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Microsoft Power BI vs SAP Crystal Reports comparison

Microsoft and SAP are both solutions in the Reporting category. Microsoft is ranked #1 with an average rating of 7.8, while SAP is ranked #7 with an average rating of 8.5. Microsoft holds a 25.3% mindshare in RT, compared to SAP’s 2.7% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of SAP users who would recommend it.
Microsoft Power BI
Read 326 Microsoft Power BI reviews
  • 24,290 Views
  • 10,202 Comparison Views
93% willing to recommend
SAP Crystal Reports
Read 51 SAP Crystal Reports reviews
  • 1,791 Views
  • 1,451 Comparison Views
96% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

SAP Crystal Reports and Microsoft Power BI are leading products in the business intelligence and reporting category. Based on the results of the comparison, Microsoft Power BI has the upper hand due to its superior integration capabilities, user-friendly interface, and cost-effectiveness.

Features: SAP Crystal Reports offers flexibility in custom reporting with adaptable data sources, sub-reports, and powerful formula functions. It is known for producing pixel-perfect, consistently formatted reports from multiple sources. Microsoft Power BI is strong in integration capabilities, real-time data analysis, and interactive dashboards. It provides a broad array of connectors and a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface for creating reports easily.

Room for Improvement: SAP Crystal Reports needs to enhance its user experience and graphing capabilities. The interface is less intuitive and troubleshooting migrated reports can be challenging. Microsoft Power BI could improve real-time data processing, customization options for data visualization, and third-party integration. Its data manipulation can be complex, and there are concerns about its pricing model.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SAP Crystal Reports is mostly used on-premises, with mixed reviews on technical support. While some users find the support adequate, others turn to online communities due to inconsistent directly provided support. Microsoft Power BI offers flexible deployment options including public, private, and hybrid cloud, enhancing its adaptability in different IT environments. It generally receives positive feedback for customer service, though usability improvements and faster support response times are suggested.

Pricing and ROI: SAP Crystal Reports is considered expensive, with costs encompassing training and licenses. While its price reflects its comprehensive features, it might not suit all budget limits. Microsoft Power BI, on the other hand, is viewed as more cost-effective with multiple pricing tiers including a free version, providing value for money due to its extensive feature set and wide accessibility.

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To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Power BI vs. SAP Crystal Reports Report (Updated: July 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Power BI vs. SAP Crystals
July 2025
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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
7.0
Microsoft Power BI offers high ROI due to cost-effectiveness, ease of use, improved analytics, and rapid cost recovery.
Sentiment score
6.3
SAP Crystal Reports delivers excellent ROI by enhancing ERP reporting and efficiency, with returns exceeding 1000% despite training costs.
In a world surrounded by data, tools that allow navigation of large data volumes ensure decisions are data-driven.
Power BI is easy to deploy within an hour, providing robust security against data leaks.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Power BI report
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.6
Microsoft Power BI's support receives mixed reviews; users often rely on community resources for quicker, more effective solutions.
Sentiment score
5.9
SAP Crystal Reports support is mixed, with larger clients prioritized, leaving smaller users often relying on online communities.
The significant drawback I notice is that Microsoft's size makes it hard to get specific change requests addressed unless they involve a bug.
We have a partnership with Microsoft, involving multiple weekly calls with dedicated personnel to ensure our satisfaction.
The support is good because there is also a community available.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Power BI report
I have not encountered any problems requiring assistance.
For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report
MO
James Balbach - PeerSpot reviewer
MH
SB
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
Microsoft Power BI offers scalability and integration, though optimizing large deployments may require expertise, especially with complex or large data.
Sentiment score
7.6
SAP Crystal Reports is scalable for medium to large businesses, but smaller companies may find it costly.
You expect only a small percentage of users concurrently, but beyond a thousand concurrent users, it becomes difficult to manage.
With increasing AI capabilities, architectural developments within Microsoft, and tools like Fabric, I expect Power BI to scale accordingly.
As more data is processed, performance issues may arise.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Power BI report
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report
Shoury Priyanshu - PeerSpot reviewerJames Balbach - PeerSpot reviewerRaymond De Rooij - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.4
Microsoft Power BI is stable and reliable, though large datasets may impact performance; frequent updates enhance its reputation.
Sentiment score
7.0
SAP Crystal Reports has become more stable since 2013, with most users experiencing improved reliability and performance.
In terms of stability, there's no data loss or leakage, and precautions are well-managed by Microsoft.
We typically do not have problems with end-user tools like Excel and Power BI.
It is very stable for small data, but with big data, there are performance challenges.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Power BI report
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report
Shoury Priyanshu - PeerSpot reviewerJames Balbach - PeerSpot reviewer
MH
 

