Qlik Sense and Power BI - which is better?

As data becomes an integral part of modern business, companies increasingly need business intelligence IT solutions to help them navigate the vast amount of data. With these tools, companies can gain insight into potential opportunities and threats.

Power BI and Qlik Sense are two popular SaaS tools that help business owners and managers collect and analyze relevant data to solve business problems.

Both solutions are priced highly, which can make it difficult to choose the right option for your business.

In this article, we explore both business intelligence (BI) tools, comparing their value based on categories such as features, limitations, and usability. At the end of this article, you will have the knowledge you need about each tool to make the right choice.

Qlik Sense and Power BI: Comparison Table

In the table below we look at the differences and similarities in the two software

Although these BI tools perform very similar functions, there are significant differences between them.

Power BI from Microsoft is a business intelligence solution that supports data collection from different databases. It provides information in simple and clear reports or dashboards. The software is cloud-based and provides data visualizations that are easy to share with team members and colleagues.

The software is part of the Microsoft product portfolio, making it ideal for integration into companies that already use MS products. 

Qlik Sense is more focused on enterprises and is used mainly by large organizations. As BI software, it is more similar to search engines like Google or Bing. Data sets are accessible by keyword and work as a self-service analytics tool.

Like Power BI, users can work with it to create reports and dynamic dashboards using imported data from external sources. In addition, the tool gives users significant freedom in creating various data analysis objects.

Qlik Sense

When you purchase Qlik Sense, you get access to an advanced business intelligence product with many features. It offers a smart search capability that allows you to search through datasets as if you were using a regular search engine. Features include:

• Self-service analytics
• Shared Object Library
• Open and standard APIs
• Real-time analytics
• Big Data integration
• Rapid development environment
• Joint data reporting

The main advantage of Qlik Sense is that it meets the needs of corporate users. It offers detailed dashboards as well as advanced visualizations.

Compared to Power BI, its dashboards and visualizations have more customization options, mostly needed by advanced users.

It also comes with built-in AI, Insight Advisor, which analyzes data sets and provides insights and helps automate tasks.

Power BI

Microsoft developed this business intelligence tool primarily for small and medium-sized organizations.

For example, although its data visualization and dashboard features are customizable, the user experience is still more limited. In addition, Power Bi feature lists include:

• Special reporting
• Trend indicators
• Navigation bar
• Create interactive reports
• Special analysis
• Online analytical processing

One of the features that ultimately makes Power BI stand out is its compatibility with other Microsoft tools. Companies using Microsoft products can seamlessly connect and manage their data using a full range of software tools.

From a practical standpoint, a familiar user interface makes it easier to train and manage employee adoption.

Conclusion

Both Qlik Sense and Power BI were released in the same year (2014). Since then, they've grown at the same rate, so it's hard to pick a clear winner. Rather, the best option is subjective and depends on the size and scope of the data you plan to work with.

Size-wise, Power BI Pro should be chosen by SMBs and startups. This is a budget option that is ideal for users with limited data needs. You can create professional-grade data visualizations at an affordable price.

Finally, enterprise-level businesses can choose either Qlik Sense Enterprise SaaS or Power BI Premium, depending on the user's skill level. Teams more familiar with MS tools are recommended to use Power BI due to easier integration with the Microsoft stack.

Still have questions? 

Power BI and Qlik Sense are great solutions for a company. If you decide to choose Power BI and still have questions about integrating the Microsoft solution, just contact us. At Fanetech, we customize Microsoft solutions to suit business needs.