Power BI vs Oracle Analytics Cloud

Microsoft Power BI is no doubt a powerful business intelligence platform, from one of the leaders in the technology field, with some users even saying that its potential seems to be limitless due to its extensibility and scalability. Power BI has resounding success with its intuitive interface, robust data visualization capabilities and interactive features that make analytics accessible to all users. Power users say that its support for DAX, R, Python and other query languages give them access to even more complex calculations, data querying, data preparation and data modeling, making Power BI a strong solution for technical and non-technical users alike. However, many customers say that while Power BI may have a user-friendly GUI, it’s not necessarily a user-friendly system, with many users saying that they required heavy training or preexisting knowledge to really understand how to work with the system. While many users cite its seamless Microsoft and Windows integration as a pro, especially for those companies that have already invested in Microsoft-based solutions, others say that Power BI’s incompatibility with non-Windows systems and weaker integrations with non-Microsoft solutions are a point of frustration for them. The cloud-based platform offers responsive mobile and web access to dashboards, but several users note that browser functionality is limited. Power BI reviews seemed to be mixed as to Power BI's sharing capabilities, with about 65% of users satisfied that Power BI helps them in making presentations and catering to different audiences, with the other approximately 35% expressing dissatisfaction with its limited display and export options, as well as restrictions on non-subscribers not being able to view dashboards. Another pain point for Power BI seems to be its operating speed, particularly when working with large datasets. In summary, Microsoft Power BI is a strong contender in the business intelligence field, earning mostly positive reviews for its boost to productivity and efficiency, and an especially good choice for customers already using Microsoft technologies like Excel, but may be difficult for new users to adopt.

Oracle Analytics Cloud, the SaaS offering from the enterprise BI and ERP software giant, is a strong choice for mid to large-sized companies. OAC sets itself apart from the competition with its revolutionary and easy-to-use augmented analytics that make using machine learning as simple as pushing a button. Another strong point for OAC is its user-friendly GUI and interactivity, which encourage business users to access their insights. With powerful and flexible features such as mobile compatibility and super-solid reporting, even despite restrictions or limitations, many users find OAC to fulfill their business needs. However, this comes at a price — a price that several find a bit too high for their budget. As a constantly updating cloud-based solution, many users praise the way that OAC reduces their operating and maintenance costs, but others note that its newness makes the platform buggy. Some of these errors are difficult to resolve, with the cause of them indeterminable. Another point of frustration lies in support; several say that technical support is slow to respond to their tickets, and that patches to fix bugs in the platform are slow and sometimes ineffective. Even still, Oracle Analytics Cloud provides speed through its data processing engine, simplified machine learning and AI-powered augmented analytics and reporting capabilities that make it a frontrunner in the field of data analytics and data visualization, especially for bigger businesses looking to consolidate and automate their reporting.