# IBM Cognos Analytics vs SAS Visual Analytics Comparison --- ## AI Generated Summary - **G2 reviewers report** that IBM Cognos Analytics excels in its **reporting capabilities** , with users highlighting its ability to create detailed reports and interactive dashboards. One user mentioned, "I've been using IBM Cognos Analytics for reporting and business intelligence, and overall it's a very powerful tool for enterprise-level data analysis." - **Users say** that SAS Visual Analytics stands out for its **user-friendly interface** , making it accessible for non-technical users. Reviewers appreciate the ease of creating dashboards, with one noting, "It's easy to use, and I really appreciate the capacity for analytic exploration." - **According to verified reviews** , IBM Cognos Analytics has a higher overall satisfaction score, reflecting its strong performance in **data visualization** and **scalability**. Users have praised its reliability, stating, "Another aspect I appreciate is its reliability and scalability." - **Reviewers mention** that while SAS Visual Analytics offers a cohesive layout, it sometimes lacks the depth of features found in IBM Cognos Analytics. Users have noted that while it is excellent for dashboards, it may not provide the same level of **data analysis capabilities** as IBM's offering. - **G2 reviewers highlight** that IBM Cognos Analytics has a more extensive range of **data governance** features, with users noting its effectiveness in managing data quality and compliance. One user remarked on its strong data governance capabilities, which are crucial for enterprise-level applications. - **Users report** that SAS Visual Analytics shines in its **ease of setup** and quick onboarding process, making it a favorable choice for teams looking to get started quickly. One reviewer mentioned, "SAS Visual Analytics has a seamless and easy to navigate UI," which contributes to a smoother implementation experience. | | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Star Rating** | 4.1 out of 5 | 4.4 out of 5 | | **Total Reviews** | 505 | 218 | | **Largest Market Segment** | Enterprise (57.3% of reviews) | Enterprise (43.0% of reviews) | | **Entry Level Price** | Starting at $44.90 1 User Per Month | No pricing available | --- ## Top Pros & Cons ### IBM Cognos Analytics Pros: - Ease of Use (36 reviews) - Report Generation (17 reviews) Cons: - Learning Curve (18 reviews) - Learning Difficulty (10 reviews) ### SAS Visual Analytics Pros: - Ease of Use (12 reviews) - Integrations (4 reviews) Cons: - Slow Performance (3 reviews) - Expensive (2 reviews) --- ## Ratings Comparison | Rating | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Meets Requirements** | 8.2 (343 reviews) | 8.7 (114 reviews) | | **Ease of Use** | 7.6 (367 reviews) | 8.7 (145 reviews) | | **Ease of Setup** | 7.3 (225 reviews) | 7.6 (64 reviews) | | **Ease of Admin** | 7.0 (143 reviews) | 7.9 (36 reviews) | | **Quality of Support** | 7.6 (307 reviews) | 8.7 (107 reviews) | | **Has the product been a good partner in doing business?** | 7.8 (139 reviews) | 8.7 (40 reviews) | | **Product Direction (% positive)** | 7.9 (324 reviews) | 8.3 (97 reviews) | --- ## Pricing ### IBM Cognos Analytics #### Entry-Level Pricing Plan: Cognos® Analytics On Demand - Premium Price: Starting at $44.90 1 User Per Month Description: A fully managed solution for up to 200 users • AI Agents, reporting, data discovery and dashboarding • Upgrades, infrastructure and scaling • Mix and match licenses based on user requirements in one tenant • No minimum quantity, pay as you grow Key Features: - https://www.ibm.com/marketplace/purchase/configuration/en/us/checkout?editionID=EID2RPAX - All Standard features + - Create, run and schedule reports [Browse all 3 editions](https://www.g2.com/products/ibm-cognos-analytics/pricing) #### Free Trial Yes ### SAS Visual Analytics #### Entry-Level Pricing No pricing available #### Free Trial No information available --- ## Features Comparison By Category ### Business Intelligence | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **IBM Cognos Analytics** | 8.6/10 | 289 | | **SAS Visual Analytics** | N/A | N/A | #### Reports | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Reports Interface** | 8.0 (224 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.7 (78 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Steps to Answer** | 7.6 (168 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (65 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Graphs and Charts** | 8.1 (202 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (80 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Score Cards** | 7.7 (146 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (66 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Dashboards** | 8.0 (199 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (77 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Self Service | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Calculated Fields** | 8.1 (177 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (74 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Column Filtering** | 8.5 (196 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.7 (74 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Discovery** | 8.0 (183 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (71 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Search** | 7.7 (165 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.3 (64 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Collaboration / Workflow** | 7.6 (162 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.0 (67 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Automodeling** | 7.3 (128 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.9 (62 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Advanced Analytics | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Predictive Analytics** | 7.8 (134 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.7 (64 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Visualization** | 