[Home](https://www.selecthub.com/) \> [Business Intelligence](https://www.selecthub.com/category/business-intelligence/) \> [Business Intelligence Tools](https://www.selecthub.com/c/business-intelligence-tools/) \> Power BI Categories: * [Business Intelligence Tools](https://www.selecthub.com/c/business-intelligence-tools/) * [Big Data Analytics Tools](https://www.selecthub.com/c/big-data-analytics-tools/) * [Business Analytics Tools](https://www.selecthub.com/c/business-analytics-tools/) * [Dashboard Software](https://www.selecthub.com/c/dashboard-software/) * [Embedded Analytics Tools](https://www.selecthub.com/c/embedded-analytics-tools/) * [Enterprise Reporting Software](https://www.selecthub.com/c/enterprise-reporting-system/) * [...](#) ## What Is Power BI? **Industry Specialties:** Serves all industries. Microsoft Power BI stands out as a top-tier analytics and reporting solution for individuals and enterprises. It’s ranked among the top five products on our BI leaderboard and earns an impressive 88% approval rating from users. It’s versatile in connectivity, pulling data from files, databases and cloud sources. Power Query is the force behind data transformation, and its strength lies in low-code data wrangling, which makes it way easier to build data models that serve as the basis for analysis and reporting. Power BI takes its analytical abilities a step further with Azure Machine Learning, its built-in AI tool. The platform connects to major eCommerce platforms ([Shopify](https://www.selecthub.com/p/ecommerce-platforms/shopify/), [Magento](https://www.selecthub.com/p/ecommerce-platforms/magento/), [BigCommerce](https://www.selecthub.com/p/ecommerce-platforms/bigcommerce/)), ERP systems ([NetSuite](https://www.selecthub.com/p/erp-software/netsuite/), [Dynamics 365](https://www.selecthub.com/p/erp-software/dynamics-365-erp/), [SAP Business One](https://www.selecthub.com/p/erp-software/sap-business-one/)) and CRM platforms ([Salesforce](https://www.selecthub.com/p/crm-software/salesforce/), [Marketo](https://www.selecthub.com/p/marketing-automation-software/marketo/)). It also integrates with data warehouses ([Snowflake](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/snowflake/), [Redshift](https://www.selecthub.com/p/data-warehouse-tools/redshift/)), databases (SQL, NoSQL) and file storage systems. Individual accounts include Power BI Desktop, Power BI Pro and Premium per User (PPU). Pro and PPU licenses use Power BI Service, which lets you share content with other Pro users and is suitable for small businesses. Power BI Premium is an enterprise license; you can share content with anyone, even external users. Pro and Premium per User cost $14 and $24 per user monthly, respectively, while Premium comes at $4,995 per month. User reviews praise it for ease of use, connectivity and modeling, but most users find the pricing confusing, possibly because of the various Microsoft integrations that make Power BI a complete package. **Our Research Process for Power BI** Power BI Desktop is free, though not full-featured, and I tested it for data ingestion, transformation, data type detection, calculated columns and measures, DAX, data modeling, visualization, and dashboarding. To supplement my experience, I read product documentation and watched demo videos by the vendor and individual users. I also browsed user reviews on Gartner, Capterra, G2 and Reddit forums. Our JumpStart Platform provided ready-to-go data to compare Power BI with my preferred products. This information is the result of our years of experience helping buyers find the right product. It’s enriched with information from SelectHub RFIs, vendor outreach, product manuals and user reviews. PRICE $ $ $ $ $ COMPANY SIZE S M L DEPLOYMENT PLATFORM [ Try Before You Buy. Request a Free Demo Today! Request Demo It's completely free! ](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-demo/?category=Business+Intelligence+Tools&product%5Fname=Power%2BBI&origin%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.selecthub.com%2Fp%2Fbusiness-intelligence-tools%2Fpower-bi%2F&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.selecthub.com%2Fproducts%2F83f2550373f2f19492aa30fbd5b57512-f512a2427dbe017c62a1133c6c6272a5%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1717438340) [Contributors](#view-contributors) ![Ritinder Kaur]() Written by Ritinder Kaur Senior Technical Content Writer [ Read Bio](https://www.selecthub.com/author/ritinder-kaur/) ![Dianna Dragonetti]() Edited by Dianna Dragonetti Content Editor [ Read Bio](https://www.selecthub.com/author/dianna-dragonetti/) User Sentiment i ![User satisfaction level icon: great]() Based on 5639 reviews: Add your rating: ![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]()![Screenshots]() Product Screenshots and Videos ## #5 Power BI is ranked #5 on the top 10 Business Intelligence Tools leaderboard based on a comprehensive analysis performed by SelectHub research analysts. Compare the leaders with our In-Depth Report. [ Get the Report Now](https://pmo.selecthub.com/bi-report-pd-vers?category%5Fslug=business-intelligence-tools&product%5Fslug=power-bi&slug=power-bi&product%5Fname=Power+BI&category=Business+Intelligence+Tools&origin%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.selecthub.com%2Fp%2Fbusiness-intelligence-tools%2Fpower-bi%2F) ## Power BI Pricing Based on our most recent analysis, Power BI pricing starts at $14 (Per User, Monthly, Freemium). [Get Price