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Microsoft Power BI vs. SAP Analytics Cloud vs. SAS Intelligent Performance Management

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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

    SAP Analytics Cloud

    Score8.1 out of 10
    N/AThe SAP Analytics Cloud solution brings together analytics and planning with integration to SAP applications and access to heterogenous data sources. As the analytics and planning solution within SAP Business Technology Platform, SAP Analytics Cloud supports trusted insights and integrated planning processes enterprise-wide to help make decisions without doubt.

    $36

    per month per user

    SAS Intelligent Performance Management

    Score10 out of 10
    N/ASAS Intelligent Performance Management (formerly SAS Financial Management) provides predictive capabilities which allow customers to estimate the likelihood of meeting specific forecasts and estimations integration and cleansing of all financial data, budgeting, forecasting, scorecarding, simulation, and risk management.N/A
    Pricing
    Microsoft Power BISAP Analytics CloudSAS Intelligent Performance Management
    Editions & Modules
    Power BI Pro
    $14
    per month (billed annually) per user
    Power BI Premium
    $24
    per month (billed annually) per user
    SAP Analytics Cloud for Business Intelligence
    $36.00
    per month per user
    SAP Analytics Cloud for Planning
    Price upon request
    per month per user
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft Power BISAP Analytics CloudSAS Intelligent Performance Management
    Free Trial
    YesYesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesNoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo 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.A 30-day trial with SAP Analytics Cloud is available, supporting analytics enterprise-wide. A trial can be extended up to 90 days on request.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft Power BISAP Analytics CloudSAS Intelligent Performance Management
    Considered Multiple Products
    Microsoft
    Chose Microsoft Power BI
    Microsoft BI tool does a better job than most of the other software. The reason is excellent visualizations and its capability to connect with various other software and data sources. Tableau does a better job when it comes to tutorials and being more user-friendly. Also …
    Incentivized
    SAP
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    Integrated model with SAP.
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    SAP Analytics Cloud is a planning and business intelligence tool.
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    In our organization, we chose SAP Analytics Cloud because, in our experience, SAP Analytics Cloud has more power
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    I have not had enough direct experience with the other products to offer a fair or informed comparison.
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    Like i mentioned earlier, SAP Analytics Cloud is the tool where SAP brought everything together at the right time starting with AI and planning capabilities. With evaluation of different tools for dashboard, this is where SAP made the right decision and this is the tool that is …
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    I would rate Tableau as number one choice due to intuitive, drag and drop and advanced visualizations. We can build highly customizable reports. Whereas SAP Analytics Cloud(SAC) got less customizable reports but excellent with SAP systems, strong in planning and budgeting tools.
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    It is product of SAP right and it has live connection and it is easy for integration with other SAP products
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    we have to explicitly publish our data in the form of odata service from SAP system, this require a good amount of work for API development and requirement of SAP Developer skill set. With SAP Analytics Cloud (SAC) this is not needed and the adoption of SAC becomes very easy
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    Integration with SAP is the key feature to go for SAC with perks of SAP IQ etc offered from SAP. Usability is quite eased in SAC - makes it easy for users to use and develop their own dashboarding. Cloud is one more feature which enables to the cloud world from SAP and probable …
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    Anaplan is a tool for planning, but with very less reporting options. Integration of Anaplan with SAP source is always a problem and has very less connection possibilities. Even though Anaplan provides very powerful planning features, we have to use multiple tools in the …
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    SAP Analytics Cloud has high compatibility with SAP Systems majorly S4 so the development time that is required is less compared to other tools.
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    All three above examples are market leaders, being an sap consultant and as SAP Analytics Cloud is having tight integration with sap and offers fairly all the important features i use it.
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    Since we have S4/Hana cloud so accessing data from backend system is seamlessly done in SAP Analytics Cloud with the help of SAP Analytics Cloud cloud connector. We have BI/BW system. Data is loaded into this systems and fetch on SAP Analytics Cloud.
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    Integrated business Planning
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    Better for live reporting. Not as easy to use
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    Already mentioned
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    Power BI cannot use the live data like SAC, nor is it as intuative
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    We chose SAP Analytics Cloud because, in our experience, SAP Analytics Cloud is Easy to simple report , End User Flexibility.
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    Power BI had several mismatched hierarchies in our pilot.
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    Because the connectivity is natural and is easy to work and develop everything behind the same brand. Also is easy to have all the data under control on this software and easily consume in SAP Analytics Cloud Review. As I said, great advantage of using sap that means all are …
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    We chose SAP Analytics Cloud because, in our opinion, it has the Best integration with SAP
    Incentivized
    Chose SAP Analytics Cloud
    Same functionality, better fit to overall system architecture
    Incentivized
    SAS
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    96%
    Would buy again
    110 Answers
    94%
    Would buy again
    313 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    103 Answers
    96%
    Delivers good value for the price
