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Microsoft Power BI

By Microsoft

4.5 out of 5 stars

How would you rate your experience with Microsoft Power BI?

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Microsoft Power BI Pros and Cons: Top Advantages and Disadvantages

Quick AI Summary Based on G2 Reviews

Generated from real user reviews

Users praise the data visualization capabilities of Microsoft Power BI, enhancing clarity and insights across their organizations. (89 mentions)
Users find Microsoft Power BI to be very user-friendly, making it easy to get started and generate reports. (88 mentions)
Users love the intuitive and powerful features of Power BI, enhancing analytics and customization for business needs. (46 mentions)
Users value the seamless integration capabilities of Power BI, enabling easy connections to various data sources for insightful dashboards. (42 mentions)
Users value the easy integrations with Microsoft Power BI, enhancing their workflow and efficiency with various data sources. (34 mentions)
Users find the learning curve steep, requiring significant time and effort, especially for newcomers to Power BI. (48 mentions)
Users experience slow performance with Power BI, particularly when handling large or complex datasets, affecting usability. (45 mentions)
Users find Power BI expensive for small teams, especially with additional fees for premium features. (16 mentions)
Users are frustrated by the missing features in Power BI, particularly the additional fees for premium options. (15 mentions)
Users often experience performance issues with Microsoft Power BI, especially when handling large datasets and complex calculations. (13 mentions)
Users experience slow loading times when handling large datasets in Power BI, impacting their workflow efficiency. (13 mentions)
Users struggle with coding difficulty, finding the learning curve steep and requiring knowledge of Python or R. (12 mentions)
Users find the limited customization in Power BI frustrating compared to other tools, affecting their analytics flexibility. (12 mentions)

Top Pros or Advantages of Microsoft Power BI

1. Data Visualization
Users praise the data visualization capabilities of Microsoft Power BI, enhancing clarity and insights across their organizations.
See 89 mentions

See Related User Reviews

CC

Curtis C.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Microsoft Power BI is the best of its kind, it processes your data and graphs all your operations."

What do you like about Microsoft Power BI?

Microsoft Power BI is a reliable digital processing and analysis system with which you can digitally graph all your work processes and activities, fac

Verified User
U

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Powerful PowerBi"

What do you like about Microsoft Power BI?

PowerBi has excellent integration into software, allowing it to pull data so it can be functional. The visualizations allow for a variety of ways to

2. Ease of Use
Users find Microsoft Power BI to be very user-friendly, making it easy to get started and generate reports.
See 88 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Akshay B.
AB

Akshay B.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Essential for Reporting, But Extra Costs Add Up"

What do you like about Microsoft Power BI?

Easy for getting reports and very useful in our daily work about the consolidated reports

Sahariar Ahmed T.
ST

Sahariar Ahmed T.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"Truly worthy."

What do you like about Microsoft Power BI?

This one I have found, is most user friendly.

3. Powerful BI
Users love the intuitive and powerful features of Power BI, enhancing analytics and customization for business needs.
See 46 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
U

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Go-To Tool for Rapid, Custom BI Reporting"

What do you like about Microsoft Power BI?

As a UX designer, Power BI empowers me to design customized BI reports quickly and effectively. I collaborate closely with development teams to unders

ST

Sandy T.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Microsoft Power BI is the best in data visualization systems, advanced and cost-effective."

What do you like about Microsoft Power BI?

Microsoft Power BI is a high-performance business software for all types of businesses, its advanced digital features make it easy to digitize and ana

4. Integrations
Users value the seamless integration capabilities of Power BI, enabling easy connections to various data sources for insightful dashboards.
See 42 mentions

See Related User Reviews

AH

Athena H.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Powerful data visualization tool!"

What do you like about Microsoft Power BI?

Powerful data visualization tool that's customizable, real-time dashboards and seamless integration with ERP Acumatica system. Able to connect multipl

Verified User
E

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.0/5

"PowerBI helps us get all data from all sources into one place"

What do you like about Microsoft Power BI?

