--- description: Review of Microsoft Power BI Software: system overview, features, price and cost information. Get free demos and compare to similar programs. image: https://gdm-localsites-assets-gfprod.imgix.net/images/software_advice/og_logo-55146305bbe7b450bea05c18e9be9c9a.png title: Microsoft Power BI | Reviews, Pricing & Demos - SoftwareAdvice AU --- Breadcrumb: [Home](/) > [Data Visualisation Tools](/directory/400/data-visualization/software) > [Microsoft Power BI](/software/23530/microsoft-power-bi) # Microsoft Power BI Canonical: https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/software/23530/microsoft-power-bi Page: 1 / 77\ Next: [Next page](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/software/23530/microsoft-power-bi?page=2) > Microsoft Power BI is a comprehensive data visualization tool that forms part of the Power Platform suite of products. Power BI enables users to connect to and visualize data from various sources, seamlessly integrating visualizations into everyday applications. With a focus on uncovering valuable insights and translating them into actionable outcomes, Power BI offers a range of features and capabilities to support data-driven decision-making across organizations. One of the key strengths of Power BI lies in its ability to leverage advanced data-analysis tools, artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, and a user-friendly report-creation interface. Users can easily turn their raw data into visually appealing charts, graphs, and reports to communicate insights effectively. The platform also facilitates the creation of datasets from diverse data sources, allowing organizations to establish a single source of truth within the OneLake data hub. Power BI empowers users to make informed decisions by embedding insights directly into the applications they use daily, such as those within the Microsoft 365 suite. By activating Microsoft Fabric within the Power BI experience, organizations can reshape how they access, manage, and act on data. The platform offers enterprise-grade ingestion and semantic modeling to handle large datasets and scale across thousands of users seamlessly. Sharing insights generated through Power BI is effortless, as reports can be embedded and distributed within various Microsoft services like Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, and the Power Platform. Additionally, Power BI incorporates artificial intelligence features to find patterns in data, generate reports instantly, and deliver answers promptly, enhancing productivity and decision-making efficiency. To ensure data governance, security, and compliance, Power BI provides robust features that meet regulatory requirements and offer end-to-end visibility into data management. Using conversational language, users can create reports, generate DAX calculations, and derive answers swiftly, simplifying the data exploration process. The platform also allows open access for users without paid licenses to interact with reports and access Microsoft Fabric workloads. Power BI supports self-service analytics, enabling users to create and publish reports effortlessly, fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making within organizations. Users can license individual users with modern analytics capabilities for publishing reports and accessing content. By integrating Power BI Pro with other Microsoft 365 applications, users can leverage industry-leading security features at a competitive price point. For those interested in exploring the capabilities of Power BI, a free account option is available for creating interactive reports with visual analytics features. Additionally, Power BI Desktop offers a free application for connecting, modeling, and visualizing data through a user-friendly report canvas with a wide range of visuals. Users can also sign up for a free trial of the Microsoft Fabric suite to access the full range of services, including Power BI offerings. Power BI caters to a wide range of business needs, allowing organizations to establish a governed source of truth, combine enterprise-scale and self-service BI for insights, seamlessly embed data experiences within applications, empower users with data exploration capabilities, and kickstart their data journey with AI-generated reports and templates. The platform supports reducing time-to-market by customizing BI reports for embedding in applications and branding as your own. In terms of industry recognition, Microsoft Power BI has been lauded in the 2024 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms for its Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision. Additionally, independent studies like The Total Economic ImpactTM showcase the cost savings and business benefits enabled by Microsoft Fabric, including a significant return on investment over a three-year period. Power BI serves as a valuable tool for organizations looking to extract meaningful insights from their data, foster a data-driven culture, and drive innovation across all levels. With its intuitive interface, advanced analytics capabilities, seamless integration with Microsoft applications, and robust security features, Power BI stands as a prominent solution for businesses seeking to leverage their data effectively for informed decision-making and business growth. > > Verdict: Rated **4.6/5** by 1896 users. Top-rated for **Likelihood to recommend**. ----- ## Quick Stats & Ratings | Metric | Rating | Detail | | **Overall** | **4.6/5** | 1896 Reviews | | Ease of Use | 4.1/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Customer Support | 4.2/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Value for Money | 4.4/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Features | 4.5/5 | Based on overall reviews | | Recommendation percentage | 90% | (9/10 Likelihood to recommend) | ## About the vendor - **Company**: Microsoft - **Location**: Redmond, US - **Founded**: 1975 ## Commercial Context - **Starting Price**: USD 10.00 - **Pricing model**: Per User (Free version available) - **Pricing Details**: Free Plan: Free Power BI Pro Plan: Price: $10/user/month Power BI Premium Per User: Price: $20/user/month Power BI Premium in Microsoft Fabric: Variable - **Target Audience**: Self Employed, 2–10, 11–50, 51–200, 201–500, 501–1,000, 1,001–5,000, 5,001–10,000, 10,000+ - **Deployment & Platforms**: Cloud, SaaS, Web-based - **Supported Languages**: Arabic, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese - **Available Countries**: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States ## Features - AI/Machine Learning - API - Activity Dashboard - Ad hoc Analysis - Ad hoc Query - Ad hoc Reporting - Charting - Collaboration Tools - Customisable Dashboard - Customizable Reports - Customization - Dashboard - Dashboard Creation - Data Blending - Data Cleansing - Data Connectors - Data Discovery - Data Import/Export - Data Management - Data Mining ## Integrations (11 total) - Dynamics 365 - Microsoft 365 - Microsoft Azure - Microsoft Excel - Microsoft SQL Server - Microsoft SharePoint - Microsoft Teams - OneDrive - QuickBooks