The primary use case for Microsoft BI is reporting. It comes with the Microsoft 365 E5 license. Then you just need to secure and harden it. That took a bit of time, but you can open it up and let people use it after that. There is a desktop component that they can work on that's independent of the Microsoft license. In that case, they can create files that are like dashboards.
I like its drill-down feature and overall ease of use
Pros and Cons
- "I like Microsoft BI's drill-down feature and its overall ease of use."
- "The setup took a lot of tinkering with InfoSec to allow us to do stuff."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
I like Microsoft BI's drill-down feature and its overall ease of use.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Microsoft BI for about eight months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft BI has been stable so far.
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Microsoft Power BI
March 2025

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How are customer service and support?
Microsoft's support is pretty good.
How was the initial setup?
Installing Microsoft BI was relatively straightforward. It just took a lot of tinkering with InfoSec to allow us to do stuff.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Microsoft Power BI nine out of 10. If you plan to implement it, ensure that you harden it, so you do not leave it wide open. Otherwise, you're vulnerable to data leakage.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Director at Decision Science
Saves time in preprocessing stage, but it needs to be more user-friendly for non-technical users
Pros and Cons
- "I like the downloadable visualizations a lot. I think that they give the user a very nice starting point in creating awesome dashboards, with the right way to tell their data story."
- "Some kind of expression wizard, where the user can build a complex expression without any knowledge of DAX, can be a good addition to the product."
What is our primary use case?
Since we are a consulting company, our cases vary from customer to customer and from department to department, but mainly we have found two "standard" cases: Business users connecting to a DWH, or trying to consolidate several Excel workbooks to create business dashboards.
In the DWH cases, it is simpler since most of the data transformations and modeling are done by IT, but in the 'spreadsheet world', it becomes more complicated.
Users try to move from a huge table filled with numbers and "color-coded" cells to data visualizations, sometimes not even knowing how to write a simple Excel expression.
How has it helped my organization?
The biggest improvement comes from a "do it once, refresh many" concept. The users used to perform a lot of massaging on the data itself prior to the analysis phase. Now, they build their reports and refresh the data, so they have a lot more time to perform analysis, which is the real added value to the business.
Unlike other tools (like Tableau), getting to this point took a lot of resources in training, but when the users got there, it is a real time saver for them, allowing them to focus more on analysis, not on data manipulation.
What is most valuable?
I like the downloadable visualizations a lot. I think that they give the user a very nice starting point in creating awesome dashboards, with the right way to tell their data story.
Data Modeling is very simple and powerful for an experienced user, but I think it needs some improvement for the non-technical people. Besides this, it allows us to save a lot of time in data "massaging" prior to the analysis phase.
Reports are quite easy to build, even when some programming concepts are needed. Some users struggle with DAX a lot!
What needs improvement?
I think Power BI needs to focus more on the end-user (i.e. the business user). Solving things in DAX is not a nice approach to a user that has no knowledge of IT nor wants to get it.
Some kind of expression wizard, where the user can build a complex expression without any knowledge of DAX, can be a good addition to the product.
I see a lot of materials on how to go about doing things in Power BI, but Microsoft can add a "learning path". It would instruct users where to start, then what to learn next, etc, to sort out their learning journey.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft BI for ~four years.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Power BI
March 2025

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Power BI. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2025.
842,767 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Manage Client Partner at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Feature rich, functional dashboard, and plenty of charting visuals
Pros and Cons
- "I have found the best features to be the dashboard creation, graphs, charts, and presentation bar graphs."
- "I have been doing trial and error to figuring out how to do the data analyzing and modeling. There could be some improvement to simplify it."
What is our primary use case?
I am using the solution for data analytics.
What is most valuable?
I have found the best features to be the dashboard creation, graphs, charts, and presentation bar graphs. As for now, I am able to do a lot of operations but not with much proficiency. I am just getting started with it. I am not very good at doing dashboard creation or writing reports but sometimes I do it during office hours to understand and learn the analytical tools.
What needs improvement?
I have been doing trial and error to figuring out how to do the data analyzing and modeling. There could be some improvement to simplify it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for approximately one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I am only working with small datasets at the moment and the solution has been stable. I am not sure how it will be for larger datasets. We have approximately 50 people using the solution in my organization.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
This solution came free, it was offered by Microsoft with our E3 license.
What other advice do I have?
This solution is a useful tool for the business and experts. It has plenty of features. I do not have a lot of advice because I am just starting to explore the solution but I have found it very helpful in terms of data presentation.
