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Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs QlikView comparison

Microsoft and Qlik are both solutions in the Reporting category. Microsoft is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.6, while Qlik is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.3. Microsoft holds a 3.5% mindshare in RT, compared to Qlik’s 3.3% mindshare. Additionally, 84% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Qlik users who would recommend it.
Microsoft SQL Server Report...
Read 20 Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services reviews
  • 2,819 Views
  • 1,843 Comparison Views
84% willing to recommend
QlikView
Read 161 QlikView reviews
  • 1,651 Views
  • 1,454 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

QlikView and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services are prominent products competing in the business intelligence and data analytics category. QlikView appears to have the upper hand in ease of development and data discovery due to its intuitive interface and self-service capabilities. In contrast, Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is favored for its robust reporting and seamless integration with SQL Server databases.

Features: QlikView excels in rapid in-memory processing, intuitive dynamic dashboards, and rich visualization features, which enhance user experience and data discovery. It also integrates ETL capabilities and supports diverse data sources. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services offers extensive reporting, management dashboard capabilities, and efficiently integrates with SQL Server databases, enhancing data connectivity and user reporting needs.

Room for Improvement: QlikView could enhance its map capabilities, collaboration tools, and simplify its complex security model. Licensing complexity and performance with large data volumes are also noted concerns. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services could improve its pricing structure, integrations, and user interface, alongside enhancing its connectivity and drag-and-drop functionality.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: QlikView mainly supports on-premises deployment with some public cloud options. Deployment efficiency varies, but positive experiences are reported when a knowledgeable partner is involved. Customer service receives mixed feedback, although the community is highly valued. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services supports both on-premises and cloud environments, providing deployment flexibility. It is commended for excellent customer service, backed by strong community support and responsive technical assistance.

Pricing and ROI: QlikView is often seen as expensive, requiring careful licensing management to optimize costs. Its high ROI is recognized when fully utilized, despite initial cost barriers. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is regarded as a cost-effective solution, offering reasonable pricing although with variations based on specific licensing models. It generally provides good ROI through efficiency gains.

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To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs. QlikView Report (Updated: March 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft SQL Servering Services vs. QlikView
March 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
20
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
QlikView
Ranking in Reporting
5th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
161
Ranking in other categories
Embedded BI (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Reporting category, the mindshare of Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is 3.5%, down from 4.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of QlikView is 3.3%, up from 3.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Reporting
 

Featured Reviews

Gnanavel-Chakkarapani - PeerSpot reviewer
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.
Read full review
Arjun Meda - PeerSpot reviewer
Useful for data visualization and business intelligence
Many of the features in Qlik Sense need to be available and reintroduced in QlikView. I believe many of the features have been added to QlikView after the layout containers were introduced. QlikView used to be a way more customizable tool than Qlik Sense is in the present time. Improvements are required in the hide and unhide functionality that falls under the layout container feature that has been used in my company in recent times. Hiding off the apps in the app overview tab based on the access was a really good feature that needs to be introduced back in the product since I see that, at the moment, there are multiple groups on the tool, owing to which multiple changes on the QMC part is required to handle the solution. Only the person with access to the dashboard in QlikView could have a link to the dashboard through QlikView's hub or access points. With Qlik Sense, one can see whatever is available in the stream. If a user wants to control everything in the product, then there is no need to make multiple changes in the QMC at the individual app level. The aforementioned area can be considered to improve Qlik Sense.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The solution is known for its robust security features."
"In Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, the installation and configuration are easy."
"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."
"The stability of SSRS has been reliable, with minimal issues encountered during our usage."
"I mainly use the solution for the ease of reporting and for executive dashboards."
"The tool's valuable features are its drill-down feature, graphs, and charts."
"It is scalable."
"The initial setup is easy."
More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services pros
"The scalability is there."
"It excels in supporting database connections and various database types."
"It is useful to use a tool like this to have a view of data at a point in time. You can extract and create little data sets that you can store, and then over time, you can have a view for tracking changes. Especially when you work with a relational database or a database that's a production database, the data is dynamic, but if you use QlikView, you can take a snapshot of different datasets. In your own time, you can then get insights and report, build, analyze, and draw whatever you need from the data, which is quite useful."
"Once you open it up, you see everything that you can do."
"The solution is fast."
"The language support is very good."
"The initial setup is not very complex."
"This solution has simplified getting to and understanding our data, no matter where it is housed."
More QlikView pros
 