    266 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    112 Answers
    90%
    Happy with the feature set
    300 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    99%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    69 Answers
    85%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    178 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    95%
    Implementation went as expected
    73 Answers
    85%
    Implementation went as expected
    221 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    Microsoft Power BISAP Analytics CloudSAS Intelligent Performance Management
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Microsoft Power BI and SAP Analytics Cloud and SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    8.1
    198 Ratings
    1% below category average
    SAP Analytics Cloud
    7.6
    357 Ratings
    7% below category average
    SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    -
    Ratings
    Pixel Perfect reports8.1169 Ratings7.4302 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards8.6197 Ratings7.9345 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates7.7180 Ratings7.4319 Ratings00 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Microsoft Power BI and SAP Analytics Cloud and SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.9
    196 Ratings
    1% below category average
    SAP Analytics Cloud
    7.5
    358 Ratings
    6% below category average
    SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    -
    Ratings
    Drill-down analysis8.4193 Ratings7.9348 Ratings00 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities7.7193 Ratings7.3345 Ratings00 Ratings
    Integration with R or other statistical packages7.4143 Ratings6.9256 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration8.2191 Ratings8.1334 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Microsoft Power BI and SAP Analytics Cloud and SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.9
    189 Ratings
    4% below category average
    SAP Analytics Cloud
    7.4
    339 Ratings
    10% below category average
    SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    -
    Ratings
    Publish to Web8.1179 Ratings7.7290 Ratings00 Ratings
    Publish to PDF7.7174 Ratings7.8321 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Versioning7.7145 Ratings7.5282 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling8.3148 Ratings7.5278 Ratings00 Ratings
    Delivery to Remote Servers7.9111 Ratings6.758 Ratings00 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Microsoft Power BI and SAP Analytics Cloud and SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.7
    189 Ratings
    4% below category average
    SAP Analytics Cloud
    7.4
    343 Ratings
    8% below category average
    SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    -
    Ratings
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)8.3183 Ratings7.8325 Ratings00 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization8.1168 Ratings7.5312 Ratings00 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics7.2138 Ratings7.2312 Ratings00 Ratings
    Pattern Recognition and Data Mining7.339 Ratings7.099 Ratings00 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Microsoft Power BI and SAP Analytics Cloud and SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    8.3
    180 Ratings
    2% below category average
    SAP Analytics Cloud
    8.2
    349 Ratings
    3% below category average
    SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    -
    Ratings
    Multi-User Support (named login)8.6169 Ratings8.2323 Ratings00 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model8.1148 Ratings8.0331 Ratings00 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)8.1160 Ratings8.1324 Ratings00 Ratings
    Report-Level Access Control8.149 Ratings8.2134 Ratings00 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)8.5141 Ratings8.5327 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Microsoft Power BI and SAP Analytics Cloud and SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.9
    162 Ratings
    2% above category average
    SAP Analytics Cloud
    7.4
    294 Ratings
    5% below category average
    SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    -
    Ratings
    Responsive Design for Web Access7.6152 Ratings7.5283 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile Application7.5133 Ratings6.8247 Ratings00 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile7.8155 Ratings7.0274 Ratings00 Ratings
    Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
    Comparison of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding features of Microsoft Power BI and SAP Analytics Cloud and SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    Feature
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.6
    116 Ratings
    2% below category average
    SAP Analytics Cloud
    7.1
    66 Ratings
    9% below category average
    SAS Intelligent Performance Management
    -
    Ratings
    REST API7.7104 Ratings7.156 Ratings00 Ratings
    Javascript API7.485 Ratings7.049 Ratings00 Ratings
    iFrames8.055 Ratings7.143 Ratings00 Ratings
    Java API6.769 Ratings7.142 Ratings00 Ratings
    Themeable User Interface (UI)7.391 Ratings7.451 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customizable Platform (Open Source)8.444 Ratings6.843 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Microsoft Power BISAP Analytics CloudSAS Intelligent Performance Management
    Small Businesses
    Cyfe
    Score4 out of 10
    Cyfe
    Score4 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Qlik Cloud Analytics (Qlik Sense)
    Score8.2 out of 10
    Qlik Cloud Analytics (Qlik Sense)
    Score8.2 out of 10
    IBM Planning Analytics
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Jaspersoft Community Edition
    Score7 out of 10
    Jaspersoft Community Edition
    Score7 out of 10
    Oracle Fusion Cloud Enterprise Performance Management
    Score7.2 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Microsoft Power BISAP Analytics CloudSAS Intelligent Performance Management
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.6
    (199 ratings)
    8.1
    (382 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.6
    (3 ratings)
    8.7
    (22 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    8.3
    (115 ratings)
    7.7
    (307 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    4.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    10.0
    (52 ratings)
    6.3
    (73 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.1
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    6.3
    (9 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    5.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Data Sharing and Collaboration
    8.5
    (82 ratings)
    8.0
    (61 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Data Sources
    9.0
    (81 ratings)
    8.1
    (61 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    6.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft Power BISAP Analytics CloudSAS Intelligent Performance Management
