# Microsoft Power BI vs Sigma Comparison --- ## AI Generated Summary - **G2 reviewers report** that Microsoft Power BI excels in its ability to connect to various data sources, such as SQL servers and Excel files stored in SharePoint. Users appreciate the flexibility to build semantic models and create reports using a wide variety of prebuilt charts, making it a powerful tool for data visualization. - **Users say** Sigma stands out for its intuitive, spreadsheet-like interface, which makes it quick to get started and easy to use. This design allows teams to manage permissions and set up workspaces effectively, enhancing collaboration and governance across different user groups. - **Reviewers mention** that Microsoft Power BI has a strong reputation for its comprehensive reporting capabilities, with features like dashboards and data filtering that receive high praise. Users find that these tools help them create insightful analyses that drive business decisions. - **According to verified reviews** , Sigma's recent updates have significantly improved its output capabilities, allowing users to build analyses and dashboards that are not only powerful but also accessible. This focus on usability has made it a favorite among teams looking for a user-friendly BI solution. - **G2 reviewers highlight** that while Microsoft Power BI has a slightly lower score in support quality, it still offers robust resources for users. However, Sigma users report a higher satisfaction with support, indicating that they feel more supported in their day-to-day operations. - **Users note** that Microsoft Power BI's strong market presence and extensive user base contribute to a wealth of resources and community support, which can be invaluable for new users. In contrast, Sigma, while effective, may not have the same level of community engagement, which could impact users seeking peer support. | | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Star Rating** | 4.5 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | | **Total Reviews** | 1,632 | 557 | | **Largest Market Segment** | Enterprise (42.3% of reviews) | Mid-Market (59.3% of reviews) | | **Entry Level Price** | Free 1 User | No pricing available | --- ## Top Pros & Cons ### Microsoft Power BI Pros: - Ease of Use (137 reviews) - Data Visualization (125 reviews) Cons: - Learning Curve (75 reviews) - Slow Performance (65 reviews) ### Sigma Pros: - Ease of Use (73 reviews) - User Interface (29 reviews) Cons: - Slow Loading (23 reviews) - Slow Performance (22 reviews) --- ## Ratings Comparison | Rating | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Meets Requirements** | 9.0 (1302 reviews) | 8.6 (441 reviews) | | **Ease of Use** | 8.5 (1329 reviews) | 8.5 (450 reviews) | | **Ease of Setup** | 8.8 (760 reviews) | 8.9 (268 reviews) | | **Ease of Admin** | 8.5 (420 reviews) | 8.5 (157 reviews) | | **Quality of Support** | 8.5 (1155 reviews) | 9.1 (394 reviews) | | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 8.8 (401 reviews) | 9.1 (157 reviews) | | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 9.3 (1264 reviews) | 9.3 (428 reviews) | --- ## Pricing ### Microsoft Power BI #### Entry-Level Pricing Plan: Power BI in Microsoft Fabric Price: Free 1 User Description: Power BI in Microsoft Fabric Key Features: - Sign Up for A Fabric Account [Browse all 3 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-microsoft-power-bi/pricing) #### Free Trial Yes ### Sigma #### Entry-Level Pricing No pricing available #### Free Trial Yes --- ## Features Comparison By Category ### Business Intelligence | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **Microsoft Power BI** | 8.9/10 | 1249 | | **Sigma** | 8.2/10 | 349 | #### Reports | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Reports Interface** | 8.9 (1082 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (293 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Steps to Answer** | 8.4 (973 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (281 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Graphs and Charts** | 9.1 (1077 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (300 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Score Cards** | 8.8 (691 reviews) | 8.4 (265 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Dashboards** | 9.1 (1073 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (293 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Self Service | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Calculated Fields** | 8.6 (908 reviews) | 8.7 (288 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Column Filtering** | 8.9 (899 reviews) | 8.8 (294 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Discovery** | 8.7 (981 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (282 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Search** | 8.5 (856 reviews) | 8.3 (281 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Collaboration / Workflow** | 8.4 (972 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (286 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Automodeling** | 8.2 (882 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.4 (251 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Advanced Analytics | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Predictive Analytics** | 8.3 (742 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.3 (248 reviews) | | **Data Visualization** | 9.2 (1068 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (292 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Big Data Services** | 8.4 (765 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.3 (267 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Building Reports | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Data Transformation** | 8.8 (588 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.1 (111 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Modeling** | 8.7 (594 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.8 (111 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **WYSIWYG