In the realm of data, business intelligence platforms are of utmost importance. With multiple BI tools present in the market space it becomes tough to select the right solution according to your business needs. One such Business intelligence platform is Microsoft Power BI.

In this article, we will discover power BI, its features, and drawbacks that led us to choose its alternatives. Along with this, we will discuss its 8 Business intelligence platforms that are considered good alternatives to Power BI.

What is Microsoft Power BI?

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Power BI is a business analytics tool developed by Microsoft that provides interactive visualizations and business intelligence capabilities to users easing out the process of complex data analysis.

In the last decade, Microsoft has continued to enhance Power BI with new features and updates such as AI-powered insights, integration with other Microsoft tools like Azure and Dynamics 365, and improved security measures.

Some key features of Power BI include: 

• It can connect to a wide range of data sources, including Excel spreadsheets, databases, cloud services, and web APIs thus making the data integration process seamless.
• It offers a range of visualization options, including charts, graphs, maps, and tables.
• Microsoft's Power BI enhanced advanced analytics capabilities allow users to create interactive dashboards that display real-time data updates.
• Power BI has a feature called 'Q&A' that lets users ask queries about their data using natural language queries. The tool will then develop visualizations based on the user's query. 
• Power BI enables users to share their reports and dashboards with others within their organization along with real-time collaboration capabilities and also supports embedded analytics.
• Dashboards are easily accessible to end users as Power BI offers mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows devices.

Drawbacks of Microsoft Power BI

Power BI is considered to be a powerful business intelligence tool there are some drawbacks associated with using this software. Some of them are mentioned below:

• Power BI has a steep learning curve, especially for users who are not familiar with data visualization or analytics tools, which can hinder adoption and usage.
• Power BI has restrictions on how often data can be refreshed, which can affect the timeliness of reports and dashboards.
• Exporting data from Power BI reports and dashboards is limited compared to other BI tools in the space.
• Power BI is closely linked to the Microsoft ecosystem, which limits compatibility with other software applications.
• Power BI has Compatibility issues with the MAC operating system affecting usability and user experience.
• Users have reported delays in Microsoft responding to feature requests or implementing updates based on user feedback.

Power BI Pricing

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8 Best Power BI Alternatives

In this section, we will discuss other BI and visualization tools considered a good alternative to Power BI with enhanced data visualization capabilities and a user-friendly interface.

1. Sprinkle Data

Sprinkle Data is a low-code data analytics tool that offers a wide range of features to help businesses effectively manage and analyze their data. With Sprinkle Data, users can easily integrate, clean, and transform their data to make better business decisions.

Pros of Sprinkle Data: 

• Sprinkle Data automates repetitive tasks by offering automated workflow features, saving time and effort for users. 
• The platform provides interactive dashboards to help users understand their data better with just a click. 
• Teams can collaborate on dashboards, reports, and all other entities and share insights within the platform using its comments feature.
• The platform can easily handle large volumes of data without compromising performance. 
• Sprinkle Data offers excellent customer support to assist users with any issues or questions. 
• The team behind Sprinkle Data consistently releases updates and improvements to enhance the platform's functionality.
• Users can embed reports and dashboards into their websites or applications, making it easy to share insights with end users.  

Cons of Sprinkle Data: 

• Pre-built templates for dashboards and reports are not supported by the platform.

Pricing: 

2. Tableau

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Tableau is a powerful data visualization tool that has attained immense popularity in recent years. It allows users to create interactive and informative visualizations from their data, making it easier to understand and analyze complex datasets.  

Cons of Tableau: 

• Users can combine data from multiple sources and create meaningful insights without the need for complex coding. 
• Tableau's user-friendly interface makes it effortless for anyone to make visualizations without needing advanced technical skills. 
• Users can perform complex calculations within Tableau using its built-in functions and formulas. 
• Visualizations created in Tableau are mobile-responsive, making it easy to view and interact with them on any device.