Supports plenty of third party platforms and databases that we use

5. Easy Integrations
Users value the easy integrations with Microsoft Power BI, enhancing their workflow and efficiency with various data sources.
See 34 mentions

See Related User Reviews

AA

Aditya A.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Best for Data Analysis and Visualization"

What do you like about Microsoft Power BI?

DAX is a pleasure to use, and its visualizations are straightforward and easy to interpret. I find myself using the dashboards nearly every day. Also

MAYUR U.
MU

MAYUR U.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"It’s best tool to analyse your business."

What do you like about Microsoft Power BI?

Easy to use and understand. Easily connect to any database or any format files.

Top Cons or Disadvantages of Microsoft Power BI

1. Learning Curve
Users find the learning curve steep, requiring significant time and effort, especially for newcomers to Power BI.
See 48 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Akshay P.
AP

Akshay P.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"A Comprehensive Review of Microsoft Power BI Desktop"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

Mastering the various features and functionalities may require time and effort, especially for new users. Potential performance issues with large dat

SS

Srinidhi S.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"Powerful Dashboard Linkages, But Steep Learning Curve for Beginners"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

How non intuitive it can be to learn as a fresher

2. Slow Performance
Users experience slow performance with Power BI, particularly when handling large or complex datasets, affecting usability.
See 45 mentions

See Related User Reviews

AH

Athena H.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Powerful data visualization tool!"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

Oscassional performance slowdowns with very large or complex datasets.

Jacques A.
JA

Jacques A.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Best BI tool"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

Not able to add custom fonts without cumbersome workarounds. Power BI is more demanding in RAM than tableau especially with large models.

3. Expensive
Users find Power BI expensive for small teams, especially with additional fees for premium features.
See 16 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Fiaz H.
FH

Fiaz H.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"PowerBI is a powerful tool for business insights and analysis."

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

I dislike that you have to pay an additional fee to get premium features. I miss the good old days when all those features were included in the common

NM

Noelia M.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Power BI: Data Made Simple"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

While Power BI is robust, it can feel overwhelming at first — especially during the initial setup and data modeling phases. Some advanced features req

4. Missing Features
Users are frustrated by the missing features in Power BI, particularly the additional fees for premium options.
See 15 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Fiaz H.
FH

Fiaz H.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"PowerBI is a powerful tool for business insights and analysis."

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

I dislike that you have to pay an additional fee to get premium features. I miss the good old days when all those features were included in the common

Srikanth B.
SB

Srikanth B.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Excellent tool for Analytics."

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

Publishing option not available for trail version users.

5. Performance Issues
Users often experience performance issues with Microsoft Power BI, especially when handling large datasets and complex calculations.
See 13 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Akshay P.
AP

Akshay P.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"A Comprehensive Review of Microsoft Power BI Desktop"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

Mastering the various features and functionalities may require time and effort, especially for new users. Potential performance issues with large dat

Anubhav K.
AK

Anubhav K.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Experience of working on Power BI"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

Its downside is its performance with large data set as if the data model is not designed efficiently dashboards starts performing sluggishly

6. Slow Loading
Users experience slow loading times when handling large datasets in Power BI, impacting their workflow efficiency.
See 13 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Akshay P.
AP

Akshay P.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"A Comprehensive Review of Microsoft Power BI Desktop"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

Mastering the various features and functionalities may require time and effort, especially for new users. Potential performance issues with large dat

Pranay Kumar M.
PM

Pranay Kumar M.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Power BI Application Review"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

it does not support larger than 1 GB files. Since it stores in RAM while working, It loads the visuals slowly.

7. Coding Difficulty
Users struggle with coding difficulty, finding the learning curve steep and requiring knowledge of Python or R.
See 12 mentions

See Related User Reviews

CP

Cameron P.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Power BI"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

There's a pretty high barrier to entry for the average office worker, the program uses DAX language and is not intuitive. It can do incredible things,

Verified User
U

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"I really enjoyed creating interactive dashboards during my internship"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

DAX coding might be a challenge for users. It was a bit clunky to use.