Quote](https://pmo.selecthub.com/get-product-pricing/?category=Business+Intelligence+Tools&product%5Fname=Power%2BBI&origin%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.selecthub.com%2Fp%2Fbusiness-intelligence-tools%2Fpower-bi%2F&product%5Flogo=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.selecthub.com%2Fproducts%2F83f2550373f2f19492aa30fbd5b57512-f512a2427dbe017c62a1133c6c6272a5%2Fresources%2Fnormal%2Flogo.png%3F1717438340&price=2) Price $ $ $ $ $ i Starting From $14 Pricing Model Per User, Monthly, Freemium Free Trial 30 Days ([Request for Free](https://pmo.selecthub.com/free-trial/?product%5Fname=Power+BI&category=Business+Intelligence+Tools&product%5Flogo=https://cdn.selecthub.com/products/83f2550373f2f19492aa30fbd5b57512-f512a2427dbe017c62a1133c6c6272a5/resources/normal/logo.png?1717438340)) ## Training Resources Power BI is supported with the following types of training: Documentation In Person Live Online Videos Webinars ## Support The following support services are available for Power BI: Email Phone Chat FAQ Forum Help Desk Knowledge Base Tickets Training 24/7 Live Support ## Product Information and Resellers Product Information Reseller - WIA Business Systems ## Power BI Benefits and Insights Why use Power BI? ### Key differentiators & advantages of Power BI * **Make Informed Decisions:** Make your life easier — change data to visuals by dragging and dropping fields into the visualization pane. Power BI generates suitable charts automatically. You can display important metrics in square boxes called tiles. Power BI maintains a separate cache for each tile, updating it after every data refresh. Custom branding is available. For these and many other graphics capabilities, it wins the top award in our visualization analysis. * **Improve Efficiency:** Never miss out on insights — ingest data using the import mode or DirectQuery. Connect to over 100 data sources, detecting data types as they come into the system. And then there’s Power Query. No wonder our analysts awarded Power BI the top honors for connectivity and a perfect 100 for data prep. * **Leverage AI:** Drill deeper into the entire dataset or dig into a specific visual with Quick Insights. Round off your customer insights with data from social media — extract key phrases and tag images for sentiment analysis with Azure. In our analysis, Power BI wins the best-in-class award for augmented analytics. * **Stay Competitive:** Write complex queries using SQL or use the drag-and-drop feature to speed things up. Analyze data with in-memory storage, which is always faster than pulling data from sources. Query scheduling and batch updates are available. Our analysts rated Power BI the best solution in its category for data querying. * **Generate Insights:** Produce interactive reports that save time in meetings. Explore data at will and dig deeper by clicking on visuals. Power BI gets the top distinction in our analysis for excellent reporting. With conditional formatting, you can use color gradients to show increasing or decreasing values. Keep track of your investment with a built-in performance analyzer. * **Secure Data:** Protects sensitive data with encryption and object security. Authenticate users when they sign in. The vendor tests the solution regularly for security vulnerabilities. Our team gives it an outstanding ranking for watertight data security. * **Stay Connected Anywhere:** Keep tabs on your business when away from the office with a mobile app for iOS, Android and Windows devices. According to our team, Power BI is the best in class for mobile insights with natural language processing. * **Embed:** Deliver reports to users where they work without switching context. Embed reports into business systems and allow users to filter and sort the data without disturbing the underlying metrics. White-labeling and write-backs are available. What’s not to like? Our analysts give it a perfect 100. ### Industry Expertise Power BI supports budgeting, financial planning and performance tracking in many companies, schools and colleges. It provides reporting to retail and eCommerce companies, banks, insurers, manufacturers and healthcare organizations. Government agencies use its dashboards to monitor crime, spending and public programs. ## Power BI Reviews Based on our most recent analysis, Power BI reviews indicate a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 89% based on 5639 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites. ![User satisfaction level icon: great]() 5639 reviews 89% of users would recommend this product ### Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews Based on an aggregate of Power BI reviews taken from the sources above, the following pros & cons have been curated by a SelectHub Market Analyst. #### Pros * **Integrations:** Around 95% of users who mentioned data sources said they were satisfied with its flexibility in connecting to sources. * **Data Visualization:** About 93% of the users who discussed visual analysis said they relied on it for daily reporting. * **Functionality:** Over 75% of the users reviewing features said they were impressed with its live queries, DAX calculations and data modeling. * **Ease of Use:** Approximately 72% of the users who mentioned its UI said it was straightforward to use. #### Cons * **Speed:** About 95% of recent reviews citing performance said the platform lagged when dealing with large data volumes. * **Adoption:** Around 81.5% of the reviewers mentioning adoption said the learning curve was