Power BI

Read this in-depth Power BI review to learn about its features, pros & cons, integration, pricing structure, and more. 

What is Power BI?

Power BI is Microsoft’s unified and scalable platform for enterprise business intelligence and self-service. It narrows the gap between decision-making and data and provides optimum data experiences for users. 

Users can use the Power BI software to visualize, model, and connect to their data by creating insightful reports with customized KPIs. 

These visually appealing reports help users recognize trends and drive their business towards success. 

The self-service business intelligence (BI) tool is one of the most used business intelligence tools in the world. 

It enables users to stay connected with all data sources with the scale to share, promote, and analyze insights across an organization. 

Users can collaborate on reports, work together using the same data, and share inputs using Microsoft Office applications which include Excel and Microsoft Teams. This ensures employees are abreast with the latest developments which enables them to make data-driven strategic decisions. 

Microsoft has left no stone unturned into making Power BI a robust and powerful business intelligence tool. 

Recently, it rolled out Power BI embedded, an upgraded version with additional reporting features that can be seamlessly embedded into custom developer’s applications. 

Vendor Details

• Company: Microsoft Corporation
• Website: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/
• Year of release: 2014
• Country of origin: United States of America

Power BI Key Features

Power BI Desktop features

Access and stay connected with data

Users can access data from hundreds of compatible on-premise and cloud-based sources which include Salesforce, Azure SQL DB, Sharepoint, Excel, and Dynamics 365. 

Power BI Desktop enables users to create actionable insights for a palette of scenarios. 

Data modeling 

The platform’s data modeling tools simplify data prep for users and make it a time-efficient process. 

Advanced analytics

Users can leverage features such as grouping, forecasting, clustering, and quick measures to find patterns in their data. The DAX formula language makes Power BI a familiar territory for users who are familiar with Excel. 

AI-driven augmented analytics

This feature allows users to dig deeper into their data, highlight patterns, and help them understand what their data means. 

The newly introduced AI capabilities enable users to find hidden actionable insights to improve their business outcomes. 

Interactive data visualizations

With this feature, users can effortlessly create excellent reports that include interactive data visualizations. 

Users can use the drag-and-drop canvas and modern data visuals to narrate their data story. They can also create their own visuals by using Power BI opensource custom visuals framework. 

Reports can be designed with formatting, theming, and layout tools. 

Power BI Pro features

Power BI Premium provides cutting-edge data preparation which allows users and businesses to streamline the delivery of insights. 

Self-service data prep

The pre-built connectors for common services such as Dynamics 365, Salesforce, Excel, and more can be used to discover the data required. 

Users can create data once and then reuse the same across various Power BI models to boost accuracy and efficiency. The latest architecture and framework are extremely useful to handle large volumes of data. 

Data management and access

Reduce challenges for your IT team with a unified BI tool that provides central governance, management, and security for all users. 

Users can fulfill data residency requirements by deploying in the region of their choice. 

Self-service BI in a per-user license

Important users or key teams can access the premium capabilities of Power BI. This enables them to share big insights to make a bigger impact. This feature paves the way for a data-driven culture within businesses. 

Users can flawlessly collaborate and share interactive data visualizations by opting for Power BI Pro in a per-user license.

Power BI Embedded features

Embed interactive dashboards and reports

Users can embed fully interactive dashboards and reports into their applications and stand out from their competitors.

Control user experience

Users have full control over the user experience they want to deliver to their customers. With hundreds of visuals and a wide range of features right from basic reporting to advanced analytics, deliver customer user experiences. 

Power BI Embedded APIs

Right from preparing the development environment to deploying analytics in an application, users can simplify and secure these tasks by leveraging the Power BI Embedded APIs, wizards, and SDKs. This largely allows the development team to focus on the core application. 

Power BI Feature Overview

Power BI Pricing

Pro: $ 9.99 per month/user

Premium

• Per user: $ 20 per user/month
• Per capacity: $ 4,995 per capacity/month

Power BI Pros and Cons

Power BI Integrations

Power BI Specifications

Free Trial – Yes

Free version – Yes

Deployment

• Cloud-hosted
• On-premise

Devices supported

• Windows
• Android
• iPhone/iPad
• Web-based
• Windows Mobile

Training

• Video tutorials
• Microsoft tech community
• Virtual training
• Documentation
• Webinars

Typical customers

• Small-sized businesses
• Medium-sized businesses
• Large businesses

Power BI pricing

Pro: $ 9.99 per month/user

Premium

• Per-user: $ 20 per user/month
• Per capacity: $ 4,995 per capacity/month

Languages supported

Power BI support

• How-to videos
• Support plans FAQs
• Portal sign-in help
• Phone
• Tickets

Power BI Alternatives