Report Design** | 8.5 (516 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.2 (99 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Integration APIs** | 8.5 (506 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.7 (94 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Platform | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Mobile User Support** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Customization ** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **User, Role, and Access Management** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Internationalization** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Sandbox / Test Environments** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Performance and Reliability** | Not enough data | Not enough data | | **Breadth of Partner Applications** | Not enough data | Not enough data | ### Analytics Platforms | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **Microsoft Power BI** | 8.5/10 | 1263 | | **Sigma** | 8.1/10 | 398 | #### Reports | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Reports Interface** | 8.9 (1082 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (293 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Steps to Answer** | 8.4 (973 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (281 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Graphs and Charts** | 9.1 (1077 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (300 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Score Cards** | 8.8 (691 reviews) | 8.4 (265 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Dashboards** | 9.1 (1073 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (293 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Data Preparation | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Connectors** | 9.0 (685 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.3 (273 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Governance** | 8.8 (627 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.3 (259 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Data Modeling and Blending | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Data Querying** | 8.9 (658 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (290 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Filtering** | 9.1 (673 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (293 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Blending** | 8.8 (684 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (275 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Generative AI | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **AI Text Generation** | 7.6 (304 reviews) | Feature Not Available | | **AI Text Summarization** | 7.7 (303 reviews) | Feature Not Available | #### Agentic AI - Analytics Platforms | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Autonomous Task Execution** | 7.6 (146 reviews) | 7.6 (30 reviews) | | **Multi-step Planning** | 8.0 (149 reviews) | 7.7 (30 reviews) | | **Cross-system Integration** | 8.4 (151 reviews) | 7.8 (29 reviews) | | **Adaptive Learning** | 8.2 (149 reviews) | 7.4 (30 reviews) | | **Natural Language Interaction** | 7.9 (149 reviews) | 8.0 (31 reviews) | | **Proactive Assistance** | 8.1 (147 reviews) | 7.2 (30 reviews) | | **Decision Making** | 8.5 (154 reviews) | 7.5 (30 reviews) | #### Self Service | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Calculated Fields** | 8.6 (908 reviews) | 8.7 (288 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Column Filtering** | 8.9 (899 reviews) | 8.8 (294 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Discovery** | 8.7 (981 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (282 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Search** | 8.5 (856 reviews) | 8.3 (281 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Collaboration / Workflow** | 8.4 (972 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (286 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Automodeling** | 8.2 (882 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.4 (251 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Deployment & Integration - Analytics Platforms | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **No-code Dashboard Builder** | 8.9 (129 reviews) | 7.9 (29 reviews) | | **Report Scheduling and Automation** | 8.7 (136 reviews) | 8.2 (30 reviews) | | **Embedded Analytics and White-labeling** | 8.4 (115 reviews) | 8.1 (30 reviews) | | **Data Source Connectivity** | 9.2 (165 reviews) | 9.1 (35 reviews) | #### Advanced Analytics | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Predictive Analytics** | 8.3 (742 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.3 (248 reviews) | | **Data Visualization** | 9.2 (1068 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (292 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Big Data Services** | 8.4 (765 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.3 (267 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Performance & Scalability - Analytics Platforms | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Large data handling and Query Speed** | 7.6 (167 reviews) | 8.0 (37 reviews) | | **Concurrent User Support** | 8.6 (114 reviews) | 8.5 (28 reviews) | #### Advanced Analytics & Modeling - Analytics Platforms | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Data Modeling and Governance** | 8.8 (122 reviews) | 8.1 (27 reviews) | | **Notebook and Script Integration** | 8.6 (114 reviews) | 8.0 (28 reviews) | | **Built-in Predictive and Statistical Models** | 8.4 (110 reviews) | 8.3 (29 reviews) | #### Agentic AI Capabilities - Analytics Platforms | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Auto-generated Insights and Narratives** | 8.1 (109 reviews) | 7.7 (27 reviews) | | **Natural Language Queries** | 8.1 (116 reviews) | 7.8 (29 reviews) | | **Proactive KPI Monitoring and Alerts** | 8.3 (110 reviews) | 7.8 (27 reviews) | | **AI Agents for Analytical