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Top 10 Alternatives to Power BI: Overview of Business Intelligence Platforms in 2024

What is the top alternative to Power BI?

The top alternative to Power BI is Sisense because of its robust enterprise-level, self-service business intelligence features. Its data analytics engine can discover hidden insights and pinpoint trends. As such, it can monitor key business metrics and determine outliers which can greatly improve decision-making processes within the company.

Power BI is perhaps one of the leading analytics and business intelligence solutions in the market today, and for a good reason. It comes with an extensive selection of charts and dashboards. Moreover, it packs dynamic features for data mining, visualization, a clean interface, and other components that come standard with business intelligence software.

However, like any other application, Power BI is not a one-size-fits-all solution. For example, it can’t automate the consolidation of data if your source is password-protected. It can also be challenging to figure out if the user doesn’t have any prior experience with BI tools.

That said, we have compiled the top 10 alternatives to Power BI, paying attention to the features that set them apart from this popular software. This way, you can zero in on which tool meets your requirements and budget. This way, you can create data-driven decisions to combat the uncertainties brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

alternatives to power BI

Business intelligence platforms are continuously getting better at making sense out of the ever-ifncreasing amounts of data while doing it faster too. Also, more BI users are no longer IT staff. Companies now hire employees with a fair amount of technological know-how to harness the power of BI software to gain a competitive advantage. Instead of centralizing ownership tools with IT, enabling business owners to be in charge of these programs is one of several components of a successful BI strategy.

As a result, business intelligence developers are pushing down the barrier of access to this type of software. No longer is it enough to have excellent analysis or data warehousing features; they must also be usable to employees who fall somewhere in the middle of the BI layperson and the data expert in the IT department.

Research shows that for four years in a row, master data and data quality management has consistently ranked as the most important trend for users, consultants, and software vendors of BI and data management technology. This trend garnered a score of 7.3, with IT and business users both giving it an average score of 7.4.

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Most Important BI Trends in 2021

(ranked on a scale of 1 to 10)

Most Important BI Trends in 2021
Master data/DQ mgmt: 7.4

Master data/DQ mgmt

Most Important BI Trends in 2021
Data discovery/visualization: 7.4

Data discovery/visualization

Most Important BI Trends in 2021
Data-driven culture: 7.0

Data-driven culture

Most Important BI Trends in 2021
Data governance: 6.9

Data governance

Most Important BI Trends in 2021
Self-service analytics: 6.7

Self-service analytics

Most Important BI Trends in 2021
Data warehouse modernization: 6.0

Data warehouse modernization

Most Important BI Trends in 2021
Data preparation by business users: 5.8

Data preparation by business users

Most Important BI Trends in 2021
Agile BI development: 5.8

Agile BI development

Most Important BI Trends in 2021
Real-time analytics: 5.6

Real-time analytics

Most Important BI Trends in 2021
Alerting: 5.6

Alerting

Source: Business Application Research Center, 2021

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Of course, BI players are not taking these new developments sitting down. Many leading BI vendors have found a way to meet new challenges; these include agile, smaller companies that extended data visualization capabilities to their systems by giving their interfaces a total face-lift. You can learn more about this development in our guide to data visualization software.

One of the more well-known BI software solutions is Microsoft Power BI. It leverages the tech giant’s big data and IT infrastructure, but it is by no means your only choice. In this guide, we present the top 10 alternatives to Power BI, one of which should fit your requirements. But, before we give you the rundown on the top 10 alternatives to Power BI, let’s find out more about this solution.

What is Power BI?

Microsoft Power BI dashboard

Business analytics tool Microsoft Power BI is a go-to solution for IT professionals and novice data analysts alike. It packs a wide variety of features including custom dashboards, robust reporting options, powerful data governance tools, and ad hoc analysis in a clean and straightforward interface. With this, you can easily streamline all your business intelligence efforts and get simplified answers to all of your complex questions.

In addition to the abovementioned capabilities, Microsoft Power BI converts your data into stunning and understandable visuals, making it easy for you and your company to gather information, organize and devise effective business strategies. It comes with drag-and-drop gestures as well as natural language queries so you get lightning-fast insights into your operations.

