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reviewer1537680 - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of Analytics Director at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Mar 28, 2021
Low-cost, feature-rich, and easy to deploy, but would be nice to get faster support for new features
Pros and Cons
  • "It is low-cost and easy to deploy. It is fully-featured."
  • "It has all the features, and it is easy to deploy."
  • "They are improving it all the time. What would be nice is if they could respond to feature requests more quickly. They can provide faster support for new features."
  • "What would be nice is if they could respond to feature requests more quickly."

What is our primary use case?

It is for dashboards and reports. 

What is most valuable?

It is low-cost and easy to deploy. It is fully-featured.

What needs improvement?

They are improving it all the time. What would be nice is if they could respond to feature requests more quickly. They can provide faster support for new features.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for two years.

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Microsoft Power BI
March 2026
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is reasonably stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In my organization, we have around ten users. In our client's organization, we have about 100 users.

How are customer service and support?

I normally find whatever I need in Microsoft documentation or through Google. There is a lot of activity in the market. A lot of other people typically would have already asked the same question that I have, so it is fairly easy to find information.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I didn't really use any other product. I used to be a Qlik partner, and I became a Microsoft partner two years ago.

How was the initial setup?

Its installation is straightforward. The developer suite has one-click installation. The end-users just get a web URL. There is no installation for end-users. They just access it.

There is a Microsoft certification that you need to complete, but it is all deployed on the Microsoft Azure cloud. So, there are no infrastructure requirements.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It depends upon the tier of your Office 365 subscription. On E5, which is a Microsoft Azure subscription, you get it for free. If you are on a lower tier, you can subscribe for $10 a month per user, which is really cheap.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. It is pretty good. Technically, it is at the same level as the other products that I've used so far. It has all the features, and it is easy to deploy. Its costs are really palatable. They are improving it all the time. I am fairly satisfied with this product.

I would rate Microsoft BI a seven out of ten. There are always areas for improvement, but I am fairly happy with it. I would not rate anything else also higher than seven.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
PeerSpot user
reviewer1381863 - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Consultant
Mar 26, 2021
Highly scalable, very stable, good data presentation, and useful for deeper insights and analysis
Pros and Cons
  • "The way data is presented is very valuable. The amount of information that we can get at a glance is also valuable. You can then drill-down and see data from many different angles in the same chart by selecting certain things. Based on the selection, everything changes automatically. If we have four parameters in a particular item, when you select a parameter, the remaining charts on that page automatically change for that particular parameter."
  • "It is a good and very useful product; I find it to be extremely useful because it gives me a deeper insight into my business, and it lets me analyze things and make decisions based on the data."
  • "Its price could be better. Its licensing cost is very high."
  • "Its licensing cost is very high."

What is our primary use case?

We are using Power BI Premium at the moment. It is an online solution, which always has the latest version.

It is for data visualization and data insights. BI means business intelligence, so it helps you understand the performance of your business better. It gives you deeper insight into the data so that you can draw meaningful conclusions from the data, and your decisions are based on data insights rather than a hunch. 

How has it helped my organization?

It is a good and very useful product. I find it to be extremely useful because it gives me a deeper insight into my business, and it lets me analyze things and make decisions based on the data.

What is most valuable?

The way data is presented is very valuable. The amount of information that we can get at a glance is also valuable. You can then drill-down and see data from many different angles in the same chart by selecting certain things. Based on the selection, everything changes automatically. If we have four parameters in a particular item, when you select a parameter, the remaining charts on that page automatically change for that particular parameter.

What needs improvement?

Its price could be better. Its licensing cost is very high.

For how long have I used the solution?

We discovered it about two months ago, and we started using it.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

You can scale it to thousands of users. It is a cloud product. Microsoft Cloud is being used by people across the world. So, there is no limitation in terms of scalability.

At the moment, we have about five users, but the number of users will increase to 50. We are absolutely going to keep using it.

How are customer service and technical support?

We generally don't approach Microsoft for support. We are able to handle things at our end.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We used simple Excel reports, but Excel reports are not as good as Power BI. Power BI is far ahead.

How was the initial setup?

It is a cloud product. You can access it through a web browser. It takes no time. 

It takes time only when you have to prepare the reports because you need to know how to prepare the Power BI reports. There is an MIS team, and there are Power BI designers who design the reports, but for users, it doesn't take much effort because they just have to click and see.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Its licensing cost is very high. It is $20 per user, which is very high, but it is a good product, so you pay for it.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend this solution. I would 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
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Power BI
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Power BI. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
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reviewer1398615 - PeerSpot reviewer
Consultant at a training & coaching company with 201-500 employees
Consultant
Mar 24, 2021
Flexible with good support but it could be more mobile friendly and the price could be better
Pros and Cons
  • "I like the flexibility it offers."
  • "I like the flexibility it offers."
  • "The graphic interface could be better."
  • "The graphic interface could be better. I would also like to see it mobile-friendly."