8.0 (175 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.0 (76 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Big Data Services** | 8.1 (128 reviews) | 8.6 (63 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Building Reports | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Data Transformation** | 8.2 (123 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (36 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Modeling** | 8.1 (125 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.1 (33 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **WYSIWYG Report Design** | 8.0 (109 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (27 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Integration APIs** | 7.6 (94 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.6 (23 reviews) | #### Platform | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **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 | |---|---|---| | **IBM Cognos Analytics** | 8.2/10 | 299 | | **SAS Visual Analytics** | 8.3/10 | 89 | #### Reports | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Reports Interface** | 8.0 (224 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.7 (78 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Steps to Answer** | 7.6 (168 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (65 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Graphs and Charts** | 8.1 (202 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (80 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Score Cards** | 7.7 (146 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (66 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Dashboards** | 8.0 (199 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (77 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Data Preparation | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Connectors** | 8.4 (81 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (53 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Governance** | 8.5 (80 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.0 (52 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Data Modeling and Blending | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Data Querying** | 8.3 (78 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (62 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Filtering** | 8.5 (78 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (67 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Blending** | 8.4 (84 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (58 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Generative AI | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **AI Text Generation** | 7.3 (38 reviews) | 6.4 (7 reviews) | | **AI Text Summarization** | 7.5 (39 reviews) | 6.4 (6 reviews) | #### Agentic AI - Analytics Platforms | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Autonomous Task Execution** | 7.7 (11 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Multi-step Planning** | 8.0 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Cross-system Integration** | 8.1 (12 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Adaptive Learning** | 8.0 (10 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Natural Language Interaction** | 8.3 (12 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Proactive Assistance** | 8.2 (12 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Decision Making** | 7.9 (11 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Self Service | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Calculated Fields** | 8.1 (177 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (74 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Column Filtering** | 8.5 (196 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.7 (74 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Discovery** | 8.0 (183 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (71 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Search** | 7.7 (165 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.3 (64 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Collaboration / Workflow** | 7.6 (162 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.0 (67 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Automodeling** | 7.3 (128 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.9 (62 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Deployment & Integration - Analytics Platforms | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **No-code Dashboard Builder** | 8.5 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Report Scheduling and Automation** | 9.0 (14 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Embedded Analytics and White-labeling** | 8.1 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Data Source Connectivity** | 9.0 (16 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Advanced Analytics | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Predictive Analytics** | 7.8 (134 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.7 (64 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Visualization** | 8.0 (175 reviews) ✓ Verified | 9.0 (76 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Big Data Services** | 8.1 (128 reviews) | 8.6 (63 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Performance & Scalability - Analytics Platforms | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Large data handling and Query Speed** | 7.6 (24 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Concurrent User Support** | 8.8 (8 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Advanced Analytics & Modeling - Analytics Platforms | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Data Modeling and Governance** | 9.3 (17 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Notebook and Script Integration** | 8.8 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Built-in Predictive and Statistical Models** | 9.1 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Agentic