steep. * **Cost:** Approximately 71% of users discussing pricing complained about the platform being expensive. #### Researcher's Summary: Our researchers ranked products on a whole bunch of features. They include data management, querying and visualization, advanced and embedded analytics, mobile BI, and IoT and location analytics. [Heathrow Airport](https://www.microsoft.com/en/customers/story/709586-heathrow-airport-travel-transportation-powerbi-azure#customers-share-modal-dialog) relies on Power BI and Azure Analytics to handle 80 million passengers daily with an army of 75,000 employees. Azure pushes data from flight updates, passenger services and weather reports to Power BI, helping employees prepare for whatever comes their way — a huge asset when flights are delayed and the airport needs to be ready with extra personnel, buses, snacks and waiting areas. In our rankings, Power BI scores 87 for connectivity, leaving behind Tableau, Oracle Analytics and Dundas BI. Robust Microsoft technology is one reason, for sure. Besides, intelligent techniques like DirectQuery and easy data modeling make it popular among users. In product reviews, some users mentioned a lag when sharing reports from the desktop to the cloud. For me, the platform was a tad slow to start, but otherwise, it stayed performant for my average-sized dataset. Some users found the pricing structure too complex. While using Azure data in Power BI for basic queries is free, costs can add up when you go for text and sentiment analysis. With Microsoft Fabric, the pricing complexity is set to rise. Though Power BI is available separately too, you’ll need to rely on Fabric to manage users, licenses and other administrative tasks. About 31% of the users mentioning cost complained about onboarding difficulties, possibly because DAX introduces the complexity of learning syntax. It can daunt non-technical users initially, but guided formulas can make the task easier. That said, I agree with the majority of user reviews that training will speed up onboarding and help your team maximize the investment. Overall, Power BI has many powerful features and will give you value for your money. If you’re not a Microsoft user yet, it’s worth checking out for the baked-in vendor technologies like Azure and SSAS. If you are an MS user, Power BI might be a no-brainer, though be prepared to shell out a little extra for advanced functionality and additional modules. ## Key Features * **Dataflows:** Save time with reusable workflows that lock the logic in. While shared datasets are open to interpretation, dataflows will take your users in one direction only, ensuring consistent results. It’s like a written recipe, just follow the steps to get the taste right. * **Analyze in Excel:** Focus on the end game. Give your teams the freedom to analyze their data in Excel and move the results back to Power BI. * **DAX:** Empower your people to go beyond raw data. Derive calculated columns and measures with Data Analysis Expressions. Watch them update as you apply filters and slicers and interact with data in other ways. * **Key Influencers Visual:** Make informed decisions by isolating the factors affecting a critical metric. For example, if you’re a transporter, does terrain impact how consistently your trucks deliver, or is the average age of your fleet vehicles also a factor? * **Decomposition Tree:** Identify which product category or region contributed most to sales increase or decrease. For instance, you can analyze sales trends by channel with the decomposition tree. * **Data Alerts:** Act in time to keep things running smoothly. Stay informed of changes with alerts. Subscribe to receive notifications via email or the Power BI notification center (available only with Power BI Service). Among visualizations, KPI cards, cards and gauges have the alert option. * **Data Refreshes:** Stay ahead of trends with the latest insight. Update data on demand in Power BI or schedule refreshes with Power Automate. Power BI Pro and Premium allow up to eight and 48 refreshes daily, respectively. ## See It In Action: Sales KPI Report When dealing with sales data, total sales, the top-performing products, seasonality and period trends are common queries. Creating a sales KPI report in Power BI was an excellent way for me to answer them. My CSV files included sales, calendar, products and store data. ![](https://www.selecthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Connect-to-Data.png) Connecting to sources is straightforward with **Get Data** on the home screen and toolbar. Once I had pulled in the data, I clicked on **Transform Data** and opened the Power Query editor. It automatically detects the data type for strings and numbers but can get confused with dates and currency, which it marks as text. It involved some manual wrangling, but I had it sorted in no time. But I wouldn’t call it a deal-breaker as it’s not a tedious task. Tableau was way better as it recognizes seven data types — string, number, date, date and time, boolean, geographic and cluster values. Tracking sales over periods required a greater level of detail, so I added new columns to the **calendar** data — **start of month** and **start of week**. ![](https://www.selecthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Add-date-columns.png) Column statistics were immensely helpful in identifying unique, distinct and null values and correcting incomplete records. Clicking on the number of products selling at a particular