Tableau's Analytics DA-201 certification has a published list price: US$200 (or ¥30,000), plus local taxes. Microsoft's PL-300 does not — Microsoft prices it by country, so the two exams can't be compared on a single dollar figure. What you can compare is the full cost structure: registration, retakes, and what it takes to stay certified.
Tableau Analytics DA-201: fixed and published
Registering for the Salesforce Certified Tableau Data Analyst exam costs US$200, plus any applicable taxes. If you don't pass on the first try, a retake costs US$100. There's no prerequisite course you're required to buy first — you can register and sit the exam with no prior certification on record. The exam itself runs 105 minutes and covers 60 multiple-choice and multiple-select questions, plus up to five unscored questions.
Microsoft PL-300: priced where you sit, not where you live
Microsoft sets PL-300 pricing by the country or region where the exam is proctored, so there is no single number to quote here. Budget-conscious candidates should check the current regional price on Microsoft Learn before scheduling, rather than relying on a figure from a forum or an old blog post. One place the two exams behave alike: a failed attempt isn't the end of the budget. PL-300 retakes open 24 hours after a first attempt, and later retakes carry longer waiting periods.
What free actually gets you
Microsoft backs PL-300 with a free official practice assessment and an exam sandbox on Microsoft Learn, so you can gauge readiness before you pay for the real thing. AnalyticsExam takes a different approach for DA-201: rather than a free assessment, the DA-201 premium practice exam is a paid, timed practice set organized around the exam's four domains.
Renewal isn't a one-time cost either
Certification isn't a single purchase — both exams expire on a clock. Salesforce requires the Tableau certification maintenance badge on Trailhead once a year to keep your DA-201 credential active. Microsoft requires renewal every 12 months too, but it's free: you pass an online assessment on Microsoft Learn and the clock resets. Neither renewal path costs as much as the original exam, but skipping either one means re-certifying from scratch later.
Budgeting for study time, not just exam day
Neither published price includes the cost of getting ready. Microsoft's free official practice assessment and sandbox cover baseline PL-300 prep without adding a line item, which is useful since the real exam may include interactive components you can't fully prepare for by reading alone. DA-201 candidates face a different tradeoff: the syllabus itself is free to read, but serious practice materials are a separate study-cost decision from the US$200 registration fee.
Skipping practice to save money is a gamble against your own study time, not just your wallet. A failed first attempt turns a US$200 exam into a US$300 one.
Watch the short version
This 60-second breakdown covers the numbers people usually get wrong about DA-201 pricing.
Which one actually costs more?
It depends entirely on where you're sitting the PL-300 exam and how many attempts you need. What's certain is that DA-201 publishes its fee up front, which makes it easier to budget for ahead of time. If you're leaning toward the Tableau side, AnalyticsExam's Analytics-DA-201 practice tests show how the four domains feel under a timed clock before you spend the US$200.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Analytics-DA-201 exam cost?
Registration is US$200 plus applicable taxes. If you don't pass on the first attempt, a retake costs US$100.
Why doesn't Microsoft publish a flat price for PL-300?
Because Microsoft prices PL-300 based on the country or region where the exam is proctored, so there's no single dollar figure that applies everywhere. Check the current regional price on Microsoft Learn before scheduling.
How much does a DA-201 retake cost?
A DA-201 retake costs US$100, on top of the original US$200 registration fee. A failed first attempt effectively turns a $200 exam into a $300 one.
Is there free official practice for PL-300?
Yes. Microsoft provides a free official practice assessment and an exam sandbox for PL-300 on Microsoft Learn. AnalyticsExam's DA-201 prep, by contrast, includes a paid premium practice exam rather than a free assessment.
Cost is one input into the decision. It shouldn't be the only one — but it's the one candidates ask about first, so now you have the real numbers instead of guesses.