Last but not least, Microsoft continues to expand Power BI’s capabilities through new connectors (a MailChimp Database, for instance), so users can improve the quality of their campaigns and query directly their Server Query Language databases and Spark data sources.

Benefits of Power BI

  1. Easier Query Data Sharing. It automatically imports data for easier sorting and filtering before loading it on your spreadsheet. This way, you can eliminate many data loading concerns.
  2. Microsoft’s DAX Query Language. It relies on Power Pivot to develop and execute analytic measures. This allows for a comparably shorter learning curve than any other BI or discovery system.
  3. Enterprise-Level Reporting Capabilities. It can consolidate large datasets from multiple sources and transform them into comprehensible reports. Users can also automate the creation of recurring reports to get insights faster.
  4. IT-Free Accessibility. It comes with drag-and-drop navigation. So, even without extensive experience, you can connect it to any data source and summarize the findings in any report.
  5. Curated Data and Personalized Views. The system packs content in line with individual requirements. Each member will get a personalized dataset where one can only see the business metrics that matter to him/her.
  6. Interactive Visualizations. It offers an extensive selection of charts, graphs, and interactive dashboards for simpler report creation. The platform also provides a live view of data that can be toggled with in real-time.
  7. Extensive Collaboration Options. It lets you share dashboards and reports with the right people wherever you go. It also comes with smart alerts so you get real-time notifications about your data.

Why consider alternatives to Power BI?

Power BI is a popular business intelligence (BI) tool, but it may not meet every organization’s needs. Key reasons to consider alternatives include cost, specific feature requirements, integration compatibility, and user interface preferences. Power BI’s pricing can be limiting, especially for small businesses or teams seeking more cost-effective options. Some BI tools offer a simpler, more intuitive interface that may suit users without extensive technical backgrounds, making alternatives more appealing for teams prioritizing ease of use.

Additionally, businesses that rely heavily on other tools or data sources may find alternatives to Power BI that integrate better with their existing software environment, streamlining workflows and minimizing compatibility issues. Certain BI platforms provide unique features, such as specialized analytics or advanced customization, which may better align with specific industry needs.

For growing businesses, scalability is another consideration, as some alternatives offer flexible plans that can more seamlessly adjust to evolving data needs. Finally, security and compliance requirements could steer organizations toward platforms emphasizing strong data protection and adherence to regulations, a critical aspect for sectors handling sensitive information. By exploring Power BI alternatives, companies can find a BI solution that better aligns with their goals, budget, and operational needs.

Top Alternatives to Power BI

1. Sisense

Sisense dashboard

At the top of list is Sisense, a business intelligence platform that lets users join, analyze, and picture out information to make more intelligent business decisions and craft out workable plans and strategies.

It allows users to unify all the data they need and want into visually appealing dashboards via a drag and drop user interface. Sisense lets users turn data into highly valuable insights and share them with colleagues, business partners, and clients via interactive dashboards.

Sisense is the leading business intelligence software for many companies, ranging from startups and developing enterprises to Fortune 500 giants, including NASDAQ, Sony, ESPN, Comcast, and NASA. You can see the software in action with all its features at no cost thanks to Sisense free demo.

Sisense

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Try out Sisense with their free demo

Does Sisense provide the feature you are looking for? If yes, waste no time, implement the platform to leverage its powerful BI capabilities. However, if the solution does not fit your requirements, you can look at these Sisense alternatives for more options.

Why choose Sisense instead of Power BI?

