Microsoft Power BI Reviews

“short learning period”

Pros

Getting started is simple and the learning curve is light enough that just about anyone can begin using it without much trouble.

Cons

Has everything I need. If I notice anything missing later on, I'll update my review.

“excellent reporting feature”

Pros

We've been using the desktop version together with the cloud based Power BI Service as part of IT solutions for different organizations. Its primary role has been building reports and publishing them online so they can be embedded into websites and applications. More advanced uses of Microsoft Power BI, such as deeper analytics, are generally not in high demand from most organizations.

Cons

Microsoft's support is fairly standard and a lot of the issues that come up while using this tend to be related to managing Azure. When it comes to using Power BI for reporting and analysis, Microsoft's direct support is average but the user Community is very active and regularly shares guides and YouTube tutorials. Because of that, nearly all questions about basic to intermediate use of the tool can usually be resolved without much trouble.

“visual reports ready in minutes”

Pros

There are a lot of things I value in this software. One of the biggest advantages is being able to create visual presentations very quickly. It's also really useful to view results in tables and charts just by refreshing the data.

Cons

This tool does require at least an intermediate level of Excel and some data-handling knowledge. It also takes training to learn how to navigate and use the interface properly.

“creative data storytelling”

Pros

Lets you present information in a detailed, creative and visually engaging way. After downloading it, there's no cost to get started and it's very simple to use.

Cons

Honestly, there isn't one feature I'd want to add, remove or change. This software feels perfect as it is.

“solid multi source reporting”

Pros

Bringing data together from multiple sources and reporting on a single platform is one of the biggest strengths of this.

Cons

Getting those data sources connected relationally at the beginning can be fairly complex. The setup process is definitely complicated even though it's a necessary part of making everything work properly.

“great connectors for azure data”

Pros

One thing that really worked well for us was the wide range of connectors available for pulling data from different sources. Most of our work centered around Azure and Azure DevOps and Power BI had the connectors we needed to handle that without any trouble.

Cons

That said, it would be better if there were more dashboard options and a wider variety of data visualization techniques available.

“impressive reporting and analysis”

Pros

Does an excellent job of turning data from Excel tables or databases into engaging reports that make active analysis much more meaningful.

Cons

Getting comfortable with it can be challenging for someone new. Since it's such a full featured and flexible platform, it doesn't always feel very simple at first.

“Excel supercharged insights”

Pros

It feels like Excel on steroids to me even though I know it can do far more than just that.

Cons

I still haven't explored all the features so I can't really point to anything I dislike the least at this stage.

“powerful dashboards”

Pros

The desktop version is free so you can build datasets, prepare reports and create different dashboards without spending anything. It also connects well with Excel and you can view reports there too which is very convenient. On top of that Microsoft keeps improving the software with monthly updates and users are even able to share suggestions for future feature improvements.

Cons

The part I like the least about Power BI is the interface because it feels bulky and a bit messy. The formulas can also be complicated which makes them hard to understand at times. Another limitation is that the free version is not suitable for handling big data so if you need advanced features and more space, you have to pay for it.

“strong analytics tool”

Pros

Has been a really strong tool for analyzing datasets and turning the results into clear visual charts and graphs. One feature I especially appreciate is the ability to ask questions in plain language and have the tool convert that into a report or output. It also offers more advanced options, like integrating programming languages into reports which adds a lot of flexibility. On top of that the licensing cost is lower than Tableau so it feels like a more budget-friendly option.

Cons

Con is that the tool's performance still has room for improvement.

“helpful dashboards for decision making”

Pros

Power BI delivers excellent data visualizations and turns information into strong, useful insights that are simple to understand. The interface feels user friendly and the customizable dashboards are reliable enough to reference before or even during meetings when making solid business decisions.

Cons

One downside is that the data preparation features are split between the desktop and web versions. It would be much better if both versions offered matching features. There is also a fairly steep learning curve for beginners.

“Solid visuals and insights”

Pros

Can create really impressive graphs. They make it much easier to turn data into clear, visually appealing insights.

Cons

It does take a little while to fully understand how everything works so there's a bit of a learning curve at the beginning.

“Stunning visual design”

Pros

Among the reporting tools available, this is easily one of the best for data analysis and reporting. It connects with just about every type of database out there and working with third party applications is very easy. The learning curve is also quite manageable since there are plenty of online tutorials and even non-technical users can pick it up without much trouble. On the visualization side, it gives a lot of flexibility, with multiple ways to design reports from the same data table. It also supports APIs which adds even more value. The interface looks polished and has a really nice overall feel.

Cons

At this point, I really do not have any major concerns though I would still like to see some improvements in parts of the RDBMS architecture.

“Highly recommend it to every analyst”

Pros

Working with it has been really convenient because the visualization tools are user friendly and being able to use data from different tables makes dashboard creation much more manageable.

Cons

A downside is that dashboards can take a while to load when the data is being pulled from the cloud.

“amazing visuals for data analysis”

Pros

Its the top business intelligence tool available. Its wide selection of appealing visualizations, strong data source connectivity, filtering options, customizable dashboards and insightful reports are some of its best features.

Cons

Can feel a bit challenging for new users at first but with some practice, it becomes much easier to use.

“Broad range of features”

Pros

There's a wide range of visualizations and chart types to choose from which makes presenting data in different ways really useful.

Cons

Using it hasn't been very easy and I'm still figuring out how to get the most out of all the features it offers.

“Flexible data connections”

Pros

Getting started with it doesn't cost anything which is a big plus. All I had to do was download it from the Microsoft Store and bring in an Excel file. It's also flexible enough to connect with the databases we already use.

Cons

There's definitely a bit of a learning curve at first especially because some of the formulas work differently than they do in Excel.

“dynamic visuals for presentations”

Pros

The extra features make data visuals feel much more dynamic. We use it at my company to present results and it has been working really well for that purpose.

Cons

Compared with PowerPoint, it takes much more time and effort to learn and become comfortable with. Still, once you get the hang of it, there are plenty of features and options to explore.

“versatile charts and quick setup”

Pros

Being able to drag and drop fields straight into visualizations makes the tool very convenient to work with. The wide range of ways to present data is also really useful.

Cons

Having to hover over an icon just to see the name of a visualization isn't very helpful and it usually means extra digging to understand what that visualization actually does.

“solid analytics”

Pros

Makes handling large volumes of data is much more manageable and the online features make collaborating with others and publishing reports really convenient. Another plus is that Microsoft's support team is usually very willing to dig into issues with us and help work through them in detail.

Cons

There are a few minor visual quirks that make keeping dashboards clean more frustrating than it should be. Some design elements especially lines, leave oversized blank areas around the top, bottom and sides which can get in the way of buttons and end up confusing users. One other downside is that elements hidden from view still consume memory and that can slow down loading times.