What users are saying about
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Top Rated
362 Ratings
Anaplan
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Top Rated
362 Ratings
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Based on 362 reviews and ratings
Microsoft Power BI
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Top Rated
1276 Ratings
<a href='https://www.trustradius.com/static/about-trustradius-scoring' target='_blank' rel='nofollow noopener'>trScore algorithm: Learn more.</a>Score 8.4 out of 100
Based on 1276 reviews and ratings
Feature Set Ratings
- Anaplan ranks higher in 2 feature sets: Report Output and Scheduling, Access Control and Security
- Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3 feature sets: BI Standard Reporting, Data Discovery and Visualization, Mobile Capabilities
- Anaplan and Microsoft Power BI are tied in 1 feature set: Ad-hoc Reporting
BI Standard Reporting

7.6
Anaplan
76%
8.4
Microsoft Power BI
84%
Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/3 features
Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/3 features
Pixel Perfect reports

6.4
64%
1 Rating
8.2
82%
119 Ratings
Customizable dashboards

8.7
87%
105 Ratings
8.9
89%
138 Ratings
Report Formatting Templates

N/A
0 Ratings
8.2
82%
127 Ratings
Ad-hoc Reporting

8.4
Anaplan
84%
8.4
Microsoft Power BI
84%
Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/4 features
Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/4 features
Drill-down analysis

8.6
86%
2 Ratings
8.7
87%
138 Ratings
Formatting capabilities

8.2
82%
2 Ratings
8.0
80%
137 Ratings
Report sharing and collaboration

8.2
82%
2 Ratings
8.6
86%
135 Ratings
Integration with R or other statistical packages

N/A
0 Ratings
8.1
81%
103 Ratings
Report Output and Scheduling

8.5
Anaplan
85%
8.3
Microsoft Power BI
83%
Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/5 features
Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/5 features
Publish to Web

9.1
91%
1 Rating
9.0
90%
128 Ratings
Publish to PDF

8.2
82%
107 Ratings
8.9
89%
120 Ratings
Report Versioning

8.5
85%
93 Ratings
7.8
78%
100 Ratings
Report Delivery Scheduling

8.3
83%
3 Ratings
8.5
85%
103 Ratings
Delivery to Remote Servers

N/A
0 Ratings
7.4
74%
75 Ratings
Data Discovery and Visualization

8.0
Anaplan
80%
8.3
Microsoft Power BI
83%
Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 2/3 features
Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 2/3 features
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)

8.6
86%
2 Ratings
8.4
84%
130 Ratings
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization

8.2
82%
2 Ratings
8.5
85%
121 Ratings
Predictive Analytics

7.3
73%
2 Ratings
7.9
79%
102 Ratings
Access Control and Security

9.2
Anaplan
92%
8.8
Microsoft Power BI
88%
Anaplan ranks higher in 4/4 features
Anaplan ranks higher in 4/4 features
Multi-User Support (named login)

9.1
91%
2 Ratings
8.8
88%
120 Ratings
Role-Based Security Model

9.4
94%
108 Ratings
8.7
87%
103 Ratings
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)

9.1
91%
2 Ratings
8.6
86%
111 Ratings
Single Sign-On (SSO)

9.1
91%
2 Ratings
9.0
90%
94 Ratings
Mobile Capabilities

7.7
Anaplan
77%
8.5
Microsoft Power BI
85%
Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/3 features
Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/3 features
Responsive Design for Web Access

8.6
86%
98 Ratings
8.7
87%
112 Ratings
Mobile Application

7.4
74%
81 Ratings
8.3
83%
94 Ratings
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile

7.6
76%
91 Ratings
8.4
84%
113 Ratings
Budgeting, Planning, and Forecasting

8.9
Anaplan
89%
Microsoft Power BI
Feature Set Not Supported
N/A
Anaplan ranks higher in 5/5 features
Anaplan ranks higher in 5/5 features
Long-term financial planning

9.1
91%
185 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Financial budgeting

9.3
93%
189 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Forecasting

9.3
93%
200 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Scenario modeling

9.1
91%
201 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Management reporting

7.8
78%
199 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Consolidation and Close

7.0
Anaplan
70%
Microsoft Power BI
Feature Set Not Supported
N/A
Anaplan ranks higher in 7/7 features
Anaplan ranks higher in 7/7 features
Financial data consolidation

8.2
82%
150 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Journal entries and reports

7.2
72%
116 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Multi-currency management

6.2
62%
11 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Intercompany Eliminations

6.0
60%
8 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Minority Ownership

6.0
60%
7 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Local and consolidated reporting

8.1
81%
140 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Detailed Audit Trails