  1. Unparalleled Performance: The award-winning In-Chip technology at the core of the Sisense engine allows it to effectively use CPU cache memory as well as process and prepare data only when a new query is made. Concurrent, ad-hoc queries return results in seconds, even when working with billions of rows of rapidly changing data.
  2. Shortest Time-to-Insight and Unmatched TCO: Sisense covers the full scope of business analytics in one agile BI software, from preparing complex data for analysis to creating dashboards with a wide variety of visualizations. With no DBA required to manage the platform, no manual mashups to maintain, and no special scripts to learn, Sisense provides a complete business intelligence platform at unmatched TCO.
  3. It covers the full range of business analytics: Sisense is agile and fast in giving insights. You won’t need multiple tools such as manual mashups or special scripts to run queries and gain insights. Sisense is a single platform that manages the entire BI workflow. It quickly processes raw data from multiple sources. You can speedily add new data such as tables without needing to sort or summarize them in advance. Simply integrate new supplier data or campaign metrics into Sisense to perform sales forecast analytics.
  4. You can easily integrate Sisense with other products: You can use Sisense’s REST API to smoothly integrate the app with your other applications. This means you can quickly generate insights from business processes such as project management, accounting, and CRM using Sisense’s robust data analytics module. You can also visualize the data in a user-friendly interface.
    Integrating Sisense will turn your other applications into robust data crunchers. The other apps gain benefits such as an interactive dashboard, data preparation, strong backend for ETL, ongoing maintenance and tech support, data integration from multiple sources, quick response to queries, and creating an end-to-end solution. These benefits can help you explore data in detail and gain deep insights that you can use to score over the competition. Sisense also offers OEM white-labeling, which allows vendors to customize Sisense’s look to match their application. This ensures the Sisense backend remains hidden from the vendors’ customers.
  5. Sisense is robust, yet easy to use: Sisense uses proprietary technologies to allow even lay users to use the platform. But make no mistake, this app offers robust BI features. The In-Chip engine makes data preparation simple and fast. It allows you to make various queries and get quick answers without needing to apply data rules for each query. To optimize CPU performance, the data is prepared only when a query is made. This means Sisense is adaptable to commodity server infrastructure, and you do not have to invest in high-end servers.

Detailed Sisense Review

2. Wyn Enterprise

wyn enterprise dashboard

Next on our list of the top 10 alternatives to Power BI is Wyn Enterprise, a self-service reporting and analytics platform offering intuitive tools, ranging from data integration to data modeling. It also comes with custom access controls, extensive security options, and specialized portals, making it easy for users to go about their business intelligence efforts seamlessly. Moreover, the platform provides users with a built-in resource and document storage, so they don’t have to spend on external databases.

The platform also offers visual data explorers, file sharing options, and monitoring tools that simplify the process of retrieving and distributing data within your organization. If these aren’t enough, there are also various dashboards and data visualization options that can help in preparing comprehensive reports and presentations of your findings. In case you are interested in learning more about this product, you can start a test drive with Wyn Enterprise free trial.

Wyn Enterprise

Wyn Enterprise

Try out Wyn Enterprise with their free trial

Wyn Enterprise may be the solution you need to streamline the way you collate and analyze business data. However, should you want to expand your options, there are also other Wyn Enterprise alternatives that you can check out.

Why use Wyn Enterprise instead of Power BI?

  1. Multi-Tenancy Support. Wyn Enterprise simplifies data accessibility without compromising security using its multi-tenant support feature. This comes with user context tools, role-based security options, as well as row-level filters. This way, you can ensure that only employees, stakeholders, and other authorized personnel are utilizing your company’s BI reports.
  2. Simplified File Sharing. The platform makes it easy for employees to relay BI reports using its file-sharing options. With this, you can schedule automated delivery of reports via email. Moreover, it comes with collaborative dashboard designs that make it easy to disseminate information within your team.
  3. Complete White Labeling Options. Another perk to using Wyn Enterprise is that it allows you to deliver a seamless user experience. It is a fully white-labeled BI software. Meaning, you can design it according to your company color scheme and even add your business logo.
  4. Extensive Security Options. This BI solution offers a granular level of security, making it easy to mitigate risks and keep your data analytics reports safe from prying eyes. What’s more, the platform can support integrations that will allow you to use your preferred security solutions in addition to the options already available within the platform
  5. Custom Pricing. Last but not least, Wyn Enterprise is only available by quote. This means, as you sign up, you can customize your plan depending on your requirements. That said, you can ensure that you are only paying the functionalities that you will actually be using for your day-to-day operations.

Detailed Wyn Enterprise Review

3. Zoho Analytics

zoho analytics dasbhboard example

Zoho Analytics, formerly known as Zoho Reports, is a self-service business intelligence and analytics software that allows you to create insightful dashboards and data visualizations. Created for startups, medium-sized companies, and everything in between, this software has a short learning curve that makes it quick and easy to implement. Moreover, the vendor offers flexible and competitive pricing plans. For a growing company, there is an enterprise version available that’s more intuitive than what most competitors offer.