Follow-ups** | 7.8 (107 reviews) | 7.7 (25 reviews) | #### Personalized Intelligence - Analytics Platforms | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Behavioral Learning for Contextual Query Refinement** | 8.0 (110 reviews) | 7.0 (28 reviews) | | **Role-based Insight Personalization** | 8.3 (113 reviews) | 7.7 (27 reviews) | | **Conversational and Prompt-based Analytics** | 8.1 (111 reviews) | 8.0 (27 reviews) | #### Building Reports | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Data Transformation** | 8.8 (588 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.1 (111 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Modeling** | 8.7 (594 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.8 (111 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **WYSIWYG Report Design** | 8.5 (516 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.2 (99 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Integration APIs** | 8.5 (506 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.7 (94 reviews) ✓ Verified | ### Embedded Business Intelligence | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **Microsoft Power BI** | N/A | N/A | | **Sigma** | 8.3/10 | 346 | #### Reports | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Reports Interface** | 8.9 (1082 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (293 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Steps to Answer** | 8.4 (973 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (281 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Graphs and Charts** | 9.1 (1077 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (300 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Score Cards** | 8.8 (691 reviews) | 8.4 (265 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Dashboards** | 9.1 (1073 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (293 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Self Service | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Calculated Fields** | 8.6 (908 reviews) | 8.7 (288 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Column Filtering** | 8.9 (899 reviews) | 8.8 (294 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Discovery** | 8.7 (981 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (282 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Search** | 8.5 (856 reviews) | 8.3 (281 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Collaboration / Workflow** | 8.4 (972 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (286 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Automodeling** | 8.2 (882 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.4 (251 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Building Reports | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Data Transformation** | 8.8 (588 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.1 (111 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Modeling** | 8.7 (594 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.8 (111 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **WYSIWYG Report Design** | 8.5 (516 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.2 (99 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Integration APIs** | 8.5 (506 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.7 (94 reviews) ✓ Verified | ### Semantic Layer Tools | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **Microsoft Power BI** | 8.2/10 | 8 | | **Sigma** | N/A | N/A | #### Deployment & Integration - Semantic Layer Tools | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Multi-Environment & Multi-Cloud Support** | 8.9 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Open API & SDK Integration** | 8.6 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Data Connectivity & Federation - Semantic Layer Tools | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Cross-Source Query Federation** | 9.3 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Dynamic Schema & Metadata Adaptation** | 8.9 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Data Modeling & Metrics - Semantic Layer Tools | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Derived & Calculated Metrics** | 9.3 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Time Intelligence Functions** | 9.3 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Performance Optimization - Semantic Layer Tools | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Query Caching & Acceleration** | 8.1 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Adaptive Query Optimization** | 8.1 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Governance - Semantic Layer Tools | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **AI Governance & Observability** | 7.4 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Metric Lineage for AI Training Data** | 7.5 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Version Control & Change Impact Analysis** | 7.4 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Advanced Intelligence - Semantic Layer Tools | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Natural Language Query Interface** | 7.9 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Semantic Layer for AI/ML Models** | 7.5 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Recommendation Engine** | 8.1 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Agentic AI Enablement - Semantic Layer Tools | Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Agentic Query Orchestration** | 7.2 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Contextual Reasoning Layer** | 7.2 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Workflow Automation via Semantic Agents** | 7.9 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | --- ## Categories **Shared Categories (1):** [Analytics Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/analytics-platforms) **Unique to Microsoft Power BI (1):** [Semantic Layer Tools](https://www.g2.com/categories/semantic-layer-tools) **Unique to Sigma (1):** [Embedded Business