    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
    SAP
    >> Using SAC predictive analytics capabilities for inventory management in a Production line setup has helped generate Purchase Requisitions and Purchase Orders for raw or semi-finished goods without much head-banging into Demand management rules. It does it beautifully with seamless integration with HANA core MM and PP modules, along with BI integration. It has resulted in 30% greater warehouse storage capacity, thereby saving revenue from piled-up inventory and associated manpower costs. >> SAC sometimes shows latency in working out a large data set, thus giving a poor user experience compared to its competition. Also, it may occasionally show misinterpretations when embedding data from 3rd-party systems into the HANA core dataset.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    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
    SAP
    • It makes it easier yo analyse order and related records easily.
    • We can easily maintain and track the performance of employees in organisation.
    • Can easily track various aspects for the growth of an organisation thus allowing real time analysis and tracking of organisation's growth and performance.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    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
    SAP
    • Complexity in Data Modeling
    • SAC supports various data sources, but improvements in the ease of connecting to and integrating with certain data repositories, especially non-SAP databases, would enhance the platform's versatility and integration capabilities.
    • An offline mode for SAC could be valuable for users who need to access and analyze data without an internet connection. Additionally, optimizing performance for large datasets and complex visualizations would contribute to a smoother user experience.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    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
    SAP
    We are planning to review the licensing as we have issues with SAC dealing with huge datasets. Analytics area is good for import models but when we have live connections in place that's when we have issue with SAC dealing with huge datasets in live be it BW or be it HANA models in the backend.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    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
    SAP
    I landed on a 7 out of 10 for a few key reasons. The tool is flexible in the sense that we are using very very very (very) little off the shelf solutions and customizing to our needs. Users enjoy having the customized data actions, key variance calculations, and easy to use headcount/salary planning in the same tool. One downside is that users are hard to please when they are used to excel. SAP Analytics Cloud simply is not excel, and the flexibility of excel in a crunch is not there.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    Reliability and Availability
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    I would rate SAP Analytics Cloud an 8 out of 10 for scalability. It offers a flexible, cloud-based architecture that supports expansion across departments and geographies. The platform adapts well to growing data volumes and user needs, making it a strong choice for organizations looking to scale analytics capabilities efficiently.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    I would rate SAP Analytics Cloud’s performance an 8 out of 10. Pages generally load quickly, and reports run within a reasonable time frame, even with complex datasets. Integration with other systems is smooth and doesn’t noticeably affect performance. Overall, it’s a responsive and efficient tool for business analytics. But
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    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
    SAP
    Since the implementation stage, the support team has been very helpful and assisting. Even in the later stages, the tech team had quite a rapid response. In general, SAP has provided us with great customer support, let it be for a specific product of SAP or for integration of different modules.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    In-Person Training
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    Good videos and reference material available in SAP Portal.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    In hindsight, it would have been easier to have someone there in person. Questions were answered, but with 11 participants, it got a bit chaotic online
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Microsoft
    It was integrated with our erp easily and was accessible on cloud.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAP
    SAC is a simple solution ad it works fine when connecting it to other SAP tools. On the other hand, connecting it to third party solutions brings difficulties when there's no previous design and the objetives are not clear. It is really important to integrate Business users from the start to provide with valuable business insights
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    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
    SAP
    SAP Analytics Cloud and Power BI are both tools that help businesses understand their data, but they have some differences. SAC, made by SAP, works well if your company already uses other SAP products. It's in the cloud, easy to use, and has features for analyzing data, getting insights, and planning for the future. Power BI, made by Microsoft, can be used in the cloud or on your own computers. It fits well with Microsoft tools, is easy to use, and can do advanced data analysis. SAC has built-in planning tools, while Power BI needs extra tools for detailed planning
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    unit pricing
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    Scalability
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    Is good for use across multiple locations. It allows users to access data and reports from anywhere, regardless of their location. Can consolidate data from various sources, including different SAP systems and external sources, which facilitates cross-location analysis. SAC enables access to data and models from SAP Datasphere to create new stories. Detailed permissions can be defined for cross-departmental use.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    Professional Services
    Microsoft
    No answers on this topic
    SAP
    very simple
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    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
    SAP
    • Many manual data manipulations and exports in Excel have been replaced by the tool, providing management with improved insight into the amount of time spent at each stage of an invoice's lifetime, allowing bottlenecks to be discovered.
    • We now have more insight into the data, and people with little technical experience can easily build stories.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    SAS
    No answers on this topic
    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