AI Capabilities - Analytics Platforms | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Auto-generated Insights and Narratives** | 9.4 (12 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Natural Language Queries** | 8.5 (9 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Proactive KPI Monitoring and Alerts** | 8.1 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | | **AI Agents for Analytical Follow-ups** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | #### Personalized Intelligence - Analytics Platforms | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Behavioral Learning for Contextual Query Refinement** | Feature Not Available | Not enough data | | **Role-based Insight Personalization** | 7.9 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Conversational and Prompt-based Analytics** | 8.1 (7 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Building Reports | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Data Transformation** | 8.2 (123 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (36 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Modeling** | 8.1 (125 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.1 (33 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **WYSIWYG Report Design** | 8.0 (109 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (27 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Integration APIs** | 7.6 (94 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.6 (23 reviews) | ### Embedded Business Intelligence | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **IBM Cognos Analytics** | 8.6/10 | 287 | | **SAS Visual Analytics** | N/A | N/A | #### Reports | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Reports Interface** | 8.0 (224 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.7 (78 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Steps to Answer** | 7.6 (168 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.6 (65 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Graphs and Charts** | 8.1 (202 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (80 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Score Cards** | 7.7 (146 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (66 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Dashboards** | 8.0 (199 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.8 (77 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Self Service | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Calculated Fields** | 8.1 (177 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (74 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Column Filtering** | 8.5 (196 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.7 (74 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Discovery** | 8.0 (183 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (71 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Search** | 7.7 (165 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.3 (64 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Collaboration / Workflow** | 7.6 (162 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.0 (67 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Automodeling** | 7.3 (128 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.9 (62 reviews) ✓ Verified | #### Building Reports | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Data Transformation** | 8.2 (123 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.5 (36 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Data Modeling** | 8.1 (125 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.1 (33 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **WYSIWYG Report Design** | 8.0 (109 reviews) ✓ Verified | 8.4 (27 reviews) ✓ Verified | | **Integration APIs** | 7.6 (94 reviews) ✓ Verified | 7.6 (23 reviews) | ### Predictive Analytics | Product | Score | Reviews | |---|---|---| | **IBM Cognos Analytics** | 8.5/10 | 38 | | **SAS Visual Analytics** | N/A | N/A | #### Statistical Tool | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Scripting** | 8.2 (32 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Data Mining** | 8.9 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Algorithms** | 8.6 (6 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Data Analysis | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Analysis** | 8.7 (35 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Data Interaction** | 8.8 (34 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Decision Making | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Modeling** | 8.7 (32 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Data Visualizations** | 8.6 (35 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Report Generation** | 8.5 (37 reviews) | Not enough data | | **Data Unification** | 8.4 (33 reviews) | Not enough data | #### Generative AI | Feature | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **AI Text Generation** | 7.9 (19 reviews) | Not enough data | | **AI Text Summarization** | 8.0 (19 reviews) | Not enough data | --- ## Categories **Shared Categories (1):** [Analytics Platforms](https://www.g2.com/categories/analytics-platforms) **Unique to IBM Cognos Analytics (2):** [Embedded Business Intelligence Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/embedded-business-intelligence), [Predictive Analytics Software](https://www.g2.com/categories/predictive-analytics) --- ## Reviewer Demographics ### By Company Size | Segment | IBM Cognos Analytics | SAS Visual Analytics | |---|---|---| | **Small-Business** | 16.6% | 31.9% | | **Mid-Market** | 26.1% | 25.1% | | **Enterprise** | 57.3% | 43.0% | ### By Industry #### IBM Cognos Analytics - **Information Technology and Services:** 11.8% - **Financial Services:** 8.2% - **Insurance:** 8.0% - **Computer Software:** 7.7% - **Banking:** 5.8% - **Higher Education:** 5.1% - **Education Management:** 4.6% - **Government Administration:** 3.6% - **Retail:** 3.4% - **Consulting:** 2.7% - **Other:** 39.3% #### SAS Visual Analytics - **Banking:** 