We use this for data analysis and the creation of indicators. It is one of the most powerful tools for BI in my experience. It works very fast, is intuitive, and useful. You just drag and drop, as soon as you download it.
Consultor at Scitum
Works very well for updating indicator boards,and for quick visualizations in demos
Pros and Cons
- "The uploading of information is very easy, as you just use an Excel sheet to start work right away and obtain the benefits of Power BI."
- "It is one of the most powerful tools for BI in my experience."
- "I would like to see the product offer more graphics to impact different audiences."
- "I would like to see the product offer more graphics to impact different audiences."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
This solution works very well for updating indicator boards, and for quick visualizations in demos. You can present results in many ways to improve the presentation.
I have used it on a variety of applications where it is important to show analysis and present information in a graphical perspective, and also to modify and present information to developers and executives.
What is most valuable?
One of the features I really like is that there are a lot of different graphics that are very nicely presented. The uploading of information is very easy, as you just use an Excel sheet to start work right away and obtain the benefits of Power BI.
When you start, right from the beginning it can help you. Once you upload the data you can start to play with the different options you have from the graphics available, and also from the different mathematical and logical conversions that it offers.
I also work with other data processors and the facilities that Power BI offer can help to better understand the traditional database tools such as SQL, or others.
Another advantage is that you don't have to have a lot of knowledge about databases. This is because you use Power BI knowing your goal and what you want to achieve with respect to the data that you are processing.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see the product offer more graphics to impact different audiences. Also, I would like more ease in connecting with the different database drives.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Power BI
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Power BI. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
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For how long have I used the solution?
Less than one year.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
This is different from other solutions in that Power BI offers ease of use. It is different from any SQL tool because you can use it right away.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
If you are looking for free tools to process data in different ways for an easy to medium analysis then you have the free version available. However, if you want a complex analysis from multiple sources of data then you should look for the charge and support version.
In my opinion, both options are good.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated some other tools but I think they had very different objectives. Power BI looked more generic and has an easy and quick way to present the information in different forms.
What other advice do I have?
It is important to say that the information cannot be confidential or secret. This is because the platform processes all data from the Microsoft cloud and you have to be certain of the security issues that someone could face if a security breach happens.
I very much recommend the free trial mode.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Regional PDS - Director of Business Intelligence at JLL
I like it's ability to do almost anything to create the necessary calculated fields and measures (DAX)
Pros and Cons
- "All elements together allowed for the rapid deployment of PoC products that could be tested and validated by businesses before being deployed."
What is our primary use case?
- Running a team to build end-to-end BI solutions for large enterprises.
- Data typically stores in SQL Server. Some ad-hoc data pulled from SharePoint lists or Excel files.
- Use of SSAS Tabular in some models.
- Currently, no deployment of premium. A large deployment of PBI Pro.
- We also use Tableau Desktop and on-prem server, but Power BI was a go-to product.
How has it helped my organization?
- An easy learning curve for analysts. If they know how to use Excel pivot tables, then they can self-serve building visitations on curated data.
- Full stack end-to-end ETL and viz in one tool.
- Power Query for ETL, and externally easy to use. Majority of activities are low or no code.
- Creating a model and augmenting with additional calculations and measures extremely easily.
- Viz layer build is super fast. Very much like a PowerPoint experience.
- All elements together allowed for the rapid deployment of PoC products that could be tested and validated by businesses before being deployed.
What is most valuable?
- Power Query: The data prep tool allows for very easy ingestion, shaping and prepping of the data before loading into the model.
- DAX: Its ability to do almost anything to create the necessary calculated fields and measures.
- Viz layer: It's just easy to lay out a page.
What needs improvement?
The only real need is a lower tier pricing plan around premium. It’s a big step-up unless you have a very large user base (1000).
For how long have I used the solution?
One to three years.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Power BI
March 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Power BI. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: March 2026.
884,976 professionals have used our research since 2012.
IT & Projects Development at Anfasic Dokhoon
Quickly shares data from the source to business users
Pros and Cons
- "Quick sharing of data from source to business users is very useful."
- "Dependency on data warehousing and pricing."
What is our primary use case?
- Management BI/dashboard reporting
- Quick sharing of data from source to business users which is very useful.
How has it helped my organization?
- Giving visibility to management/business users about the business by mobility.
- Easy to develop and manage.
What is most valuable?
- Mobility.
- It's easy to use.
- Multiple data sourcing.
- Quick development and deployment.
- Mobility and ease of use.
What needs improvement?
For how long have I used the solution?
Less than one year.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
ERP Consultant MS Dynamics Nav at Witteveen Logistics & IT
Better insights, flexibility, and performance
Pros and Cons
- "My primary use case is for the performance, compared to MS Dynamics NAV, and flexibility in data and dashboard building."
- "Sharing reports with non-Power BI users Use of ISO weeks (European) in relative date options."
What is our primary use case?
My primary use case is for the performance, compared to MS Dynamics NAV, and flexibility in data and dashboard building.
How has it helped my organization?
Better insights, flexibility, and performance.
What is most valuable?
Great performance.
What needs improvement?