Room For Improvement

Microsoft Power BI is criticized for high costs, complexity, handling large data, and lacking intuitive interfaces and AI integration.
SAP Crystal Reports needs enhanced visualization, integration, and debugging to address interface complexity, performance issues, and compatibility limitations.
This makes Power BI difficult to manage as loading times can reach one or two minutes, which is problematic today.
Access was more logical in how it distinguished between data and its formatting.
Microsoft updates Power BI monthly based on user community feedback.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Power BI report
If it is closed due to any problem, it should be able to recover where I left off, similar to Excel, which should be a feature for SAP Crystal Reports.
Enabling better practices and testing to enhance data accuracy and efficiency for company sectors.
For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report
Shoury Priyanshu - PeerSpot reviewer
MO
James Balbach - PeerSpot reviewer
SB
MUHAMMAD_IMRAN - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Setup Cost

Microsoft Power BI offers flexible pricing, from free to premium, making it a cost-effective business intelligence tool for enterprises.
SAP Crystal Reports pricing varies, around $500 per license; discounts and free viewing options exist, training adds costs.
I found the setup cost to be expensive
Power BI isn't very cheap, however, it is economical compared to other solutions available.
The pricing for Microsoft Power BI is low, which is a good selling point.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Power BI report
No quotes available
For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report
ST
Shoury Priyanshu - PeerSpot reviewer
MH
 

Valuable Features

Microsoft Power BI excels with seamless data integration, customizable dashboards, and user-friendly features, empowering self-service insights across industries.
SAP Crystal Reports offers robust data visualization, extensive data connections, dynamic features, rapid development, and seamless Business Objects integration.
In today's data-driven environment, these tools are of substantial value, particularly for large enterprises with numerous processes that require extensive data analysis.
Within the organization, Microsoft Power BI is used to create dashboards and gain insights into data, enhancing data-driven decision-making.
To reduce the need for highly skilled personnel, we can engage someone who is just familiar and has a basic understanding of Microsoft Power BI, while AI can handle the major tasks through either agent AI or requirement analysis.
For more quotes and insights, download the Microsoft Power BI report
SAP Crystal Reports has had a very positive impact and benefits. It's a powerful tool to design any kind of report if you have knowledge of the database, and it can attach to both HANA and SQL databases.
The efficiency gained by our organization from SAP Crystal Reports is measurable through multiple export formats such as PDF and Excel.
For more quotes and insights, download the SAP Crystal Reports report
MO
Raymond De Rooij - PeerSpot reviewerShrikrishna Kashid - PeerSpot reviewer
SB
MUHAMMAD_IMRAN - PeerSpot reviewer
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft Power BI
Ranking in Reporting
1st
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
326
Ranking in other categories
BI (Business Intelligence) Tools (1st)
SAP Crystal Reports
Ranking in Reporting
7th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
51
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Reporting category, the mindshare of Microsoft Power BI is 25.3%, up from 25.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Crystal Reports is 2.7%, down from 3.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Reporting
 

Featured Reviews

Shoury Priyanshu - PeerSpot reviewer
Facilitates seamless data aggregation with some outdated visual elements hindering user appeal
Real-time data integration is an area for improvement. Although I've worked on several solutions involving real-time integration, it's not very user-friendly and often lags, especially with over a million data rows. This makes Power BI difficult to manage as loading times can reach one or two minutes, which is problematic today. There are challenges with scalability, requiring multiple pages in dashboards to manage these issues. Visualization could be improved as it appears outdated. Users, especially newcomers, find it unappealing and not user-friendly.
Read full review
MUHAMMAD_IMRAN - PeerSpot reviewer
Crystal Reports enables comprehensive data visualization but requires consistent integration practices for optimal accuracy
SAP Crystal Reports provides a clear picture for customer and vendor orders, showing whether orders are pending and delivering receivable and payable statuses, which allows understanding different scenarios categorically for client needs, ultimately satisfying both customers and clients. The efficiency gained by our organization from SAP Crystal Reports is measurable through multiple export formats such as PDF and Excel, which makes accessing and understanding data from the database easier. The ability to generate different formats facilitates better data analysis, although occasionally advanced features such as workbench center directly enhance the experience. The impact of SAP Crystal Reports' dynamic parameters significantly affects the customization and flexibility of reports, allowing adjustments to parameters based on client needs, such as date, users, and ledger views, ensuring data is correctly collected and formatted according to the client's requirements.
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Comparison Review

it_user79932 - PeerSpot reviewer
Feb 4, 2015
Comparison of SAP BO, Tableau, QlikView, Cognos, Microsoft, OBIEE and Pentaho
1. SAP BO/BI Enterprise scalability Security Ease of use Semantic layer 2. Tableau Visualization Data discovery Turnaround time 3. IBM Cognos Enterprise scalability Security In-memory feature 4. MS BI - Flexibility 5. Pentaho - Open source but still enterprise grade 6. QlikView Data…
Read full review
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
12%
Computer Software Company
9%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