What is our primary use case?

We use Microsoft BI for analytics.

What is most valuable?

I like the flexibility it offers.

What needs improvement?

The graphic interface could be better.

I would also like to see it mobile-friendly.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft BI for one year.

We are using the latest version.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

In some ways, it is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It's a scalable solution. We have 10 or 15 users in our organization.

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is good, and we are satisfied with it.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Before Microsoft BI, we used Tableau.

How was the initial setup?

I was not involved with the installation but my understanding is that it was easy to install.

We have a team of two people to maintain this solution.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There are licensing fees.

It's an expensive solution.

What other advice do I have?

I am not sure if we will continue to use this solution, it depends on the business requirements.

Depending on their business size and setup, I may recommend this solution.

I would rate Microsoft BI a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Business Intelligence Developer at a manufacturing company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Mar 21, 2021
Great for monitoring and reporting
Pros and Cons
  • "Premium features that used to cost $5,000 per company per month recently became a lot more accessible. Microsoft recently implemented a per user feature in Power BI Premium; it's $20 per month."
  • "What I like about Power BI compared to Tableau, for example, is that Tableau is mostly a visualization program, but Power BI is a more complete solution, because it has DAX, Power Query, and a presentation and graphic layer."
  • "I would like to be able to use more predicting data science features without having to use R."
  • "I would like to be able to use more predicting data science features without having to use R."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use cases for this product are monitoring and reporting. I have some dashboards for the sales department and a little bit for operations. I'm going to create a new dashboard for marketing. 

What is most valuable?

What I like about Power BI compared to Tableau, for example, is that Tableau is mostly a visualization program, but Power BI is a more complete solution, because it has DAX, Power Query, and a presentation and graphic layer. So, I use it not only for reporting and graphic purposes on the frontend, but also for doing things like modeling. It is very flexible, a lot more flexible for than Tableau for what I need.

One of the things that I appreciate is that premium features that used to cost $5,000 per company per month recently became a lot more accessible. Microsoft recently implemented a per user feature in Power BI Premium; it's $20 per month. I'm investigating in that because I think the price is good. 

What needs improvement?

I would like to be able to use more predicting data science features without having to use R. If I were able to do most of the data science that I normally do inside Power BI without using R, I would decrease my use of R and mostly use Power BI. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft Power BI for four and a half to five years. I have been using it since they created in basically. I started using it when it was Power Pivot in Excel and as soon as they created Power BI, I started using it. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I recommend easing into Microsoft Power BI gradually. I started by creating models and graphics in Excel first. Then, when I learned a little bit about modeling, I started moving to Power BI and working there. 

So, I recommend starting with Excel and practicing there first. Power Pivot is the app that you can use in Excel for this kind of work. Before switching to Power BI, learn about data modeling and dashboarding in Power Pivot in Excel first. 

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Before switching to Microsoft Power BI, I evaluated Tableau. It's a lot cheaper to use Power BI. The cost per user in Power BI is around $10 per month, while the cost per user for Tableau is a lot more expensive. That was a deciding factor for me. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1501212 - PeerSpot reviewer
Part Owner at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Mar 13, 2021
Great technology and some very good features
Pros and Cons
  • "Good CS and administration."
  • "The scalability is excellent, all our professional consultants use it."
  • "Creating dashboards could be easier."
  • "Compared to other solutions, the cost of the license is expensive and that could be improved."

What is our primary use case?

I am a consultant for a big company. We deal with energy companies, petroleum, sales companies and we deal with everything from financials to operations. We deal with market strategy and we provide consultancy services - I'm a part owner of the company. 

What is most valuable?

I like the CS, administration, most of the features are good as well as the technology.

What needs improvement?

I think creating dashboards could be easier. Compared to other solutions, the cost of the license is expensive and that could be improved. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using this solution for over 20 years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is excellent. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability is excellent, all our professional consultants use it. Where we deploy in the banking sector, they can have 1,000 licensed users; in smaller companies there can be 50 users. 

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support is quite good, but I'd like to see a quicker response time. 

How was the initial setup?

Deployment time depends on the company, it can take up to two months. 

What other advice do I have?

I rate this solution a nine out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1517895 - PeerSpot reviewer
Partner at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Mar 9, 2021
Easy to use, good scalability, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is easy to use."
  • "The solution is easy to install and it does not take long."
  • "There are some problems with the functionality of this solution. The dashboard is not very user friendly and is quite complicated."
  • "There are some problems with the functionality of this solution. The dashboard is not very user friendly and is quite complicated."