8. Limited Customization
Users find the limited customization in Power BI frustrating compared to other tools, affecting their analytics flexibility.
See 12 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Jacques A.
JA

Jacques A.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Best BI tool"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

Not able to add custom fonts without cumbersome workarounds. Power BI is more demanding in RAM than tableau especially with large models.

Abd El-Rahman S.
AS

Abd El-Rahman S.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

3.0/5

"Using Microsoft Power BI as the first way to Data Analysis of My Daily Work Routine"

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

The limitation to publishing your dasboard is related to paying process and the price is too high to be paid

Microsoft Power BI Reviews (1,435)

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Microsoft Power BI Reviews (1,435)

View 3 Video Reviews
4.5
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G2 reviews are authentic and verified.
AT
Cybersecurity Architect
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Monitor your database and visualize your operations with Microsoft Power BI computing resources."
What do you like best about Microsoft Power BI?

The visualization and monitoring of technical operations is much more efficient and professional with the use of Microsoft Power BI's technical features, as an active user of all its resources, I can vouch for the quality of its tools and recommend them because of their ease of adoption and integration.

In addition, Microsoft Power BI allows you to create real time reports, automatically back up data and transmit information related to your technical activities. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

I am satisfied with the technical performance that Microsoft Power BI offers, I have no problems with it, it is a great work system that makes me much more efficient. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

NG
Project Manager
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"The most efficient digital data reports, analysis and control can be found in Microsoft Power BI."
What do you like best about Microsoft Power BI?

Microsoft Power BI meets all my expectations and technical requirements, its platform offers centralized and customizable systems so you can complete all kinds of analyses and reports based on data from your daily operations.

It also has an incredible customer service system that allows you to solve technical problems, schedule and automate visualization and control operations for your organization's entire database. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

I have not had any bad experiences using Microsoft Power BI's digital solutions, I think it is a reliable, accessible and effective program for visualizing work data. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Abhishek T.
AT
Senior Consultant
Consulting
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"User-Friendly Power BI Boosts Business Analytics"
What do you like best about Microsoft Power BI?

I find Microsoft Power BI very easy to use and user-friendly. The DAX queries feature is particularly valuable as it simplifies the dashboard setup and makes it highly user-friendly. I also appreciate that it allows non-technical users to access and use without SQL knowledge, which is a huge plus. The interactive dashboards significantly enhance the user experience. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

I find that the dashboard's look and feel could be more interesting and interactive. The current design, with many filter panels on the left and right sides, reduces the overall area available for the charts. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Emmanuel A.
EA
Data Analyst
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Power BI transformed how I present and analyze data"
What do you like best about Microsoft Power BI?

What stand out most for me is its end to end analytics workflow which allows handle everything from raw data ingestion to final dashboard presentation in one ecosystem.

Also its visual layer is very interactive and user friendly, it uses drag and drop chart, apply filters and slicers which aids the visual appeal of my dashboard. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

Learning curve especially for DAX and data modelling can be steep. I struggled with this as a beginner while I am better at this, I am still learning more. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

NM
HR Business Partner
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Power BI: Data Made Simple"
What do you like best about Microsoft Power BI?

Power BI makes data visualization incredibly intuitive and powerful. The drag-and-drop interface and seamless integration with Excel and other Microsoft tools make it easy to connect, model, and present insights quickly. I also appreciate the real-time dashboards and collaboration features that simplify decision-making across teams. It’s a strong, flexible platform for both beginners and advanced users. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

While Power BI is robust, it can feel overwhelming at first — especially during the initial setup and data modeling phases. Some advanced features require a learning curve or technical background, and licensing costs can increase depending on your organization’s scale. Occasionally, performance slows with very large datasets. However, once configured, it delivers exceptional value overall. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

AG
Product Solution Expert
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Data Analysis & review at its best"
What do you like best about Microsoft Power BI?