Easy to set up and fast to implement, Zoho Analytics lets you get started in just a few days, saving you huge amounts of time and effort. The tool’s spreadsheet-like interface, as well as its intuitive drag-and-drop based reports designer, make it very easy to learn and use for any business. If you make the best of Zoho Analytics free trial you’ll get to know more about the product’s features at no cost.

Zoho Analytics

Zoho Analytics

Try out Zoho Analytics with their free trial

Zoho Analytics’ unique value proposition lies in its powerful analytics and data visualization capabilities. You may also check out these Zoho Analytics alternatives for more options.

Why use Zoho Analytics instead of Power BI?

  1. Connect to any data source. Import data from files, feeds, databases, cloud drives, popular business applications, and in-house apps.
  2. Visual analysis. Create reports and dashboards, with an easy drag-and-drop interface. Use different BI visualization tools to drill down to specifics.
  3. Secure online collaboration. Share and collaborate on reports and dashboards with your colleagues privately and reach a consensus quickly.
  4. Data blending. Combine data from different sources to create cross-functional reports and get more insight into your business.
  5. Powerful formula engine. Build formulae using an easy-to-use formula engine, offering extensive mathematical and statistical functions.

Detailed Zoho Analytics Review

4. Sigma Computing

Sigma Computing dashboard

Sigma Computing is a cloud-based business intelligence and analytics platform that enables users to investigate, analyze, and obtain insights from their data. With its user-friendly interface and self-service capabilities, business users can easily and confidently make data-driven decisions.

The foundation of this business intelligence and analytics platform is its ability to connect to diverse data sources, including databases, cloud storage, and spreadsheets, among others. This capability allows users to access and consolidate data from multiple systems, eliminating the need for manual data extraction and consolidation.

Sigma Computing

Sigma Computing

Try out Sigma Computing with their free trial

By providing a unified perspective of data, Sigma Computing enables users to get a comprehensive view of their business operations. The platform provides a variety of visualization tools, including charts, graphs, and dashboards, enabling users to communicate their findings in a visually appealing manner. You can check out how the platform compares with similar platforms with these Sigma Computing alternatives.

Why choose Sigma Computing instead of Power BI?

  1. Intuitive interface. Sigma Computing has a user-friendly interface that is comparable to an intuitive spreadsheet, making it simple to use and available to corporate customers of various technical proficiency levels. Even without extensive training or coding experience, users can quickly become proficient in using the platform.
  2. Self-service analytics. Business users can execute self-service analytics using Sigma Computing without substantially depending on IT or data teams. They are able to independently examine and interpret data, enabling them to quickly reach data-driven judgments.
  3. Easily accessible data. Databases, cloud storage, spreadsheets, and other sources of data are easily accessible through the platform. This gives users access to and the ability to aggregate data from several systems, giving them a complete picture of their business activities.
  4. Powerful data exploration tools. Users are provided tools to explore data, dive down to specifics, and build interactive visualizations like dashboards and charts. This makes it possible for users to find insights, recognize trends, and effectively communicate findings.
  5. Real-time collaboration. Enables users to share analytics, dashboards, and reports with team members. The usage of real-time collaboration tools promotes teamwork and knowledge sharing by allowing multiple users to work on the same analysis at once and to interact with one another via live chat, comments, or notes.

Detailed Sigma Computing Review

5. Qualtrics Research Core

Qualtrics Research Core dashboard

Qualtrics Research Core is an enterprise market research platform trusted by over 8500 brands and 100 schools across the globe. Built to help users drive better business decisions, this is the first software solution to use AI in analyzing survey data for predicting market trends. It consists of a set of advanced intelligent features called Qualtrics IQ.

Powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence, these tools aim to make sophisticated research simpler. Whether you want to track consumer behavior, benchmark your company against competitors, conduct academic research, test products, or analyze your advertising efforts, Qualtrics Research Core can simplify and optimize it for you. This platform offers a plethora of state-of-the-art tools that can let you create, test, and modify surveys in an instant so that you can get actionable business insights as quickly as possible. Qualtrics Research Core offers a free trial where you can use all the features for free for a period of time to see if the software matches your needs.

