Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs Plotly comparison

Microsoft and Plotly are both solutions in the Reporting category. Microsoft is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.6, while Plotly is ranked #18 with an average rating of 7.7. Microsoft holds a 3.4% mindshare in RT, compared to Plotly’s 1.3% mindshare. Additionally, 84% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Plotly users who would recommend it.

Microsoft SQL Server Report...

Read 20 Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services reviews

2,702 Views
1,727 Comparison Views

84% willing to recommend

Plotly

Read 3 Plotly reviews

624 Views
524 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft SQL Server Report...

Plotly

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

Plotly and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services are products competing in data visualization and reporting. Plotly stands out in terms of interactive graphics and user-friendliness, while Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is strong in its integration with Microsoft products and comprehensive reporting features.

Features: Plotly is known for its customizable dashboards, collaboration tools, and interactive graphics, providing a dynamic visualization experience. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services offers strong parameterization options, seamless integration with SQL Server, and extensive reporting capabilities. Plotly is favored for its contemporary design and flexibility, while Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services benefits from an enterprise-focused feature set.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services typically integrates easily into existing Microsoft infrastructures, making deployment smooth for current users, and its customer service is well-rated in enterprise contexts. Plotly's cloud-based nature allows for quicker deployment and efficient online support, catering well to teams needing rapid implementation. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services might need more configuration time initially, but it offers robust long-term support.

Pricing and ROI: Plotly's subscription pricing is cost-effective for smaller teams, delivering quick ROI with low setup costs. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services requires a higher initial investment, but it provides significant returns due to its capabilities in large, enterprise environments. Plotly's pricing model is attractive due to its flexibility, while Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services presents value through its extensive features.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs. Plotly Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft SQL Servering Services vs. Plotly

April 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:

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft SQL Server Report...

Ranking in Reporting

6th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Plotly

Ranking in Reporting

18th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Reporting category, the mindshare of Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is 3.4%, down from 4.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Plotly is 1.3%, down from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Reporting

Featured Reviews

Gnanavel-Chakkarapani

Junior Consultant at CMA CGM

Offers useful templates but needs to improve the connectivity offered

In Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, not much of the interface part is used. With Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, its users face issues with the interface after they use Excel or create Microsoft SSIS Packages. The tool's interface is an area of concern requiring improvement. There needs to be an improvement in the product's connectivity so that the tool can connect easily with other third-party databases. In the dashboard, drag and drop functionality needs to improve, especially when compared to other tools like IBM Cognos Analytics and Qlik Sense. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is useful only for standard reports. In IBM Cognos Analytics, query studio can be used by users to drag the data and simply download the reports, so the user doesn't need to have any technical knowledge like developers. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is to be improved to offer features like query Studio, which is provided in IBM Cognos Analytics.

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Hassan Kamkar

Data Analyst at a university with 1,001-5,000 employees

An interactive and easy-to-use solution that can be used to create dashboards

The solution cannot be deployed on the website and shared with others through its own platform. We need a third-party platform to share the application that we develop. In Tableau and Power BI, we can simply share the website with others as long as we use the paid version. However, for Plotly, we need to deploy our app on a cloud-based service like AWS or other third-party websites to share with others.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We get good support from Microsoft."

"It is scalable."

"It is a stable solution."

"I like Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services' automated reporting feature."

"Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services has been functional whenever I needed to use it."

"The solution's features are all just wrapped up in one nice easy package. I don't need a lot of toolsets to get everything I need done."

"I mainly use the solution for the ease of reporting and for executive dashboards."

"The initial setup is easy."

More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services pros

"The level of interactivity that the product provides is valuable to me."

"It is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine to ten out of ten."

"When reviewing and interpreting data, I typically examine it in a tabular form to understand its structure. However, when explaining or presenting the findings to others, I often use visualization tools such as Plotly. These tools allow me to create visual representations of datasets."

Cons

"It doesn't have quite the flexibility of a Tableau or something like that. Many users are more comfortable with Tableau and I'm not quite sure why that is right now, but it seems to be the case."

"The product should improve its performance."

