What users are saying about

Microsoft Power BI vs Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft Power BI
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Top Rated
1343 Ratings
Microsoft SQL Server
Top Rated
1505 Ratings

Microsoft Power BI

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Top Rated
1343 Ratings
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Score 8.4 out of 100

Based on 1343 reviews and ratings

Microsoft SQL Server

Top Rated
1505 Ratings
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Score 8.8 out of 100

Based on 1505 reviews and ratings

Feature Set Ratings

    BI Standard Reporting

    8.4

    Microsoft Power BI

    84%

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Feature Set Not Supported
    N/A
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/3 features
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/3 features

    Pixel Perfect reports

    8.1
    81%
    120 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Customizable dashboards

    9.0
    90%
    139 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Report Formatting Templates

    8.2
    82%
    127 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Ad-hoc Reporting

    8.4

    Microsoft Power BI

    84%

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Feature Set Not Supported
    N/A
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 4/4 features
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 4/4 features

    Drill-down analysis

    8.7
    87%
    139 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Formatting capabilities

    8.0
    80%
    138 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Integration with R or other statistical packages

    8.1
    81%
    104 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Report sharing and collaboration

    8.6
    86%
    135 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Report Output and Scheduling

    8.4

    Microsoft Power BI

    84%

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Feature Set Not Supported
    N/A
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 5/5 features
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 5/5 features

    Publish to Web

    9.0
    90%
    129 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Publish to PDF

    8.9
    89%
    121 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Report Versioning

    7.9
    79%
    101 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Report Delivery Scheduling

    8.5
    85%
    104 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Delivery to Remote Servers

    7.5
    75%
    76 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Data Discovery and Visualization

    8.3

    Microsoft Power BI

    83%

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Feature Set Not Supported
    N/A
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/3 features
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/3 features

    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)

    8.5
    85%
    131 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization

    8.5
    85%
    122 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Predictive Analytics

    8.0
    80%
    103 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Access Control and Security

    8.8

    Microsoft Power BI

    88%

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Feature Set Not Supported
    N/A
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 4/4 features
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 4/4 features

    Multi-User Support (named login)

    8.8
    88%
    121 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Role-Based Security Model

    8.8
    88%
    104 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)

    8.6
    86%
    112 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Single Sign-On (SSO)

    9.0
    90%
    95 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Mobile Capabilities

    8.4

    Microsoft Power BI

    84%

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Feature Set Not Supported
    N/A
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/3 features
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 3/3 features

    Responsive Design for Web Access

    8.6
    86%
    113 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Mobile Application

    8.3
    83%
    100 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile

    8.3
    83%
    114 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding

    8.0

    Microsoft Power BI

    80%

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Feature Set Not Supported
    N/A
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 6/6 features
    Microsoft Power BI ranks higher in 6/6 features

    REST API

    8.3
    83%
    73 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Javascript API

    8.2
    82%
    57 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    iFrames

    8.0
    80%
    56 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Java API

    7.7
    77%
    47 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Themeable User Interface (UI)

    7.9
    79%
    63 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Customizable Platform (Open Source)

    7.9
    79%
    46 Ratings
    N/A
    0 Ratings

    Attribute Ratings

    • Microsoft Power BI is rated higher in 2 areas: Likelihood to Renew, Support Rating
    • Microsoft SQL Server is rated higher in 2 areas: Likelihood to Recommend, Usability