Overwhelmed by the powerful features of Qualtrics Research Core? If simpler is more your cup of tea, then look at these Qualtrics Research Core alternatives too.

Why use Qualtrics Research Core instead of Power BI?

  1. It has an expert, skilled professionals who are available 24/7 by phone, email and chat to help you. This way, you won’t have to worry about experiencing lengthy downtimes.
  2. It offers both in-house implementation and can also partner with industry-specific companies such as Walker, JD-Power, and Kantar.
  3. It offers Text IQ capability. Equipped with artificial intelligence and natural language processing, this tool analyzes open texts for you. It will then suggest relevant topics and assign sentiment scores to individual text comments.
  4. It eliminates the guesswork in the planning process using its Driver IQ function. Providing you with real-time data on your customers’ experiences, this tool will automatically correlate this information to prioritize the key drivers of your business. It can also predict the actions that will reap the best possible business impact to help you optimize your campaigns.

Detailed Qualtrics Research Core Review

6. ActiveBatch

ActiveBatch dashboard

IT automation software ActiveBatch is a powerful solution that combines silos of automation within one robust framework. Primarily, the solution is designed to help businesses to employ, manage, and orchestrate IT workflows across a hybrid computing environment. To keep the workflows in good shape, ActiveBatch provides a robust intelligence and analytics module.

Basically, this module is tailored to enable businesses to leverage the data at their disposal to derive meaningful insights. It makes it easy to pinpoint, monitor, and manage systems and workflows with ease. For example, the workflow monitoring and alerting tools work in tandem to help users identify issues and address them promptly to thwart processing bottlenecks. Should you want to learn more about this product, be sure to try the ActiveBatch free trial.

Moreover, with its business intelligence capabilities, ActiveBatch enables businesses to create reports in easy-to-read formats. Besides delivering information in multiple formats, the dashboards provide dynamic visualizations that reveal details of the system’s health and performance. What’s more, ActiveBatch provides multiple developers, operations, forecasts, and Gantt views.

In case you still find that this program isn’t for you, you can always take a look at these other ActiveBatch alternatives.

Why use ActiveBatch instead of Power BI?

  1. Powerful BI tools. ActiveBatch provides robust business intelligence and reporting features such as dynamic visualizations that unearth information about your system’s health and performance.
  2. Workflow monitoring. The alerting and workflow monitoring tools enhance issues detection and help expedite issues resolution.
  3. Easy-to-interpret Gantt views. Its Gantt view displays your job and plans relationships. It graphically visualizes details about all executions and makes it easy to identify the status of each workflow.
  4. Forecast view. Moreover, with the forecast view, you can easily compute the optimal run time of each workflow.
  5. SLA monitoring. Even better, ActiveaBatch supports SLA monitoring. It empowers you to remain in control of all workflows and proactively steer them out of potential breaches.

Detailed ActiveBatch Review

7. CXAIR Platform

CXAIR Platform dashboard

CXAIR Platform is a best-in-class data discovery and analytics platform trusted by BI professionals from various industries. It is built to reinforce evidence-based decision making by providing users with a single version of truth for all their data analytics efforts. With it, users can take advantage of advanced security tools, intuitive data visualization, as well as efficient data organization options.

Additionally, CXAIR has no data size restrictions. This way, you can collect and analyze as much data as you want from as many sources you require and get the information you need to optimize your operations. It even comes with great visualization options, report viewers, and custom dashboards to make your business intelligence efforts flow as seamlessly as possible. You can learn more about what this tool has to offer if you take advantage of the CXAIR Platform free trial.

When it comes to data discovery, CXAIR Platform is a force to reckon with. However, if you feel that this application doesn’t meet your requirements, be sure to also take a look at these CXAIR Platform alternatives.

Why use CXAIR Platform instead of Power BI?

