Microsoft Power BI vs SAP Analytics Cloud
Microsoft Power BI
powerbi.microsoft.comSAP Analytics Cloud
sap.comSide by side
| Figure | Microsoft Power BI | SAP Analytics Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $14/mo | $36/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 6 | 2 |
| Spec score · Business Intelligence Tools | 9.3 (#1) | 9.2 (#2) |
| Deployment | hybrid | hybrid |
| Embedded analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Microsoft integrations | Power BI integrates with Microsoft 365, Azure, Purview, Dynamics 365, and Power Platform. | Named data sources include SAP HANA, SAP S/4HANA, SAP BW/4HANA, SAP BusinessObjects, SQL, OData, and Google BigQuery. |
| Natural-language queries | Yes | Yes |
| Refresh frequency | hourly | real-time |
| Row-level security | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduled reports | Yes | Yes |
Plans
Microsoft Power BI
- Free accountFree
- Power BI Pro$14 a month
- Power BI Premium Per User$24 a month
- Power BI EmbeddedPriced on request
- Fabric Capacity Pay-As-You-GoPriced on request
- Fabric Capacity ReservationPriced on request
SAP Analytics Cloud
- Business Intelligence$36 a month
- SAP Analytics CloudPriced on request
In their own words
Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI is a business intelligence tool for exploring data and creating interactive reports and dashboards. A free account supports reports and dashboards for personal use, and Power BI Desktop is a free download for data exploration and report authoring. Sharing reports requires upgrading to Pro or Premium. Native mobile apps are available for Windows, iOS, and Android, while Power BI also integrates with Microsoft 365, Azure, Purview, Dynamics 365, and Power Platform. Users can ask questions about data in natural language, with Copilot generating visuals and reports. Insights can be shared through Microsoft Teams, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and other apps, and developers can embed interactive reports in their own applications. Power BI includes scheduled reports, hourly refresh frequency, row-level security, and embedded analytics. Pro costs $14 a month when paid yearly; Premium Per User costs $24 a month when paid yearly. Power BI Embedded is listed at as little as $1 per hour for analytics. The free account does not require a credit card, and regional pricing can vary by currency, country, and other regional factors.
SAP Analytics Cloud
SAP Analytics Cloud brings business intelligence, analytics and enterprise planning together in a cloud service. It supports financial, supply chain and operational planning, with real-time data refresh, scheduled reports, embedded analytics, natural-language queries and row-level security. Joule can automate reports, model scenarios, surface insights and handle analytics and planning tasks through conversation. More than 100 prebuilt business content packages are available across lines of business. Named data sources include SAP HANA, SAP S/4HANA, SAP BW/4HANA, SAP BusinessObjects, SQL, OData and Google BigQuery. Live connections analyze data at its source without replication; import connections bring data in for modeling. The service offers web, iOS and Android access and hybrid deployment. Mobile apps require an SAP Analytics Cloud account and mobile services enabled by the user's IT department. Pricing is on request, and there is no free plan. A no-cost 30-day trial uses sample data on a shared tenant and excludes some administration, customization, master data management and integration capabilities.