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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    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

    Zoho Analytics

    Score8.4 out of 10
    Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
    Zoho Analytics is a self-service BI and analytics platform that uncovers patterns, spots emerging trends, tracks business metrics, and detects anomalies. Designed for ease of use, it enables business users to create reports and dashboards independently, without relying on IT.

    $60

    per month 5 users

    Pricing
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)Zoho Analytics
    Editions & Modules
    Power BI Pro
    $14
    per month per user
    Power BI Premium
    $24
    per month per user
    Standard
    $60
    per month Starts at 5 Users
    Premium
    $145
    per month Starts at 15 Users
    Enterprise
    $575
    per month Starts at 50 Users
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)Zoho Analytics
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details—There is a 20% discount for all plans if subscribed yearly. Customers can buy add-on rows and users, in addition to the plans listed above.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)Zoho Analytics
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    Chose Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    Specific data displays are some of the strongest aspects of Microsoft BI when compared to alternate programs. It also does a superior job in compatibility with many programs, especially those from Microsoft. Since my company primarily uses Office 365 and other Microsoft …
    Incentivized
    Zoho
    Chose Zoho Analytics
    The integration functionality was so much slicker with Zoho Analytics. They've made it easy to reach out to 3rd party apps as well as other Zoho apps to bring the data all into one place.
    Incentivized
    Chose Zoho Analytics
    I looked at MS Power BI, Tableau, and Google Data Studio. I am also a user of other reporting and analytic tools, primarily Microsoft technologies. Google Data Studio was just counter-intuitive to use, I didn't get very far with it, and Zoho had a lower barrier to entry for …
    Incentivized
    Chose Zoho Analytics
    Price is a win for the service you get. It escalates and integrates well with other solutions. Support is a plus.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    100%
    Would buy again
    15 Answers
    95%
    Would buy again
    78 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    15 Answers
    96%
    Delivers good value for the price
    71 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    15 Answers
    96%
    Happy with the feature set
    79 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    13 Answers
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    70 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    100%
    Implementation went as expected
    11 Answers
    95%
    Implementation went as expected
    72 Answers
    Features
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)Zoho Analytics
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Microsoft BI (MSBI) and Zoho Analytics
    Feature
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    9.0
    53 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Zoho Analytics
    8.6
    135 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Pixel Perfect reports8.546 Ratings8.8106 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards9.653 Ratings8.5135 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates8.951 Ratings00 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Microsoft BI (MSBI) and Zoho Analytics
    Feature
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.5
    53 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Zoho Analytics
    8.1
    137 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Drill-down analysis8.548 Ratings8.0131 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities8.253 Ratings7.6136 Ratings
    Integration with R or other statistical packages8.342 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration8.953 Ratings8.6137 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Microsoft BI (MSBI) and Zoho Analytics
    Feature
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.5
    52 Ratings
    3% above category average
    Zoho Analytics
    8.4
    129 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Publish to Web9.348 Ratings8.2108 Ratings
    Publish to PDF9.148 Ratings8.6127 Ratings
    Report Versioning7.444 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling8.547 Ratings8.4112 Ratings
    Delivery to Remote Servers8.426 Ratings00 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Microsoft BI (MSBI) and Zoho Analytics
    Feature
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.7
    52 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Zoho Analytics
    8.0
    84 Ratings
    0% above category average
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)9.651 Ratings8.280 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization8.748 Ratings8.572 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics7.845 Ratings7.566 Ratings
    Pattern Recognition and Data Mining8.76 Ratings00 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Microsoft BI (MSBI) and Zoho Analytics
    Feature
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    9.3
    53 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Zoho Analytics
    8.5
    129 Ratings
    0% above category average
    Multi-User Support (named login)9.449 Ratings8.6127 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model9.347 Ratings8.972 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)8.949 Ratings8.5122 Ratings
    Report-Level Access Control9.36 Ratings8.030 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)9.431 Ratings8.574 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Microsoft BI (MSBI) and Zoho Analytics
    Feature
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.0
    42 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Zoho Analytics
    6.4
    97 Ratings
    19% below category average
    Responsive Design for Web Access8.239 Ratings7.371 Ratings
    Mobile Application8.030 Ratings4.373 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile7.839 Ratings5.986 Ratings
    Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
    Comparison of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding features of Microsoft BI (MSBI) and Zoho Analytics
    Feature
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)
    8.5
    24 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Zoho Analytics
    8.3
    65 Ratings
    7% above category average
    REST API9.221 Ratings8.161 Ratings
    Javascript API8.821 Ratings00 Ratings
    iFrames8.820 Ratings8.553 Ratings
    Java API8.718 Ratings00 Ratings
    Themeable User Interface (UI)8.021 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customizable Platform (Open Source)7.319 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)Zoho Analytics
    Small Businesses
    Cyfe
    Score4 out of 10
    Cyfe
    Score4 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Qlik Cloud Analytics (Qlik Sense)
    Score8.1 out of 10
    Qlik Cloud Analytics (Qlik Sense)
    Score8.1 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
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)Zoho Analytics