  1. User-Friendly Interface. CXAIR Platform is proof that business intelligence doesn’t have to be too complex. This software comes with a streamlined interface that is easy to learn and navigate, making it ideal for tech-averse users. What’s more, it is also flexible enough for tech-savvy BI professionals.
  2. Rapid Data Retrieval. This BI tool is powered by the Apache Lucene search engine technology. This allows it to perform rapid data retrieval and deliver faster user experience no matter how big your datasets may be.
  3. Advanced Security. Nowadays, data is money. This is why CXAIR offers advanced security options that will allow you to safeguard your confidential company information and analytics reports. It even comes with built-in pseudonymization for added security.
  4. Robust Visual Analytics. CXAIR offers intuitive visual analytics tools, including data stories, interactive Venn diagrams, and infographic reporting. It also comes with an extensive chart library so you can easily translate your findings into comprehensible reports.
  5. Real-Time Data View. The platform can churn out instant reports and feed the data directly to all concerned parties. In this way, you increase transparency and improve the speed by which you relay information across your organization.

Detailed CXAIR Platform Review

8. Board

Board dashboard

If you are looking for a multifunctional business intelligence solution, Board might just be the one for you. This cloud-based application offers an all-in-one platform for business intelligence, data discovery, analytics, and corporate performance management capabilities.

Board makes crucial decision-making processes easier and faster through its robust automations that can be applied through the stages of data discovery, conducting in-depth analysis, generating detailed reports, and more. This software solution also comes with a toolkit for building your own analyses and process models, databases, data presentations, and other applications. Furthermore, Board is equipped with a proprietary cutting-edge solution called Board BEAM, which allows you to automate predictive modelling.

Part of Board’s revolutionary design is its ease of use. While the integration of business intelligence, corporate performance management, and predictive analytics in one platform may appear too complex, Board’s interface is actually easy enough to learn and navigate with minimal support. In terms of customer support, Board offers training assistance and you can also rely on the members of its community portal.

You may also check one of our posts if you would like to learn more about Board’s pros and cons.

Why choose Board instead of Power BI?

  1. Industry agnostic. Board caters to all industries, including retail, manufacturing, financial and professional services, automotive industry, and more.
  2. Self-service analytics. Board does not only give you the right tools but also the freedom to create visualizations of your data analytics and applications without any IT assistance within seconds.
  3. Real time simulation. You can design and build simulation models that are capable of assessing and reflecting projected changes in real time.
  4. Cutting-edge reporting. When it comes to reporting, Board offers a user-friendly intuitive drag-and-drop interface, comprehensive charts, MS Office integration, and advanced broadcasting and alerting functions for faster distribution of reports. These reports can also be customized by individual users.
  5. MS Office integration. The integration with MS Office offers Board users the familiar environment of Excel spreadsheets, Word, and PowerPoint. By using the Board Office Add-in, you can sync also your Board data with your Office documents in real time.

Detailed Board Review

9. Salesforce Analytics Cloud

salesforce analytics cloud dashboard example

Salesforce Analytics Cloud is a cloud-based business intelligence software designed to help mid-sized and large businesses analyze data sets. The platform is powered by Tableau and Einstein Analytics, making it highly capable of automating data discovery and creating easy-to-understand AI models. With these features, businesses can easily find answers even to the most complicated business questions.

Aside from being a powerful tool, Salesforce Analytics Cloud is designed to be easy to use as well. The platform enables self-service analytics; as such, it has a search engine-like interface that allows users to explore and navigate data from every angle. And, with the Salesforce Analytics Cloud mobile app, users can enjoy this easy access to data wherever they are.

If you find that Salesforce Analytics Cloud’s features doesn’t quite match your needs, you can check Salesforce Analytics Cloud alternatives.

Why use Salesforce Analytics Cloud instead of Power BI?

  1. Unified data on one platform: Salesforce Analytics Cloud can collect all your business data on one platform, no matter the source. For instance, the software offers connectors to a wide variety of sources, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Big Query, NetSuite, and various Salesforce applications. Users can visualize all this data onto one platform and avoid the need to switch from one system to another.
  2. New ways to explore data: The platform provides analytics teams with new ways of discovering insights through data exploration. Salesforce Analytics Cloud allows users to view data through various lens, allowing for visual exploration through graphs. Data can also be grouped and filtered, and users can drill deeper into data sets to discover hidden insights. Moreover, the system provides predictive and prescriptive analytics along with real-time recommendations on data analysis.
  3. Complete control of data: Salesforce Analytics Cloud gives users full control of business data. Once data is in the system, users can start digging into data and building dashboards and transparent AI models. The system offers no-code AI tools for one-click storytelling and automated discovery. Users will also be able to build AI-powered apps that provide best-practice datasets, dashboards, and KPIs that teams can use to boost business success.
  4. Powerful mobile analytics capabilities: The platform is available for download on iOS and Android. Through the Analytics Mobile app, users get access to generate dashboards and data sets and view data wherever they are. Users will also be able to view asset information and drill into data in lenses and widgets using their mobile devices.
  5. Multiple venues for collaboration: Salesforce Analytics Cloud offers various tools that improve data sharing and collaboration. Users can present live, interactive dashboards to ensure more efficient data visualization, and dashboard widgets can be annotated as well. Unique URLs to dashboards, widgets, or lenses can also be shared on Chatter, where shared posts also feature an image to the asset on Analytics.

