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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Microsoft Power BI

    Score8.5 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Power BI is a visualization and data discovery tool from Microsoft. It allows users to convert data into visuals and graphics, visually explore and analyze data, collaborate on interactive dashboards and reports, and scale across their organization with built-in governance and security.

    $168

    per year per user

    Power Apps

    Score8.1 out of 10
    N/APowerApps is a low code / rapid application development product from Microsoft that allows users to quickly build apps.

    $20

    per month per user

    Pricing
    Microsoft Power BIPower Apps
    Editions & Modules
    Power BI Pro
    $14
    per month (billed annually) per user
    Power BI Premium
    $24
    per month (billed annually) per user
    Power Apps Premium
    $20
    per month per user
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft Power BIPower Apps
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsPower BI Desktop is the data exploration and report authoring experience for Power BI, and is available as a free download.—
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft Power BIPower Apps
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    Chose Microsoft Power BI
    All others apps are enablers and Microsoft Power BI is the visual that end user sees which often adds more value to the end user to make strategic decisions from this. All are equally great but Microsoft Power BI is the end result
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Power BI
    Microsoft Power BI is more flexible and it requires less effort in order to create a working environment. The results have an attractive and customizable display. The model is a star schema therefore it do not require specific database adaptation. Excel and csv files could be …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Power BI
    Microsoft Power BI is more flexible and can also handle more complex reporting scenarios. While Microsoft Excel is a great tool for analyzing data building visuals is not what it is made for. It is complicated to create Excel reports that will be interactive as a use wants to …
    Incentivized
    Microsoft
    Chose Power Apps
    I rarely used Power BI as a stnd-alone dashboarding environment. However, I have to admit that it's a different purpose tool. I'd rather user Power BI layer as an addition to the low-code application and integrate it in the Power Apps. The latter does not seem to be as …
    Incentivized
    Chose Power Apps
    I'm not sure if you can say D365 CRM is an alternative to PowerApps, because basically all the customization of using D365 CRM, or what used to be called XRM, is now called a model-driven PowerApp. Likewise, SharePoint has become intimately connected to canvas PowerApps. Both …
    Incentivized
    Chose Power Apps
    Although Zoho allowed for some unique customization abilities including html styling and simple scripting language. In the end it came down to the Office 365 and choice of many other connections that lead me to choose PowerApps.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    96%
    Would buy again
    110 Answers
    100%
    Would buy again
    21 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    103 Answers
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    18 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    112 Answers
    90%
    Happy with the feature set
    19 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    99%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    69 Answers
    81%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    13 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    95%
    Implementation went as expected
    73 Answers
    84%
    Implementation went as expected
    16 Answers
    Features
    Microsoft Power BIPower Apps
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Microsoft Power BI and Power Apps
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    8.1
    198 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Power Apps
    -
    Ratings
    Pixel Perfect reports8.1169 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards8.6197 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates7.7180 Ratings00 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Microsoft Power BI and Power Apps
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.9
    196 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Power Apps
    -
    Ratings
    Drill-down analysis8.4193 Ratings00 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities7.7193 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integration with R or other statistical packages7.4143 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration8.2191 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Microsoft Power BI and Power Apps
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.9
    189 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Power Apps
    -
    Ratings
    Publish to Web8.1179 Ratings00 Ratings
    Publish to PDF7.7174 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Versioning7.7145 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling8.3148 Ratings00 Ratings
    Delivery to Remote Servers7.9111 Ratings00 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Microsoft Power BI and Power Apps
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.7
    189 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Power Apps
    -
    Ratings
