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Microsoft BI
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628 Ratings
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119 Ratings
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Based on 119 reviews and ratings
Microsoft BI
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628 Ratings
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Based on 628 reviews and ratings
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Likelihood to Recommend
Alteryx Analytics
I wish I had found and used Alteryx Analytics years ago. Having multiple data sources with a variety of naming conventions for our businesses we spent WEEKS cleaning/reorganizing/renaming fields in our data to be able to consolidate. We did this on one set of reports for one use. Each time we wanted an update this process would need to be repeated. This took tons of useless admin time. Had we had Alteryx we could have created 1 identifier, noted all the different naming conventions or issues, selected the ones we wanted and created the workflow to use it over and over and over again on any data we wanted. Build once - use multiple times. It would have been (and now is) a HUGE time saver. Plus any new anomalies are identified by the program as errors so you can "autocorrect" them in the same workflow. Alteryx is a miracle in my opinion.
Director People Analytics
J.D. Irving, LimitedPaper & Forest Products, 10,001+ employees
Microsoft BI
Flexibility, engagement, training resources, updates, cost, implementation, ease of use, support; these are the reasons why I would recommend Power BI. Power BI is best suited for situations where collaboration is needed among several different groups who are working concurrently on different activities. Where there are multiple levels of data that need to be parsed through. It's difficult to think of a scenario where it wouldn't be beneficial other than the obvious.
Program Cost Schedule and Control Analyst
WoodAirlines/Aviation, 10,001+ employees
Feature Rating Comparison
BI Standard Reporting
Alteryx Analytics
7.9
Microsoft BI
8.0
Pixel Perfect reports
Alteryx Analytics
8.0
Microsoft BI
7.9
Customizable dashboards
Alteryx Analytics
6.7
Microsoft BI
7.9
Report Formatting Templates
Alteryx Analytics
9.0
Microsoft BI
8.2
Ad-hoc Reporting
Alteryx Analytics
8.5
Microsoft BI
8.4
Drill-down analysis
Alteryx Analytics
8.3
Microsoft BI
8.2
Formatting capabilities
Alteryx Analytics
8.2
Microsoft BI
8.4
Integration with R or other statistical packages
Alteryx Analytics
9.5
Microsoft BI
8.2
Report sharing and collaboration
Alteryx Analytics
8.0
Microsoft BI
8.9
Report Output and Scheduling
Alteryx Analytics
8.7
Microsoft BI
8.2
Publish to Web
Alteryx Analytics
8.2
Microsoft BI
8.3
Publish to PDF
Alteryx Analytics
8.5
Microsoft BI
8.8
Report Versioning
Alteryx Analytics
9.0
Microsoft BI
8.2
Report Delivery Scheduling
Alteryx Analytics
8.9
Microsoft BI
7.6
Delivery to Remote Servers
Alteryx Analytics
—
Microsoft BI
8.2
Data Discovery and Visualization
Alteryx Analytics
7.9
Microsoft BI
8.2
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)
Alteryx Analytics
8.0
Microsoft BI
8.5
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization
Alteryx Analytics
7.5
Microsoft BI
8.0
Predictive Analytics
Alteryx Analytics
8.3
Microsoft BI
8.1
Access Control and Security
Alteryx Analytics
8.3
Microsoft BI
8.4
Multi-User Support (named login)
Alteryx Analytics
8.0
Microsoft BI
8.4
Role-Based Security Model
Alteryx Analytics
8.0
Microsoft BI
8.2
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)
Alteryx Analytics
9.0
Microsoft BI
8.6
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Alteryx Analytics
—
Microsoft BI
8.4
Mobile Capabilities
Alteryx Analytics
4.0
Microsoft BI
8.3
Responsive Design for Web Access
Alteryx Analytics
4.0
Microsoft BI
8.2
Dedicated iOS Application
Alteryx Analytics
—
Microsoft BI
8.4
Dedicated Android Application
Alteryx Analytics
—
Microsoft BI
8.1
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile
Alteryx Analytics
—
Microsoft BI
8.2
Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
Alteryx Analytics
—
Microsoft BI
7.9
REST API
Alteryx Analytics
—
Microsoft BI
7.9
Javascript API
Alteryx Analytics
—
Microsoft BI
8.3
iFrames
Alteryx Analytics
—
Microsoft BI
7.8
Java API
Alteryx Analytics
—
Microsoft BI
7.6
Themeable User Interface (UI)
Alteryx Analytics
—
Microsoft BI
7.9
Customizable Platform (Open Source)
Alteryx Analytics
—
Microsoft BI
7.6
Pros
- Excellent support for the tools through training/white papers and online support.
- Ease of use - high common sense factor makes the program easy to learn and apply.
- Compatibility with everything but specifically with commonly used key programs like Tableau.
Director People Analytics
J.D. Irving, LimitedPaper & Forest Products, 10,001+ employees
- The layout of Power BI is very intuitive. Someone that is familiar with Excel and working with Charts and Graphs in that environment will find the learning curve a rather short one to start using Power BI.
