Microsoft Power BI Reviews

“Doesn't take much time to learn”

Pros

It's very easy to use and getting the hang of it doesn't take much time at all.

Cons

It still doesn't fully integrate with some applications.

“quick and easy integrations”

Pros

Getting started with Microsoft Power BI is pretty easy thanks to its user friendly interface. It works well across different platforms, integrates nicely with other tools and gives plenty of flexibility to build custom logic when needed.

Cons

DAX can still be challenging to learn at first and the platform could be better optimized when working with very large volumes of data.

“useful data insights”

Pros

An outstanding tool for data analysis. Its visualization and reporting capabilities are impressive and they have significantly improved my ability to make data-driven decisions.

Cons

It would be even better with stronger integration with other Microsoft tools especially Excel since that would be very beneficial.

“versatile reports”

Pros

It has been an amazing tool and a strong ally in my work because of how well it turns data into impactful visualizations which has helped me make more informed and accurate decisions. On top of that its reporting features are simply exceptional.

Cons

Up to this point, I haven't run into any issues myself although some of my colleagues have gone through a moderately steep learning curve. That could probably be improved with more documentation and tutorials.

“great for teamwork”

Pros

Fairly simple to understand when you're just getting started. The reports produced by the team help cut down the time spent on tasks which makes it easier to move ahead with other activities and that's why I would recommend it.

Cons

Users without much experience and who have never worked with a tool like this before might find getting started with this software a bit difficult.

“User friendly analytics”

Pros

Has been especially valuable because the interface is easy to use and doesn't require a steep learning curve to get started. The customization options are excellent and its tight integration with the Power Platform makes it an even more useful and capable tool overall.

Cons

One drawback is that the desktop version uses a lot of RAM and can feel slow at times so it really needs a machine with solid specs to run at its best.

“Live updates need improvement”

Pros

The graphing features and the tabular way of presenting data are the strongest parts of the platform.

Cons

Report refresh speed could definitely be better. Updating only once or twice a day isn't really sufficient when thousands of transactions are happening within a single day.

“smooth Microsoft ecosystem fit”

Pros

One of the biggest benefits of this software is that it comes from Microsoft so it works very well with Excel, SharePoint and SQL Server.

Cons

I honestly didn't come across any drawbacks worth mentioning with this tool.

“easy to use admin controls”

Pros

The admin side feels very user friendly and applying it to users isnt too complicated.

Cons

It can be a bit pricey and the add ins sometimes cause issues.

“Strategic dashboards”

Pros

Reports and charts are very simple for admin users to work with and they really help when building strategic business views and insights.

Cons

The online version of this software could be made simpler, more in line with how user friendly the app version feels.

“powerful real time analytics”

Pros

This works well with several Microsoft products, is easy to use, supports real time data analysis and connects to multiple data sources.

Cons

Price is a bit high and it also depends entirely on the Microsoft ecosystem.

“Efficient drill down insights”

Pros

The platform is incredibly capable when it comes to analyzing data, building reports and dashboards and drilling into the details to uncover really valuable insights.

Cons

Has a learning curve and it can feel quite complex at first but once you get comfortable with it, the results can be extremely rewarding.

“interactive visuals”

Pros

Power BI is very informative thanks to its clean graphical interface and the color choices are excellent. It's also really valuable that it connects to many different data sources for analysis.

Cons

Merging data especially when it comes from Microsoft Excel, is quite complicated to handle.

“impactful dashboards for data insights”

Pros

Feels very user friendly and makes it simple to understand and work with data. It helps turn information into visually appealing dashboards that are much easier to read especially when handling project tracking and financial analysis.

Cons

One thing I've noticed is that the desktop version can be a little slow to load although that may be because of how much data is connected to it.

“kpi visibility that helps decisions”

Pros

It is the official tool we use at the company to track KPIs and the main CRM channel metrics. When it's set up properly, it really helps with visualization and decision-making because the data is presented clearly, with information cross referenced in a way that makes everything easier for everyone to understand.

Cons

Unfortunately its performance is extremely slow. The more data there is, the harder it becomes to load and we often have to wait a while especially when filtering by a specific time period.

“Broad range of features”

Pros

There's a really wide range of features and flexibility here. The customization options are strong and the tight integration with the Power Platform makes it an especially valuable tool.

Cons

The biggest challenge is the complexity. To really get the most out of it, you need dedicated skills because the product is so large and involved. We have someone in house working full time on Power BI. Smaller teams ask me about it fairly often and I usually tell them to think twice unless they already have the internal expertise to support it properly. Finding reports can also become a hassle. Once you build up a large number of them, end users may struggle to know where to look or how to find the specific data they need. The monthly Microsoft updates are another frustration since they often change menus and options in ways that don't always seem logical. If you're not in the product every week, that can be pretty annoying.

“Unmatched connectivity”

Pros

Creating polished, high quality reports is easy and being able to bring data together from multiple sources into a single report is a huge advantage.

Cons

Getting our ERP connected was challenging at the beginning and support was a bit hard to work with.

“powerful reporting visibility”

Pros

Its toolset really helps with creating, designing and managing reports. It gives clear visibility into work activities and key metrics and it also supports deeper analysis so improvement plans can be developed from those insights.

Cons

At this point, I haven't come across anything I dislike.

“practical dashboards”

Pros

Very practical and simple to use when creating dashboards.

Cons

I really don't see any drawbacks with it and I would recommend it.

“Useful real time reporting”

Pros

An extremely capable reporting tool. It helps you create reports without much hassle and lets you view your data in real time.

Cons

Getting comfortable with it took a bit of time. I ended up needing a class to fully understand the features and everything it was capable of.