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)8.3183 Ratings00 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization8.1168 Ratings00 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics7.2138 Ratings00 Ratings
    Pattern Recognition and Data Mining7.339 Ratings00 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Microsoft Power BI and Power Apps
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    8.3
    180 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Power Apps
    -
    Ratings
    Multi-User Support (named login)8.6169 Ratings00 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model8.1148 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)8.1160 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report-Level Access Control8.149 Ratings00 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)8.5141 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Microsoft Power BI and Power Apps
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.9
    162 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Power Apps
    -
    Ratings
    Responsive Design for Web Access7.6152 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile Application7.5133 Ratings00 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile7.8155 Ratings00 Ratings
    Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
    Comparison of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding features of Microsoft Power BI and Power Apps
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.6
    116 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Power Apps
    -
    Ratings
    REST API7.7104 Ratings00 Ratings
    Javascript API7.485 Ratings00 Ratings
    iFrames8.055 Ratings00 Ratings
    Java API6.769 Ratings00 Ratings
    Themeable User Interface (UI)7.391 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customizable Platform (Open Source)8.444 Ratings00 Ratings
    Low-Code Development
    Comparison of Low-Code Development features of Microsoft Power BI and Power Apps
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    -
    Ratings
    Power Apps
    7.8
    24 Ratings
    7% below category average
    Visual Modeling00 Ratings7.722 Ratings
    Drag-and-drop Interfaces00 Ratings7.423 Ratings
    Platform Security00 Ratings8.523 Ratings
    Platform User Management00 Ratings7.923 Ratings
    Reusability00 Ratings7.423 Ratings
    Platform Scalability00 Ratings7.622 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Microsoft Power BIPower Apps
    Small Businesses
    Cyfe
    Score4 out of 10
    Zoho Creator
    Score7.7 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Qlik Cloud Analytics (Qlik Sense)
    Score8.1 out of 10
    AppSheet
    Score8.2 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Sisense
    Score6.9 out of 10
    Oracle APEX
    Score9.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Microsoft Power BIPower Apps
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.6
    (199 ratings)
    8.2
    (26 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.6
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    8.3
    (115 ratings)
    7.9
    (7 ratings)
    Support Rating
    10.0
    (52 ratings)
    9.7
    (6 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Data Sharing and Collaboration
    8.5
    (82 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Data Sources
    9.0
    (81 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft Power BIPower Apps
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Microsoft
    Has significantly improved collation of data and visualisation especially with business across Europe. Has given me the ability to see the Site availability at the click of a button to see which Site is in the "money" and seize opportunities based on Market data
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Power Apps is ideal for scenarios that are neither too complex nor too large. It is easy to begin development in Power Apps, as it is one of the best tools for low-code development. Power Apps can be implemented for complex scenarios as well, provided there is strong knowledge of the tool and ample time for planning. Our applications benefit from Power Apps' cross-platform support, making it easy to use on any device, including desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Microsoft
    • Options for data source connections are immense. Not just which sources, but your options for *how* the data is brought in.
    • Constant updates (this is both good and bad at times).
    • User friendliness. I can get the data connections set up and draft some quick visuals, then release to the target audience and let them expand on it how they want to.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Power Apps has formats that are pre-built that don't require any coding which makes it easier to achieve your vision. This does become a challenge if your App needs don't fit into that format.
    • We deal with a ton of data so the fact that you can connect to any data source in addition to their pre-stablished data connections makes the process a breeze.
    • The online learning resources and tutorials are helpful as well for those who are tech savvy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Microsoft
    • It would be easier for users could Microsoft Power BI and Excel used the same programming languages.
    • Would like to see the online version of Microsoft Power BI be as powerful as the desktop version.
    • Publishing a Microsoft Power BI file online and then having to save the file is somewhat redundant.
    • Would like to export each page or chart as an image.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Sometimes the cost of solutions is greater than the benefit. Licensing is expensive relative to the scope of some business user-created personal or team-level solutions.