Detailed Salesforce Analytics Cloud Review

10. Looker

Looker dashboard

Looker is a data-discovery application that offers an intuitive approach to data exploration. It provides a web-based interface that you can use to gain insights from the expertise of your data analytics team. They can create and share reports easily for the benefit of other functional groups, effectively helping businesses drive their activities and decisions in the right direction.

Looker offers flexible pricing and open API integrations. The interface is intuitive, and the app is designed to eliminate data bottlenecks. More than 700 global companies use Looker to boost customer satisfaction and gain information from their website traffic. If you want to test the features, you can take advantage of the Looker free demo.

There is no doubt, Looker is a powerful BI solution that can help you make informed business decisions. However, if for any reason, you find the platform lacking, feel free to check these Looker alternatives.

Why use Looker instead of Power BI?

  1. LookML. Looker is best-known for developing an easier approach to data analytics, a brand-new database query language called LookML. The language operates as a simplified version of SQL, which is reusable and modular, and thus, way easier to learn for first-time users.
  2. Workbook analytics. Looker adopts your company’s unique business logic. Connect it to any of your relational databases (BigQuery or Redshift, for instance), and it will automatically generate a data model based on your schema.
  3. Support for SQL window functions. Window functions are those that are not well-known SQL functions designed for users to rank customers based on specific behavior without adhering to complex self-joints and first-time variables, or even a series hacks that may require them to transfer data to a third system.
  4. A variety of field parameters. With Looker, you can define fields with several field parameters, including dimensions and dimension groups (manipulation-prone columns and tables), measures (alike aggregate SQL functions that provide row information), and templated filters (unique to the user, who can create new ones as needed).
  5. 70% trial-to-win rate. The possession of a modern exploration language and comparably easy adoption ensures Looker a trial-to-win rate of up to 70%, compared to the 11% average measured for the SaaS industry in general.

Detailed Looker Review

Which is the Best Business Intelligence Tool for You?

Every business has its own business intelligence requirements. That said, there is no one way to answer this question. Luckily, as you can see from our list of Power BI alternatives, there’s a wide variety of platforms with different sets of specialized tools that you can choose from. Some focus more on user-friendliness while some provide more flexibility. So, whichever your priority, there’s a good chance you find a tool that matches your requirements exactly.

Of course, if you are still unsure as to which Power BI alternative to choose, we highly recommend Sisense. Similar to Power BI, this platform offers an extensive set of data analytics and business intelligence features that will help you gain insight into your business operations. It even offers excellent security options as well as data management tools to simplify your processes.

What’s more, it has an intuitive interface with workflows scalable to every skill level, supporting low-code, no-code, and coder environments. That said, both tech-savvy and tech-averse users will surely appreciate what this platform has to offer. Should you want to learn more about it, be sure to make the most of the Sisense free demo and see how it can help you make data-driven decisions in response to the pandemic.