Online - Salesforce Sales Cloud - Twilio ## Support Options - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat ## Category - [Data Visualisation Tools](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/directory/400/data-visualization/software) ## Related Categories - [Data Visualisation Tools](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/directory/400/data-visualization/software) - [Data Discovery Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/directory/1896/data-discovery-tools/software) - [Data Analysis Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/directory/535/data-analysis/software) - [Big Data Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/directory/3299/big-data/software) - [Predictive Analytics Software](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/directory/481/predictive-analytics/software) ## Alternatives 1. [Google Analytics 360](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/software/137155/google-analytics) — 4.7/5 (8101 reviews) 2. [Tableau](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/software/1940/tableau) — 4.6/5 (2364 reviews) 3. [Minitab](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/software/81798/minitab) — 4.5/5 (391 reviews) 4. [Google Cloud](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/software/172144/google-cloud-platform) — 4.7/5 (2342 reviews) 5. [Zoho Analytics](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/software/393551/zoho-analytics) — 4.4/5 (361 reviews) ## Reviews ### "The End Justifies the Means... but the Means Require Patience" — 4.0/5 > **Matt** | *26 January 2026* | Computer Software | Recommendation rating: 8.0/10 > > **Pros**: The final results of what PowerBI can do for your team/business are incredible. Empowering each team with their own interactive dashboards with data that's specific to their decision-making is absolute gold in business value. > > **Cons**: If you already have a seasoned PowerBI expert on your team, then you'll be positioned to start seeing the benefits a lot faster. However, if you or someone else is starting the setup with no prior experience, there is a pretty massive learning curve. > > I've had the benefit of using PowerBI dashboards at a few different companies that influenced how we made decisions and interacted with customers at a level we simply could not without the tool. I've also had to link up data sources and create dashboards from scratch at my current company, and it required hours of online tutorials and patience on my part to finally get it done. ----- ### "Power BI with PostgreSQL" — 5.0/5 > **Louis** | *6 May 2026* | Real Estate | Recommendation rating: 8.0/10 > > **Pros**: Strong modeling and transformation capabilities with Power Query Very powerful analytics and KPI logic via DAX once the model is well structured Good report sharing experience and access control via workspaces and apps Fast, interactive dashboards when the model and PostgreSQL queries are optimized Strong ecosystem and continuous product improvements > > **Cons**: DAX and data modeling require expertise Refresh setup and reliability can require ongoing attention as data volume grows Without monitoring, performance can degrade as adoption increases > > We use Microsoft Power BI Premium connected to PostgreSQL for organization wide reporting and analytics. It has been a good fit for scaling dashboards to many users, with stronger governance, distribution, and performance than a basic setup. Once the semantic model is properly designed and the refresh strategy is stable, it saves a significant amount of time compared to manual reporting and gives stakeholders reliable, consistent KPIs. ----- ### "Get Awesome Looking Dashboards and reports." — 5.0/5 > **Joe** | *23 November 2023* | Warehousing | Recommendation rating: 8.0/10 > > **Pros**: After using many other reporting tools, Power BI stands because it does a fantastic job of having powerful analytics from multiple data sources displayed using beautiful data visualization components. > > **Cons**: Great for more simple reports and data visualization but not designed for heavy data processing (dependent on data source). Also huge learning curve to make things look the way you want them to look. > > Overall its a great tool to use in your arsenal if you great at analytics and want to impress with dashboards and visuals. Takes some time to getting used to, but there's tons of community support online. ----- ### "Power BI: A Powerful and Cost-Effective Business Intelligence Platform" — 4.0/5 > **Gabriel** | *2 July 2026* | Financial Services | Recommendation rating: 8.0/10 > > **Pros**: Power BI offers excellent value for money compared to many other business intelligence tools while providing enterprise level analytics capabilities. As a Business Analyst, I appreciate its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, extensive visualization options, and seamless integration with Microsoft products such as Excel, SQL Server, Azure, and Teams. The ability to create interactive dashboards, automate reporting, and build data models using Power Query and DAX significantly improves reporting efficiency and supports better business decisions > > **Cons**: The learning curve can be challenging for new users, particularly when working with advanced DAX formulas, complex data modeling, or performance optimization. Handling very large datasets may require Premium capacity or careful model optimization. Additionally, sharing reports externally and managing licensing can sometimes be confusing, especially for organizations with mixed licensing requirements. > > My overall experience with Microsoft Power BI has been very positive. As a Business Analyst, it has become one of my primary tools for transforming raw data into meaningful business insights. It enables me to connect to multiple data sources, clean and model data efficiently, and create interactive dashboards that allow stakeholders to monitor KPIs and identify trends in real time. ----- ### "Powerful Visualization Tool" — 5.0/5 > **Verified Reviewer** | *20 January 2026* | Nonprofit Organization Management | Recommendation rating: 6.0/10 > > **Pros**: Power BI is a powerful visualization app that is especially unlocked with knowledge of M and DAX. Some of its visualization options--like stacked charts--are especially useful for visualizing survey data. Its slicers and filters are also an easy way set up templates--which is especially useful for generating reports across different teams or clients. > > **Cons**: While it is primarily designed as an internal business intelligence tool, I wish that Power BI made it easier to share dashboards with users outside of your organization domain. ----- Page: 1 / 77\ Next: [Next page](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/software/23530/microsoft-power-bi?page=2) ## Links - [View on SoftwareAdvice](https://www.softwareadvice.com.au/software/23530/microsoft-power-bi) ## This page is available in the following languages | Locale | URL | | de | | | en | | | en-AU | | | en-GB | | | en-IE | | | en-NZ | | | fr | | ----- ## Structured Data