price allowed me to see which toys sold at that price. ![](https://www.selecthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Lowest-and-highest-priced-products-1.png) Creating a relational data model by defining primary keys is a manual process and seems dated once you’ve used Qlik Sense. ![](https://www.selecthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PBI-Data-Models.png) Adding calculated columns and measures is where DAX shows its magic. For data workers well-versed with SQL, DAX is a ready-to-go tool they’ll be glad to have in their corner. ![](https://www.selecthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Calculated-Columns.png) Creating visualizations wasn’t as intuitive as Tableau, which has a sleeker interface. ![](https://www.selecthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Final-dashboard.png) Power BI offers a paintbrush tool that lets you define the layout, the card arrangement and the maximum number of cards. You can define the canvas settings, background and headers and determine the filter pane settings. It took me longer to create a dashboard from scratch than it took in Tableau. ## Approach to Common Challenges We referenced our buyer questionnaires to understand the pain points of software buyers like you. Here’s how Power BI addresses them. * **Manual Processes:** It relies on Dataflows and Power Automate to run reports and send alerts. You can set up Python/R scripts to run analysis tasks. * **Data Integration Issues:** Manual data entry and data quality woes go hand in hand — it’s a time-suck, and you can never catch up with incoming data. Power BI has automatic ETL and data profiling. Plus, DirectQuery ensures your data is up to date. If Power BI doesn’t support your preferred source, your developers can set up a connector. Incremental refreshes and parameterized queries keep the data fresh while including the latest user input. * **Performance Woes:** Power BI pre-aggregates data, reducing the query time. DirectQuery pulls data as it becomes available in the source. DAX queries take over data processing, reducing the load on the underlying model. Autoscale and semantic scale-out keep the solution performant. Dataflows, parallel queries and natural language Q&A speed up data pipelines. * **Adoption Issues:** Despite visual analytics, many products miss the mark on ease of use because of the complexity of the underlying features. Either the UI is too simplistic or too cluttered. Striking a balance is tough when aiming for a mixed user base, but Power BI seems to do it well. Though there’s a learning curve, active community support is available. ## Limitations Some of the product limitations include: * Works only with Windows, except Power BI Mobile, which is available on iOS and Android also. * Dashboards aren’t available in Power BI Desktop. * Can’t export reports of more than 30 pages. * Doesn’t support report versioning out of the box. * Doesn’t allow datasets above 1GB to be published to Power BI Service if using the Pro edition. ## Demo Resources * **Microsoft:** Download reports, dashboards and datasets from the vendor’s website and follow along with their tutorials. * **Learn by Doing:** Microsoft offers a free "Dashboard in a Day" workshop with a certificate at completion. Learn how to connect to data, build reports and dashboards and share content in Power BI. * **Third-Party Tutorials:** Check out third-party websites like Maven Analytics for guided projects with sample data. Watch YouTube demos and tutorials after filtering results for recent videos. I did my project on Maven; it was super easy to follow and took me only two days. ## FAQs Frequently asked questions regarding Power BI include: **Q: What are the different versions of Power BI?** A: Power BI is available in several versions: * **Power BI Desktop:** It's a free, standalone application for creating reports and data models. * **Power BI Service:** This is a cloud-based service for sharing and collaborating on reports and dashboards. Requires at least a Pro license. * **Power BI Premium:** It's the top-end license that enables big data analysis, incremental refreshes and dedicated cloud resources. It includes per user (PPU) and capacity-based licensing options. * **Power BI Mobile:** View and interact with Power BI reports and dashboards on smartphones and tablets. * **Power BI Report Server:** An on-premises solution for hosting and sharing Power BI reports. * **Power BI Embedded:** It’s a cloud-based capacity service with an embedding API that integrates content into your application. **Q: Which data sources can Power BI connect to?** A: Power BI can draw data from a wide range of data sources, including: * Databases (SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL and PostgreSQL). * Cloud services (Azure, Google Analytics and Salesforce). * Online apps and services (Facebook, Slack and Twitter). * Files (Excel, CSV, XML and JSON). * On-premises data via gateways. **Q. How secure is Power BI?** A: Power BI offers robust security that includes the following features: * Row-level security (RLS) controls access to data at the row level. * Data encryption in transit and at rest. * Compliance with industry standards and certifications such as GDPR, HIPAA and ISO 27001. * Azure Active Directory supports user authentication and single sign-on (SSO). **Q: Is Power BI the same as Excel?