Ranked 1 of 9 in best dashboard and data visualization tools
The broadest report builder here, with a free Desktop app and a browser service for sharing. Report design is limited to Windows, and sharing needs a paid Pro or Premium license.
Best for Microsoft-based teams building shared business reports
About Power BI
Power BI has two main parts. Power BI Desktop is a Windows app where people connect to data, model it and design report pages. The Power BI service is a cloud platform in the browser where published reports are shared and viewed, and a mobile app lets people view reports on the go. Microsoft lists KPI tracking and scorecards among its report features.
The free account lets people start building reports, and sharing needs a Pro or Premium license. Pro is listed at $14 per user a month, paid yearly. Power BI suits organizations that already use Microsoft 365 and Excel, and because report design happens in the Windows app, Mac and Linux users need a Windows machine or the browser service to build reports.
Key features
- Power BI Desktop for Windows
- Power BI service in a browser
- KPI tracking and scorecards
- Copilot assistant
- Mobile app for viewing reports
Strengths
- Desktop app for designing reports, plus a browser service for sharing
- Connects to Excel files and many other sources
- Free account to start building reports
Limits
- Report design happens in the Windows-only Desktop app
- Sharing reports needs a paid Pro or Premium license
Where Power BI ranks
| List | Rank | Score | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best Dashboard and data visualization tools | 1 of 9 | 92.0 | Microsoft-based teams building shared business reports |
| Best Business intelligence tools | 1 of 7 | 91.5 | Microsoft-based teams with complex reports |
Questions about Power BI
- Is Power BI free?
- Power BI can be used without paying: Free account; Pro is $14 per user a month, paid yearly. Check the vendor’s pricing page for current limits.
- Is Power BI open source?
- No. Power BI is proprietary software; its source code is not public.
- Which platforms does Power BI support?
- Power BI is available on: Windows, Web.
- What is Power BI best for?
- Microsoft-based teams building shared business reports. In our ranking of dashboard and data visualization tools it is number 1 of 9 with a score of 92.0.
- What are the best alternatives to Power BI?
- The highest-ranked alternatives on listme.name are Tableau, Metabase, Data Studio, Apache Superset.