Clear Analytics vs. Dataloader.io vs. Microsoft BI (MSBI)

Clear Analytics has almost all the features which are mostly required by the organizations for their data analytics and transformation activities. Clear Analytics is built on the support of a parallel query engine which makes it handle large volume requests and also provides optimized results. However, every solution has some limitations, Clear Analytics lacks advanced features such as Predictive Analytics which is a very demanding feature in the market as most organizations are adopting AI/ML automation for their businesses. Also, it needs to add a lot of advanced visualizations so that the user has the choice of selection. Overall a good solution to be recommended.

Incentivized

Replacing data. If we've put something in a category or a bucket that is no longer named that anymore because we've evolved with the times and we want to rebrand everything, it makes it way easier to do a quick import with the new terms.

Incentivized

Microsoft BI has a lot of features and is a very powerful tool, especially if you have folks on your team that know how to utilize all of its capabilities. To truly unlock all that it can do, it does require people to have a deep understanding of its capabilities. That's where the software really shines. If you are looking for a simpler, more basic reporting tool, there are other programs available that do not require such a steep learning curve.

Incentivized

• Quick management of the data through Excel thanks to the tools Clear Analytics provides such as filtering different information for an easier view.
• Ability to add new KPIs to measure different areas of our business.
• Drag and drop tool which makes an easier usage of Excel.
• Cost-effective. I find Clear Analytics to be affordable considering the number of features added and the unlimited sharing and editing it provides.

Incentivized

• Extracting Salesforce attachments in original file format! I do not know of a tool that can do this better, or more efficiently! This is a huge benefit to companies that would like to extract attachments from Salesforce for tasks like data migrations.
• Cross-object data extract within one file. You can pull data from related objects as long as there is a populated lookup from the object you are extracting, to another object (Child or Parent).
• UI is simple and requires very little to no training. Given the acquisition of Mulesoft by Salesforce, I would not be surprised if DataLoader.IO is rolled out as the new global data loading tool for Salesforce.

Incentivized

• Comparatively easy to use compared to other data analytics solutions, collaborating with other colleagues on data work is simple.
• Using Visual Studio for database, ETL, reporting, and analytics development save time and money.
• Transfer of data from one application to another via Excel and comparison of data attributes between applications
• Dashboard functionality, as well as Python support, are available, allowing you to add additional charts and graphs.

Incentivized

• For Charts and Graphs , getting the Power Point Deck would be helpful. As of now we use the data from Excel Reports

Incentivized

• At the moment, I can't find a way to rename jobs. This would be useful to organize what was previously created hastily by techs in a rush.
• A preview of the job, especially upserts, would take a great deal of stress away from some of us (especially those who are not so confident in their ETL practice).
• A native vlookup equivalent may be a welcome addition.

• MSBI designs can work on increasing data processing capabilities enough to handle the huge datasets etc.
• It would be a lot better if it is a little low on cost.
• it needs to create opportunities little more than they do regarding customization of some very unique visualization effects

It is easy to use and doesn't require a security token, so I enjoy using it. It also doesn't require any download or installation, which is sometimes a blocker to gettingthings done if the company has limits. also, the dataloader.io is easy for other people to pick up, so others can have visibility into the data jobs that have occurred

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.

I have really enjoyed working with Clear Analytics. This platform has contributed to increased production and reliable data control processes. It has flexible user interface that can be operated by any organization member. Reports are shared on simple and transparent way in the dashboard for easy access. Data analytics from all departments have created manageable working environment that have increased production.

Incentivized

Dataloader definitely skews towards a more technical userbase. Users should be adept at manipulating data in spreadsheets and decipher JSON formatted error messaging. Additionally, there is a good amount of time need to set up the environment to map to the pertinent fields we are trying to adjust. While I would not recommend the typical account manager to use Dataloader, a typical operations manager should have no issue.

Incentivized

The Microsoft BI tools have great usability for both developers and end users alike. For developers familiar with Visual Studio, there is little learning curve. For those not, the single Visual Studio IDE means not having to learn separate tools for each component. For end-users, the web interface for SSRS is simple to navigate with intuitive controls. For ad-hoc analysis, Excel can connect directly to SSAS and provide a pivot table like experience which is familiar to many users. For database development, there is beginning to be some confusion, as there are now three tool choices (VS, SSMS, Azure Data Studio) for developers. I would like to see Azure Data Studio become the superset of SSMS and eventually supplant it.

Incentivized

The product has been reliable.

Dataloader is made for updating, inserting, and deleting of contacts. For these operations this tool is excellent.

Incentivized

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.

I have had multiple scenarios where I had to reach out to the support team of Clear Analytics, be it access-related, general queries, during initial implementation, etc. My overall experience has always been good. I got the needed support every time without any delay. I can definitely recommend Clear Analytics simply on the basis of its excellent support team.

Incentivized

The utility itself is very self-explanatory and has enough information to guide you through the process. It has an intuitive experience for those familiar with data loading/exporting utilities. Outside of this, they have a Zendesk help center to log support requests and provide documentation to help guide you troubleshoot any issues that may be occurring.

Incentivized

MSBI natively has a site that allows you to vote on user enhancements and bug fixes. This allows the largest nagging issues to float to the top and the development team can prioritize accordingly. As mentioned earlier, the large community base of MSBI developers assist technical resources in handling technical questions.

Incentivized

This training was more directed toward what the product was capable of rather than actual programming.

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.

We are a consulting firm and as such our best resources are always billing on client projects. Our internal implementation has weaknesses, but that's true for any company like ours. My rating is based on the product's ease of implementation.

There are other great tools that are out there but Clear Analytics is reasonable for our business and provides a lot of features that we specifically needed

Incentivized

I have used salesforce inspector also for operations like import and export of data from custom objects but it doesn't work well when you have data in huge numbers. Instead of using Salesforce Inspector, one should go for Dataloader.io if the number of records is huge to be dealt with.

Incentivized

We have used the built in ConnectWise Manager reports and custom reports. The reports provide static data. PowerBI shows us live data we can drill down into and easily adjust parameters. It's much more useful than a static PDF report.

Incentivized

• Super useful to get started immediately
• Didn't have to rely on migrating data
• Easy to add members
• Easy to learn and build charts

Incentivized

• HUGE time saving. When we need to clean or review data, we used to have to do it line by line. This can do the work within excel and make cleanup/management an afternoons work as opposed to a week.
• Rollback what you did/change/deleted is relatively simple if you remember to back up the data you are manipulating.

Incentivized

• As a SaaS provider we see being able to provide self-service BI to our client users as a competitive advantage. In fact the MSSQL enabled BI is a contributing factor to many winning RFPs we have done for prospective client organisations.
• However MSSQL BI requires extensive knowledge and skills to design and develop data warehouses & data models as a foundation to support business analysts and users to interrogate data effectively and efficiently. Often times we find having strong in-house MSSQL expertise is a bless.

Incentivized