Seeking lightweight open source BI software
There are many...It would rather depend what System BI architecture or Enterprise legacy you have at your end...I would recommend as follows: 1) If you have legacies of SAP, Oracle - look for SAP...
See all answers
Is Power BI a complete platform or only a visualization tool?
Power BI is an advanced visualization tool oriented to big data with a very complete set of widgets to visualize information, control users accessing information, the configuration of governance po...
See all answers
How does Oracle OBIEE compare with Microsoft BI?
Oracle OBIEE is great in allowing design and creativity per the individual needs of the organization. Dashboards are fully customizable and very user-friendly. This solution is very stable. Oracle ...
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What needs improvement with SAP Crystal Reports?
I believe SAP Crystal Reports could be improved or enhanced because one of the problems I am facing with it is that sometimes it hangs and uses too much memory, which is frustrating. If it is close...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for SAP Crystal Reports?
My usual use cases for SAP Crystal Reports involve designing reports based on the requirements of the clients and management, such as profit and loss, graphs, multiple reports, sub reports, and das...
See all answers
What do you like most about SAP Crystal Reports?
We use SAP Crystal Reports for operational reporting.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Tableau Enterprise vs Microsoft Power BI
Compared 13% of the time
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Amazon QuickSight vs Microsoft Power BI
Compared 8% of the time
Databricks vs Microsoft Power BI Logo
Databricks vs Microsoft Power BI
Compared 7% of the time
Domo vs Microsoft Power BI Logo
Domo vs Microsoft Power BI
Compared 7% of the time
KNIME Business Hub vs Microsoft Power BI Logo
KNIME Business Hub vs Microsoft Power BI
Compared 5% of the time
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IBM Cognos vs SAP Crystal Reports Logo
IBM Cognos vs SAP Crystal Reports
Compared 11% of the time
TIBCO Jaspersoft vs SAP Crystal Reports Logo
TIBCO Jaspersoft vs SAP Crystal Reports
Compared 11% of the time
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs SAP Crystal Reports Logo
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs SAP Crystal Reports
Compared 10% of the time
QlikView vs SAP Crystal Reports Logo
QlikView vs SAP Crystal Reports
Compared 8% of the time
Windward Core vs SAP Crystal Reports Logo
Windward Core vs SAP Crystal Reports
Compared 6% of the time
More SAP Crystal Reports Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Power BI
August 2025
Microsoft Power BI reportDownload Microsoft Power BI product report
Buyer's Guide
SAP Crystals
July 2025
SAP Crystal Reports reportDownload SAP Crystal Reports product report
 

Also Known As

SSRS, SSAS, MSBI, MS Reporting Services, Microsoft BI Tools, Microsoft Big Data, Power BI Pro, MS BI
No data available
 

Overview

Microsoft Power BI is a powerful tool for data analysis and visualization. This tool stands out for its ability to merge and analyze data from various sources. Widely adopted across different industries and departments, Power BI is instrumental in creating visually appealing dashboards and generating insightful business intelligence reports. Its intuitive interface, robust visualization capabilities, and seamless integration with other Microsoft applications empower users to easily create interactive reports and gain valuable insights.

Microsoft

Turn information from almost any data source into a sophisticated, interactive report with SAP Crystal Reports. This powerful, user-friendly application for small businesses and departments can help you deliver key insights to the right decision maker, at the right time, in the right format. 

Click here for a free trial

SAP
 

Sample Customers

Accenture Adidas Aetna AIG Airbus Alibaba Allstate Amazon American Express Aon AT&T Audi Bank of America BASF Bayer Berkshire Hathaway Boeing Coca-Cola Comcast Cisco Coca-Cola Dell Disney Emirates Equinix FedEx Ford GE Google H&M Home Depot Honda IBM Intel JPMorgan Chase Kellogg's Kroger L'Oréal McDonald's Merck MetLife Microsoft Nike Oracle P&G PepsiCo Procter & Gamble Prudential Financial SAP Siemens Snapchat Spotify Starbucks Target Toyota T-Mobile Unilever Visa Walmart WeWork World Bank Xerox
City of Buenos Aires, ASR Group, Citrix, EarlySense, Usha International Limited, Automotive Resources International (ARI), LivePerson, Coelba (Grupo Neoenergia), RZD Russian Railways, National Basketball Association - NBA, TALLY WEiJL, El Machetazo, Young Heroes, Mozzart, Mitsui Knowledge Industry (MKI) , Surgutneftegas Open Joint Stock Company, The VELUX Group, AOK Bundesverband, AL-KO KOBER GROUP
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Power BI vs. SAP Crystals
July 2025
Free Report: Microsoft Power BI vs. SAP Crystal Reports
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Power BI vs. SAP Crystal Reports and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.
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