    • While there is a starter-kit for Governance, it is complicated to stand up and requires dedicated resources to provide on-going governance operations. Many organizations are not going to be able to dedicate resources to governance and this causes the sprawl, solution duplication, silos, unneeded and unplanned licensing expenses, and a general "wild wild west" environment.
    • There needs to be better direction and best practices given around Power Platform Environment utilization and optimization.
    • The accessibility to the platform and ease for business partners to independantly create solutions is both a benefit and a negative. When the business outcome needed is a good fit for PowerApps it is a quick win, but when not a good fit it becomes a frustration for the business partner attempting to make the platform do something it is not well-suited for. The business partner entangles tech teams in the effort which drains resources and provides a lack-luster solution. All of this to say, it would be beneficial to have some tools that business partners could leverage to determine\understand if the type of business outcome they need is well suited to PowerApps or not.
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Power BI is an excellent and scalable tool. It has a learning curve, but once you get past that, the sky is the limit and you can build from the most simple to the most complex dashboards. I have built everything from simple reports with only a few data points to complex reports with many pages and advanced filtering.
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Microsoft
    Automating reporting has reduced manual data processing by 50-70%, freeing up analysts for higher-value tasks. A finance team that previously spent 20+ hours per week on Excel-based reports now does it in minutes with Microsoft Power BI's automated Real-time dashboards have shortened decision cycles by 30-40%, enabling leadership to react quickly to sales trends, operational bottlenecks, and customer behavior.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    PowerApps is a great solution and I have spent the last year familiarizing myself with the platform and building custom applications to complete a whole range of tasks such as asset management, custom invoice generation, and item restriction tracking. We as a company have barely begun to scratch the surface of what can be achieved with PowerApps.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Microsoft
    It is a fantastic tool, you can do almost everything related with data and reports, it is a perfect substitutive of Power Point and Excel with a high evolution and flexibility, and also it is very friendly and easy to share. I think all companies should have Power BI (or other BI tool) in their software package and if they are in the MS Suite, for sure Power BI should be the one due to all the benefits of the MS ecosystem.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    The community forums are extremely responsive to questions asked, there is a good body of online documentation and many community posts to draw from. Although the platform has changed, which means some of the posts are out of date and the solutions provided aren't relevant. Of relevance, I read over 400 articles plus documentation to get this first app built in SharePoint, move it to SQL and make it work exactly the way it should.
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Microsoft
    It was integrated with our erp easily and was accessible on cloud.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Power BI is free. If I didn't want to create a custom platform (i.e. my organization insisted on an existing platform that I *had* to use), I'd use Microsoft Power BI. For any start-up or SMB, I'd just use Claude & Grok to build it quickly, also for free. Would not pay for Tableau or Sigma anymore. Not worth it at all.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    1. PowerApps functionality comes with E1 over E3 License without adding extra costs 2. For Nintex you pay (at the beginning) for each workflow, so my intention would be, to do no workflows to prevent additional costs, but I want a platform with a fair price that allows me to create workflows without thinking about the price for each workflow and we use only some workflow and relative easy workflows and forms as a medium-sized company. 3. PowerApps provides a lot of functionality without needing to invest in premium features directly.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Microsoft
    • Power BI usage reduced the effort of analytical reports creation by about 80%
    • Empowered all the level of employee to be more vigilant of the data and business insights, gained the profit of 8% overall.
    • AI-powered predictive analytics improved forecasting accuracy by 17%, that topped the overall sales.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Automation of manual processes brings an ROI on labor costs.
    • Intake of data provides clean database design.
    • Connectivity to data-lake provides insights and trends into the data.
    • Able to scale operations with efficiencies provided by the app.
    • Can mature the process and workflows to do more.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Microsoft Power BI Screenshots

    Screenshot of Microsoft Power BI - Turns insights into impact for business usersScreenshot of Power BI integrates easily with Microsoft 365Screenshot of Microsoft Power BI - AI-Powered CapabilitiesScreenshot of Microsoft Power BI - Copilot can be used to create reportsScreenshot of Microsoft Power BI - Data HubScreenshot of Microsoft Power BI - Scales as organizational needs grow