    Likelihood to Recommend

    8.6

    Microsoft Power BI

    86%
    141 Ratings
    9.1

    Microsoft SQL Server

    91%
    94 Ratings

    Likelihood to Renew

    10.0

    Microsoft Power BI

    100%
    1 Rating
    9.0

    Microsoft SQL Server

    90%
    6 Ratings

    Usability

    8.6

    Microsoft Power BI

    86%
    57 Ratings
    9.8

    Microsoft SQL Server

    98%
    10 Ratings

    Availability

    Microsoft Power BI

    N/A
    0 Ratings
    10.0

    Microsoft SQL Server

    100%
    2 Ratings

    Performance

    Microsoft Power BI

    N/A
    0 Ratings
    9.0

    Microsoft SQL Server

    90%
    2 Ratings

    Support Rating

    8.5

    Microsoft Power BI

    85%
    53 Ratings
    7.9

    Microsoft SQL Server

    79%
    49 Ratings

    In-Person Training

    Microsoft Power BI

    N/A
    0 Ratings
    9.0

    Microsoft SQL Server

    90%
    1 Rating

    Online Training

    Microsoft Power BI

    N/A
    0 Ratings
    9.0

    Microsoft SQL Server

    90%
    1 Rating

    Implementation Rating

    Microsoft Power BI

    N/A
    0 Ratings
    9.0

    Microsoft SQL Server

    90%
    10 Ratings

    Product Scalability

    Microsoft Power BI

    N/A
    0 Ratings
    9.0

    Microsoft SQL Server

    90%
    1 Rating

    Likelihood to Recommend

    Microsoft Power BI

    In operations we use the tool for many different topics, from factory quality systems to high level reviews.We have created kind of an internal "App Store" based on Power BI where you have a lot of different dashboards for different solutions (cost, cash, health and safety, sales, factories, distribution centers...) and you as an user just need to get in that "App Store" and enter in whatever tool can be useful for you. It is open to all the operations employees and can use on demand.Also it has raised the imagination of our colleagues, as they are not only working by themselves creating new reports, but also raising fantastic ideas that can be extended for the usage of all the community.

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    Jose-Angel Mangas | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Jose-Angel Mangas
    View all 141 answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Microsoft SQL Server is a great RDBMS and meets all of our requirements. If you need a stable DB platform to support your line of a business application you'll be well served. Licensing costs are far cheaper, more portable and a lot more user friendly than Oracle. Product support and security patches from Microsoft are strong.

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    Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Verified User
    View all 94 answers on this topic

    Pros

    Microsoft Power BI

    • Quickly filter and view granular data sets with easily configurable reporting figures.
    • The ability to quickly switch between tabs allows for historical data comparisons and progress tracking.
    • It's helpful to dive into the data and break it down from high levels to small.
    • Achieve actionable insights faster by using real-time data. It's incredible to have online access to reports.

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    Afia Tamanna | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Afia Tamanna
    View all 141 answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    • Easy to configure and use with Visual Studio and Dot Net
    • Easy integration with MSBI to perform data analysis
    • Data Security
    • Easy to understand and use
    • Very easy to export database and tables in the form of SQL query or a script

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    Shivani Pandey | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Shivani Pandey
    View all 94 answers on this topic

    Cons

    Microsoft Power BI

    • The desktop app is great but needs a lot of performance improvements
    • No MacOS Version for the Desktop app, this is a big limitation for business since executives prefer Macs
    • Premium Cloud Version of Power BI is awfully expensive
    • On-Premise Version of the Power BI Reports Server is bundled only with SQL Server Enterprise License and cannot be purchased separately and requires Software Assurance Subscription
    • On-Premise Power BI Report Server doesn't support ADFS, AzureAD or any Claims-Based authentication platform, a sad disadvantage for enterprises

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    Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Verified User
    View all 141 answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    • The import/export process can be tricky to follow with lots of steps and could be better for importing flat files
    • Obtaining help from Microsoft is cumbersome and often other internet sources are better and quicker
    • The documentation is not great and again it's generally better to obtain help elsewhere if needed

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    Paul Nockolds | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Paul Nockolds
    View all 94 answers on this topic

    Pricing Details

    Microsoft Power BI

    General

    Free Trial
    Yes
    Free/Freemium Version
    —
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    —
    Entry-level set up fee?
    No

    Starting Price

    $9.99 per month

    Microsoft Power BI Editions & Modules

    Edition
    Power BI Pro$9.991
    Power BI Premium$20.001
    Power BI Premium$4,995.002
    1. Per User/Per Month
    2. Per Capacity/Per Month
    Additional Pricing Details
    —

    Microsoft SQL Server

    General

    Free Trial
    —
    Free/Freemium Version
    —
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    —
    Entry-level set up fee?
    No

    Starting Price

    $0 Per License

    Microsoft SQL Server Editions & Modules

    Edition
    Enterprise$13,748.001
    Subscription$1,418.001
    1. Per License
    Additional Pricing Details
    —

    Likelihood to Renew

    Microsoft Power BI

    Microsoft Power BI 10.0
    Based on 1 answer
    I find it helpful and easy to use

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    jim paroly | TrustRadius Reviewer
    jim paroly
    View all 1 answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Microsoft SQL Server 9.0
    Based on 6 answers
    We understand that the Microsoft SQL Server will continue to advance, offering the same robust and reliable platform while adding new features that enable us, as a software center, to create a superior product. That provides excellent performance while reducing the hardware requirements and the total cost of ownership of our solution.

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    Lisandro Fernigrini | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Lisandro Fernigrini
    View all 6 answers on this topic

    Usability

    Microsoft Power BI

    Microsoft Power BI 8.6
    Based on 57 answers
    At this point, I think we all know who has taken the lead in the business intelligence and analytics market worldwide. With fresh new updates every other day on top of an already robustly built product with all features that one can dream of is a no brainer, I feel. Microsoft will invariably be synonymous with quality and professionalism.