Key Insights

  • Versatility in BI Solutions: There are numerous alternatives to Power BI, each catering to different business intelligence needs, from user-friendly options like Zoho Analytics to more advanced solutions like Sisense and Salesforce Analytics Cloud.
  • Customization and Flexibility: Many alternatives offer extensive customization options, such as Wyn Enterprise’s white labeling and Sisense’s In-Chip technology, allowing businesses to tailor the tools to their specific needs.
  • Advanced Security and Data Management: Platforms like CXAIR and Board offer advanced security features and robust data management capabilities, ensuring that sensitive business data is protected while being analyzed.
  • Self-Service and User Accessibility: Many BI tools, including Sigma Computing and Qualtrics Research Core, emphasize self-service analytics, making it easier for non-technical users to access and analyze data independently.
  • Integration Capabilities: Most of the alternatives, such as Sisense and Looker, support integration with a wide range of data sources and other business applications, enhancing their utility and flexibility.
  • Real-Time Data and Visualization: Tools like Salesforce Analytics Cloud and CXAIR provide real-time data views and advanced visualization options, enabling businesses to make timely and informed decisions.
  • Industry-Specific Solutions: Board offers industry-agnostic solutions, catering to various sectors, including retail, manufacturing, and financial services, ensuring that the BI tool meets specific industry needs.
  • Cost and Scalability: Alternatives like Zoho Analytics and Wyn Enterprise offer customizable pricing plans, making them suitable for businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises.

FAQ

  1. What are the top alternatives to Power BI?
    The top alternatives to Power BI include Sisense, Wyn Enterprise, Zoho Analytics, Sigma Computing, Qualtrics Research Core, ActiveBatch, CXAIR Platform, Board, Salesforce Analytics Cloud, and Looker.
  2. Why might I choose Sisense over Power BI?
    Sisense offers unparalleled performance with its In-Chip technology, providing fast insights and efficient data processing. It also integrates seamlessly with other applications and covers the full scope of business analytics.
  3. What makes Wyn Enterprise a good alternative?
    Wyn Enterprise supports multi-tenancy, offers simplified file sharing, extensive security options, and custom pricing. It is fully white-labeled and provides robust BI capabilities tailored to your business needs.
  4. How does Zoho Analytics compare to Power BI?
    Zoho Analytics is easy to set up and use, supports various data sources, offers powerful visualization tools, secure online collaboration, data blending, and a powerful formula engine for in-depth analysis.
  5. What are the unique features of Sigma Computing?
    Sigma Computing provides an intuitive interface, self-service analytics, real-time data exploration, and robust collaboration tools, making it easy for business users to analyze and visualize data.
  6. Why consider Qualtrics Research Core as an alternative?
    Qualtrics Research Core offers AI-driven insights, real-time data analysis, expert support, and specialized tools like Text IQ and Driver IQ to enhance market research and business decision-making.
  7. What benefits does ActiveBatch provide over Power BI?
    ActiveBatch combines IT automation with robust BI tools, offering workflow monitoring, easy-to-interpret Gantt views, forecast view, and SLA monitoring to optimize business processes and performance.
  8. How does CXAIR Platform enhance business intelligence efforts?
    CXAIR Platform offers a user-friendly interface, rapid data retrieval, advanced security options, robust visual analytics, and real-time data views, making it a comprehensive solution for data discovery and analysis.
  9. What makes Board a strong competitor to Power BI?
    Board integrates business intelligence, corporate performance management, and predictive analytics in one platform. It offers real-time simulation, cutting-edge reporting, and self-service analytics with MS Office integration.
  10. Why use Salesforce Analytics Cloud instead of Power BI?
    Salesforce Analytics Cloud provides unified data on one platform, new ways to explore data, complete control of data, powerful mobile analytics capabilities, and multiple collaboration tools, all powered by Tableau and Einstein Analytics.
  11. What distinguishes Looker from Power BI?
    Looker offers an intuitive approach to data analytics with LookML, workbook analytics, support for SQL window functions, a variety of field parameters, and a high trial-to-win rate, making it a powerful and flexible BI tool.
Chris Miller

By Chris Miller

Chris Miller is a senior customer service analyst at FinancesOnline. For more than 5 years now, he has witnessed and written about the tremendous impact of digital technologies that have deeply disrupted the customer service industry. The onset of chatbots and other AI/ML tech, omnichannel platforms, highly personalized service, the emerging blockchain methodologies specially created a deep impact, all of which are reflected in his writing. His reviews of customer service applications serve as invaluable resources for businesses of any size and scale.

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1 Comments »
Doug Kimzey says:

One disadvantage of Power BI is the difficulty in disabling aggregation. One of the first tasks in data analytics is to plot raw un-aggregated data. You don't want to automatically jump into aggregation without first exploring the underlying data. Special handling is required in Power BI to use raw data. Not at all useful.

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