Cons

"The setup is difficult because you have to install different servers."
"The product could be improved by reducing the time it takes to build and deploy reports."
"I would like the solution to add the scheduling feature for reports."
"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."
"They could improve the scalability and stability of SQL Server Reporting Services."
"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."
"In this solution, the cost should be reduced for the enterprise edition."
"Technical support is in minor need of improvement so that they can solve problems in a more timely manner."
More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services cons
"It is really old. We are moving towards converting everything into a Power BI environment. We want to have a self-service type of BI environment where different levels of users in organizations can log onto a portal and retrieve the data they need or get the necessary insights for decision-making that's important for them or their business unit. They have built a new version of QlikView called QlikSense, which probably competes with newer BI tools, such as Power BI, but they are far behind. That's why we are moving towards a newer tool that's easier to use and has more visualizations to represent the data."
"For me, it is important to have a mix, what is the "view" and what is the "sense", Qlik Sense. They have two tools, but for me it is important to have only one tool, which combines the functions that we have from one side and the other side."
"It needs work with visualization."
"The tool is expensive in Turkey."
"The solution should be mobile-responsive. It should also include drag-and-drop and slice-and-dice features."
"This solution would be improved with the inclusion of a feature that would allow us to add a common library of (our) commands used in load scripts and expressions, so with a keyword, we would get a drop down to select the command we are looking for, as opposed to the generic help."
"QlikView certainly lacks in its ability to share visualizations or create visualizations easily."
"There is no automation or drag and drop functionality."
More QlikView cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is expensive."
"The solution is free to use for developers."
"The product pricing is reasonable in terms of suitable features for business."
"Value-wise, the solution's pricing is good for the price that we pay."
"The solution is cheaper than its alternatives."
"The tool's licensing costs are expensive."
"The price is pretty good."
"The pricing is high."
"Pricing is a bit too high and I think licenses should be unlimited."
"It is not very expensive. I think it it is on par with other similar products on the market."
"It's reasonably priced and falls on the more affordable side."
"The platform's pricing is considered quite expensive, particularly given the dollar-based pricing."
"It is expensive for small companies."
"I rate QlikView's pricing a five out of ten."
"On a scale of one to ten, where one being low price and ten being high price, I rate pricing a four."
"The pricing is too high compared to the other solutions on the market."
More QlikView pricing and cost advice
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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
14%
Government
12%
Computer Software Company
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Computer Software Company
13%
Healthcare Company
6%
Manufacturing Company
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

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.
See all answers
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.
See all answers
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.
See all answers
What do you like most about QlikView?
If you correctly use the product for your use cases, it provides value for money.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for QlikView?
Qlik Sense's licensing metrics are flexible. They provide packages based on needs, like named licenses, developer licenses, or shared pool licenses. There is also a core-based license option for or...
See all answers
What needs improvement with QlikView?
QlikView lacks self-service capabilities, which means users depend on the IT team to make changes. Qlik Sense offers a more modern approach with self-service features, allowing users to build dashb...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

TIBCO Jaspersoft vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Logo
TIBCO Jaspersoft vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
Compared 21% of the time
Tableau vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Logo
Tableau vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
Compared 17% of the time
IBM Cognos vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Logo
IBM Cognos vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
Compared 13% of the time
Oracle OBIEE vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Logo
Oracle OBIEE vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
Compared 12% of the time
Microsoft Power BI vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Logo
Microsoft Power BI vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
Compared 7% of the time
More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Competitors
Tableau vs QlikView Logo
Tableau vs QlikView
Compared 23% of the time
Amazon QuickSight vs QlikView Logo
Amazon QuickSight vs QlikView
Compared 15% of the time
Microsoft Power BI vs QlikView Logo
Microsoft Power BI vs QlikView
Compared 14% of the time
IBM Cognos vs QlikView Logo
IBM Cognos vs QlikView
Compared 6% of the time
SQL Server vs QlikView Logo
SQL Server vs QlikView
Compared 3% of the time
More QlikView Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Microsoft SQL Servering Services
March 2025
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services reportDownload Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services product report
Buyer's Guide
QlikView
March 2025
QlikView reportDownload QlikView 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

QlikView is a Business Intelligence tool that allows you to keep tabs on all of your business-related information in a clean, clear, and easy to access database that is intuitive to build and simple to navigate. It is ideal for business owners who wish to improve overall output by creating the most productive system possible.

Qlik
 

Sample Customers

CMS Wire, The New York Times
Canon, Gatorade, Amcor, Panasonic, Fila, Cambridge University Hospitals, Global Retail Bank, North Yorkshire Police department, Lanoo Group Publishers, and AonGroep Nederland.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft SQL Servering Services vs. QlikView
March 2025
Free Report: Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs. QlikView
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs. QlikView and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
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