Microsoft Power BI Reviews

“Cost is hard to justify”

Pros

One thing I appreciate is its dashboards.

Cons

It's expensive.

“easy to use analytics tool”

Pros

Power BI has been the most approachable analytics tool I've used. Compared with other data visualization platforms out there, its interface is very user friendly. It includes almost every type of chart, graph and visual element needed for analytics work and the Power Query feature makes it much simpler to transform data while working on the fly.

Cons

Users still need a fair level of skill in SQL and DAX especially for creating calculated columns and measures. That said, paginated reports don't require much technical knowledge.

“solid dashboards with rich visuals”

Pros

There's a lot of flexibility when it comes to building dashboards and reports and the variety of visuals makes it possible to present data in different ways.

Cons

Its licensing model is a bit confusing and it can be difficult to create reports that external customers can view properly.

“frustrating to use”

Pros

Honestly, there really aren't any positives to mention because it feels like every day there's some new issue or another bad experience with it.

Cons

Software runs slowly, has plenty of bugs and often won't let you do what you actually need to do. On top of that it feels difficult to use and there doesn't seem to be much of a community around it for support.

“trustworthy data visualization tools”

Pros

It's an excellent program for visualizing data and carrying out deeper analysis afterward.

Cons

Price is very high and because of the nature of the work, the cost ends up outweighing the overall benefit.

“great for getting cross department insights”

Pros

Does a really good job of bringing together data from different departments and pulling everything from a single source which makes analysis much more efficient and organized.

Cons

The interface feels a bit plain visually and there's definitely a learning curve if you want to get the most out of everything the platform can do.

“helpful tutorials”

Pros

There's a huge range of connections available and it's nice that free options are offered to get started. The tutorials are also helpful and make it easier to learn how to use the platform.

Cons

Its visualization choices feel somewhat rigid since they are mostly limited to what Microsoft provides. Because of that, it takes extra effort to customize actions and adjust the overall look the way you want.

“great controls”

Pros

Connecting it to different systems is very easy and building dashboards is just as convenient. I also appreciate being able to control who can view specific data, plus the fact that everything updates in real time makes it even more useful.

Cons

The one downside I'd mention is the pricing difference when it comes to the cloud version.

“reliable reporting”

Pros

A really practical tool for dynamic data visualization and reporting on large volumes of data.

Cons

Getting started is a bit more complicated than with standard office software and it's not yet widely adopted across my company.

“Impressive drill down feature”

Pros

It really stood out to me for its strong data integration and visualization features. It let me bring together multiple process datasets into one complete reporting suite without much hassle. The drill-down capability was especially valuable since it made it possible to move from high level opportunities all the way down to individual process steps. That made it much faster and more effective to spot, analyze and act on key areas for improvement and automation.

Cons

One thing that could be better is the learning curve at the beginning. For someone new to the platform especially without familiarity with other Microsoft tools or a solid data analytics background, it can take some time and effort to get comfortable with it.

“I recommend this to everyone”

Pros

Turning raw data from exported Excel spreadsheets into advanced analytics is where this really shines. It gives you an online platform with strong visual reporting and while you can build information in Excel, having a tool like this is a much better option.

Cons

I wouldn't call it a major downside but some training is definitely needed if you want to fully master everything the system can do.

“better company data analysis”

Pros

Power BI does a better job for the company when it comes to analyzing data.

Cons

There's really nothing negative to mention especially since it keeps improving.

“quick and easy insights”

Pros

Getting useful insights out of data feels very easy with Power BI. It doesn't require any coding and the drag and drop setup makes building reports and dashboards simple. The charts and graphs look polished and do a really good job of bringing out trends and patterns that are easy to miss in spreadsheets. It makes exploring data much more approachable even if you're just starting out and helps you analyze faster, understand more and make better decisions.

Cons

At times it can feel a bit slow especially when working with large datasets or more complex queries.

“real time insights”

Pros

One of the biggest advantages is being able to track property performance in real time, evaluate how well different marketing strategies are working and spot potential investment opportunities faster. It also does a really good job of connecting and bringing together data from multiple sources at once, whether that's internal databases, real estate websites or spreadsheets.

Cons

The quality of the visualizations and insights really depends on the quality of the source data. If the real estate information is outdated or inaccurate, the conclusions can end up being misleading. Because of that, you also need data analysts who know how to use the software effectively.

“quick dashboard building”

Pros

Has been incredibly useful for pulling in real time data and turning it into clear, visual presentations that are easy to share with others. It gives you plenty of ways to display the information so you can really highlight the data in a meaningful and engaging way.

Cons

There are definitely other tools available that offer similar features. It can also start to feel a bit laggy when you're working with a large amount of data.

“Highly customizable”

Pros

It helps predict the right actions for each project and for every area we analyze which keeps us prepared for any situation that may come up.

Cons

I haven't run into any issues while using it; it's very versatile.

“Fast KPI reporting”

Pros

Reporting and checking KPIs is really quick and easy.

Cons

Putting together dashboards or building new reports on your own is still not that simple.

“insightful visuals for smarter decisions”

Pros

This software helps me understand my data much better and make better decisions thanks to the wide range of charts, graphs and treemap options it offers.

Cons

Power BI can only import about 4 GB of data at a time and many of its features stay locked unless you pay for an expensive premium plan.

“fast connections”

Pros

It connects quickly with a wide range of standard data sources and integrations which makes getting started and pulling data together really convenient.

Cons

One frustrating limitation is that dashboards can't be deleted from the overview tab and there isn't a good way to organize them by priority or importance.

“Our go to data analysis tool”

Pros

Really powerful overall. It comes with a wide range of connectors which makes it a go-to tool for data analysis and visualization.

Cons

Writing in DAX and Power Query could use more built in assistance.