9.8% - **Higher Education:** 8.8% - **Hospital & Health Care:** 7.8% - **Insurance:** 6.9% - **Government Administration:** 5.9% - **Information Technology and Services:** 4.4% - **Financial Services:** 3.9% - **Computer Software:** 3.9% - **Research:** 3.4% - **Pharmaceuticals:** 3.4% - **Other:** 41.7% --- ## Alternatives ### Alternatives to IBM Cognos Analytics - [Tableau](https://www.g2.com/products/tableau/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (3771 reviews) - [Qlik Sense](https://www.g2.com/products/qlik-sense/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (930 reviews) - [GoodData.AI](https://www.g2.com/products/gooddata-ai/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (623 reviews) - [Spotfire Analytics](https://www.g2.com/products/spotfire-analytics/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (362 reviews) - [Zoho Analytics](https://www.g2.com/products/zoho-analytics/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (285 reviews) - [Looker](https://www.g2.com/products/looker/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1651 reviews) - [Sisense](https://www.g2.com/products/sisense/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (1062 reviews) - [Domo](https://www.g2.com/products/domo/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (1041 reviews) - [Alteryx](https://www.g2.com/products/alteryx/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (877 reviews) - [Strategy One (formerly MicroStrategy ONE)](https://www.g2.com/products/strategy-one-formerly-microstrategy-one/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (600 reviews) ### Alternatives to SAS Visual Analytics - [Microsoft Power BI](https://www.g2.com/products/microsoft-microsoft-power-bi/reviews) — 4.5/5 stars (1646 reviews) - [Qlik Sense](https://www.g2.com/products/qlik-sense/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (930 reviews) - [Tableau](https://www.g2.com/products/tableau/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (3771 reviews) - [Strategy One (formerly MicroStrategy ONE)](https://www.g2.com/products/strategy-one-formerly-microstrategy-one/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (600 reviews) - [Spotfire Analytics](https://www.g2.com/products/spotfire-analytics/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (362 reviews) - [Alteryx](https://www.g2.com/products/alteryx/reviews) — 4.6/5 stars (877 reviews) - [Looker](https://www.g2.com/products/looker/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (1651 reviews) - [Amazon QuickSight](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-quicksight/reviews) — 4.3/5 stars (694 reviews) - [ThoughtSpot](https://www.g2.com/products/thoughtspot/reviews) — 4.4/5 stars (340 reviews) - [SAP Analytics Cloud](https://www.g2.com/products/sap-analytics-cloud/reviews) — 4.2/5 stars (911 reviews) --- ## Top Discussions ### IBM Cognos Analytics - Title: [I heard Cognos Analytics 11.11 was out - where can I find more information?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/cognos-11-11) — 2 comments, 1 upvote *(includes official response)* > **Top comment:** "https://www.ibm.com/communities/analytics/cognos-analytics-blog/cognos-analytics-release-r11-11-0-11-is-here/" - Title: [Where can I find more answers on my questions?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/further-faqs) — 2 comments, 1 upvote *(includes official response)* > **Top comment:** "Check out this blog https://www.ibm.com/communities/analytics/cognos-analytics/blog/" - Title: [What is IBM Cognos Analytics with Watson used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-ibm-cognos-analytics-with-watson-used-for) — 1 comment > **Top comment:** "You can leverage IBM Cognos Analytics with Watson for many of the reasons: Business Intelligence & Reporting: It helps organizations turn raw data into..." - Title: [What are all the different types of prompt in Cognos?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-all-the-different-types-of-prompt-in-cognos) — 1 comment, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "In IBM Cognos, prompts are user interface objects that allow users to enter parameter values that are used to filter and control the content of a report...." - Title: [Why only 10000 limit is kept in filters for dashboard](https://www.g2.com/discussions/why-only-10000-limit-is-kept-in-filters-for-dashboard) — 1 comment, 1 upvote > **Top comment:** "When you ran data big banks which has million of records, thats why filters capacity 10k is defined." ### SAS Visual Analytics - Title: [What is SAS Visual Text analytics?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sas-visual-text-analytics) — 3 comments > **Top comment:** "Text analytics in sas visual analytics for sentiment analysis" - Title: [What are the components of Visual Analytics?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-are-the-components-of-visual-analytics) — 2 comments > **Top comment:** "SAS Visual Analytics SAS Visual Statistics SAS Visual Data Builder SAS Visual Analytics Viewer SAS LASR Authorization Service SAS Visual Analytics..." - Title: [What is SAS Add-In for Microsoft Office 365 used for?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-is-sas-add-in-for-microsoft-office-365-used-for) — 1 comment > **Top comment:** "It brings SAS data access and analytics directly into the Microsoft apps your teams already use. In Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and sometimes Outlook, you can..." - Title: [How does SAS Visual Analytics work?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/how-does-sas-visual-analytics-work) — 1 comment > **Top comment:** "Very good " - Title: [What can SAS Visual Analytics do?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/what-can-sas-visual-analytics-do) — 1 comment > **Top comment:** "Be even more accessible to people without a work email." --- **Source:** [G2.com](https://www.g2.com) | [Comparison Page](https://www.g2.com/compare/ibm-cognos-analytics-vs-sas-visual-analytics)