7.4
74%
148 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Financial Reporting and Compliance

8.3
Anaplan
83%
Microsoft Power BI
Feature Set Not Supported
N/A
Anaplan ranks higher in 4/4 features
Anaplan ranks higher in 4/4 features
Financial Statement Reporting

8.1
81%
162 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Management Reporting

8.2
82%
173 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Excel-based Reporting

7.9
79%
159 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Automated board and financial reporting

9.0
90%
13 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Analytics and Reporting

8.7
Anaplan
87%
Microsoft Power BI
Feature Set Not Supported
N/A
Anaplan ranks higher in 6/6 features
Anaplan ranks higher in 6/6 features
Personalized dashboards

8.9
89%
199 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Color-coded scorecards

8.6
86%
183 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
KPIs

8.1
81%
19 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Cost and profitability analysis

8.6
86%
162 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Key Performance Indicator setting

9.0
90%
172 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Benchmarking with external data

8.7
87%
13 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Integration

8.8
Anaplan
88%
Microsoft Power BI
Feature Set Not Supported
N/A
Anaplan ranks higher in 3/3 features
Anaplan ranks higher in 3/3 features
Flat file integration

9.3
93%
198 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Excel data integration

8.7
87%
184 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Direct links to 3rd-party data sources

8.4
84%
163 Ratings
N/A
0 Ratings
Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding

Anaplan
Feature Set Not Supported
N/A
8.0
Microsoft Power BI
80%
Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 6/6 features
Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 6/6 features
REST API

N/A
0 Ratings
8.3
83%
72 Ratings
Javascript API

N/A
0 Ratings
8.2
82%
57 Ratings
iFrames

N/A
0 Ratings
8.0
80%
56 Ratings
Java API

N/A
0 Ratings
7.7
77%
47 Ratings
Themeable User Interface (UI)

N/A
0 Ratings
7.9
79%
63 Ratings
Customizable Platform (Open Source)

N/A
0 Ratings
7.9
79%
46 Ratings
Attribute Ratings
- Anaplan is rated higher in 3 areas: Likelihood to Recommend, Usability, Support Rating
- Microsoft Power BI is rated higher in 1 area: Likelihood to Renew
Likelihood to Recommend

9.1
Anaplan
91%
214 Ratings
8.7
Microsoft Power BI
87%
140 Ratings
Likelihood to Renew

8.8
Anaplan
88%
6 Ratings
10.0
Microsoft Power BI
100%
1 Rating
Usability

9.0
Anaplan
90%
4 Ratings
8.5
Microsoft Power BI
85%
56 Ratings
Availability

9.1
Anaplan
91%
3 Ratings
Microsoft Power BI
N/A
0 Ratings
Performance

9.1
Anaplan
91%
3 Ratings
Microsoft Power BI
N/A
0 Ratings
Support Rating

9.1
Anaplan
91%
6 Ratings
8.4
Microsoft Power BI
84%
52 Ratings
In-Person Training

3.0
Anaplan
30%
1 Rating
Microsoft Power BI
N/A
0 Ratings
Online Training

9.1
Anaplan
91%
2 Ratings
Microsoft Power BI
N/A
0 Ratings
Implementation Rating

9.1
Anaplan
91%
25 Ratings
Microsoft Power BI
N/A
0 Ratings
Product Scalability

9.1
Anaplan
91%
2 Ratings
Microsoft Power BI
N/A
0 Ratings
Likelihood to Recommend
Anaplan
Depending on the specific requirements there are areas in which some tools perform better than others or are more adequate than others. For example, Anaplan doesn’t offer the on-premises solution being a natively cloud SaaS; instead, Anaplan allows real-time calculations and refresh of the entire model with the possibility to fully drill down the results. Therefore, a preliminary software selection would be desirable to select the software that best fits the requirements. Anaplan is capable to support and connect very well any planning process, instead, it is not the most appropriate tool for use cases like detailed transactions storage.

Verified User
Manager in Finance and Accounting
Management Consulting Company, 10,001+ employeesMicrosoft Power BI
In operations we use the tool for many different topics, from factory quality systems to high level reviews.We have created kind of an internal "App Store" based on Power BI where you have a lot of different dashboards for different solutions (cost, cash, health and safety, sales, factories, distribution centers...) and you as an user just need to get in that "App Store" and enter in whatever tool can be useful for you. It is open to all the operations employees and can use on demand.Also it has raised the imagination of our colleagues, as they are not only working by themselves creating new reports, but also raising fantastic ideas that can be extended for the usage of all the community.
Global Digital Operations Manager - BA Electrification
ABBMechanical Or Industrial Engineering, 10,001+ employees
Pros
Anaplan
- Flexibility - the tool can be built the suite the company's needs. It allows for maximum customization for even the most complex business models.
- Data Integrations - the tool has the ability to connect to many different data sources so that data can be passed seamlessly.
- Connected Planning - the tool allows for teams across the organization to pass information and data back and forth between models, enhancing the ability to do connected planning

