Microsoft Power BI Reviews

“strong visuals”

Pros

Regular monthly updates keep the product improving and it's clear Microsoft is actively investing in development. The learning curve is definitely steep but with a bit of experimenting, you can start building solid data visualizations fairly quickly. Community support is also a big plus since most issues can be solved fast by searching online. If your company already uses Microsoft 365, pulling in and working with your data is pretty simple.

Cons

One limitation for us is that some of our data sits in a database that requires SSH access. It doesn't include built in SSH support so we have to depend on a VPN as a workaround to connect.

“Reliable analytics at low cost”

Pros

After I've started working in analytics every day as a developer, having a tool this capable genuinely feels like a huge advantage. It offers a wide range of valuable and productive features and that makes it a real asset in day to day work. On top of that it is priced much lower than many competing products which adds even more to its overall value.

Cons

Honestly, I do not have any complaints about this software. I use it extensively for my regular business tasks and have not run into any issues at all. Even if something ever did come up, the customer support is reliable enough that I would not expect to be left stuck in the middle of my work.

“affordable reporting with a learning curve”

Pros

Pulling data from multiple Excel spreadsheets and turning it into PDF reports works well. The integration happens automatically, it follows a fairly logical flow and the pricing is reasonable.

Cons

It isn't especially user friendly at first. It takes a few tries and some practice before you can consistently get the results you're expecting.

“powerful BI for dashboards”

Pros

These days, BI is essential for companies, whether it's for internal presentations or sharing results with customers. This makes it much easier to map out statistics and it feels both simple to use and very complete in what it offers.

Cons

Up to now, I haven't run into any issues with it. If anything, it has been a big help to the company and has worked out really well.

“clean visuals”

Pros

Its very approachable when you're dealing with simple datasets and basic visualizations and the interface looks polished and visually appealing.

Cons

Learning DAX, on the other hand, is far from simple and I often end up doing a lot of Googling and digging through forums just to figure out how to solve problems.

“Easy to use”

Pros

Easy to work with. Since I've used both Power BI and Tableau, I'd say they stack up very well against each other and are both user friendly. Power BI can turn even the messiest data sets into impressive visuals. Connecting it to databases is simple, keeping data refreshed is convenient and it fits in really well with other Microsoft products.

Cons

One thing that can be challenging is how often the software gets updated and changed. It's not necessarily a bad thing but it can be frustrating when you get comfortable with a certain process and then it shifts. There's also a learning curve so it takes some time to really understand the system and get used to the environment well enough to create the exact visuals you want.

“stunning dashboards”

Pros

There are countless ways to view and work with data and the interface looks polished on both mobile and desktop. It also lets you go beyond standard pivot-style reporting by adding more advanced and creative visuals.

Cons

Printing is still frustrating. When a report has multiple tabs, the process becomes a hassle because each page has to load into a PDF first before printing and that workflow is far from ideal.

“Solid insights”

Pros

The amount of detail you can drill into with it is impressive. The dashboard customization options and the different ways you can present data really put this tool ahead of many others in the analytics space.

Cons

There are times when connecting, shaping and manipulating the data to get the exact view you want becomes quite challenging but that's probably just part of working in this field.

“Easy installation”

Pros

It is a very powerful tool and using it as well as installing it is pretty simple. It works especially well alongside other Microsoft products, such as Teams.

Cons

The downside shows up when you need to share reports or dashboards with a large audience. Since viewers need to have a Pro license, the cost can add up quickly and end up being comparable to Tableau.

“clean dashboards that elevate reporting”

Pros

Moving from pivot tables to polished, highly functional dashboards has really taken our reporting up a notch. It's helped us create dashboards that look clean and work beautifully for the program.

Cons

Getting fully comfortable with the platform and keeping the dashboards updated consistently has definitely taken time. The learning curve has been pretty steep for me.

“Strong visuals”

Pros

Delivers strong visualizations and a lot of capability. It doesn't take too long to get comfortable with and the developer community is really helpful. The connection between the desktop app and the Power BI service is fairly smooth and setting up links to on premise data sources is simple.

Cons

The desktop application can use a lot of system resources at times. Publishing model updates and reports to its service can be a bit buggy and the admin side takes some effort to fully understand so permissions and related settings are configured properly. The browser based editor also feels limited compared to the desktop version.

“beautiful data storytelling”

Pros

Can easily turn ugly numbers into visuals that make sense. Even without a developer background, it's simple enough to take a messy dataset and shape it into a clear, intelligent story that people can actually understand.

Cons

Every few months there's another update and a lot can feel different just when you've gotten comfortable. Honestly, I don't see that as much of a downside though. It feels more like waiting for a Christmas present to see what they've improved this time.

“All in one analytics powerhouse”

Pros

Packs a huge number of features into one platform. It can handle ETL, data modeling, analytics and visualization all by itself so there's no real need to rely on third-party tools or separate integrations.

Cons

Getting started wasn't simple at all. As a beginner, I needed proper training before I could use it effectively and I still feel it would be better if the software were a bit easier.

“Simple to figure out”

Pros

A solid alternative to SAP BI and OBIEE especially if you want a lightweight reporting tool built on Microsoft technology. Installation is simple and users can get comfortable with it quickly without needing much training.

Cons

I do wish it included all the standard adapters for pulling data directly from SAP or Oracle. The data extraction and dumping process can also take some time.

“interactive dashboards with dax”

Pros

Even the free version offers plenty of room to build and improve your skills. The interface is user friendly so working with it doesn't feel complicated. It also comes with useful features like DAX which makes creating strong, polished dashboards much easier.

Cons

Since it's still a newer tool, there are a few gaps in the software. The chart selection is somewhat limited at the moment and it only runs on Windows.

“versatile data modeling”

Pros

One thing I really appreciate about this tool is that it handles both data modeling and visualization in the same place. It lets you build relationships between tables and even query the data back to the database when needed. Another big advantage is its support for multiple data sources so connecting and integrating different systems is very convenient. On top of that formatting charts and arranging report layouts is quite easy in the software. Microsoft also does a solid job with support and the monthly updates help address issues from earlier versions regularly.

Cons

There are still a few limitations especially around how much data it can handle. Data importing is capped at up to 1 GB which can be restrictive in some cases. Also, certain data connections are only available in Live mode so there is less flexibility there. Another downside is that it only runs on Windows machines.

“Excellent data analysis tool”

Pros

This has been one of the best tools we use for data analysis and it's part of our daily routine now. The available features are really convenient, the portal is thoughtfully designed and working with the software is something I genuinely enjoy.

Cons

Honestly, I don't have anything to complain about with this software. It's a very good, user friendly option for analyzing data.

“powerful analytics”

Pros

Analytics are really solid and it comes with a huge range of visualizations to present data in a much better way. Looking at raw numbers alone feels outdated now, while visual reports are the modern approach and give much clearer, more meaningful insights into an organization's data.

Cons

It does take some time to get used to Power BI and the process of working through and preparing data can feel a bit extensive. On top of that the free trial is fairly limited.

“great for building KPI dashboards”

Pros

Works really well for building KPI dashboards and presenting metrics clearly. The dashboard setup is quick, it's simple to use and sharing reports with leadership is very convenient.

Cons

Permissions have to be set up for every individual user and it also doesn't provide a way to regularly enter or update information directly.

“Good for turning data into stunning visuals”

Pros

Does a really good job of turning data into informative visualizations and bringing everything together in dashboards. Sharing reports is simple and it helps a lot when it comes to pulling out useful business insights.

Cons

Does have a few functional quirks and some parts aren't quite as user friendly as I'd want them to be. The visualizations can also feel a bit limited when it comes to customization.