--- title: SAS Viya Reviews meta_title: 'SAS Viya Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2' meta_description: Filter 821 reviews by the users' company size, role or industry to find out how SAS Viya works for a business like yours. aggregate_rating: rating_value: 4.3 review_count: 821 scale: '5' date_modified: '2026-10-15' parent_category: name: Analytics Tools & Software url: https://www.g2.com/categories/analytics-tools-software ---

SAS Viya Pros and Cons: Top 5 Advantages and Disadvantages

Quick AI Summary Based on G2 Reviews

Generated from real user reviews

Users value the ease of use in SAS Viya, enhancing data visualization and decision-making for businesses. (233 mentions)
Users appreciate the advanced analytical capabilities of SAS Viya, making data analysis and decision-making more efficient. (175 mentions)
Users value the sophisticated analytical capabilities of SAS Viya, enhancing decision-making and insights from diverse data sources. (149 mentions)
Users value the end-to-end data lifecycle tooling in SAS Viya, enhancing insights and strategic decision-making capabilities. (125 mentions)
Users value the powerful data visualization capabilities of SAS Viya, enhancing insights and decision-making in their organizations. (116 mentions)
Users find SAS Viya difficult for non-technical users to navigate, impacting ease of access to reports and dashboards. (105 mentions)
Users find the visualization complexity of SAS Viya challenging, especially for those without technical expertise. (103 mentions)
Users find the learning curve challenging, especially for non-technical individuals navigating reports and dashboards. (99 mentions)
Users find the difficult learning curve for SAS Viya challenging, especially for non-technical users attempting to access features. (82 mentions)
Users find the expensive pricing of SAS Viya a potential barrier, complicating their decision-making process. (78 mentions)

5 Pros or Advantages of SAS Viya

5 Cons or Disadvantages of SAS Viya

SAS Viya Reviews (821)

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SAS Viya Reviews (821)

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SAURABH R.
SR
SAURABH R.
Senior AI Analyst
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Versatile Analytics Tool with a Few Scalability Concerns"
3.5/5
What do you like best about SAS Viya?

I like SAS Viya's low code, no code interface because it allows people who don't know how to code to pretty much do everything. You can create dashboards, models from scratch, and data pipelines. It gives you the option to either code or use drag and drop. As a non-tech person, you can do almost anything you want on SAS Viya without ever writing code. That's something very unique. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SAS Viya?

In my experience, when we tried to create reports which are quite extensive on SAS Viya, they tend to slow down a bit and get laggy, making me feel they're not that scalable. If the data keeps increasing, it might not scale as much as we want it to. I also have a complaint with SAS Intelligent Planning; the user interface is quite outdated and configuring it is complicated. The learning curve is quite steep, especially in today's age where tools are expected to be intuitive and easy to adapt. Additionally, installing SAS Viya can be complicated, with potential issues during installation and configuration. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Afifa J.
AJ
Afifa J.
Student
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Powerful, User-Friendly Analytics with an Intuitive Drag-and-Drop Interface"
4.5/5
What do you like best about SAS Viya?

SAS Viya is a powerful yet user-friendly analytics platform that I genuinely enjoy working with. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes building and running models straightforward, even without heavy coding knowledge. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SAS Viya?

One drawback of SAS Viya is that the font size can be extremely small, making it difficult to read and navigate the interface comfortably. The platform can also feel overwhelming at first due to the sheer number of features and options available, which can be challenging for new users to get used to. Additionally, it can be slow to load at times, which interrupts the workflow when working on larger projects. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Shihab S.
SS
Shihab S.
Engineering Trainer
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Fast Data Analysis, but Clunky Interface"
4/5
What do you like best about SAS Viya?

I like that SAS Viya was able to really analyze thousands and thousands of data in a very short time, which I think is pretty useful because I would like to work with governments and bigger organizations that have huge amounts of data. SAS Viya was able to analyze them very quickly and at a very reasonable time. It's really important that we're able to take in that data and analyze it because other software isn't as fast. They struggle with large amounts of data, but SAS Viya was able to analyze those data in a very short time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SAS Viya?

I felt like the SAS Viya interface was not very user-friendly in terms of finding files. It's very clunky compared to industry standards like Google products. It was difficult to locate folders and files, and we needed multiple training sessions just for the basics, which should be easily accessible for tech people. Also, the initial setup felt daunting and required watching multiple videos. As someone tech-savvy, I find this not very user-friendly. It scared me away initially, and I might not have returned if not for work obligations. There is a bit of an initial learning curve, making it a bit difficult to get started. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

JM
John M.
Medical
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Powerful, Cloud-Based Analytics Platform with Scalable ML and Visualization"
4/5
What do you like best about SAS Viya?

What I like best about SAS Viya is that it combines powerful data analytics, machine learning, and visualization into one modern, cloud-based platform. It allows users to process large datasets quickly using scalable computing while supporting multiple programming languages like SAS, Python, and R, which makes collaboration easier across teams. I also like that it integrates the entire analytics workflow from data preparation to model deployment and monitoring into a single system, helping organizations work more efficiently while maintaining strong data governance and security. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SAS Viya?

