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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Clear Analytics

    Score8.8 out of 10
    Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
    Clear Analytics is a business intelligence solution that enables non technical end users to perform analytics by leveraging existing knowledge of Excel coupled with a built in query builder. Some key features include: Dynamic Data Refresh, Data Share and In-Excel Collaboration.

    $29

    Per Seat per Month

    Microsoft BI (MSBI)

    Score8.5 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft BI is a business intelligence product used for data analysis and generating reports on server-based data. It features unlimited data analysis capacity with its reporting engine, SQL Server Reporting Services alongside ETL, master data management, and data cleansing.

    $14

    per month per user

    Pricing
    Clear AnalyticsMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    Editions & Modules
    Personal
    $29
    Per Seat per Month
    Team
    $165
    upto 10 Seat per Month
    Department
    $265
    upto 25 Seat per month
    Organization
    $565
    Upto 100 per seat per month
    Power BI Pro
    $14
    per month per user
    Power BI Premium
    $24
    per month per user
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Clear AnalyticsMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup Fee$800 Initial OnBoardingNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsCertain Enterprise level features can be made available to Small Business edition at additional cost. Such services include Scheduler and OLAP connectivity. Custom adapters can also be created to connect to SaaS services.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Clear AnalyticsMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    Considered Both Products
    Clear Analytics
    No answer on this topic
    Microsoft
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    8 Answers
    100%
    Would buy again
    15 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    8 Answers
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    15 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    8 Answers
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    15 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    7 Answers
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    13 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    8 Answers
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    11 Answers
    Features
    Clear AnalyticsMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Clear Analytics and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    Clear Analytics
    9.0
    8 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    9.0
    53 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Pixel Perfect reports9.08 Ratings8.546 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards9.18 Ratings9.653 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates8.78 Ratings8.951 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Clear Analytics and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    Clear Analytics
    8.9
    8 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.5
    53 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Drill-down analysis9.28 Ratings8.548 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities8.78 Ratings8.253 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration8.98 Ratings8.953 Ratings
    Integration with R or other statistical packages00 Ratings8.342 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Clear Analytics and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    Clear Analytics
    9.0
    8 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.6
    52 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Publish to Web9.08 Ratings9.348 Ratings
    Publish to PDF9.17 Ratings9.148 Ratings
    Report Versioning8.98 Ratings7.444 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling8.87 Ratings8.547 Ratings
    Delivery to Remote Servers00 Ratings8.426 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Clear Analytics and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    Clear Analytics
    9.0
    8 Ratings
    12% above category average
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.7
    52 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)8.98 Ratings9.651 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization9.18 Ratings8.748 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics00 Ratings7.845 Ratings
    Pattern Recognition and Data Mining00 Ratings8.76 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Clear Analytics and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    Clear Analytics
    9.3
    8 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    9.3
    53 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Multi-User Support (named login)9.48 Ratings9.449 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model9.08 Ratings9.347 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)9.48 Ratings8.949 Ratings
    Report-Level Access Control00 Ratings9.36 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)00 Ratings9.431 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Clear Analytics and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    Clear Analytics
    8.6
    6 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.0
    42 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Mobile Application8.54 Ratings8.030 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile8.76 Ratings7.839 Ratings
    Responsive Design for Web Access00 Ratings8.239 Ratings
    Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
    Comparison of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding features of Clear Analytics and Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Feature
    Clear Analytics
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.5
    24 Ratings
    9% above category average
    REST API00 Ratings9.221 Ratings
    Javascript API00 Ratings8.821 Ratings
    iFrames00 Ratings8.820 Ratings
    Java API00 Ratings8.718 Ratings
    Themeable User Interface (UI)00 Ratings8.021 Ratings
    Customizable Platform (Open Source)00 Ratings7.319 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Clear AnalyticsMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    Small Businesses
    Cyfe
    Score4 out of 10
    Cyfe
    Score4 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Qlik Cloud Analytics (Qlik Sense)
    Score8.2 out of 10
    Qlik Cloud Analytics (Qlik Sense)
    Score8.2 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Jaspersoft Community Edition
    Score7 out of 10
    Jaspersoft Community Edition
    Score7 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Clear AnalyticsMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (8 ratings)
    8.9
    (77 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (25 ratings)
    Usability
    9.1
    (8 ratings)
    8.9
    (19 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.5
    (2 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (2 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.5
    (8 ratings)
    8.9
    (15 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.9
    (3 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.5
    (2 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.6
    (7 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Data Sharing and Collaboration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.5
    (42 ratings)
    Data Sources
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.4
    (41 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Clear AnalyticsMicrosoft BI (MSBI)
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Clear Analytics
    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
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    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
    Read full review
    Pros
    Clear Analytics
    • 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
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • 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
    Read full review
    Cons
    Clear Analytics
    • For Charts and Graphs , getting the Power Point Deck would be helpful. As of now we use the data from Excel Reports
    Incentivized
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    Microsoft
    • 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
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Clear Analytics
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    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.
    Read full review
    Usability
    Clear Analytics
    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
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    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
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    Reliability and Availability
    Clear Analytics
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    The product has been reliable.
    Read full review
    Performance
    Clear Analytics
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    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.
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Clear Analytics
    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
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    Microsoft
    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
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Clear Analytics
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    This training was more directed toward what the product was capable of rather than actual programming.
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Clear Analytics
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    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.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Clear Analytics
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    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.
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Clear Analytics
    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
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    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
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Clear Analytics
    • 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
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • 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
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    ScreenShots

    Clear Analytics Screenshots

    Screenshot of Clear Analytics integrated Excel panel essentially transforms standalone Excel into an enterprise strength, fully auditable, collaborative and centralized business intelligence platform.Screenshot of Users have the ability to dynamically query systems and render that data in any way they like.  No more waiting on IT to create reports.Screenshot of Your firms existing knowledge of Excel enables the firm to be product from day 1. Use the skills already present in your organization and don't pay for outside reporting consultants to create reports for you.Screenshot of Leverage the integration capability of Microsoft's Power BI to extend the reach of your data to web and mobile devices.Screenshot of Leverage all of Excels capabilities, from it's slicers to miniature spark-line charts to create incredibly informative and responsive dashboards.