Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs QlikView comparison

Microsoft SQL Servering Services vs. QlikView

October 2024

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Categories and Ranking

IBM Cognos

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2024, in the Reporting category, the mindshare of IBM Cognos is 4.4%, down from 6.1% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is 3.7%, down from 4.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of QlikView is 3.2%, up from 3.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Reporting

Featured Reviews

Carlos Larrad Salgado

Deputy Director Operations Management Control at Mapfre

Improved the quality of our KPIs, while reducing calls to the IT department

I don't like that when we use Colab packages, we get less functionality. For example, you can make groups of data with Excel or with the data sets from the packages, but when you use the Colab packages directly, you can only group the data when you analyze it with Analysis Studio. I think Cognos needs to improve more on this functionality. The user experience is also very important. Cognos is not very easy to understand sometimes, especially when they change the layout but keep the functionality the same. The help is not very graphic and they have no examples. Cognos has to make a big effort to help with understanding the functionality by improving the documentation. There is a lot of documentation, but the examples are hard to find and they should make their help section easier to understand for non-technical users.

Offers useful templates but needs to improve the connectivity offered

Gnanavel-Chakkarapani

Junior Consultant at CMA CGM

In Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, not much of the interface part is used. With Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, its users face issues with the interface after they use Excel or create Microsoft SSIS Packages. The tool's interface is an area of concern requiring improvement. There needs to be an improvement in the product's connectivity so that the tool can connect easily with other third-party databases. In the dashboard, drag and drop functionality needs to improve, especially when compared to other tools like IBM Cognos Analytics and Qlik Sense. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is useful only for standard reports. In IBM Cognos Analytics, query studio can be used by users to drag the data and simply download the reports, so the user doesn't need to have any technical knowledge like developers. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is to be improved to offer features like query Studio, which is provided in IBM Cognos Analytics.

Useful for data visualization and business intelligence

Arjun Meda

Assistant Vice President at HSBC India

Many of the features in Qlik Sense need to be available and reintroduced in QlikView. I believe many of the features have been added to QlikView after the layout containers were introduced. QlikView used to be a way more customizable tool than Qlik Sense is in the present time. Improvements are required in the hide and unhide functionality that falls under the layout container feature that has been used in my company in recent times. Hiding off the apps in the app overview tab based on the access was a really good feature that needs to be introduced back in the product since I see that, at the moment, there are multiple groups on the tool, owing to which multiple changes on the QMC part is required to handle the solution. Only the person with access to the dashboard in QlikView could have a link to the dashboard through QlikView's hub or access points. With Qlik Sense, one can see whatever is available in the stream. If a user wants to control everything in the product, then there is no need to make multiple changes in the QMC at the individual app level. The aforementioned area can be considered to improve Qlik Sense.

More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services pros

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"For planning, forecasting, in-boxing, modeling in general and for predicting numbers and doing work analysis, they are excellent."

"This solution allows you to input a wide range of file formats."

"Cognos' most valuable features are the bundled studios, simple UI, and advanced features like the ability to create data modules."

"If they want dashboarding, storytelling, and analyzing why KPIs are met or not, then Cognos is a better candidate than Qlik Sense."

"The initial setup was straightforward."

"The correlation analysis is excellent. It's one of the best that I have used to date."

"The Report Studio that is aimed at professional report writers."

"The three IBM Cognos features I find the most valuable are Dynamic Cubes, PowerPlay, and Watson."

More IBM Cognos pros

"I'm very satisfied with the customer service. And usually, whenever we have any issue or details, we get to the person for the support. I'm really satisfied with the service. Within a few minutes or within a few hours, the support person will be available."

"The solution is known for its robust security features."

"The SQL Server Reporting Services makes it very easy to get the data whenever we need it."

"I like Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services' automated reporting feature."

"We get good support from Microsoft."

"It is a stable solution."

"The tool's valuable features are its drill-down feature, graphs, and charts."

"The solution's features are all just wrapped up in one nice easy package. I don't need a lot of toolsets to get everything I need done."

"The scalability is there."

"On the positive side, QlikView's scripting is a great asset as it functions as an ETL."

"If you correctly use the product for your use cases, it provides value for money."

"The product’s most valuable feature is its ability to view the entire data available for analysis."

"We can scale it if we need to."

"The most valuable aspect is its extensive library on Microsoft, providing a robust framework for implementation."

"The platform's most valuable feature is its associative data model. It allows me to discover hidden data and gain insights that are not immediately visible."

"It excels in supporting database connections and various database types."

More QlikView pros

Cons

"Tableau and Power BI are faster than Cognos."

"They should provide improved visual reporting."

"I think the GIS pieces maybe not as good as we would like."

"I would like to see is more easy building, movement in the reports, and dashboard functionality within reporting. Overall more simple elements within reports. If the elements are simple then you don't have to render a full page, but you can move separate parts in the page."

"One key area for improvement is the need to improve the self-service nature and functionality of the product in terms of visual analytics."