There are certain things i love about the Power BI as we have regular usage of the same for Sales analytics, our LMS review & management & specific brand management. My corporation is using Power BI since almost more than 3+ years globally and we have implemented it in almost everywhere where we need to have a track of figures no matter if it is people or sales. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

There is no such gap i have found during the usage of Power BI as of now except for the reports somehow do not match the actual data sometimes. Apart from that everthing is good. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Celil .
C
Digital Transformation & Process Improvement Consultant
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Power BI is very competitive in BI world"
What do you like best about Microsoft Power BI?

Microsoft Power BI is how it combines an accessible interface with robust data analytics features. It enables users to build interactive and customizable visualizations and reports with ease, even without extensive technical know-how, thanks to its drag-and-drop tools and straightforward design.

Power BI also offers AI-driven insights, a natural language query feature, and the option to incorporate machine learning models, which give it analytical depth beyond just visual reporting.

The platform supports sharing and collaboration, as well as mobile use, which helps teams communicate clearly and make decisions based on data from virtually anywhere.

it works with a variety of data sources. The ability to access real-time data and have dashboards update automatically is invaluable for making timely decisions. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

Customization of visuals, while extensive, can be limited without writing complex code or scripts, making advanced designs tougher for non-technical users. The user interface can feel bulky or cramped due to many icons and panels, which sometimes obstruct report views.

Power BI predominantly works best within the Microsoft ecosystem and Windows environment, with limited compatibility for Mac users and mixed technology stacks.

Also, Power BI assumes data is clean beforehand and lacks built-in data-cleaning functions, which means additional tools may be necessary to prepare data. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

GP
Digital Marketing Director
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
Business partner of the seller or seller's competitor, not included in G2 scores.
"Facilitate collaboration and visualization within your team with the digital features of Power BI."
What do you like best about Microsoft Power BI?

Microsoft Power BI is a visualization program that facilitates teamwork and collaboration between departments, with its advanced digital features you can analyze and make projections about the technical processes of your work operations.

In addition, Microsoft Power BI allows for quick integration and is compatible with the best operating systems and mobile devices, making initial registration easy for all types of users. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

I have nothing negative to say about the digital features and tools of Microsoft Power BI, it is a high performance work program. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

BF
Sales Manager
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Control, reporting and visualization of virtual data with Microsoft Power BI systems."
What do you like best about Microsoft Power BI?

The management and control of virtual data is fundamental to the proper functioning of any work system, Microsoft Power BI is the perfect program to run your work operations and issue the reports you need to ensure the fulfillment of your work objectives.

In addition, Microsoft Power BI offers an attentive and helpful customer support system, you can consult any requirement you may have and improve your user experience. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

I have nothing bad to say about the functions and working systems of Microsoft Power BI, I think very well about using this program. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Pradhyum U.
PU
Data Analyst
Accounting
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Easily One of the Best Platforms for Data Visualization and Insights"
What do you like best about Microsoft Power BI?

What I like best about Microsoft Power BI is its ease of use and interactive dashboard capabilities. It allows users to explore data through dynamic visuals, drill-downs, and filters without needing extensive technical knowledge. The implementation process is straightforward, especially within Microsoft’s ecosystem, and it integrates seamlessly with tools like Excel, Azure, and SQL Server. I also appreciate the range of features it offers—from custom visuals to AI-driven insights—which makes it powerful for both basic reporting and advanced analytics. I use it frequently in my workflow, and whenever I’ve needed help, the customer support and vibrant online community have been incredibly helpful. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Microsoft Power BI?

Power BI can be tough to master when it comes to advanced features like DAX. The visuals, while functional, don’t offer a ton of customization, and it can lag a bit when handling larger datasets. The licensing structure is also a bit confusing, and collaboration—especially real-time version control—isn’t always smooth unless you’re fully embedded in the Microsoft suite. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.