- I like the way Power BI fits an assortment of users and how the functionality that you engage is replicated in Excel, that being Power Query and Power Pivot. So what you learn in one tool can be readily applied towards the other which allows you to more effectively apply your training.
- I appreciate how Microsoft is working to develop tools that go a long ways to empowering the end user. Prior to Power BI I would have had to consult with a "BI" professional to develop a dashboard. With Power BI I don't have to consult with anyone, I can work to put together the dash board I want and using a tool set that is really robust and allows me to engage an enormous amount of data. It's provides a great deal of flexibility and the types of data I can connect to.
- Updates...Microsoft is working diligently to keep Power BI current with monthly updates. They do a really good job of listening to the end user, if there is functionality not currently present just give them a month or so.
- Just to be clear, even though it's easy to get going right out of the gate with Power BI it provides plenty of opportunities to create some really sophisticated reporting solutions. With DAX in Power Pivot and M language in Power Query, you are provided with plenty of head room to do some really amazing things in Power BI.
- Training...there are resources across the web for learning and growing your skills and Power BI. And what's even better is the majority of those resources are free.
- Data engagement, when presenting the data to the end user Power BI goes a long way to allowing that end user to engage the data and begin to identify root cause by simply interacting with the graph/chart/data set. It allows for really fluid engagement. Prior to Power BI so many times during the presentation of data we often times ended the engagement with that data with more questions than what were answered. With Power BI, more often than not, the end user is able to get answers to the questions by simply clicking on the data in the graph/chart/dataset to see the details. This tool really does have the capacity to make you look like a rock star.
Program Cost Schedule and Control Analyst
WoodAirlines/Aviation, 10,001+ employees
Cons
- Cost is a factor - while support and training are "free" the software price is high.
- It helps to have some good Excel experience to make instant adoption even easier.
- The trainers tend to go a bit fast so slow learners may need multiple sessions.
Director People Analytics
J.D. Irving, LimitedPaper & Forest Products, 10,001+ employees
- More than two dimensions. Yes, I know that 2D is the core of Excel's DNA. However, we're starting to deal with higher-dimensional arrays here in analytics land so better visualization support would be cool.
- UI weirdness. By default, you are flipping back between regular Excel tabs and super-top-secret BI tabs. You create charts in one place, but look at them in the other. That kind of stuff. I know there are a couple of other ways to interact with Microsoft BI, but please figure out the main way.
- Better hookups to other analytics tools including Microsoft's. Microsoft BI has a good variety of data connections, and I don't expect it to bloom into a full-fledged analytics tool, but it may be a good idea to keep hammering at connectivity with "hardcore" analytics. In my case, Python stuff.
Technical Leader for Modeling and Simulation
MITREManagement Consulting, 5001-10,000 employees
Likelihood to Renew
Alteryx Analytics6.5
Based on 14 answers
We've developed a working partnership with Alteryx. As an enablement suite, we're continuing to innovate and deliver great products with use of Alteryx in our solutions. Alteryx use expands to our global product development teams and is in use in multiple parts of our organization. Alteryx also delivers Experian demographic content to other clients in their product offering. We're highly likely to renew, but that decision is way above my pay grade.
Director, Technology Services
ExperianInformation Technology and Services, 5001-10,000 employees
Microsoft BI8.0
Based on 25 answers
Microsoft BI is fundamental to our suite of BI applications. That being said, Northcraft Analytics is focused on delighting our customers, so if the underlying factors of our decision change, we would choose to re-write our BI applications on a different stack. Luckily, mathematics are the fundamental IP of our technology... and is portable across all BI platforms for the foreseeable future.
President
Northcraft AnalyticsComputer Software, 11-50 employees
Usability
Alteryx Analytics10.0
Based on 2 answers
Through a graphical UI one can perform engineering and development, other vendors do not have such a code-less interface.
Data Engineer
Virtual DBSMarketing and Advertising, 51-200 employees
Microsoft BI7.0
Based on 5 answers
It's a good rating for people willing to learn and get used to it, but it's not inherently user friendly, especially to people who are not Excel power users.
Technical Leader for Modeling and Simulation
MITREManagement Consulting, 5001-10,000 employees
Reliability and Availability
Alteryx Analytics10.0
Based on 1 answer
I use many programs and compared to others, Alteryx virtually never goes down, freezes up or gives an application error. Over a 4 year time period that I have used this program, any of these may have happened 3 times. It is an incredibly stable program that I feel completely confident in.
Manager, Market & Competitive Insights
Office DepotBusiness Supplies and Equipment, 10,001+ employees
Microsoft BI9.5
Based on 2 answers
The product has been reliable.
Director, Business Intelligence & Analytics
Georgetown University5001-10,000 employees
Performance
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Microsoft BI7.0
Based on 2 answers
SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) can drag at times. We created two report servers and placed them under an F5 load balancer. This configuration has worked well. We have seen sluggish performance at times due to the Windows Firewall.