Intelligence Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/embedded-business-intelligence) --- ## Reviewer Demographics ### By Company Size | Segment | Microsoft Power BI | Sigma | |---|---|---| | **Small-Business** | 20.9% | 20.1% | | **Mid-Market** | 36.8% | 59.3% | | **Enterprise** | 42.3% | 20.6% | ### By Industry #### Microsoft Power BI - **Information Technology and Services:** 16.2% - **Computer Software:** 6.7% - **Financial Services:** 4.8% - **Telecommunications:** 3.2% - **Hospital & Health Care:** 3.2% - **Marketing and Advertising:** 2.8% - **Education Management:** 2.5% - **Retail:** 2.4% - **Automotive:** 2.4% - **Construction:** 2.4% - **Other:** 53.4% #### Sigma - **Information Technology and Services:** 15.6% - **Computer Software:** 11.6% - **Financial Services:** 9.5% - **Marketing and Advertising:** 4.8% - **Consumer Services:** 4.4% - **Real Estate:** 3.6% - **Logistics and Supply Chain:** 3.2% - **Hospital & Health Care:** 2.7% - **Health, Wellness and Fitness:** 2.7% - **Food & Beverages:** 2.7% - **Other:** 39.4% --- ## Alternatives ### Alternatives to Microsoft Power BI - [Tableau](https://www.g2.com/products/tableau/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (3657 reviews) - [Oracle Analytics Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/oracle-analytics-cloud/reviews) — 4.1/5 stars (333 reviews) - [ThoughtSpot](https://www.g2.com/products/thoughtspot/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (332 reviews) - [Looker](https://www.g2.com/products/looker/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1643 reviews) - [Sisense](https://www.g2.com/products/sisense/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (1063 reviews) - [Domo](https://www.g2.com/products/domo/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1005 reviews) - [Qlik Sense](https://www.g2.com/products/qlik-sense/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (928 reviews) - [SAP Analytics Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-analytics-cloud/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (910 reviews) - [Alteryx](https://www.g2.com/products/alteryx/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (814 reviews) - [Amazon QuickSight](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-quicksight/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (692 reviews) ### Alternatives to Sigma - [Tableau](https://www.g2.com/products/tableau/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (3657 reviews) - [Looker](https://www.g2.com/products/looker/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1643 reviews) - [ThoughtSpot](https://www.g2.com/products/thoughtspot/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (332 reviews) - [Mode](https://www.g2.com/products/mode-mode/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (330 reviews) - [Omni Analytics](https://www.g2.com/products/omni-analytics-inc-omni-analytics/reviews) — 4.8/5 stars (65 reviews) - [Amazon QuickSight](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-quicksight/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (692 reviews) - [Metabase](https://www.g2.com/products/metabase/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (146 reviews) - [Sisense](https://www.g2.com/products/sisense/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (1063 reviews) - [Domo](https://www.g2.com/products/domo/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1005 reviews) - [Strategy One (formerly MicroStrategy ONE)](https://www.g2.com/products/strategy-one-formerly-microstrategy-one/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (600 reviews) --- ## Top Discussions ### Microsoft Power BI - Title: [Is Power BI a Microsoft tool?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/is-power-bi-a-microsoft-tool) — 5 comments, 3 upvotes > **Top comment:** "Yes it is" - Title: [What is Microsoft Power BI Desktop used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-microsoft-power-bi-desktop-used-for) — 4 comments, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "Microsoft Power BI Desktop is a data visualization tool, creating interactive reports and dashboards. It connects to diverse data sources, facilitating..." - Title: [What are some of the top features of Microsoft BI?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-some-of-the-top-features-of-microsoft-bi) — 3 comments > **Top comment:** "Data Visualization: Microsoft Power BI excels in creating interactive and visually compelling data dashboards and reports, making ramified data easy to..." - Title: [HOW DO I START MY CAREER IN IT?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-do-i-start-my-career-in-it) — 2 comments, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "-Research roles and positions. The IT field is a diverse industry with many specialties. -Create a short list. -Learn to code. -Work on an open-source..." - Title: [What can Microsoft Power BI do?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-can-microsoft-power-bi-do) — 2 comments, 2 upvotes > **Top comment:** "Power BI has an excellent query engine with Power Query that provides a great way to transform, mine, aggregate, and perform analyses that would typically be..." ### Sigma - Title: [What is Sigma used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sigma-used-for) — 1 comment > **Top comment:** "Sigma is a cloud-based business intelligence (BI) and analytics platform. It's primarily used for data exploration, visualization, and building applications,..." - Title: [What is the best way to use SQL queries that you previously had?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-the-best-way-to-use-sql-queries-that-you-previously-had) — 1 comment, 2 upvotes > **Top comment:** "One possible way to solve this would be to create Datasets with SQL - you can merely copy the SQL to form the new dataset. Once you have created the..." --- **Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/microsoft-microsoft-power-bi-vs-sigma-computing-sigma)