |
| insightsoftware (Simba) | Reporting & FP&A | IBM Cognos, SAP BO | Snow Row |
| Metric Insights | KPI Monitoring & Push BI | ThoughtSpot Monitor | Snow Row |
As the table shows, even though all are grouped under “BI,” each product’s positioning differs significantly. Some focus primarily on report creation and dashboard visualization, while others specialize in AI search analytics or KPI monitoring. Understanding these differences is the first step toward proper product selection.
Third-Party Evaluations and Notable Trends
It is also worth checking the positioning in the Gartner Magic Quadrant 2025. This report, by IT research firm Gartner, evaluates products on two axes: “Ability to Execute” and “Completeness of Vision.” The exhibited products are classified as follows:
- Leaders: Qlik (15 consecutive years), ThoughtSpot
- Challengers: Domo
- Niche Players: Sigma
- Not Evaluated: Omni, Astrato, Euno, insightsoftware, Metric Insights
Products not evaluated are not inferior. Emerging or specialized products simply fall outside Gartner’s evaluation framework. In particular, Omni, Astrato, and Euno have strengths in specific areas such as semantic layer, headless BI, and KPI analysis, respectively.
Sigma – Presence as the Top-Tier Sponsor
Sigma served as the sole main Heli-Ski sponsor at Snowflake Summit 2026, the highest sponsor rank. This demonstrates the close relationship between Snowflake and Sigma.
Sigma’s greatest feature is its Excel-like user experience. Users can analyze data on Snowflake directly with a spreadsheet-like feel, without writing SQL. Specifically, calculations can be performed using functions like in Google Sheets, new tables can be created from original columns, and chart creation is intuitive.
At the booth, a migration demo from Tableau to Sigma was showcased. According to Sigma representatives, there is a growing need to migrate dashboards running on Tableau to Sigma. The demo introduced an automated migration using Claude Code and MCP (Model Context Protocol), with a three-phase workflow: Phase 1 discovers the dashboard structure using Tableau MCP or PAT/API mode; Phase 2 builds the data model (skippable); Phase 3 generates workbooks. For simple dashboards, migration of a data source and workbook was reported to take approximately 5–10 minutes. However, workbooks involving complex custom queries or proprietary data processing logic may require manual adjustments.
Another notable point is the shared semantic layer feature. Metric definitions created in Sigma can be brought to the Snowflake side and referenced by other tools. The ability to centrally manage not only data but also business logic on the Snowflake side is a crucial factor for data governance in large organizations.
ThoughtSpot and Qlik –
AI Search and Data Integration
ThoughtSpot is a product specialized in AI-based search analytics. Users ask questions in natural language, and the AI automatically generates queries and provides appropriate visualizations. As a Double Black Diamond sponsor exhibitor, it is also positioned as a Leader in the Gartner MQ. Compared to traditional BI tools, users do not need to write SQL and can explore data intuitively.
Qlik is a veteran that has been recognized as a Gartner MQ Leader for 15 consecutive years. Its strengths include built-in data integration capabilities alongside BI functions, allowing consistent execution of ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) and analysis. Qlik’s proprietary association engine excels at ad-hoc analysis across multiple tables.
Emerging Players and Niche Products
Domo is an All-in-One BI solution that provides dashboards and application development on a single platform. Positioned as a Challenger in the Gartner MQ, it has strengths in workflow integration for large organizations.
Omni Analytics is a BI tool specialized in the semantic layer. Like Looker, it adopts an architecture that centrally defines business logic and allows reference from multiple BI tools. It functions as a bridge between data engineering teams and business users.
Astrato is an emerging product adopting a headless BI architecture. By separating the frontend visualization layer from the backend data modeling, it enables a flexible analysis environment.
Euno is a tool specialized in KPI analysis and financial analysis. Rather than traditional drill-down analysis, it focuses on monitoring business metrics and alerts. insightsoftware (Simba) is designed for reporting and FP&A (Financial Planning & Analysis) and is often considered as a migration target from IBM Cognos or SAP BusinessObjects. Metric Insights is a push-type BI specializing in KPI monitoring, with features that send notifications via email or Slack when anomalies are detected.
Selection Points and Future Outlook
Even among BI tools, the optimal product varies greatly depending on the use case. For dashboard creation and ad-hoc analysis, Sigma or Tableau are suitable; for natural language data exploration, ThoughtSpot; for end-to-end data integration and analysis, Qlik; and for monitoring business indicators, Euno or Metric Insights.
A trend observed throughout Snowflake Summit 2026 is the rapidly growing importance of AI integration as a competitive axis for BI tools. This is evident not only in ThoughtSpot’s AI search but also in Sigma’s use of Claude Code for Tableau migration. The integration of AI agents into data analysis workflows aligns with the direction of proprietary AI model strategies presented at Microsoft Build 2026.
Additionally, strengthening data governance through shared semantic layers is a significant trend. Sigma’s demonstration of centralized business logic management on Snowflake reflects rising interest in architectures such as data mesh and data fabric.
Editorial Opinion
In the short term, competition among BI tools within the Snowflake ecosystem is expected to intensify further. While Sigma strengthens its presence as the main sponsor, ThoughtSpot and Qlik counter with AI features. Sigma’s report of increasing demand for migration from Tableau may indicate a tectonic shift in the market. In particular, the shift toward BI tools that run natively on Snowflake is likely to accelerate over the next 3 to 6 months. Companies with large organizations facing Tableau license renewals are expected to seriously consider migration.
From a long-term perspective, the role of BI tools themselves may change. Traditionally “tools that visualize data,” they are evolving into “tools that automatically generate insights from data” through AI integration. This will increase opportunities for business users to leverage data directly, not just data scientists or analysts. At the same time, new challenges arise regarding how to evaluate the accuracy and bias of AI-generated analysis results. Over a 1-3 year span, we anticipate progress in standardizing data management centered on semantic layers and increased interoperability between BI tools.
What the editorial team finds particularly interesting from this report is the group of “not evaluated” products. While they receive less attention because they are not included in the Gartner MQ, Euno’s KPI specialization and Astrato’s headless BI architecture target niche areas that conventional BI tools cannot fully cover. It is worth monitoring how these products will establish their market positions. Furthermore, we look forward to case studies from companies that have attempted actual migration to assess how practical the accuracy of AI agent-based automated migration really is.
References
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Sigma's greatest feature?
- Its Excel-like user experience, allowing direct analysis of data on Snowflake with a spreadsheet feel without writing SQL. Calculations using functions, table creation, and chart generation are also intuitive.
- How long does migration from Tableau to Sigma take?
- For simple dashboards, automated migration of a data source and workbook reportedly takes about 5–10 minutes. However, workbooks involving complex custom queries or proprietary data processing logic may require manual adjustments.
- Are products not evaluated in the Gartner Magic Quadrant inferior?
- No. Emerging or specialized products simply fall outside Gartner's evaluation framework. Omni Analytics, Astrato, and Euno each have strengths in areas such as semantic layer, headless BI, and KPI analysis, respectively.
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