"We have had issues with the refresh interval since we have too many reports scheduled. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is also expensive."

"Technical support is in minor need of improvement so that they can solve problems in a more timely manner."

"The complex tuning for report performance is complicated. There is a lack of native support for source code control. We often need to use separate tools like VS Code or other software to manage version control and changes in the database. It would be beneficial if source code management were integrated directly into SSRS, thus eliminating the need to rely on external tools. While CLI-based operations are exemplary, the trend is towards GUI for a better user experience. Integrating both visualization and source code management within SSRS would simplify the process for users."

"In this solution, the cost should be reduced for the enterprise edition."

"There are occasions during maintenance runs when the Check Point monitoring system reports a lot of blocked sessions."

"I would like the solution to add the scheduling feature for reports."

More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services cons

"The tool needs to improve its pie charts. Regarding Plotly, I find the online documentation somewhat challenging to navigate, especially when dealing with many parameters. Searching through thousands of parameters can be a tedious and less straightforward process. While the documentation is available online and serves its purpose, I often encounter difficulties in finding the information."

"The solution cannot be deployed on the website and shared with others through its own platform."

"I believe that the prices of the tool's paid services could be on the premium side, so the pricing model can be considered for improvement."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is expensive."

"The solution is cheaper than its alternatives."

"The solution is free to use for developers."

"Value-wise, the solution's pricing is good for the price that we pay."

"The price is pretty good."

"The pricing is high."

"The tool's licensing costs are expensive."

"The product pricing is reasonable in terms of suitable features for business."

"I only use the free tier of the product."

"It is an open-source tool. My company hasn't explored Plotly's premium services yet, but I believe the prices could be on the premium side."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Government

11%

Computer Software Company

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

18%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Computer Software Company

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?

I mainly use the solution for the ease of reporting and for executive dashboards.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?

I don't recall the current pricing as it changes frequently.

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What needs improvement with Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?

They could improve the scalability and stability of SQL Server Reporting Services. I haven't used it recently, so I can't provide detailed suggestions on improvements.

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What do you like most about Plotly?

It is a scalable solution. Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine to ten out of ten.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Plotly?

It is an open-source tool. My company hasn't explored Plotly's premium services yet, but I believe the prices are on the premium side. I rate the product price as five or six on a scale of one to t...

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What needs improvement with Plotly?

I believe that the price of the tool's paid services is on the premium side, so the pricing model can be considered for improvement.

See all answers

Comparisons

TIBCO Jaspersoft vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 19% of the time

Tableau vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 16% of the time

IBM Cognos vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 14% of the time

Oracle OBIEE vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 12% of the time

SAP Crystal Reports vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 9% of the time

More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Competitors

Microsoft Power BI vs Plotly

Compared 43% of the time

Tableau vs Plotly

Compared 35% of the time

TIBCO Spotfire vs Plotly

Compared 13% of the time

Looker Studio vs Plotly

Compared 10% of the time

More Plotly Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft SQL Servering Services

May 2025

Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services report

Download Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services product report

Buyer's Guide

Reporting

May 2025

Download Plotly product report

Also Known As

SQL Server Reporting Services, Microsoft SSRS, SSRS, MS SQL Server Reporting Services

No data available

Overview

At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our mission is grounded in both the world in which we live and the future we strive to create. Today, we live in a mobile-first, cloud-first world, and the transformation we are driving across our businesses is designed to enable Microsoft and our customers to thrive in this world.

We do business in 170 countries and are made up of 114,000 passionate employees dedicated to fulfilling our mission of helping you and your organization achieve more.

Microsoft

Plotly creates leading open source tools for composing, editing, and sharing interactive data visualization via the Web.

Our collaboration servers (available in cloud or on premises) allow data scientists to showcase their work, make graphs without coding, and collaborate with business analysts, designers, executives, and clients.

Plotly

Sample Customers

CMS Wire, The New York Times

Google, Goji, VIT, Smpl Bio, U.S. Air Force, C12 Energy, New York University

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft SQL Servering Services vs. Plotly

April 2025

Free Report: Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs. Plotly

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