Azure Analysis Services vs. SAP Crystal

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Azure Analysis Services
Score 8.5 out of 10
N/A
Azure Analysis Services delivers enterprise-grade BI semantic modeling capabilities with the scale, flexibility, and management benefits of the cloud. Azure Analysis Services helps transform complex data into actionable insights. Azure Analysis Services is built on the analytics engine in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services.N/A
SAP Crystal
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
SAP Crystal is an analytics and reporting software solution for SMBs. SAP Crystal comprises Crystal Reports for pixel-perfect reporting, and SAP Crystal Server for automated distribution and self-service access to reports, dashboards and data exploration.
$295
per single user license
Pricing
Azure Analysis ServicesSAP Crystal
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Upgrade Version to SAP Crystal Reports 2020
$295
per single user license
SAP Crystal Reports 2020 64-Bit
$495
per single user license
SAP Crystal Reports 2016 32-Bit
$495
per single user license
SAP Crystal Server 2020 1 NUL
$869
per user license + first year maintenance to be added
SAP Crystal Server 2020 5 CAL
$8,744
5 concurrent users + first year maintenance to be added
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Azure Analysis ServicesSAP Crystal
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional Details* SAP Crystal Reports 2020 Viewer allows you to view static data within a SAP Crystal Reports file. * SAP Crystal Reports 2020 - Full version allows you to create powerful, richly formatted, and dynamic reports from virtually any data source, delivered in dozens of formats, in up to 28 languages. If you already have an older version of Crystal Reports, buy a license for SAP Crystal Reports 2020 - Upgrade at a discounted, upgrade price. * SAP Crystal Server 2020, 1 NUL includes 1 license of: SAP Crystal Reports 2020 - SAP Crystal Server 2020. * As an add-on to SAP Crystal Server 2020 1 NUL, SAP Crystal Server 2020 5 CAL allows you to support a wider, intermittent audience of end users, up to five logged on at the same time.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Azure Analysis ServicesSAP Crystal
Top Pros

