Microsoft Power BI Reviews

“Accurate data insights”

Pros

Handling large datasets with this tool is really useful and it gives you plenty of flexibility to shape the data the way you need. You can build custom reports and apply filters that make it much easier for other users to explore, slice and view the specific information they care about. It's also helpful that the data can be exported to Excel which works well for users who are less experienced with advanced reporting tools.

Cons

Like most new software, it takes a bit of time and patience to learn properly especially at the beginning. It helps to start with the basics and gradually work your way into the more advanced features. Creating reports also requires a fairly solid understanding of data analytics so there is definitely a learning curve involved.

“multi channel reporting win”

Pros

After building an integration from our FSM into Power BI, it has been doing exactly what we needed for multi-channel reporting. It's been a solid solution for pulling everything together and covering that reporting gap for us.

Cons

If I had to mention one downside, it would just be that it is fairly expensive.

“easy to build dashboards for beginners”

Pros

One thing I really appreciate about it is how much you can actually do with the free version. The drag and drop feature is a big advantage too especially for beginners who want to build effective dashboards quickly without much difficulty.

Cons

DAX definitely takes time and effort to fully learn so there is a bit of a learning curve there. It can also become a bit slow when working with very large datasets. Even with that, I would still recommend it to anyone interested in data visualization.

“Many excellent features”

Pros

A big reason this stands out is the depth of its design and how well it supports both upstream and downstream systems. The query engine is excellent and the data modeling principles are very well thought out, honestly better than Tableau in that area. It also connects easily with other Microsoft data products like SSIS, SSRS and SSAS which makes the whole ecosystem work really well together. On top of that the knowledge base, user community and support resources are excellent and the platform keeps up quickly with Azure cloud updates.

Cons

Compared with Tableau, the UI feels a little less convenient to work with. DAX can also be fairly complicated especially for power users who want to build more advanced calculations.

“A standout program”

Pros

It gives a lot of flexibility when modeling data and the dashboard visualizations look really strong and polished.

Cons

One frustrating part is the translation of commands and menus since they're often inconsistent or not translated correctly which makes things confusing.

“Solid data analysis capabilities”

Pros

When it comes to analyzing reports in a more structured, analytical way this platform is really helpful. It also makes sharing your analysis or reports with a large audience very convenient.

Cons

A few features can be difficult to spot on the screen and when you're just getting started some built in guidance or clearer instructions would be useful.

“An excellent BI software”

Pros

Once it's connected to your company's ERP, there's barely any reason to go back to Excel or PowerPoint for reporting, statistics or presentations. The real time updates make a big difference too because they let you make decisions exactly when they're needed.

Cons

It's an excellent application overall but getting familiar with the language takes some effort at the beginning. After you understand the logic behind it though, putting reports together can be done in just seconds.

“reliable reporting across sources”

Pros

Does a really good job of connecting data from multiple sources and turning it into meaningful reports that would be very hard or even impossible, to build in something like Excel. Once you get past the initial learning curve, it becomes very user friendly as well.

Cons

Like many Microsoft products, direct customer support is pretty limited so you'll probably end up depending on community forums and other users when issues or questions come up.

“Data analysis made easy”

Pros

A powerful tool that makes data analysis simple to present and helps create impressive visual views for different reports.

Cons

I'm completely satisfied with this application and haven't come across any drawbacks that would prevent me from using it.

“Easy online sharing”

Pros

Getting started with it is very easy. Once the data is uploaded, you can build dynamic visuals quickly without needing to be an expert user. It's also really useful that dashboards can be shared online.

Cons

Having to deal with multiple coding languages like M and DAX can be a bit frustrating and they sometimes lead to formula errors.

“broad integrations”

Pros

The interface looks polished and is simple to move around in. After all the data sources are connected, building a new dashboard or layout feels pretty simple if you already understand how to work with your data. It also helped that almost every integration we needed was already built in.

Cons

Creating more advanced reports can be challenging. When you need to merge two different data sources into a single view or metric, it usually takes more specialized knowledge and stronger technical skills.

“powerful reporting with many connectors”

Pros

Has been an excellent reporting platform to work with. It's very user friendly and the large number of native connectors makes it even more convenient.

Cons

One thing I'd still like to see improved is making the report publishing process more simple.

“Solid cloud data connections”

Pros

Using this has been a great experience for me because it connects with hundreds of data sources, including cloud-based ones which helps a lot with data enrichment.

Cons

Up to this point, I haven't run into any issues and have only noticed benefits while using it.

“polished layout”

Pros

Creating reports used to take me days from scratch but with this I can now put together reports and dashboards in less than a day. The layout is excellent too which makes everything look clean and professional.

Cons

The only limitation I run into is that I can only host my reports in the cloud through powerbi.com. For some companies, that is a problem because their data confidentiality policies do not allow it.

“flexible file handling”

Pros

Working with files in different formats is very convenient which makes managing and handling data much simpler.

Cons

On the downside, the way dashboards are published in the tool makes it difficult to carry out a complete and thorough evaluation.

“familiar interface”

Pros

Right from the first login, the interface feels easy to use and much more user friendly than many other Microsoft products. Everything looks familiar so getting around the platform and using its features comes naturally.

Cons

When trying to share dashboards with other people the platform lags and slows down.

“Makes data easier to understand”

Pros

A great tool with a wide range of visualizations that make data much easier to understand. It also connects with multiple databases which really helps with data access, consumption and sharing the analysis that has been created.

Cons

Handling large volumes of data can be very fast but incremental refresh is difficult when working with sources like CSV, Excel and similar databases.

“solid dashboards with Microsoft fit”

Pros

Since we already work within the Microsoft ecosystem, choosing Power BI felt like the natural move. It's a very capable platform for building detailed, complex reports and dashboards and it connects really well with other Microsoft products.

Cons

At times, the reports and dashboards can become a bit too complex to interpret clearly. The interface could also be made a little more user friendly.

“accurate insights for the business”

Pros

Makes it possible to get access to and a clear overview of hundreds of moving parts across a company. Once you really understand how it works and know how to use it properly, it can deliver impressive results and make a big difference in productivity and efficiency.

Cons

My biggest frustration is that it just isn't very user friendly so it takes a fair amount of time and effort to truly learn. It's not the kind of tool where you can quickly search for an option online and figure everything out in a couple of minutes, getting comfortable with Power BI and using its full potential definitely requires more time.

“Strong analytics”

Pros

The analytics and dashboarding capabilities are really strong and the platform connects well with existing Microsoft tools as well as some non-Microsoft products. Its visualization and presentation features also do a very good job of turning data into something clear and useful.

Cons

Pricing feels like it could be better and getting comfortable with the platform takes time because the learning curve is fairly steep. On top of that compatibility with non-Microsoft products is more limited and not as fully featured as it is within the Microsoft ecosystem.