Cons of Using Tableau: 

• While Tableau is user-friendly, mastering all of its features can take time and effort as it has a steep learning curve.
• The price of a Tableau license is expensive for small to medium-sized businesses. 
• Tableau struggles when handling extremely large datasets or complex calculations, the interface becomes sluggish. 

Pricing:

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3. Qlikview

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QlikView is a popular business intelligence tool that allows users to visualize and analyze data dynamically and interactively.

Pros of QlikView:  

• The associative data model in QlikView allows users to easily navigate between various data sets and draw relationships between them. 
• QlikView offers a wide range of visualization options, including charts, graphs, and tables, to help users present their data. 

Cons of QlikView: 

• Some users find QlikView challenging to learn due to its advanced analytics features and capabilities. 
• The licensing fees for QlikView can be costly for small businesses or organizations with limited budgets. 
• When working with large data sets QlikView's performance slows down.
• Organizations without dedicated IT resources may struggle with maintaining and updating their QlikView deployments. 

Pricing: 

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4. Google Data Studio

Google Data Studio is a robust tool for developing interactive and visually attractive reports and dashboards. It allows users to smoothly connect to various data sources, visualize their data in different ways, and share insights with others.

Pros of Google Data Studio: 

• Google Data Studio offers a variety of pre-built templates that can be customized to suit individual needs. 
• Numerous users can work on a report or dashboard simultaneously, making collaboration seamless. 
• Google Data Studio seamlessly integrates with other Google products such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, and BigQuery. 
• There is a free version of Google Data Studio available for individuals and small teams. 

Cons of Google Data Studio: 

• Google Data Studio has limitations when connecting to non-Google data sources. 
• Some advanced features found in other BI tools are missing in Google Data Studio. 
• Large datasets or complex visualizations may slow down the performance of the tool. 
• Exporting reports in certain formats or layouts may not be possible in some scenarios. 

 Pricing

Google Data Studio offers two pricing plans: 

• Free Version
• Paid Version (Data Studio 360) 

5. Zoho Analytics

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Zoho Analytics is a powerful business intelligence and analytics tool that allows users to easily create reports and dashboards.

Pros of Zoho Analytics

• Zoho Analytics has a user-friendly interface that allows users to easily drag and drop data fields to create custom reports and dashboards. 
• Zoho Analytics supports a wide range of data sources, including databases, cloud storage services, and popular business applications such as Salesforce and Google Analytics. 
• Zoho Analytics has a mobile app that allows users to access their reports and dashboards on the go.
• Users can blend data from multiple sources in Zoho Analytics, allowing them to join different datasets together.

Cons of Zoho Analytics

• Zoho Analytics does not have robust support for real-time data processing.
• Native integrations with popular CRM systems like Salesforce require additional setup. 

Pricing

6. GoodData

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GoodData is a business intelligence platform founded in 2007 that has been providing its services to companies of all sizes across various industries. 

With its intuitive user interface and powerful features, GoodData has become a favored choice for businesses looking to draw meaningful insights from data.

Pros of GoodData: 

• GoodData's intuitive interface makes it easy for users to create custom reports and dashboards. 
• It integrates with a wide range of third-party applications, such as Salesforce and Google Analytics. 
• It offers a mobile app for on-the-go access to analytics. 
• The platform also offers training resources and tutorials to help users get started quickly. 
• It includes performance monitoring tools to track the effectiveness of reports and dashboards.

 Cons of GoodData: 

• Some advanced analytics features are not present in the platform compared  to Sprinkle Data or Power BI. 
• Integrating data from multiple sources can be complex and time-consuming in some cases. 
• Users may face limitations when storing large volumes of data on the platform. 
• Not ideal for small businesses with limited budgets due to higher price points.  

Pricing

7. Birst

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Birst is a cloud-based business intelligence platform that enables organizations to analyze and visualize their data to gain valuable insights into their operations. 