No answers on this topic

Top Cons

No answers on this topic

Features
Azure Analysis ServicesSAP Crystal
BI Standard Reporting
Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Azure Analysis Services
8.7
9 Ratings
7% above category average
SAP Crystal
9.3
122 Ratings
13% above category average
Pixel Perfect reports8.99 Ratings8.0111 Ratings
Customizable dashboards8.78 Ratings10.097 Ratings
Report Formatting Templates8.59 Ratings10.0115 Ratings
Ad-hoc Reporting
Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Azure Analysis Services
8.9
9 Ratings
10% above category average
SAP Crystal
9.6
134 Ratings
17% above category average
Drill-down analysis9.07 Ratings10.0115 Ratings
Formatting capabilities8.98 Ratings10.0133 Ratings
Integration with R or other statistical packages8.98 Ratings8.663 Ratings
Report sharing and collaboration9.09 Ratings10.0118 Ratings
Report Output and Scheduling
Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Product A and Product B
Azure Analysis Services
9.0
9 Ratings
8% above category average
SAP Crystal
9.4
134 Ratings
12% above category average
Publish to Web9.19 Ratings9.289 Ratings
Publish to PDF8.98 Ratings10.0131 Ratings
Report Versioning9.48 Ratings9.093 Ratings
Report Delivery Scheduling9.09 Ratings9.096 Ratings
Delivery to Remote Servers8.78 Ratings10.052 Ratings
Data Discovery and Visualization
Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Product A and Product B
Azure Analysis Services
9.1
8 Ratings
12% above category average
SAP Crystal
8.0
88 Ratings
0% below category average
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)9.37 Ratings7.651 Ratings
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization9.18 Ratings8.575 Ratings
Predictive Analytics8.77 Ratings7.841 Ratings
Access Control and Security
Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Product A and Product B
Azure Analysis Services
9.3
9 Ratings
9% above category average
SAP Crystal
8.6
86 Ratings
1% above category average
Multi-User Support (named login)9.38 Ratings7.879 Ratings
Role-Based Security Model9.39 Ratings7.778 Ratings
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)9.29 Ratings8.478 Ratings
Single Sign-On (SSO)9.58 Ratings9.038 Ratings
Report-Level Access Control00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
Mobile Capabilities
Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Product A and Product B
Azure Analysis Services
8.8
8 Ratings
11% above category average
SAP Crystal
8.4
62 Ratings
6% above category average
Responsive Design for Web Access8.58 Ratings8.760 Ratings
Mobile Application9.54 Ratings7.643 Ratings
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile8.56 Ratings9.057 Ratings
Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
Comparison of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding features of Product A and Product B
Azure Analysis Services
8.9
8 Ratings
12% above category average
SAP Crystal
7.0
43 Ratings
12% below category average
REST API8.97 Ratings7.48 Ratings
Javascript API8.77 Ratings6.035 Ratings
iFrames9.06 Ratings7.18 Ratings
Java API8.98 Ratings6.035 Ratings
Themeable User Interface (UI)8.65 Ratings8.337 Ratings
Customizable Platform (Open Source)9.24 Ratings7.031 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Azure Analysis ServicesSAP Crystal
Small Businesses
BrightGauge
BrightGauge
Score 9.0 out of 10
BrightGauge
BrightGauge
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Reveal
Reveal
Score 9.9 out of 10
Reveal
Reveal
Score 9.9 out of 10
Enterprises
Jaspersoft Community Edition
Jaspersoft Community Edition
Score 9.7 out of 10
Jaspersoft Community Edition
Jaspersoft Community Edition
Score 9.7 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Azure Analysis ServicesSAP Crystal
Likelihood to Recommend
9.1
(10 ratings)
10.0
(156 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(19 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
9.4
(28 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.6
(21 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.8
(14 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Azure Analysis ServicesSAP Crystal
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft
We would have many technical issues and glitches with previous similar providers but found that Azure Analysis Services can simply handle our workload and memory better. I remember we lost an account due to cloud issues not fully saving or corrupting some files. Granted, this is rare with any cloud but haven't had that issue with the same load of memory with Azure Analysis Services.
Read full review
SAP
Generation of templated reports is the strong suit of SAP Crystal. Allows users to change formats in templates bases on requirement with minimal effort. Automated report delivery requires the user to be aware of sql which cannot be expected from all users. Should support more document export formats and improve the UI for SAP B1 Users
Read full review
Pros
Microsoft
  • Providing role based access or we can say privilege based on the role to the user if it is integrated with Azure active directory and hence securing the access to sensitive data.
  • We use to run different type of analytics services to get the better result which is hectic if done manually or with human efforts.
  • We also use to collect bulk of data with the help of this tool and run customized test cases for better efficiency of result and better decision making. The result are very crucial and helps in taking big decision.
  • It supports different or we can say heterogeneous database vendors like the Oracle, SQL, and hence make the task easy.
Read full review
SAP
  • Crystal Reports allows us to create a consistent template for all of our reports.
  • Crystal Reports and Server allows us to house a repository for all of our reports to make them easy to find and update when necessary.
  • Crystal Reports can connect to a wide variety of data sources.
  • Crystal Reports can be a little daunting when first implementing. There are a lot of nuances in learning how to truly master this software and it can be frustrating at times.
Read full review
Cons
Microsoft
  • There is very least content available on Microsoft docs and the Internet to get through with AAS.
  • i faced lots of connection issues while implementation.
  • The need for serious platform experience or expertise.
Read full review
SAP
  • The export of reports to Excel is very cumbersome and the results are difficult to format.
  • The design of reports and the graphical features (e.g. charts) feel quite rigid.
  • The learning curve for a non-programmer is incredibly steep, making Crystal a specialty tool.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
SAP
We have been using this product for so many years and it has truly become a cornerstone to our business processes when it comes to developing and distributing information via reports. We currently have over 500 reports developed to date over about 30 systems and that will continue to grow as user needs change.
Read full review
Usability
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
SAP
Crystal is very robust, but not always easy to use. It create wonderful looking reports, and so deserves a high rating. However, I have to take a couple of points off for the simple fact that I cannot hand it to a user and expect them to be able to do development with it.
Read full review
Support Rating
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
SAP
The support community can be difficult to navigate. I've also run into issues with my login. The SAP system has a bizarre mechanism for validating users that requires users to have what is called an S-ID. A basic ID may not give you access to all the features in the portal. The limitation may include not being able to perform a simple task like downloading patches and updates. This isn't a big deal for single user license but for teams it can be a pain.
Read full review
In-Person Training
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
SAP
Trainer was patient and thorough in going through the basics and willing to answer questions by email after the initial training
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Microsoft
No answers on this topic
SAP
Just like any other implementation: When designing the differing reports, get end users' input, make sure to design the reports so that they display the information that the company requires, in the best and clearest way possible.
Test, test, test, revise when needed, and, particularly, do sufficient training so users are comfortable using Crystal Reports!
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Microsoft
The platform has vast number of features and modules. The UI is sleek and once you get to use to it, you will be able to do a lot of stuff. Also support for data sources is more in Azure Analysis Services.
Read full review
SAP
Crystal reports is useful in case we want to import data from data base . We can write queries in it but Google Charts require to be implemented in our application using code so crystal reports is better than Google Charts.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Microsoft
  • Azure Analysis Service scale resources to match our business needs.
  • Helps us to govern, deploy, test and deliver our BI solution with confidence.
  • Stores our business data and clients data in a safe place where it's easy to access and visible to all our teams.
Read full review
SAP
  • It is a decent buy for specific departments in terms of reporting capabilities but updates and cost (frequent) demands are higher with the benefits offered.
  • So long as the requirements are not ever changing, with scheduling functionality, it's a handsome tool.
Read full review
ScreenShots

SAP Crystal Screenshots

Screenshot of Pixel-perfect reporting solutionScreenshot of Refresh with a clickScreenshot of Build pixel-perfect documentsScreenshot of Connect to all data sourcesScreenshot of Use drag and dropScreenshot of Build interactive reports