** A: While Excel is a desktop application for basic calculations, Power BI is cloud-based and can handle larger volumes. It has an edge over Excel with data modeling, collaboration through the cloud and advanced analytics. Power Query is a common component, and your users can work with both Power BI and Excel. ## Cost of Ownership Frequently asked questions regarding product name pricing include: **Q: Is Power BI free with Office 365?** A: It’s available but has basic features. Dashboards and sharing options aren’t there, and a 10 GB storage limit can be restrictive. It would be inadequate for businesses and is fit for individual use. **Q: Does the vendor offer discounts for academic organizations?** A: Microsoft Tech for Social Impact offers full-featured Power BI Desktop for free for nonprofits. With it, you can connect to sources, design visualizations, publish to Power BI Service and embed content on websites. Power BI Pro is available for $3 per user monthly and includes all desktop features, real-time views, content collaboration and distribution. For academics (faculty), the vendor offers the Premium edition at $1,998 monthly for one instance. It supports unlimited users, 25GB RAM, eight frontend and backend cores each, and 30 live queries per second. | License/Subscription Cost | Based on the number of users for Power BI Pro and capacity-based pricing for Power BI Premium | | ------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Maintenance Cost | Included in the subscription cost | | Installation/Implementation Cost | Included in the subscription cost. Additional charges may apply for data migration during implementation of Power BI, maintaining on-premise data sources and building dashboards and reports | | Customization Cost | Dependent on functional requirements and specific needs of the organization | | Data Migration Cost/Change Management/Upfront Switching Cost | Dependent on your current software, amount of data to be migrated, availability of migration tools, complexity of data and gaps between the existing system and the new system. | | Recurring/Renewal Costs | Renewal cost is included in the fees paid monthly or annually | ![Banner of Pricing guide for Power BI]() ## Pricing & Cost Details Includes Price/User and Minimum Commitment Terms for Power BI See Power BI Pricing Details ## Value-Added Benefits ### How WIA Systems adds value to Power BI * **Flexible Deployment:** WIA Business Systems enables flexible on-premise and in-cloud deployment, in addition to hybrid implementations, leveraging Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS). * **Tailored Implementation:** Customize the tool to business size and needs — from self-service BI to enterprise-level functionality — with dedicated technical assistance, saving company time. * **Regular Updates:** Get regular updates and patches for priority defects. WIA Business Systems maintains thorough records of all customizations, updates and patches that they provide. * **Issue Resolution:** The reseller maintains a replica of the live environment — with matching test data — to replicate and troubleshoot issues for faster resolution. ### Industry Expertise WIA Business Systems provides analytics solutions to clients in multiple industries throughout the USA, Canada, UK, UAE & Asia. These sectors include manufacturing, engineering, construction, retail, transportation and logistics, equipment, infrastructure, telecom, energy, aerospace and defense. ## Support and Services **Advice:** Get support for all issues related to the customizations and core updates that the reseller provides. **Consulting:** Talk to certified consultants to get domain and product knowledge at any stage of the deployment process. **Engineering:** Call 1-877-942-7978 or email info@wiasystems.com for more information on their services or reach out to them through the Contact page on their website. Get access to trained support professionals Monday through Friday or round-the-clock for a fee. **Implementation:** Get dedicated implementation support and stay updated on the deployment status with project management and project reporting tools. **Training:** Sign up for customized training programs that include onsite, individual, and classroom training, video tutorials and courses. ## Compare Business Intelligence Tools These are the top products most often compared. Generating Scorecard... Compare to Power BI You can choose 4 products to compare [ Strategy One ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/strategy-one/) [ Oracle Analytics Cloud ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/data-analytics-software/oracle-analytics-cloud/) [ Qlik Sense ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/qlik-sense/) [ Domo ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/domo/) [ SAP Analytics Cloud ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/sap-analytics-cloud/) [ Tableau ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/tableau/) [ Spotfire ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/data-visualization-tools/spotfire/) [ SAS Visual Analytics ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/data-visualization-tools/sas-visual-analytics/) [ Cognos Analytics ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/cognos-analytics/) Generating Scorecard... Compare to Power BI ## Head-to-Head Comparison ![Power BI Software Tool]() vs * [BusinessObjects](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-businessobjects/) * [Clear Analytics](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-clear-analytics/) * [Cognos