What is our primary use case?

I have used the solution for analytics which is displayed on the dashboard for my client.

What is most valuable?

The solution is easy to use.

What needs improvement?

There are some problems with the functionality of this solution. The dashboard is not very user friendly and is quite complicated. They need to make it easier for developers because they could bring key components into the dashboard. I have found using scripting language in other competitor solutions easier.

Since I am new to using this solution I am not sure what should be in a future release. I probably do not need all of the features in this current version.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for a couple of months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is good. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is scalable. We have a couple of people using the solution in my organization.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have used Qlik Sense in the past and it is more functional than this solution. I prefer Qlik Sense and I will most likely be switching soon.

How was the initial setup?

The solution is easy to install and it does not take long.

What about the implementation team?

I did the implementation.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

As far as I am aware you do not need a license for the solution.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Comparing this solution to others such as Tableau and Microstrategy, this solution is probably better. However, I think overall Qlik Sense is best for me.

What other advice do I have?

I am not going to be using the solution in the future because I prefer Qlik Sense.

I rate Microsoft BI an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1507608 - PeerSpot reviewer
New Build Completion & Commissioning at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Mar 4, 2021
Powerful, user-friendly, and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The product can go easily go and extract data and it can put it into any format."
  • "The solution is a wonderful tool overall, very powerful and very easy to use with a very nice user interface that makes everything easy to navigate, and it can easily extract data and put it into any format, making it a very good data analytic tool."
  • "I'm not overly technical, and so I can't really speak to any shortcomings from a technical standpoint."
  • "I'm not overly technical, and so I can't really speak to any shortcomings from a technical standpoint."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the product for running the reports and all data extraction in our organization.

What is most valuable?

The solution is a wonderful tool overall. 

Power BI is very powerful and very easy to use. Its user-friendliness is one of its most valuable aspects. It has a very nice user interface that makes everything easy to navigate.

The product can go easily go and extract data and it can put it into any format.

It's a very good data analytic tool.

The initial setup is pretty easy. It's pretty straightforward in general.

What needs improvement?

I can't say that anything glaring is missing from the offering at this time.

Microsoft is doing a lot of research on it and they're coming up with a lot of good release items.

I'm not overly technical, and so I can't really speak to any shortcomings from a technical standpoint.

I'd like to have more time with the solution to evaluate it to see if there's really anything missing. We don't really go in-depth with the product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been using the solution since about 2017. It's been a few years now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is very good. It's a Microsoft product and therefore they wouldn't put anything out that wasn't tested and worthy of release. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's quite reliable and offers good performance. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

While the scalability is there, the cost is what you have to factor in. It has to scale as if there's more data, it needs to meet that demand and be able to extract and analyze it.  

How are customer service and technical support?

Technical support for the most part has been very good. They are helpful and responsive. We are satisfied with the level of support we receive. On a scale of one to 25, I would give it a mark of 20.

How was the initial setup?

We've found the initial setup to be pretty straightforward. It's not complex. A company shouldn't have too much trouble getting everything up and running.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I'm not sure of the exact cost of the solution. It's not an aspect of the product I need to worry about.

I am aware that we currently have an enterprise license.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I personally haven't evaluated or compared any other solutions. I don't have any knowledge in terms of how it compares to other options.

What other advice do I have?

We are customers and end-users. We don't have a specific business relationship with Microsoft.

I would rate the solution eight out of ten overall. We've been pretty satisfied with the product.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1499169 - PeerSpot reviewer
Research & Development Expert at a energy/utilities company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Feb 18, 2021
Good visualization and graphing functions, integrates with Python
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable feature is integration with Python."
  • "In summary, this is a good product and I recommend it."
  • "The integration with third-party products could be more stable."
  • "The integration with third-party products could be more stable."

What is our primary use case?

I use Microsoft BI for my own projects that are related to integrating with Excel datasets. I use the visualization and graphing functions, and I have tried using the Python integration.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature is integration with Python.

What needs improvement?

The integration with third-party products could be more stable.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft BI for approximately one month.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Microsoft BI could be a little more stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

We have approximately 10 users. I don't expect that we will expand our usage or continue using this product.

How are customer service and technical support?

I have not been in contact with technical support.

How was the initial setup?

There is no complexity in the initial setup. It takes approximately 15 minutes to deploy.

What about the implementation team?

There are twenty people in the team that handles the deployment and maintenance of our solutions.

What other advice do I have?

In summary, this is a good product and I recommend it.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Power BI Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: March 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Power BI Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.