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.9
    (77 ratings)
    7.2
    (139 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.0
    (25 ratings)
    8.9
    (9 ratings)
    Usability
    8.9
    (19 ratings)
    7.8
    (83 ratings)
    Availability
    9.5
    (2 ratings)
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    7.0
    (2 ratings)
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    Support Rating
    8.9
    (15 ratings)
    5.4
    (18 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    6.9
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    8.5
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.6
    (7 ratings)
    5.5
    (3 ratings)
    Configurability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Data Sharing and Collaboration
    8.5
    (42 ratings)
    7.7
    (51 ratings)
    Data Sources
    8.4
    (41 ratings)
    8.8
    (51 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.2
    (71 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.2
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft BI (MSBI)Zoho Analytics
    Likelihood to Recommend
    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
    Zoho
    Zoho Analytics is the best way to consume data created by Zoho products . It's robust and quick build formula libraries and auto generated reports. A data source can be integrated and be ready for consumption within minutes. This gives a well developed baseline for organizing to develop advance analytics. It's mobile dashboards are very intuitive and useful for leaders who are on the move.
    Read full review
    Pros
    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
    Zoho
    • Zoho Analytics’ predictive analytics capabilities can help forecast future trends, allowing for proactive planning and risk management.
    • Performance Monitoring: We can track key performance indicators (KPIs) across departments, such as sales, marketing, finance, and HR. This aids in identifying bottlenecks and areas for improvement.
    • Decision making regarding resource allocation.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    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
    Zoho
    • I'm guessing it's out there somewhere but I really could have used a 'quick start guide' or guided start.
    • Once I figured it out, it makes sense how to make sure the right data is provided in order to make dashboards quite flexible--- but without examples, I found it quite a challenge
    • The initial organization of Analytics is NOT intuitive. Once in context, the organizational features make sense, but (at least initially) it would have been most useful if the organization of Analytics reports in Zoho Analytics had saved me a lot of time.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    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
    Zoho
    I'd give this an 11 if I could! As our business moves forward we hope to use Zoho Analytics more then we do now. Creating better reports and dashboards for our management team to evaluate the health of our business and to provide more insightful reports for our customers. The possibilities are endless with this tool
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    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
    Read full review
    Zoho
    For an end user, Zoho Analytics is pretty easy to use and very easy to access the dashboard. Linking data from multiple sources is very convenient. Multiple people can work on preparing and publishing the dashboards simultaneously, which helps delegate tasks.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Microsoft
    The product has been reliable.
    Read full review
    Zoho
    ZOHO is a very reliable company/product. We never had any issues with downtime or inaccessibility to our data. Any type of maintenance that they had to perform was clearly communicated and never an issue. We use a lot of external hooks and we've never had any issues with getting ZOHO to communicate with any of those hooks.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    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
    Zoho
    ZOHO has obviously invested a lot of time effort and money in to creating a reliable infrastructure with high availability. We've never had any issues with performance and all of our data crunching small to large has always been well within reason. We have come to appreciate the performance of ZOHO and will continue to use it for all of our data needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    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
    Zoho
    The support team is honestly not that great. At times, it seems as if members of our own team know more about the product than the support team. They must not have a lot of training or the turnaround is quick
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Microsoft
    This training was more directed toward what the product was capable of rather than actual programming.
    Read full review
    Zoho
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    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
    Zoho
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    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
    Zoho
    If your external data sources are previously organized and correlated (e.g.: in your datawarehouse or database) your implementation will be easier. Of cource some not previously predicted correlation would be necessary to be done during the implementation, but if your organization let it to be all done into Zoho Analytics, it will take more time from your team.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    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
    Zoho
    Zoho Analytics has the best UI and user friendly to create reports and dashboard along with features like Zia Assistance that guide in creating reports and dashboard and also help in the forecasting of the data based on the past records.
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Zoho
    As far as I know, Zoho Analytics has been able to fulfill every need we've had for it. Our reports have gotten better and more detailed with pretty much every new issue of our magazine. It just keeps getting better, and we keep feeding it more data to digest and present to us.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    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
    Read full review
    Zoho
    • Analytics has been the foundation of my role. I manage 2000 accounts myself, so I need analytics to help me know whom to serve first.
    • Analytics provides a lot of visualization options that I need to serve my customers.
    • Analytics has excellent options for accountability with our training team to know where each account is in their customer journey.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Zoho Analytics Screenshots

    Screenshot of some of the available 500+ native integrations that unify data across a business for a holistic analysisScreenshot of the visual data pipeline builder used to create data flows with data stagesScreenshot of where to turn questions into insights with Ask Zia.Screenshot of an example of the actionable insights, powered by Zia insights's key driver analysis.Screenshot of Get instant, at-a-glance insights with dynamic dashboards.Screenshot of the interface to build and deploy ML models with the no-code AutoML platform