One potential downside of SAS Viya is that it can have a steep learning curve, especially for users who are new to SAS or enterprise analytics platforms. The cost of licensing and implementation can also be high compared with some open-source alternatives, which may limit accessibility for smaller organizations. Additionally, while Viya supports multiple programming languages, some advanced customization can still feel more seamless within the SAS ecosystem, which may reduce flexibility for teams that primarily work in open-source environments. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Banking
UB
Verified User in Banking
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Powerful Analytics Platform for Enterprise Risk and Financial Modeling"
4.5/5
What do you like best about SAS Viya?

SAS Viya offers a robust and modern platform for advanced analytics and modeling. The interface is clean and relatively intuitive, especially for users familiar with analytics tools, although its proprietary programming language involves a learning curve.

I also appreciate that SAS Viya can connect with multiple data sources and platforms, making it highly flexible for enterprise environments and compatible with existing data ecosystems.

Regarding performance, the platform is highly efficient, comparable to leading providers, particularly when handling millions of records. Its cloud-based architecture enables scalability and faster processing compared to traditional SAS 9.

Although it is an expensive product, it provides reliable support, especially for regulated organizations.

Finally, SAS Viya stands out for its strong machine learning and AI capabilities. It also offers specialized products for predictive modeling, risk modeling, and both batch and real-time scoring.

Overall, SAS Viya is a comprehensive and powerful platform, well-suited for large organizations. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SAS Viya?

One of the main drawbacks is its high cost, which makes it less accessible for small organizations. In our case, it is only used at the group´s headquarters due to budget constraints.

I also find that the training and certification courses are still quite expensive. Making them more accessible would help promote the development of skilled professionals.

Additionally, some essential features, such as connectors to other databases, are offered as add-ons that require additional licensing costs, which increases the overall investment.

Finally, I find the CASL language challenging, as it has a steeper learning curve compared to the traditional macro-based SAS language. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

SM
Sachin M.
Biostatistician
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"SAS Viya: Cloud-Native, High-Performance Analytics with Flexible Language Support"
5/5
What do you like best about SAS Viya?

What I like most about SAS Viya is its cloud-native architecture and strong performance. It enables faster data processing through in-memory analytics, supports Python, R, and SQL alongside SAS, and offers convenient access via a web-based interface. Overall, these capabilities make analytics more scalable, collaborative, and flexible than in traditional SAS environments. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SAS Viya?

What I dislike about SAS Viya is its steeper learning curve, particularly for users who are new to cloud environments. Migrating from SAS 9 can be complex, and the administration and licensing costs can be high. In addition, some traditional SAS features behave differently in Viya, which may require adaptation, retraining, and extra time to adjust. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

sahar z.
SZ
sahar z.
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Easy Setup, Excellent Learning Pathways"
3.5/5
What do you like best about SAS Viya?

I use SAS Viya to learn machine learning training with and without code. I appreciate the SAS Viya Learner, which offers workshops, a platform, and datasets to learn and try things simultaneously. I like the simplicity of using the app and the workshops that help me to learn the ideas. The pathways in the workshops are particularly beneficial in guiding me towards my professional goals. Also, setting up the environment was pretty easy. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SAS Viya?

I think starting something new can be tough because you're often biased against learning new things. It happened to me with SAS too, and at first, I questioned why I needed it. Also, I think there should be separate paths for people who are already in this field and those who are new, with different workshops for each group. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Consulting
CC
Verified User in Consulting
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"SAS Viya: Scalable, In-Memory Analytics with Smooth Python and R Integration"
4.5/5
What do you like best about SAS Viya?

What I appreciate most about SAS Viya is how it brings together data management, advanced analytics, and governance in a single, scalable platform. The in-memory processing really makes a difference when working with large datasets, and the integration with open-source tools like Python and R is much smoother compared to older SAS environments. It also feels much more flexible in terms of deployment (cloud, hybrid), which is important in real-world enterprise setups. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SAS Viya?

One downside is the relatively high cost, especially for smaller teams. Also, some features can feel complex or less intuitive at first, requiring time and experience to fully leverage. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

JN
Janick N.
Software Engineer
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Effortless Interactive Dashboards with Real-Time, AI-Powered Insights"
5/5
What do you like best about SAS Viya?

I like how easily it transforms raw data into interactive dashboards and visualizations. It also lets me build interactive dashboards and get AI-powered insights without a complex setup. I especially appreciate that we can create calculated columns and metrics, and that everything can stay up to date with real-time data. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SAS Viya?

SAS offers comprehensive data preparation capabilities, with a clear focus on handling large volumes of data. I honestly don’t have anything negative to say. Features like chat and AI-powered search make reports easier to understand, and they’re genuinely useful for users. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

MK
Miloud K.
Operations Lead
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Excellent Support and Easy Integration for Real-Time, Informed Decisions"
4.5/5
What do you like best about SAS Viya?

SAS Viya’s biggest strengths are its excellent team, its well-structured support system, and how easy it is to integrate. It gives our clients real-time visibility and helps us make informed decisions that support growth. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about SAS Viya?

Having a tool like SAS Viya that centralizes all our data sources in one place has been incredibly valuable. It also helps the team take almost any question and turn it into a practical solution. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.