Relational table and tabular relations are very similar in structure. Relational tables refer to the storage of data in tabular format (similar to a spreadsheet) in relational databases (RDBMS). The tables enable developers to infer relationships between data items in different records or other tables. A tabular model features data and metadata such as tables, relationships, measures, KPIs, calculation groups, hierarchies, and translations.

Tabular relations are the relations between data items that can be inferred by the structure of the data. Tabular relations, for example, might tie together customer and order tables. So, this would then show the customer name associated with an order. By connecting tables of data, valuable information can be revealed to help a business.