- Sharing reports with non-Power BI users
- Use of ISO weeks (European) in relative date options.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Director Research and Development at Projects Factory
A comprehensive source for visualizations and analytics
Pros and Cons
- "Because this solution is very easy, and very visual, you can have results in minutes."
- "Because this solution is very easy, and very visual, you can have results in minutes."
- "I would like to see a feature that connects with a Machine Learning platform like a RapidMiner or Azure Machine Learning Studio. It would be great to have a Machine Learning application link to connect."
- "I would like to see a feature that connects with a Machine Learning platform like a RapidMiner or Azure Machine Learning Studio."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use this for creating dashboards and reports for the oil and gas industry.
What is most valuable?
Power BI is always updating. I receive multi mail from Power BI with new visualizations, new analytics, new webinars and I'm going to Microsoft here locally in order to have a updated presentation about the new features of Power BI. For me it's very versatile. I can publish on my iPad. I have a Power BI application in order to manage the visualization of my report and my dashboard. Also I can speak to Power BI and ask about production and Q&A. But, I don't have compilation with other tools yet. For me, Power BI is the best.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see a feature that connects with a Machine Learning platform like a RapidMiner or Azure Machine Learning Studio. It would be great to have a Machine Learning application link to connect.
For how long have I used the solution?
One to three years.
How was the initial setup?
It was straightforward. We had no problems with implementation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is fine for our company. It is reasonably priced.
What other advice do I have?
Because this solution is very easy, and very visual, you can have results in minutes.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Sr Dot Net Developer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Good platform for data analysis, needs help with big data
Pros and Cons
- "It is a good platform for data analysis, organization, and all of the other interim performances that are necessary."
- "It is a good platform for data analysis, organization, and all of the other interim performances that are necessary."
- "It could have more of a hold on big data. Manipulating big data on this solution complicates things. This needs to be improved."
- "It could have more of a hold on big data. Manipulating big data on this solution complicates things."
What is our primary use case?
It is a good platform for data analysis, organization, and all of the other interim performances that are necessary.
What needs improvement?
It could have more of a hold on big data. Manipulating big data on this solution complicates things. This needs to be improved.
Also, we post NGDP data and manipulating this kind of data could be better.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is good but sometimes we need to validate the data.
How is customer service and technical support?
Tech support helped us handle the implementation to completion. They were helpful.
How was the initial setup?
I did not find any complexities with the setup.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We are a Microsoft partner so we did not look at other solutions.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Engineer at Jade Global
The Microsoft tech support blog is very helpful.
Pros and Cons
- "Tech support is very helpful."
- "Tech support is very helpful."
- "We did have some issues building the Microsoft blog."
- "We were having trouble working with the icons."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case for this solution is mirroring it to the dock so we can match up different parts of Office like Excel, Word, etc. and then we can clear it.
How has it helped my organization?
Microsoft always believes in adding different features. We did have some issues building the Microsoft blog.
What needs improvement?
We were having trouble working with the icons.
For how long have I used the solution?
Less than one year.
How is customer service and technical support?
The Microsoft tech support blog was very helpful to me. But, it supports the non-BI people also.
How was the initial setup?
I was not involved with implementation of the product.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I do not have a comment on the pricing of the solution.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Business Analyst, Big data at a manufacturing company
It has a nice integration with Office 365.
Pros and Cons
- "My primary use is for view of the dashboard."
- "It ingegrates nicely with Office 365."
- "It is a solution that is easy for developers to be hands-on, even if they do not have prior experience with it."
- "Powerpoints are not available in the report server."
- "The report server feature is quite limited."
- "This is frustrating because sometimes the finance manager needs to export the report to a PowerPoint."
What is our primary use case?
My primary use case is for view of the dashboard.
How has it helped my organization?
We did not previously have a BI platform before. This has helped us.
What is most valuable?
It has a nice integration with Office 365.
What needs improvement?
Once the report updated, we want the system to send a notification to user automatically. Especially if the email can imbed the dashboard data into the email, instead of a link. This does not necessarily happen.
In addition, importing the dashboard to a powerpoint is not available in the report server. Even though we go to the public cloud service, the export is only the picture, or a snapshot of the dashboard. We cannot play the features or see the data we could change in a powerpoint. This is frustrating because sometimes the finance manager needs to export the report to a powerpoint. Actually, we wanted to export because we wanted to do the presentation. We wanted to show the figures or something like that, but those figures are just static, and are only a picture.
Finally, an additional feature should be added to add a cost table.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Actually, it's a stable solution. But in some companies, based on my experience, my previous company, using the FAP solution for their IP solution. Then for our Powerband, the BI2, the data come from EIPCN, something like that, but actually it seems that the Powerband don't have very good integration with FAP interface. The integration from from FAP is not so convenient
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is quite good.
How is customer service and technical support?
The technical support team is quite responsive and helpful. They are responsive to our questions in their forum.
How was the initial setup?
I was not involed with the initial setup of the solution.
What was our ROI?
We always review:
- Scalability
- Price
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is a cheap solution for our needs.
What other advice do I have?
It is a solution that is easy for developers to be hands-on, even if they do not have prior experience with it. It is quite easy to learn.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Updated: March 2026
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