Pros of using Birst: 

• Birst can handle large volumes of data and scale as your business grows. 
• It has an intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to create reports and dashboards without the need for technical expertise. 
• It offers advanced analytics features such as predictive modeling and machine learning algorithms.  
• It integrates seamlessly with other systems such as CRM software and ERP systems. 

Cons of using Birst: 

• Birst has a steep learning curve, especially for beginners.
• Some users report occasional glitches or bugs while using the platform.  
• Due to the complex pricing structure, it may not be suitable for small businesses with restricted budgets 
• It lacks built-in ETL capabilities and requires additional tools for data integration. 

Pricing: 

Infor Birst pricing according to trust radius:

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8. Tibco Spotfire

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Tibco Spotfire is a top provider of integration, analytics, and event-processing software for corporations. Founded in 1997, Tibco has been helping companies connect their systems, analyze data, and automate processes to drive better business outcomes. 

Pros of Tibco Software: 

• Tibco's real-time event-processing capabilities allow businesses to react quickly to changing conditions and events. 
• Tibco enables businesses to automate repetitive tasks and processes, saving time and resources. 
• Tibco offers excellent customer support through phone, email, and online chat. 
• Tibco integrates seamlessly with third-party applications, extending its functionality even further. 

Cons of Tibco Software: 

• Some users may find Tibco's software complex and require training to fully utilize its capabilities. 
• The initial implementation costs of Tibco's Spotfire can be high for some businesses. 
• Some older systems may not be compatible with Tibco software, requiring additional upgrades. 
• Tibco provides inflexible licensing terms that may not suit all business needs. 

Pricing: 

Tibco Spotfire pricing according to TrustRadius is mentioned below.

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Conclusion

Before selecting the best alternative to Power BI always consider factors such as budget, features, scalability, user-friendliness, and integration capabilities.

Some of the recommended BI tools are Sprinkle Data, Tibco Spotfire, Infor Birst, Zoho Analytics, Tableau, GoodData, Google Data Studio, and Qlikview.

Frequently Asked Questions FAQs - Power BI Alternatives

What tool is equivalent to Power BI? 

Tableau is considered equivalent to Power BI in terms of data visualization and analytics capabilities.

Is Tableau better than Power BI? 

This question depends on individual requirements. Some users may find Tableau's interface more user-friendly, while others may prefer the integration capabilities and pricing options offered by Power BI. 

Is SAP similar to Power BI? 

SAP offers similar functionalities to Power BI regarding business intelligence and data visualization. However, SAP solutions are typically more complex and require a higher level of expertise to implement and use effectively compared to Power BI. 

Give some open-source alternatives of Power BI 

Some open-source alternatives to Power BI include Apache Superset, Metabase, Redash, and JasperReports.

Is there a free version of Power BI? 

Yes, there is a free version of Power BI available for individual users with limited functionality and data storage capacity.

Is there a Google alternative to Power BI? 

Google Data Studio is a popular alternative to Power BI for creating interactive reports and dashboards using data from various sources like Google Analytics, Google Sheets, and BigQuery.

Is Power BI open source? 

Power BI is not an open-source tool. It is a proprietary software developed by Microsoft that requires a license or subscription to access its full range of features and functionalities. 

Mention some power BI alternatives for MAC 

Some alternatives to Power BI that are compatible with MAC operating systems include Tableau Desktop, Qlik Sense, Looker, Domo, and Sisense.

Can I use Google Analytics for free? 

Yes, Google Analytics offers a free version that can be used by individuals or small businesses to track website traffic, visitor behavior, conversions, and other metrics related to online performance. 

Is Google Data Studio free to use? 

Yes, Google Data Studio is free to create custom reports and dashboards using data from various sources like Google Analytics, Google Ads, YouTube Analytics, etc., making it an accessible alternative for organizations looking for a cost-effective solution for their reporting needs. 

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