Top 10 Alternatives to Power BI

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Power BI is a popular business intelligence tool developed by Microsoft for data visualization and analysis. While Power BI is a robust solution, there are several alternatives available that cater to different needs and preferences. 

Here are the top 10 alternatives to Power BI:

Tableau: 

Tableau is an analytics solution that makes up for many of the shortcomings of PowerBI. Users do not need to learn a special scripting language to access Tableau analytics. However, when it comes to technical teams, Tableau is definitely a 4 out of 10. Although it is not the hardest solution to use on this list, it is not as easy as Toucan. Tableau does not have a zero-code environment. 

Features of Tableau: 

• Advanced Visualization Capabilities 
• Easy Collaboration & Sharing 
• Connectivity with Live and In-Memory Data 
• Supports numerous data sources 
• Trend Lines & Predictive Analysis 

QlikView and Qlik Sense: 

The QlikView tool is designed for technical teams of data scientists or developers so that they can store different reports, dashboards and calculations based on large, complicated datasets. 

Features of QlikView: - 

• Presence of connectors that are both custom-made and default.
• Promotes a dynamic BI ecosystem for better interactions. 
• Consists of analytics that are both guided and advanced. 
• Data can be searched, collected, stored, analyzed, transformed, visualized, and shared too. 

Qlik Sense is a web-based, self-service data discovery SaaS tool with a more modern user interface than QlikView. With its drag and drop functionality, Qlik Sense focuses more on ease-of-use for developing visualizations, dashboards, and stories. 

Features of Qlik Sense: 

• It`s a self-service tool for data analytics, visualization, and exploration. 
• Guided dashboards and apps for analytics are also supported. 
• Data reporting and alerting can be practiced. 
• Even mobile and embedded analytics are included. 
• Visualizations can be dragged and dropped. 

Looker:

Cloud-based Looker, owned by Google, is one of the leading Power BI competitors. It uses a proprietary SQL-based data modelling language called LookML. 

Looker features: 

• Real-time reports and customisable, interactive drag-and-drop dashboards. 
• APIs for integration with custom or third-party applications. 
• Integrates with a range of third-party apps to automate workflows. 
• Connects to multiple cloud or on-premises databases. 
• Schedule and share insights and updates internally and externally via email, links, Segment, Slack and more. 

Google Data Studio: 

The best free alternative to Power BI is Google Data Studio, which provides a straightforward and cost-effective way to create interactive reports and dashboards. Data Studio has the following advantages: It offers seamless integration with other Google services: Users can quickly import data from Google Sheets, AdWords, Analytics, BigQuery, Dv360, Campaign Manager, etc. 

Google Data Studio features: 

• Ask ad hoc questions with the no-code, no-SQL Explorer. 
• Share reports via URL internally or externally and collaborate in real-time using Drive technology. 
• Intuitive, customisable report templates. Visualisations have comparison functions to track changes over time. 
• Support via the Help Centre or community. 

Embeddable: 

It is not a classic BI tool for internal use, but rather a toolkit for integrating user-facing analytics into your app. Using its front-end SDK, back-end engine, and no-code builder, you`ll be able to launch your perfect solution in only 10% of the time. 

Embeddable features: 

• Easily build interactivity into your analytics experience. 
• Self-host vs use Embeddable`s cloud service. 
• Row-level security as standard. 
• Multiple levels of caching, so data loads instantly. 

Domo: 

Domo is a comprehensive BI tool that integrates with multiple data sources, allowing businesses to consolidate their data into a single, easy-to-use platform. It has great data manipulation and ETL features that can be easily learnt without coding in SQL. 

DOMO is also more beginner friendly than both Power BI and Tableau. All these tools require a bit of training to learn, but I found DOMO to be the easiest to learn.

Domo features: 

• Data Integration and Connectivity 
• Data Transformation and ETL 
• Self-Service Analytics 
• Alerts and Notifications 
• Third-Party Integrations 

Sisense: 

Business intelligence and data analytics platform Sisense offers data preparation and integration capabilities. A wide range of companies use Sisense`s business intelligence software, including startups, developing enterprises, and Fortune 500 giants, such as NASDAQ, Sony, ESPN, Comcast, and NASA.

Sisense features: 

• You can easily integrate Sisense with other products 
• It covers the full range of business analytics 
• Shortest Time-to-Insight and Unmatched TCO 
• Sisense is robust, yet easy to use 
• Unparalleled Performance

 

MicroStrategy: 

MicroStrategy is a business intelligence tool used by many large companies like Disney and ABC. It’s designed for all levels of experience, allowing you to build interactive dashboards with no code, low-code or full code. 

The drag and drop interface allows you to quickly create a dashboard, but it’s limited to the small library of visuals. In order to get the most out of MicroStrategy, you’ll need to take the full-code approach which requires a great deal of expertise, time and money. 

MicroStrategy features: 

• Data Mining and Predictive Analysis 
• Real-time MicroStrategy Dashboards 
• Effective Data Wrangling 
• Easier Data Discovery 

IBM Cognos Analytics: 

One of the best features of IBM Cognos is its AI-assisted data preparation. In this way, you can collect and combine data from multiple sources in one place. Because IBM makes computers, you can take their promise of data protection seriously where you can control who has access to your sensitive information. 

IBM Cognos Analytics has your back on the entire analytics cycle — from discovery to predictive analysis. 

IBM Cognos Analytics features: 

• Ad Hoc Reporting: Users can generate ad-hoc reports on the fly, allowing them to answer specific business questions and perform on-the-fly analysis. 
• Advanced Analytics: Users can perform advanced analytics and statistical modeling to gain deeper insights into their data and perform predictive analysis. 
• Customization: Organizations can customize the platform to align with their branding and specific requirements. 

Holistics: 

Holistics is a powerful, cloud-based alternative to Power BI. It enables data teams to define reusable models so business users can ask queries without SQL. 

Holistics features: 

•  Custom filters allow you to slice and dice data. 
•  Connects to your SQL database. 
•  Uses encrypted connections between servers and doesn’t store your data. 
• Drag-and-drop interface. Get answers and build charts in a few clicks. Also supports SQL for advanced users. 

Each of these alternatives has its strengths and may be more suitable for different use cases and organizational requirements. It`s important to evaluate your specific needs, budget, and technical considerations when choosing the right alternative to Power BI for your business or data analysis projects.

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