Verified User
Professional in Finance and Accounting
Information Technology & Services Company, 10,001+ employeesMicrosoft Power BI
- Quickly filter and view granular data sets with easily configurable reporting figures.
- The ability to quickly switch between tabs allows for historical data comparisons and progress tracking.
- It's helpful to dive into the data and break it down from high levels to small.
- Achieve actionable insights faster by using real-time data. It's incredible to have online access to reports.
Information Technology Business Consultant
Alfa NET+Information Technology & Services, 11-50 employees
Cons
Anaplan
- Considering a collaborative platform, workflow features need to be more sophisticated to handle event-based triggers.
- ALM governance is tedious in multiple developers set up, as it does not allow to migrate changes by each developer rather forces to migrate at a model level that includes all changes by all developers.
- Reporting ability is still limited, many times dependency on other reporting tools is unavoidable.
- Time referencing (e.g. default today's date) is not possible without engaging an integration interface.
- NUX pages are rich in features but building pages for DEV/UAT and PROD are not straightforward.
Master Architect
Anheuser Busch In BevFood & Beverages, 10,001+ employees
Microsoft Power BI
- The desktop app is great but needs a lot of performance improvements
- No MacOS Version for the Desktop app, this is a big limitation for business since executives prefer Macs
- Premium Cloud Version of Power BI is awfully expensive
- On-Premise Version of the Power BI Reports Server is bundled only with SQL Server Enterprise License and cannot be purchased separately and requires Software Assurance Subscription
- On-Premise Power BI Report Server doesn't support ADFS, AzureAD or any Claims-Based authentication platform, a sad disadvantage for enterprises