Analytics](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-cognos-analytics/) * [CRM Analytics](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-crm-analytics/) * [datacube](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-datacube/) * [Datameer](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-datameer/) * [Domo](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-domo/) * [Dundas BI](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-dundas-bi/) * [eazyBI](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-eazybi/) * [Fractal](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-fractal-analytics/) * [GoodData](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-gooddata/) * [IBM Watson Analytics](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-ibm-watson-analytics/) * [Infor Birst](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-birst/) * [InfoZoom](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-infozoom/) * [KNIME](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-knime/) * [Knowi](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-knowi/) * [Looker](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-looker/) * [Mathematica](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-mathematica/) * [Metabase](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-metabase/) * [Mode](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-mode-analytics/) * [Oracle Business Intelligence](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-oracle-bi/) * [Panintelligence](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-panintelligence/) * [Phocas](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-phocas/) * [Pyramid Analytics](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-pyramid-analytics/) * [Qlik Sense](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-qlik-sense/) * [QuickSight](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-quicksight/) * [SAP Analytics Cloud](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-sap-analytics-cloud/) * [SAP Business Data Cloud](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-sap-business-data-cloud/) * [SAS Business Analytics](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-sas-business-analytics/) * [Sigma Computing](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-sigma-computing/) * [Strategy One](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-strategy-one/) * [Tableau](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/tableau-vs-power-bi/) * [TARGIT](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-targit/) * [Yellowfin BI](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-yellowfin-bi/) * [Zoho Analytics](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/power-bi-vs-zoho-analytics/) ## Awards SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Power BI and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Embedded Analytics Capabilities, Geospatial Visualizations and Analysis and Mobile Capabilities. ![Embedded Analytics Capabilities Award]() ![Geospatial Visualizations and Analysis Award]() ![Mobile Capabilities Award]() ## Relevant Articles [ Tableau vs. Qlik View vs. Power BI](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence/tableau-vs-qlikview-vs-microsoft-power-bi/) [ SAS vs. SAP vs. Power BI](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence/sas-vs-sap-vs-power-bi/) [ Power BI vs Tableau vs QlikView](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence/tableau-vs-qlikview-vs-microsoft-power-bi/) [ Domo vs Power BI](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence-tools/domo-vs-power-bi/) [ Best Visual Analytics Tools](https://www.selecthub.com/business-intelligence/visual-analytics-tools/) ## Pricing for Business Intelligence Tools ![Banner of Pricing guide for Business Intelligence Tools]() ## Product Publications [ pdf Infor Birst Vs. Power BI Vs. Looker Comparison Report ](https://www.selecthub.com/pdfs/normal/missing.png) [ pdf Tableau vs QlikView vs Power BI Comparison Report ](https://www.selecthub.com/pdfs/normal/missing.png) ## Similar Products Here are the most similar products to Power BI. [ Gyana ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/gyana-bi/) [ White Cup BI ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/white-cup-bi/) [ bipp ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/bipp-io/) [ DeltaMaster ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/deltamaster/) [ Quick BI ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/quick-bi/) [ Lumenore ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/lumenore/) [ Slemma ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/slemma/) [ Halo BI ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/halo-bi/) [ Omniscope ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/omniscope/) [ Intellicus ](https://www.selecthub.com/p/business-intelligence-tools/intellicus/) ## About the Contributors The following expert team members are responsible for creating, reviewing, and fact checking the accuracy of this content. [ ](https://www.selecthub.com/author/ritinder-kaur/) Written by [Ritinder Kaur](https://www.selecthub.com/author/ritinder-kaur/) Senior Technical Content Writer Ritinder Kaur is a Senior Technical Content Writer at SelectHub and has ten years of experience writing about B2B software and quality assurance. She has a Masters degree in English language and literature and writes about Business Intelligence and Data Science. Her articles on software