Microsoft Power BI vs. Phocas Business Intelligence

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Microsoft Power BI
Score 8.3 out of 10
N/A
Microsoft 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.
$10
per month per user
Phocas Business Intelligence
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Phocas helps users discover data and provides results in real time.  It is designed for non-technical users and delivers a simple yet powerful analytical capability that quickly turns data into a chart, graph or map.  It brings up data on local, regional or global sales, inventory, forecasts, prices, profit margins, budgets and more. Phocas, based in the United Kingdom, is a business intelligence firm with offices in…N/A
Pricing
Microsoft Power BIPhocas Business Intelligence
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Microsoft Power BIPhocas Business Intelligence
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsPhocas has built its business model on exceeding customer expectations. We’ve operated on a subscription basis from the start and in the words of Phocas Group chairman and co-founder Paul Magee: ‘That puts the onus on us to perform’. And we like that. In fact, our whole company ecosystem is built around that ‘light bulb moment’ when customers achieve a breakthrough by seeing their business through fresh eyes.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Microsoft Power BIPhocas Business Intelligence
Considered Both Products
Microsoft Power BI
Chose Microsoft Power BI
Power BI integrates very easily with Microsoft based products like excel and sql server database and makes it easy to modify data. It also provides several different types of visualization and forecasting tools that are absent from other products. It is comparatively cheaper …
Phocas Business Intelligence
Chose Phocas Business Intelligence
Phocas is easy to use for end users and can be used on desktops, laptops, and phones.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Features
Microsoft Power BIPhocas Business Intelligence
BI Standard Reporting
Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Power BI
7.3
138 Ratings
12% below category average
Phocas Business Intelligence
9.0
4 Ratings
9% above category average
Pixel Perfect reports6.6118 Ratings00 Ratings
Customizable dashboards8.1138 Ratings9.04 Ratings
Report Formatting Templates7.3126 Ratings9.04 Ratings
Ad-hoc Reporting
Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Power BI
7.1
139 Ratings
13% below category average
Phocas Business Intelligence
9.6
4 Ratings
17% above category average
Drill-down analysis7.3138 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Formatting capabilities6.5137 Ratings9.04 Ratings
Integration with R or other statistical packages7.6102 Ratings00 Ratings
Report sharing and collaboration7.0134 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Report Output and Scheduling
Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Power BI
7.8
133 Ratings
7% below category average
Phocas Business Intelligence
9.3
4 Ratings
11% above category average
Publish to Web8.2128 Ratings00 Ratings
Publish to PDF8.2121 Ratings10.04 Ratings
Report Versioning7.3101 Ratings8.03 Ratings
Report Delivery Scheduling8.6103 Ratings9.94 Ratings
Delivery to Remote Servers6.873 Ratings00 Ratings
Data Discovery and Visualization
Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Power BI
7.6
135 Ratings
6% below category average
Phocas Business Intelligence
8.3
4 Ratings
3% above category average
Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)7.6130 Ratings8.04 Ratings
Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization7.8121 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Predictive Analytics7.5101 Ratings8.04 Ratings
Access Control and Security
Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Power BI
8.2
126 Ratings
5% below category average
Phocas Business Intelligence
9.9
4 Ratings
14% above category average
Multi-User Support (named login)8.2120 Ratings9.94 Ratings
Role-Based Security Model8.8102 Ratings9.94 Ratings
Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)8.3110 Ratings9.93 Ratings
Report-Level Access Control7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Single Sign-On (SSO)8.694 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile Capabilities
Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Power BI
7.9
117 Ratings
1% below category average
Phocas Business Intelligence
9.5
3 Ratings
17% above category average
Responsive Design for Web Access8.0111 Ratings9.03 Ratings
Mobile Application7.493 Ratings00 Ratings
Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile7.5112 Ratings10.03 Ratings
Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
Comparison of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding features of Product A and Product B
Microsoft Power BI
8.4
80 Ratings
6% above category average
Phocas Business Intelligence
-
Ratings
REST API8.172 Ratings00 Ratings
Javascript API9.556 Ratings00 Ratings
iFrames8.055 Ratings00 Ratings
Java API7.946 Ratings00 Ratings
Themeable User Interface (UI)8.263 Ratings00 Ratings
Customizable Platform (Open Source)8.344 Ratings00 Ratings
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Medium-sized Companies
Reveal
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Score 9.9 out of 10
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Score 9.9 out of 10
Enterprises
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User Ratings
Microsoft Power BIPhocas Business Intelligence
Likelihood to Recommend
8.0
(140 ratings)
8.1
(4 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
8.9
(56 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
8.0
(52 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Microsoft Power BIPhocas Business Intelligence
Likelihood to Recommend
Microsoft
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.
Read full review
Phocas
If you would like your data in one place with easy access, this is the software for you. You can have data from multiple systems and bring it into one view so that you have a quick and easily visible dashboard for the data you wish to see.
Read full review
Pros
Microsoft
  • 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.
Read full review
Phocas
  • Custom reports are simple to create.
  • The ability to manage users and their dashboards is solid.
  • Easy to navigate web interface makes the software accessible from anywhere.
Read full review
Cons
Microsoft
  • 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
Read full review
Phocas
  • Phocas needs to make it easier to connect to different types of databases.
  • The data in Phocas needs to be updated faster in some cases.
  • It needs to provide functions to create better charts and graphs.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Microsoft
I find it helpful and easy to use
Read full review
Phocas
No answers on this topic
Usability
Microsoft
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.
Read full review
Phocas
It is a very user-friendly product and is easy to understand. You can get your data from just a quick click and the dashboard loads. You can take the data and drill down easy to find what you are looking for.
Read full review
Support Rating
Microsoft
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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Phocas
Support is responsive. You log a call and they will respond quickly and resolve your issues. We have only had great experiences with the support team.
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Microsoft
[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 .
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Phocas
Phocas is easy to use for end users and can be used on desktops, laptops, and phones.
Read full review
Return on Investment
Microsoft
  • 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.
Read full review
Phocas
  • It has given our business a view on data
  • We can access it from anywhere
  • You can have multiple dashboards for different information
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

Phocas Business Intelligence Screenshots

Screenshot of Phocas Dashboard on iPadScreenshot of Phocas Dashboard on Laptop