Verified User
C-Level Executive in Information Technology
Information Technology & Services Company, 201-500 employeesPricing Details
Anaplan
General
Free Trial
—Free/Freemium Version
—Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Yes
Entry-level set up fee?
Optional
Starting Price
—Anaplan Editions & Modules
—
Additional Pricing Details
—Microsoft Power BI
General
Free Trial
Yes
Free/Freemium Version
—Premium Consulting/Integration Services
—Entry-level set up fee?
No
Starting Price
$9.99 per month
Microsoft Power BI Editions & Modules
Edition
Power BI Pro | $9.991 |
---|---|
Power BI Premium | $20.001 |
Power BI Premium | $4,995.002 |
- Per User/Per Month
- Per Capacity/Per Month
Additional Pricing Details
—Likelihood to Renew
Anaplan
Anaplan 8.8
Based on 6 answers
In any line of work, a tool that is flexible and would allow different departments of your company to easily interact and exchange valuable insights, is highly anticipated and needed. For me, what Anaplan provides to a business, be it a smaller one or an enterprise customer, is an easily scaling, agile planning and modeling platform that can meet almost any need and give a high-end solution to the problems any company faces on a daily basis.
Anaplan Solution Architect
B EYE LtdInformation Technology & Services, 51-200 employees
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI 10.0
Based on 1 answer
I find it helpful and easy to use
Freelance Photographer
j. paroly photoGraphic Design, 1-10 employees
Usability
Anaplan
Anaplan 9.0
Based on 4 answers
There is a dependency in this rating - in that I find Anaplan extremely easy to use, but I've spent the necessary time developing a strong understanding of the platform. Once you understand how to use it, the platform is flexible, easy to use, and fun to use.
Director, Financial Planning & Analysis
Cherwell SoftwareComputer Software, 201-500 employees
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI 8.5
Based on 56 answers
At this point, I think we all know who has taken the lead in the business intelligence and analytics market worldwide. With fresh new updates every other day on top of an already robustly built product with all features that one can dream of is a no brainer, I feel. Microsoft will invariably be synonymous with quality and professionalism.
Marketing Associate
Mercer-MettlInformation Technology and Services, 501-1000 employees
Reliability and Availability
Anaplan
Anaplan 9.1
Based on 3 answers
In nearly 3 years, I have only had 1 issue of being unable to access my model for an unplanned maintenance. Even planned maintenance windows are handled during low traffic hours on the weekend.
Manager, Financial Systems
Research NowMarket Research, 1001-5000 employees
Microsoft Power BI
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Performance
Anaplan
Anaplan 9.1
Based on 3 answers
Everything is calculated in memory in the cloud. It's nearly instantaneous updates when you make changes. The only time things get a little slow is when you have a massive model with very intricate calculations...but "slow" for Anaplan is not what I would call "slow" for something like Hyperion. We used to have Hyperion calcs that ran for 60 mins before you could use data. The equivalent would be 60 seconds in Anaplan.
Manager, Financial Systems
Research NowMarket Research, 1001-5000 employees
Microsoft Power BI
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Anaplan
Anaplan 9.1
Based on 6 answers
I feel like the support team is a little lacking in product knowledge. Several times I have contacted them to get help, and ended up finding a solution to my own problem before the team could get back to me with anything useful. I have also submitted a few bugs, and never got updates to when they were fixed in later releases.
Manager, Financial Systems
Research NowMarket Research, 1001-5000 employees
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI 8.4
Based on 52 answers
I can't really speak to the support overall, [but] I will say that in the almost three years I have used the system, I have only needed to contact their support team once. I think the team was helpful, but it did take some time for us to resolve the issues/ request that they had. I guess the good news is that the system is pretty stable, and I personally have rarely needed to contact their technical support team.
Senior Customer Success Manager (Strategic Accounts)
TipaltiFinancial Services, 201-500 employees
In-Person Training
Anaplan
Anaplan 3.0
Based on 1 answer
The in-person training is simply not worth the cost. After a few weeks of playing in Anaplan, I went to the basic training and knew more than the person teaching it. a year down the road, I was the first person to complete the advance training, and again could have been teaching the class better than the person running the session. Spend some time on your own trying out different things and you will get all the understanding you need to be successful.
Manager, Financial Systems
Research NowMarket Research, 1001-5000 employees
Microsoft Power BI
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Online Training
Anaplan
Anaplan 9.1
Based on 2 answers
Learning made easy . One of the best trainings i have attended. Training was very detailed training by the trainer, which helped me understand the basics of the model building. Level 1 training was easy and instructor was most helpful here. Level 2 training was challenging but was able to go thru due to understanding of the basics.
Anaplan Consultant
EnqueroComputer Software, 501-1000 employees
Microsoft Power BI
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Anaplan
Anaplan 9.1
Based on 25 answers
Agile methodology and breaking the work down into sprints was very helpful. Implementation required a deeper dive into our data than expected for the consultants to be able to construct the data model. But once it was in place, the focus on knowledge transfer enabled us to be able to use the product effectively after the team rolled off.
Head of Sales Compensation
Robert HalfStaffing and Recruiting, 10,001+ employees
Microsoft Power BI
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Anaplan
Anaplan works well where you have a requirement for complete flexibility, such as in business structure, or in calculation methodology that is bespoke. You can tailor the system to your exact requirements, whereas some products come with pre-built modules that you might struggle to do certain things with. All in all [it] depends on the business requirements as there is a different tool for a different job. Anaplan succeeds in being a very strong all [arounder].

Verified User
C-Level Executive in Professional Services
Computer Software Company, 1-10 employeesMicrosoft Power BI
[Microsoft] Power BI is practical and effective, like a hammer for a nail, it is easy to use and produces very quickly the results that in most cases are urgently required by clients (nice reports to share on the web). To start using [Microsoft] Power BI you need a business email address, with that you create an account in Power BI Service and in less than 1 hour you will have installed Power BI Desktop, a report will have been created and it will have been published on the web .
Lead Consultant - Solutions Architect - Software Engineer
Ghia & Associates Engineering and Consulting GroupComputer Software, 1-10 employees
Scalability
Anaplan
Anaplan 9.1
Based on 2 answers
It's going to handle most of what you can throw at it. The problem lies in the sparsity of some datasets. When you have over 5ish dimensions of sparse data, the size of the model gets bloated for not much value. In several cases, I have had to adapt my model to account for sparsity in a way that minimized use of space, but also made interacting with the data more cumbersome.
Manager, Financial Systems
Research NowMarket Research, 1001-5000 employees
Microsoft Power BI
No score
No answers yet
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Anaplan
- The agile implementation methodology used to deploy the system has helped our clients to use and realize the benefits of the system right from the early stages of the implementation.
- The system can be easily managed and maintained by the end users reducing dependency on IT teams and making business more self-sufficient.
Senior Consultant
Deloitte India (Offices of the US)Information Technology & Services, 5001-10,000 employees
Microsoft Power BI
- It helps us track and achieve company goals.
- It shows us [our] performance in areas we could not previously track and allows us to see and work on how to improve their performance.
- Quick easy access for executives to use in helping teams and addressing issues.
Process Manager
Okland ConstructionConstruction, 501-1000 employees