testing have been published on Stickyminds. [See Full Bio](https://www.selecthub.com/author/ritinder-kaur/) [ ](https://www.selecthub.com/author/dianna-dragonetti/) Edited by [Dianna Dragonetti](https://www.selecthub.com/author/dianna-dragonetti/) Content Editor As an editor, Dianna Dragonetti leads a team of five writers in writing about a variety of software, with an emphasis on how these tools empower businesses. Categories include accounting, learning management systems, content management systems, supply chain management, and electronic data interchange. [See Full Bio](https://www.selecthub.com/author/dianna-dragonetti/) Your review has been submitted and should be visible within 24 hours. Review Title Pros Cons Overall feedback Your name Your job title Industry [ Choose your main industry](javascript:void%28%29) * [Accounting / CPA](javascript:void%28%29) * [Advertising](javascript:void%28%29) * [Aerospace & Defense](javascript:void%28%29) * [Agriculture](javascript:void%28%29) * [Apparel](javascript:void%28%29) * [Architecture](javascript:void%28%29) * [Auto Dealership](javascript:void%28%29) * [Automotive](javascript:void%28%29) * [Banking & Financial Services](javascript:void%28%29) * [Banking & Mortgage](javascript:void%28%29) * [Chemicals](javascript:void%28%29) * [Construction & Engineering](javascript:void%28%29) * [Construction / Contracting](javascript:void%28%29) * [Consulting](javascript:void%28%29) * [Consumer Products](javascript:void%28%29) * [Distribution](javascript:void%28%29) * [E-commerce](javascript:void%28%29) * [Education](javascript:void%28%29) * [Electronics](javascript:void%28%29) * [Energy & Utilities](javascript:void%28%29) * [Federal Government](javascript:void%28%29) * [Field Maintenance](javascript:void%28%29) * [Food & Beverage](javascript:void%28%29) * [Healthcare / Social Services](javascript:void%28%29) * [Hospitality / Gaming / Travel](javascript:void%28%29) * [Human Resources](javascript:void%28%29) * [Industrial Machinery](javascript:void%28%29) * [Information Technology & High Tech](javascript:void%28%29) * [Insurance](javascript:void%28%29) * [Legal](javascript:void%28%29) * [Maintenance / Field Service](javascript:void%28%29) * [Manufacturing](javascript:void%28%29) * [Marketing Services](javascript:void%28%29) * [Media & Communications / Entertainment](javascript:void%28%29) * [Mill Products](javascript:void%28%29) * [Mining / Metals](javascript:void%28%29) * [Mortgage](javascript:void%28%29) * [Non-Profit](javascript:void%28%29) * [Not Available](javascript:void%28%29) * [Oil & Gas](javascript:void%28%29) * [Other](javascript:void%28%29) * [Other Services](javascript:void%28%29) * [Payroll Provider](javascript:void%28%29) * [Pharmaceuticals](javascript:void%28%29) * [Professional Employer Organization](javascript:void%28%29) * [Professional Services](javascript:void%28%29) * [Property Management](javascript:void%28%29) * [Public Sector](javascript:void%28%29) * [Real Estate](javascript:void%28%29) * [Recruiting Agency](javascript:void%28%29) * [Religious Institutions](javascript:void%28%29) * [Retail](javascript:void%28%29) * [Sales & Marketing](javascript:void%28%29) * [Semiconductors](javascript:void%28%29) * [Software / IT](javascript:void%28%29) * [Sports and Recreation](javascript:void%28%29) * [Staffing Agency](javascript:void%28%29) * [State & Local Government](javascript:void%28%29) * [Telecommunications](javascript:void%28%29) * [Third-Party Administrator](javascript:void%28%29) * [Transportation & Logistics](javascript:void%28%29) * [Wholesale Distribution](javascript:void%28%29) Company Size [ Choose your company size](javascript:void%28%29) * [1 employee](javascript:void%28%29) * [2 to 9 employees](javascript:void%28%29) * [10 - 19 employees](javascript:void%28%29) * [20 - 49 employees](javascript:void%28%29) * [50 - 99 employees](javascript:void%28%29) * [100 - 499 employee](javascript:void%28%29) * [500 - 999 employees](javascript:void%28%29) * [1,000 - 2,499 employees](javascript:void%28%29) * [2,500 - 4,999 employees](javascript:void%28%29) * [5,000 - 9,999 employees](javascript:void%28%29) * [10,000 - 24,999 employees](javascript:void%28%29) * [25,000 - 49,999 employees](javascript:void%28%29) * [50,000 + employees](javascript:void%28%29) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.selecthub.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Business Intelligence", "item": "https://www.selecthub.com/category/business-intelligence/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Business Intelligence Tools", "item": "https://www.selecthub.com/c/business-intelligence-tools/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Power BI" } ] } { "@context": "http://schema.org", "@type": "SoftwareApplication", "name": "Power BI", "description": "Microsoft Power BI stands out as a top-tier analytics and reporting solution for individuals and enterprises. It’s ranked among the top five products on our BI leaderboard and earns an impressive 88% approval rating from users.It’s versatile in connectivity, pulling data from files, databases and cloud sources. Power Query is the force behind data transformation, and its strength lies in low-code data wrangling, which makes it way easier to build data models that serve as the basis for analysis and reporting. Power BI takes its analytical abilities a step further with Azure Machine Learning, its built-in AI tool.The platform connects to major eCommerce platforms (Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce), ERP