Director, Business Intelligence & Analytics
Georgetown University5001-10,000 employees
Support
Alteryx Analytics9.9
Based on 2 answers
Overall pretty good. Depending on the quality of the question posed the CS team will get back as they are available
Data Engineer
Virtual DBSMarketing and Advertising, 51-200 employees
Microsoft BI7.1
Based on 6 answers
I am basing this rating not on Microsoft's paid premium support, but rather on the resources available (both from Microsoft and 3rd parties) to BI consumers. There is such a huge community working with and building solutions with the Microsoft BI stack (SQL Server) that I have always been able to find a solution (or at least a workaround) to any problems that have come up.
Business Intelligence Architect
BAASS Business SolutionsTransportation/Trucking/Railroad, 5001-10,000 employees
In-Person Training
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Microsoft BI6.9
Based on 3 answers
This training was more directed toward what the product was capable of rather than actual programming.
Business Intelligence Analyst
PraesesInformation Technology and Services, 51-200 employees
Online Training
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Microsoft BI8.5
Based on 2 answers
I have used on-line training from Microsoft and from Pragmatic Works. I would recommend Pragmatic Works as the best way to get up to speed quickly, and then use the Microsoft on-line training to deep dive into specific features that you need to get depth with.
Business Intelligence Architect
BAASS Business SolutionsTransportation/Trucking/Railroad, 5001-10,000 employees
Implementation
Alteryx Analytics10.0
Based on 1 answer
There is really not much to it (the installation, that is). Once you get it installed, along with any of the add-ons (demographics, R, etc.), you are up and running almost immediately. There is really no additional setup. You can immediately begin blending data, running demographics, performing spatial queries, running predictive analysis, etc. And for many of these functions, the learning curve is quite easy.
Manager, Market & Competitive Insights
Office DepotBusiness Supplies and Equipment, 10,001+ employees
Microsoft BI9.6
Based on 7 answers
Be prepared to help business users define their data. We found that different campuses had different definitions for the same thing. This took some change management and negotiating to get each team to come to a common understanding.
Director, Business Intelligence & Analytics
Georgetown University5001-10,000 employees
Alternatives Considered
Talend is primarily for data integration and has quite advanced capabilities. But the user has to be more technical. Alteryx makes the process simple and any user can make use of its features.Tableau was a good choice for data visualization. We needed beautiful charts and ways to represent data. Alteryx falls short in this aspect.
Process Analyst
HoneywellWarehousing, 10,001+ employees
Microsoft is a distant me too in a world that is crowded and drowning in BI Me too products. Visualizations 5/10. Micro Strategy, ClickView, Domo, BOBJ etc will kill this product. The issue is cost and speed to implementation. The cost is far less than any of the previously mentioned items. The implementation time could be a fraction of those products. The implementation of this product can be as simple as connecting Excel to the database (Create the relationships that you can do in the dbase or the query in Excel) and pushing to the Cloud. From the cloud based app you simply launch the gateway. The gateway is a breeze for anyone to connect with. The gateway only needs path back and its a breeze. No IT guys needed, no professional services, no firewalls or routing tables to configure. Just plug and play. This feature alone is the key product differentiation in my review. We already had the tables developed and ETL be damned, they all push from the MS-SQL dbase directly to cloud. Is this going to be big and fast in an environment with Data Universe's, API's to other products, and true Enterprise class features. I dont think so. Is it good enough for most small to medium companies or departments? Yes
CIO (Chief Information Officer)
Mountain MedicalHospital & Health Care, 201-500 employees
Return on Investment
- Faster data processes (appending various data)
- Non-gis people have been able to to geocode/build trade areas (this is positive and negative)
- Quickly generate a standardized way of research processes

Verified User
Analyst in Research & Development
Commercial Real Estate Company, 51-200 employees- Cleaner, more accurate data returned to end users.
- Better decision making.
- Increased control over data.
Quality Informatics Manager
Alliance of ChicagoHospital & Health Care, 11-50 employees
Screenshots
Alteryx Analytics
Microsoft BI—
Pricing Details
Alteryx Analytics
General
Free Trial
Yes
Free/Freemium Version
—Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Yes
Entry-level set up fee?
No
Alteryx Analytics Editions & Modules
Alteryx Analytics
On-premise Edition
Alteryx Designer
$3,9951
Alteryx Designer with Spatial
$12,9951
Alteryx Designer with Data
$29,9951
Alteryx Server
$45,0002
1. per user, per year
2. per server, per year
SaaS Edition
Alteryx Analytics Gallery
$1,5001
1. per user, per year
Additional Pricing Details
The above prices are in USD for Alteryx products and are per-year subscription prices based on a 3-year contract, with annual payment.Microsoft BI
General
Free Trial
—Free/Freemium Version
Yes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—Entry-level set up fee?
No
Microsoft BI Editions & Modules
Microsoft BI
Edition
Power BI
$0
Power BI Pro
$102
2. per user per month