"Compared to Tableau and PowerBI, the IBM interface is easier to use. However, the drag-and-drop functionality isn't as straightforward. Formatting is also more challenging in the cloud than in other applications, like Power BI. Also, if you encounter an issue, it takes more time to resolve it on the formatting side."

"The performance is a bottleneck and something that can be improved."

"IBM Support can be slow at times, but they can usually deliver in a timely manner."

More IBM Cognos cons

"We encounter some barriers while trying to build a report."

"Sometimes, we need to make sure that the configuration stays consistent across the reporting instances. They all connect to the same database. So, it shares that same backend, but the reporting services itself can also be configured. On the application level, for reporting level. And it is, based on my own experience, it is a manual effort to make sure that the reporting servers are configured the same across the environment."

"Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services needs to improve performance."

"Tableau is more user-friendly because it doesn't need to do any extra programming. It has drag-and-drop functionality."

"The complex tuning for report performance is complicated. There is a lack of native support for source code control. We often need to use separate tools like VS Code or other software to manage version control and changes in the database. It would be beneficial if source code management were integrated directly into SSRS, thus eliminating the need to rely on external tools. While CLI-based operations are exemplary, the trend is towards GUI for a better user experience. Integrating both visualization and source code management within SSRS would simplify the process for users."

"The setup is difficult because you have to install different servers."

"The solution's interface is old."

"The product could be improved by reducing the time it takes to build and deploy reports."

More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services cons

"I really wish the application was easier to use in the development phase."

"More/newer visualisation components need to be added."

"There could be a feature to analyze the sales and accounting data of the client."

"Improvements are required in the hide and unhide functionality that falls under the layout container feature that has been used in my company in recent times."

"Installation and deployment could be made easier and quicker."

"It would be nice if QlikView could be plugged in into the company's website or an online portal such as QlikSense is capable of. There are ways around but it takes enormous time to develop."

"Scalability really depends on the size of your data and QlikView server architecture. For the biggest data sets, it could become an issue at some point."

"QlikView's UI could be more user-friendly."

More QlikView cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"My company uses IBM Cognos with another IBM product, so I think only one license is used."

"I don't know the exact cost, but I believe Cognos is quite expensive, especially when it comes to the support consultants and the procedures that need to be applied."

"It is my understanding that the cost is very low. It's not very expensive."

"It's more expensive than similar solutions like Tableau and Power BI."

"Pricing should be improved."

"The solution is affordable."

"There is a standard license required to use this solution. There are some additional tools but I am not sure if they are an extra cost."

"IBM Cognos price is on the higher side of the spectrum. However, with the features that it brings, such as correlation analysis, it's worth the money. They should look at the pricing more clearly because it's a little on the higher side."

More IBM Cognos pricing and cost advice

"The product pricing is reasonable in terms of suitable features for business."

"The price is pretty good."

"The pricing is high."

"Value-wise, the solution's pricing is good for the price that we pay."

"The tool's licensing costs are expensive."

"The solution is expensive."

"The solution is free to use for developers."

"The solution is cheaper than its alternatives."

"Its licensing costs are moderate, but it can get expensive due to the numerous add-ons available like those for printing."

"The platform's pricing is considered quite expensive, particularly given the dollar-based pricing."

"It is quite expensive, rating at around nine out of ten on a cost scale."

"QlikView is a reasonably priced solution."

"My firm got the product at a cheap price, but in general, I believe that the product is a bit costly."

"I rate the product's pricing a three out of ten."

"The pricing is too high compared to the other solutions on the market."

"The pricing is moderate, in the medium price range."

More QlikView pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Reporting solutions are best for your needs.

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816,406 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Comparison Review

it_user79932

Senior Manager - BI Head at NVidia

Feb 4, 2015

Comparison of SAP BO, Tableau, QlikView, Cognos, Microsoft, OBIEE and Pentaho

1. SAP BO/BI Enterprise scalability Security Ease of use Semantic layer 2. Tableau Visualization Data discovery Turnaround time 3. IBM Cognos Enterprise scalability Security In-memory feature 4. MS BI - Flexibility 5. Pentaho - Open source but still enterprise grade 6. QlikView Data…

Seeking lightweight open source BI software

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Educational Organization

56%

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

14%

Government

12%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

17%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

Insurance Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

It depends on the Data architecture and the complexity of your requirement. Some great tools in the market are Qlik ...

What do you like most about IBM Cognos?

The solution's most valuable feature is its ease of use, which makes it easily compatible with other tools.

What needs improvement with IBM Cognos?

I need improvements, particularly with the Framework Manager, which has an outdated user interface from older version...

What do you like most about Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?

I mainly use the solution for the ease of reporting and for executive dashboards.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?

Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services should be okay if you're within the budget. We're just using open-source solu...

What needs improvement with Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?

QL Server can support the customer language in the long term, so we can use another language to build some components.

What do you like most about QlikView?

If you correctly use the product for your use cases, it provides value for money.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for QlikView?

QlikView is probably on the pricier side than other BI tools. It's more expensive than the overall implementation of ...