I rate Microsoft BI a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
Head of Digitalization at a mining and metals company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Seamlessly integrates with Microsoft products, but can be made simpler to operate
Pros and Cons
- "Its seamless integration with Microsoft products, such as Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft Excel, is the most valuable."
- "They can provide a user-friendly and easy way to use this tool for people who don't know about programming or technical things. It will be quite good if they can improve the look and feel and make it simpler to operate. They can make it easier to create some of the reports. They can also include predefined templates that you can directly use."
What is our primary use case?
It is mostly used for monthly cost reports for our department. We are also using it as a dashboard for giving some overview for management purposes. We are using the latest version.
What is most valuable?
Its seamless integration with Microsoft products, such as Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft Excel, is the most valuable.
What needs improvement?
They can provide a user-friendly and easy way to use this tool for people who don't know about programming or technical things. It will be quite good if they can improve the look and feel and make it simpler to operate.
They can make it easier to create some of the reports. They can also include predefined templates that you can directly use.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft BI for almost two and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability is quite good as long as you have proper sizing from the beginnings. If you do the right sizing keeping in mind the current usage as well as future growth, it is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. We have around 65 seniors managers who use it on a weekly or monthly basis. Some reports are done weekly and some monthly.
How are customer service and technical support?
I have not contacted them so far. I am from the user side. We contact our centralized IT department for any issues. If they have a technical issue that requires further escalation, they will directly contact Microsoft technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quite simple, but for the product use, you need to have people who have got experience of at least three to six months in using these applications. It took us two months to deploy across the company.
What about the implementation team?
We have a core team that gets training from a Microsoft partner. We then deploy it ourselves. After six months of using this solution, some of the key users get advanced training.
We also maintain it ourselves. We have around ten people for its maintenance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is somewhere in the middle in terms of price. Licensing is quite clear.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We reviewed some other intelligence tools, and we just used them for trials.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution, especially for the companies that mostly use Microsoft products and ecosystem. I would rate Microsoft BI a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Director Research and Development at Projects Factory
A comprehensive source for visualizations and analytics
Pros and Cons
- "Because this solution is very easy, and very visual, you can have results in minutes."
- "I would like to see a feature that connects with a Machine Learning platform like a RapidMiner or Azure Machine Learning Studio. It would be great to have a Machine Learning application link to connect."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use this for creating dashboards and reports for the oil and gas industry.
What is most valuable?
Power BI is always updating. I receive multi mail from Power BI with new visualizations, new analytics, new webinars and I'm going to Microsoft here locally in order to have a updated presentation about the new features of Power BI. For me it's very versatile. I can publish on my iPad. I have a Power BI application in order to manage the visualization of my report and my dashboard. Also I can speak to Power BI and ask about production and Q&A. But, I don't have compilation with other tools yet. For me, Power BI is the best.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see a feature that connects with a Machine Learning platform like a RapidMiner or Azure Machine Learning Studio. It would be great to have a Machine Learning application link to connect.
For how long have I used the solution?
One to three years.
How was the initial setup?
It was straightforward. We had no problems with implementation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is fine for our company. It is reasonably priced.
What other advice do I have?
Because this solution is very easy, and very visual, you can have results in minutes.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
BI Expert with 501-1,000 employees
Cost-effective, all-in-one package for business intelligence
Pros
SQL Server is flexible and relatively straight-forward to deploy. It is fantastic that reports can be delivered via Report Manager without any additional license fees. Reports can also be placed on subscriptions with the Enterprise version of SQL Server. This allows different people to get the same report with data that is tailored to their perspective.
Cons
The product would be better if it came bundled with Microsoft SharePoint. Some of the more advanced business intelligence dashboards must be run through SharePoint (SharePoint dashboards, PowerView, etc.). We also found that SharePoint Dashboards are time intensive to design.
My experiences
Getting back to the license costs, we have found SQL Server to be an effective tool at a very good cost. Compared to purchasing 2 or 3 other products, SQL Server is a very nice all-in-one package (SQL Server database platform - MS SQL, SQL Server Integration Services - SSIS, SQL Server Reporting Services - SSRS, SQL Server Analysis Services - SSAS). The educational discount is also very helpful for K-12 or Higher Education customers. Installation and deployment was relatively straightforward. There is a slight learning curve on SSRS, but easy to pick-up.