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    Tanish Pruthi | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Tanish Pruthi
    View all 57 answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Microsoft SQL Server 9.8
    Based on 10 answers
    SQL Server mostly 'just works' or generates error messages to help you sort out the trouble. You can usually count on the product to get the job done and keep an eye on your potential mistakes. Interaction with other Microsoft products makes operating as a Windows user pretty straight forward. Digging through the multitude of dialogs and wizards can be a pain, but the answer is usually there somewhere.

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    Andy Erickson | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Andy Erickson
    View all 10 answers on this topic

    Reliability and Availability

    Microsoft Power BI

    No score
    No answers yet
    No answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Microsoft SQL Server 10.0
    Based on 2 answers
    Its does not have outages.

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    Srikanth S | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Srikanth S
    View all 2 answers on this topic

    Performance

    Microsoft Power BI

    No score
    No answers yet
    No answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Microsoft SQL Server 9.0
    Based on 2 answers
    SSAS data cubes may some time slow down your Excel reports.

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    Srikanth S | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Srikanth S
    View all 2 answers on this topic

    Support Rating

    Microsoft Power BI

    Microsoft Power BI 8.5
    Based on 53 answers
    I can't really speak to the support overall, [but] I will say that in the almost three years I have used the system, I have only needed to contact their support team once. I think the team was helpful, but it did take some time for us to resolve the issues/ request that they had. I guess the good news is that the system is pretty stable, and I personally have rarely needed to contact their technical support team.

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    Greg Watkins | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Greg Watkins
    View all 53 answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Microsoft SQL Server 7.9
    Based on 49 answers
    We managed to handle most of our problems by looking into Microsoft's official documentation that has everything explained and almost every function has an example that illustrates in detail how a particular functionality works. Just like PowerShell has the ability to show you an example of how some cmdlet works, that is the case also here, and in my opinion, it is a very good practice and I like it.

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    luka horvat | TrustRadius Reviewer
    luka horvat
    View all 49 answers on this topic

    In-Person Training

    Microsoft Power BI

    No score
    No answers yet
    No answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Microsoft SQL Server 9.0
    Based on 1 answer
    It was good

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    Srikanth S | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Srikanth S
    View all 1 answers on this topic

    Online Training

    Microsoft Power BI

    No score
    No answers yet
    No answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Microsoft SQL Server 9.0
    Based on 1 answer
    very hands on and detailed training

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    Srikanth S | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Srikanth S
    View all 1 answers on this topic

    Implementation Rating

    Microsoft Power BI

    No score
    No answers yet
    No answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Microsoft SQL Server 9.0
    Based on 10 answers
    Other than SQL taking quite a bit of time to actually install there are no problems with installation. Even on hardware that has good performance SQL can still take close to an hour to install a typical server with management and reporting services.

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    Bill Starling | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Bill Starling
    View all 10 answers on this topic

    Alternatives Considered

    Microsoft Power BI

    [Microsoft] Power BI is practical and effective, like a hammer for a nail, it is easy to use and produces very quickly the results that in most cases are urgently required by clients (nice reports to share on the web). To start using [Microsoft] Power BI you need a business email address, with that you create an account in Power BI Service and in less than 1 hour you will have installed Power BI Desktop, a report will have been created and it will have been published on the web .

    Read full review

    Dustin Ghia | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Dustin Ghia
    View all 141 answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    [Microsoft] SQL Server has a much better community and professional support and is overall just a more reliable system with Microsoft behind it. I've used MySQL in the past and SQL Server has just become more comfortable for me and is my go to RDBMS.

    Read full review

    Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Verified User
    View all 94 answers on this topic

    Scalability

    Microsoft Power BI

    No score
    No answers yet
    No answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    Microsoft SQL Server 9.0
    Based on 1 answer
    SQL server does handle growing demands of a mid sized company.

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    Srikanth S | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Srikanth S
    View all 1 answers on this topic

    Return on Investment

    Microsoft Power BI

    • It helps us track and achieve company goals.
    • It shows us [our] performance in areas we could not previously track and allows us to see and work on how to improve their performance.
    • Quick easy access for executives to use in helping teams and addressing issues.

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    christian Maxwell | TrustRadius Reviewer
    christian Maxwell
    View all 141 answers on this topic

    Microsoft SQL Server

    • Increased accuracy - We went from multiple users having different versions of an Excel spreadsheet to a single source of truth for our reporting.
    • Increased Efficiency - We can now generate reports at any time from a single source rather than multiple users spending their time collating data and generating reports.
    • Improved Security - Enterprise level security on a dedicated server rather than financial files on multiple laptop hard drives.

    Read full review

    Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
    Verified User
    View all 94 answers on this topic

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