systems (NetSuite, Dynamics 365, SAP Business One) and CRM platforms (Salesforce, Marketo). It also integrates with data warehouses (Snowflake, Redshift), databases (SQL, NoSQL) and file storage systems.Individual accounts include Power BI Desktop, Power BI Pro and Premium per User (PPU). Pro and PPU licenses use Power BI Service, which lets you share content with other Pro users and is suitable for small businesses.Power BI Premium is an enterprise license; you can share content with anyone, even external users. Pro and Premium per User cost $14 and $24 per user monthly, respectively, while Premium comes at $4,995 per month. User reviews praise it for ease of use, connectivity and modeling, but most users find the pricing confusing, possibly because of the various Microsoft integrations that make Power BI a complete package.Our Research Process for Power BIPower BI Desktop is free, though not full-featured, and I tested it for data ingestion, transformation, data type detection, calculated columns and measures, DAX, data modeling, visualization, and dashboarding.To supplement my experience, I read product documentation and watched demo videos by the vendor and individual users. I also browsed user reviews on Gartner, Capterra, G2 and Reddit forums.Our JumpStart Platform provided ready-to-go data to compare Power BI with my preferred products. This information is the result of our years of experience helping buyers find the right product. It’s enriched with information from SelectHub RFIs, vendor outreach, product manuals and user reviews.", "review": { "@type": "Review","reviewRating": { "@type": "Rating", "ratingValue": 87, "bestRating": 100 }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "SelectHub", "reviewBody": "Our researchers ranked products on a whole bunch of features. They include data management, querying and visualization, advanced and embedded analytics, mobile BI, and IoT and location analytics.Heathrow Airport relies on Power BI and Azure Analytics to handle 80 million passengers daily with an army of 75,000 employees. Azure pushes data from flight updates, passenger services and weather reports to Power BI, helping employees prepare for whatever comes their way — a huge asset when flights are delayed and the airport needs to be ready with extra personnel, buses, snacks and waiting areas.In our rankings, Power BI scores 87 for connectivity, leaving behind Tableau, Oracle Analytics and Dundas BI. Robust Microsoft technology is one reason, for sure. Besides, intelligent techniques like DirectQuery and easy data modeling make it popular among users.In product reviews, some users mentioned a lag when sharing reports from the desktop to the cloud. For me, the platform was a tad slow to start, but otherwise, it stayed performant for my average-sized dataset.Some users found the pricing structure too complex. While using Azure data in Power BI for basic queries is free, costs can add up when you go for text and sentiment analysis. With Microsoft Fabric, the pricing complexity is set to rise. Though Power BI is available separately too, you’ll need to rely on Fabric to manage users, licenses and other administrative tasks.About 31% of the users mentioning cost complained about onboarding difficulties, possibly because DAX introduces the complexity of learning syntax. It can daunt non-technical users initially, but guided formulas can make the task easier. That said, I agree with the majority of user reviews that training will speed up onboarding and help your team maximize the investment.Overall, Power BI has many powerful features and will give you value for your money. If you’re not a Microsoft user yet, it’s worth checking out for the baked-in vendor technologies like Azure and SSAS. If you are an MS user, Power BI might be a no-brainer, though be prepared to shell out a little extra for advanced functionality and additional modules." } }, "image": "https://cdn.selecthub.com/products/83f2550373f2f19492aa30fbd5b57512-f512a2427dbe017c62a1133c6c6272a5/resources/normal/logo.png?1717438340", "aggregateRating": { "@type": "AggregateRating", "ratingValue": "89", "bestRating": "100", "worstRating": "1", "ratingCount": "5639" }, "offers": { "@type": "Offer", "priceSpecification": { "@type": "priceSpecification", "price": "14", "priceCurrency": "USD" } }, "positiveNotes": { "@type": "ItemList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Integrations: Around 95% of users who mentioned data sources said they were satisfied with its flexibility in connecting to sources." }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Data Visualization: About 93% of the users who discussed visual analysis said they relied on it for daily reporting." }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Functionality: Over 75% of the users reviewing features said they were impressed with its live queries, DAX calculations and data modeling." } ] }, "negativeNotes": { "@type": "ItemList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Speed: About 95% of recent reviews citing performance said the platform lagged when dealing with large data volumes." }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Adoption: Around 81.5% of the reviewers mentioning adoption said the learning curve was steep." }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cost: Approximately 71% of users discussing pricing complained about the platform being expensive." } ] }, "applicationCategory": "Business Intelligence Tools" } ```