Business Metrics
If you are looking at cost savings alone, Microsoft SQL Server will pay for itself when compared an Oracle/Informatica/IBM Cognos solution. In a direct comparison of one-time software fees and ongoing annual support fees, Microsoft SQL Server will come out much cheaper. I would also argue that the software features are similar between the tools as well - so you're not foregoing functionality to save cost. We have found that BI developers are also easier to find on the Microsoft platform - which over time - may lead to lower TCO.
What needs improvement?
It would be nice if the Report Manager portal interface were more updated. It is much nicer to deploy the reports through the "shiny" SharePoint interface, but it is not as integrated with SSRS as the Report Manager.
Alternatives Vendors
Oracle, IBM Cognos, Informatica
Which others did you consider?
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
BI/BO Hana Application Consultant at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Flexible with good pricing but there are limitations around data volume
Pros and Cons
- "The stability is great and continues to get better and better."
- "Technical support could be a bit better."
What is most valuable?
The solution is very powerful and very flexible.
It is very easy to set up and you can connect it to multiple systems very easily.
They keep on upgrading, performance-wise.
Power BI is very fast; they have improved Power BI a lot in general over time. YOu can see the difference.
The stability is great and continues to get better and better.
The pricing is pretty good.
What needs improvement?
They should provide some kind of extra visual. There are a lot of third-party companies that provide these visuals, however, it would be better if, instead of relying on a third party, they could have their own. We should have by default in the package itself, some good visuals.
Technical support could be a bit better.
The performance could be enhanced in the sense that there is a limitation of the volume of data that it can hold.
While they have some different options out there, they did not improve anything when you connect to any dataset, when you have to import. You need to connect online, meaning live.
You cannot create so many things on the Power BI side, such as adding a new column, which is not possible in your live reporting, direct query option. In contrast, with the import method, you can do so many things. They need to improve on the direct query option side.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable. I have seen a lot of improvements in the stability of their application lately. If you compare what's available now to the last three to four years back, you can see it's more stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's scalable and it scales quickly. Nowadays, being on the cloud, expanding is very easy.
How are customer service and support?
While support is okay, they need to improve it a lot. Of course, they're improving as we speak, yet, I would say, if you can ask me the ratings, I would still say it's still rather low and good - not great.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I'm also familiar with SAP, which doesn't scale as well. SAP also is much more expensive. SAP is a big product, whereas Microsoft BI is much smaller. They only overlap in terms of the analytics cloud and the SAP goes above and beyond and offers many, many more things.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is fair. They give you many options by splitting up the licensing. They have multiple types of licenses out there based on your usage. You can increase your pricing if you use it a bit more, however, it's still quite reasonable as compared to SAP.
What other advice do I have?
We are a customer and end-user. We are not a Microsoft (or SAP) partner.
I would rate the solution at a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Assistant General Manager at ELEVATE Solutions Limited
Easy to manage and simple to set up with good customization potential
Pros and Cons
- "We have found that the reporting and publishing are great."
- "You need to purchase upgraded support separately."
What is our primary use case?
We are using the product for some data tasks such as data binding and reporting. That's it.
What is most valuable?
The customization and management are very easy.
We have found that the reporting and publishing are great. Sometimes people like to use the report for their teams.
The initial setup is quick and easy.
The solution is scalable.
It's reliable and the performance has been good.
The cost of the product is not too high.
What needs improvement?
You need to purchase upgraded support separately.
The marketing will need to increase more now. Power BI is a good product, however, from Microsoft, and I'm not getting too much marketing information about new features or anything like that. People don't know the capabilities and they really should.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We find the solution to be stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. it's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The product can scale. It's not an issue.
How are customer service and support?
You do need to purchases specific support in order to get a good amount of attention. If you are a company that needs 24/7 support, you need to pay for it.
The basic support is good, although it is a little slow.
The Microsoft support model has it set up so that a first call will only get a user to their ambassador. Okay. Their ambassador will not have too much knowledge. They just identify what is the issue then they escalate to their team. Microsoft support could improve their services to attempt to have a first call resolution. Right now, in most cases, the first call resolution is not possible.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not use a different solution previously.
How was the initial setup?
Power BI is a fast application. Therefore, the setup is very, very easy. You just license it, sign up, and you can use it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is reasonable. It's not overly expensive, although you will need to pay for extra support if you think you will need assistance regularly.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We only looked at Microsoft. We did not consider other options.
What other advice do I have?
We are Microsoft partners.
I would rate the solution at an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner

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Just like MySQL, SQL is very easy to use or program when creating databases. In fact, with some knowledge of either one of the database programs, one can easily use the other without much difficulties.