What needs improvement with QlikView?

Creating an out-of-the-box solution for modeling capabilities might be beneficial.

Microsoft Power BI vs IBM Cognos

Comparisons

Compared 13% of the time

Tableau vs IBM Cognos

Compared 10% of the time

Oracle Hyperion vs IBM Cognos

Compared 10% of the time

Amazon QuickSight vs IBM Cognos

Compared 8% of the time

SAP Crystal Reports vs IBM Cognos

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM Cognos Competitors

TIBCO Jaspersoft vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 22% of the time

Tableau vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 14% of the time

Oracle OBIEE vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 13% of the time

Microsoft Power BI vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 11% of the time

Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 6% of the time

More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Competitors

Tableau vs QlikView

Compared 26% of the time

Amazon QuickSight vs QlikView

Compared 14% of the time

Microsoft Power BI vs QlikView

Compared 13% of the time

MicroStrategy vs QlikView

Compared 5% of the time

TIBCO Spotfire vs QlikView

Compared 4% of the time

More QlikView Competitors

Product Reports

Download IBM Cognos product report

IBM Cognos

November 2024

Microsoft SQL Servering Services

November 2024

Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services report

Download Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services product report

Download QlikView product report

QlikView

November 2024

Also Known As

Cognos, Cognos Analytics, IBM Cognos Analytics

SQL Server Reporting Services, Microsoft SSRS, SSRS, MS SQL Server Reporting Services

No data available

Learn More

IBM

Microsoft

Qlik

Overview

IBM Cognos Business Intelligence provides a wide range of tools to help you analyze your organization's data. IBM Cognos BI allows businesses to monitor events and metrics, create and view business reports, and analyze data to help them make effective business decisions.

IBM Cognos applies techniques to describe, summarize, and compare data, and draw conclusions. This allows users to see trends and discover anomalies or variances that may not be evident by simply reading data. Data sources that contain information from different areas of a business can be stored in separate packages. Users can see only information that they have been granted access to, based on their group or role.

IBM Cognos BI consolidates the following business intelligence functions into a single web-based solution:

IBM Cognos Insight: Create personal and managed workspaces for data analysis. Using these interactive workspaces, you can share insight results with managers. Cognos Insight supports write-back, and you can also use these workspaces to capture and integrate management goals, commitments, and forecasts.
IBM Cognos Workspace: With IBM Cognos Workspace, you can create rich, interactive workspaces using IBM Cognos content as well as data from external sources. You can view and open your favorite workspaces and reports, edit content in your workspaces, and share your workspaces via email.
IBM Cognos Analytics: IBM Cognos Analytics utilizes built-in AI and intuitive searches which helps users to quickly create the visualizations and a wide range of reports. Cognos Analytics provides cognitive and managed self-service, enabling you to gain insights from controlled and trusted data.
IBM Cognos Report Studio and IBM Cognos Query Studio: Easily create structured and query reports. IBM Cognos allows users to create application and report templates. In addition, report authors can reuse report objects to apply filters, fields, and styles to reports. Users can set the language of the user interface and report content according to the user's native language.
IBM Cognos Event Studio: Receive notifications of events that occur within your organization in real time. Event Studio enables the creation of agents that detect the occurrence of business events, failures, or anomalies, based on the change of specific events or data conditions. Notification can be sent via email, publication in the portal, or by triggering reports.
IBM Cognos Connection: This is the Web portal for IBM Cognos BI and is the central area for accessing all the IBM Cognos functions. In the web portal, users can schedule and distribute reports, create tasks, administer the server and the access permissions, and more.

Reviews from Real Users

IBM Cognos stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its powerful analysis tool and its reporting capabilities.

Prasad B., a senior software engineer at a financial services firm, notes, “The product is a very good reporting tool and is very flexible. It allows for the users to get a scheduled report. We can receive automated reports as well. They are easy to schedule on a weekly or monthly basis. It is very fast. I mean in means of report output, it's very fast compared to the actual clients involved.”

At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our mission is grounded in both the world in which we live and the future we strive to create. Today, we live in a mobile-first, cloud-first world, and the transformation we are driving across our businesses is designed to enable Microsoft and our customers to thrive in this world.

We do business in 170 countries and are made up of 114,000 passionate employees dedicated to fulfilling our mission of helping you and your organization achieve more.

QlikView is a Business Intelligence tool that allows you to keep tabs on all of your business-related information in a clean, clear, and easy to access database that is intuitive to build and simple to navigate. It is ideal for business owners who wish to improve overall output by creating the most productive system possible.

Sample Customers

More than 23,000 leading organizations across multiple industries use Cognos. Some examples of Cognos customers include BMW Financial Services, Quinte Health Care, Troy Corporation, Michigan State University, and GKN Land System.

CMS Wire, The New York Times

Canon, Gatorade, Amcor, Panasonic, Fila, Cambridge University Hospitals, Global Retail Bank, North Yorkshire Police department, Lanoo Group Publishers, and AonGroep Nederland.