Business Intelligence software: an objective comparison
Business Intelligence (BI) tools are software solutions designed to help users create, distribute, and analyze reports, dashboards, data analytics, and machine learning models. Their primary purpose is to extract meaningful insights from data quickly and efficiently. Since 2007, we have been conducting in-depth research and evaluations of the best and most widely used BI tools on the market, assessing them based on more than 250 criteria. On this page, we explore the key benefits of BI tools and provide an unbiased overview of leading software solutions. Additionally, we explain why Excel falls short as a BI tool and outline the five essential steps for selecting the right BI solution. Any questions about our research? Feel free to reach out for more information or schedule an appointment with us today.
The 7 benefits of Business Intelligence tools
BI tools allow you to quickly extract insights from large datasets, but their advantages go far beyond that. Here are seven key benefits of using BI tools:
- Gain a clear understanding of corporate and external data and enable big data analytics
- Ensure clear visualization and availability of management information
- Identify bottlenecks to improve workflow and processes
- Equip users with the tools they need to improve business processes
- Leverage data-driven insights to enhance overall business performance
- Get the perfect support for performance management and making strategic decisions
- Utilize intelligent dashboards for clear, real-time reporting and easy data tracking
Overview of BI tools for Data Analysis
Click on any tool name to learn more, or refer to the Business Intelligence & Analytics Guide™ 2025 for an objective, in-depth comparison to help you choose the best BI solution for your organization. The list below is organized alphabetically for easy reference. At Passionned Group, we are 100% independent and have no affiliations with BI tool vendors, ensuring a completely unbiased evaluation.
1. Alteryx
Alteryx is widely known for its products Alteryx Designer, Alteryx Server, Alteryx Analytics, Alteryx Connect, and Alteryx Intelligence Suite. The company is 100% specialized in BI & Analytics. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from Alteryx are strong in the following areas, among others:
- data science
- machine learning
- authentication
- Windows
- text mining
- data preparation
- analysis
- cloud platform
- analytics hub
Figure 1: Alteryx Designer
Figure 2: Alteryx Server
Figure 3: Alteryx Analytics2. DataRobot
DataRobot is widely known for its products DataRobot Artificial Intelligence, DataRobot MLOps, DataRobot Core, DataRobot platform, and DataRobot AutoML. The company is 100% specialized in BI & Analytics. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from DataRobot are strong in the following areas, among others:
- generative AI
- artificial intelligence
- data science
- automated machine learning
- Python
- machine learning models
- time series
- reporting
- analytics
Figure 4: DataRobot Artificial Intelligence
Figure 5: DataRobot MLOps
Figure 6: DataRobot Core3. Domo
The most well-known products in the area of BI & Analytics of the company Domo are Domo Platform, Domo Data Science, Domo Business Intelligence, Domo Data Visualization, and Domo Mobile. We analyzed and evaluated these BI & Analytics products in depth and meticulously. The Business Intelligence tools from Domo can be characterized by good support on the following topics:
- data science
- business intelligence
- data visualization
- analytics
- machine learning
- analysis
- dashboards
- reporting
- real-time data
Figure 7: Domo Platform
Figure 8: Domo Data Science
Figure 9: Domo Business Intelligence4. Dundas
The most well-known products in the area of BI & Analytics of the company Dundas are Dundas Data Visualization, Dundas Dashboard, and Dundas BI Data Flow. We analyzed and evaluated these BI & Analytics products in depth and meticulously. The Business Intelligence tools from Dundas can be characterized by good support on the following topics:
- data visualization
- business intelligence
- dashboards
- reporting
- analysis
- analytics platform
- real-time
- embedded analytics
- interactive dashboards
Figure 10: Dundas BI
Figure 11: Dundas Data Visualization
Figure 12: Dundas Dashboard5. GoodData
As far as we have been able to ascertain, GoodData currently has only one primary product: GoodData Platform. Take a look at the screen shots below. The Business Intelligence tools from GoodData are strong in the following areas, among others:
Figure 13: GoodData Platform
Figure 14: GoodData Platform
Figure 15: GoodData Platform6. IBM BI & Analytics
IBM is widely known for its products Cognos Analytics, IBM SPSS, IBM Watson, IBM Infosphere, and Netezza. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from IBM are strong in the following areas, among others:
- analytics
- analysis
- real-time
- OLAP
- natural language processing
- business intelligence
- predictive analytics
- reporting
- IBM Netezza
Figure 16: Cognos Analytics
Figure 17: IBM SPSS
Figure 18: IBM Watson7. Incorta
The most well-known products in the area of BI & Analytics of the company Incorta are Incorta Analytics, and Incorta analyzer. We analyzed and evaluated these BI & Analytics products in depth and meticulously. The Business Intelligence tools from Incorta can be characterized by good support on the following topics:
- analytics platform
- reporting
- dashboards
- analysis
- data science
- data hub
- real-time analytics
- SDK
Figure 19: Incorta Analytics
Figure 20: Incorta Analytics
Figure 21: Incorta Analytics8. InetSoft
InetSoft is widely known for its products InetSoft Style Intelligence, InetSoft Business Intelligence, InetSoft Data Intelligence, InetSoft Style Studio, and InetSoft Data Cleansing. The company is 100% specialized in BI & Analytics. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from InetSoft are strong in the following areas, among others:
- business intelligence
- analytics
- reporting
- dashboards
- analysis
- big data
- cloud computing
- data discovery
- data visualization
- data modeling
Figure 22: InetSoft Style Intelligence
Figure 23: InetSoft Business Intelligence
Figure 24: InetSoft Data Intelligence9. Infor BI & Analytics
Infor is widely known for its products Infor Birst, Infor BI, Infor Landmark, and Infor Coleman AI. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from Infor are strong in the following areas, among others:
- IoT
- business intelligence
- dashboards
- reporting
- machine learning
- analytics platform
- artificial intelligence
- Microsoft Teams
- Amazon Web Services
Figure 25: Infor Birst
Figure 26: Infor BI
Figure 27: Infor Coleman10. insightssoftware BI & Analytics
The most well-known products in the area of BI & Analytics of the company insightssoftware are Logi Info, Logi Composer, Logi Report Server, Logi Predict, and Logi Report Designer. We analyzed and evaluated these BI & Analytics products in depth and meticulously. The Business Intelligence tools from insightssoftware can be characterized by good support on the following topics:
- reporting
- embedded analytics
- java
- analytics platform
- dashboards
- performance management
- Windows
- interactive dashboards
- analysis
Figure 28: Logi Info
Figure 29: Logi Composer
Figure 30: Logi Report Server11. Looker
Looker is widely known for its products Looker Studio, Looker API, LookML Dashboards, and Looker Blocks. The company is 100% specialized in BI & Analytics. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from Looker are strong in the following areas, among others:
- dashboards
- embedded analytics
- SQL
- business intelligence
- data modeling
- analysis
- Google Analytics
- web analytics
- analytics platform
Figure 31: Looker Studio
Figure 32: LookML
Figure 33: Looker API12. Microsoft BI & Analytics
The Business Intelligence tools from the BI & Analytics vendor Microsoft focus on the support of the following functionalities:
- SQL
- analytics
- machine learning
- R
- analysis
- stream analytics
- reporting
- IoT
- data mining
- Windows
Microsoft serves the market with the following products, among others: Power BI, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft SQL Server, Azure Synapse Analytics, and Azure Stream Analytics (see the images below). We took a closer look at them.
Figure 34: Power BI
Figure 35: Microsoft Azure
Figure 36: Microsoft SQL Server13. MicroStrategy
MicroStrategy is widely known for its products MicroStrategy Web, MicroStrategy Intelligence Server, MicroStrategy Analytics, Hyperintelligence, and MicroStrategy Desktop. The company is 100% specialized in BI & Analytics. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from MicroStrategy are strong in the following areas, among others:
- analytics
- R integration
- mobile server
- business intelligence
- Hadoop Gateway
- dashboards
- in-memory
- reporting
- big data
Figure 37: MicroStrategy Web
Figure 38: MicroStrategy Intelligence Server
Figure 39: MicroStrategy Analytics14. Oracle BI & Analytics
The most well-known products in the area of BI & Analytics of the company Oracle are Oracle Analytics, Oracle Database, OBIEE, Oracle Big Data, and Oracle Data Integrator. We analyzed and evaluated these BI & Analytics products in depth and meticulously. The Business Intelligence tools from Oracle can be characterized by good support on the following topics:
- analytics
- business intelligence
- R
- SQL
- data integration
- data quality
- big data appliance
- analysis
- reporting
Figure 40: Oracle Analytics
Figure 41: Oracle Database
Figure 42: OBIEE15. Pyramid Analytics
Pyramid Analytics is widely known for its products Pyramid Analytics, Pyramid Decision Intelligence Platform, Pyramid Data Science Workbench, and Pyramid Smart Insights. The company is 100% specialized in BI & Analytics. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from Pyramid Analytics are strong in the following areas, among others:
- analytics
- decision intelligence
- business intelligence
- data science
- forecasting
- data discovery
- data preparation
- Python
- analysis
- repository
Figure 43: Pyramid Analytics
Figure 44: Pyramid Decision Intelligence Platform
Figure 45: Pyramid Data Science Workbench16. Qlik
Qlik is widely known for its products QlikView, Qlik Sense Enterprise, Qlik Replicate, and Qlik NPrinting. The company is 100% specialized in BI & Analytics. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from Qlik are strong in the following areas, among others:
- analytics
- geoanalytics
- data integration
- reporting
- Windows
- analysis
- big data
- SaaS
- machine learning
- business intelligence
Figure 46: Qlik Sense
Figure 47: QlikView
Figure 48: Qlik Sense Enterprise17. SAP BI & Analytics
The Business Intelligence tools from the BI & Analytics vendor SAP focus on the support of the following functionalities:
- analytics
- analysis
- business intelligence
- SQL
- dashboards
- reporting
- data management
- IoT
- predictive analytics
- machine learning
SAP serves the market with the following products, among others: SAP HANA, SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP BusinessObjects, and SAP BW (see the images below). We took a closer look at them.
Figure 49: SAP HANA
Figure 50: SAP Analytics Cloud
Figure 51: SAP BusinessObjects18. SAS
SAS is widely known for its products SAS Viya, SAS Visual Analytics, Dataflux, SAS/ACCESS, and SAS Enterprise Guide. The company is 100% specialized in BI & Analytics. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from SAS are strong in the following areas, among others:
- analytics
- visual analytics
- data management
- data integration
- forecasting
- data quality
- OLAP
- analysis
- machine learning
- customer intelligence
Figure 52: SAS Viya
Figure 53: SAS Visual Analytics
Figure 54: Dataflux19. Sisense
Sisense is widely known for its products Elasticube Manager, Sisense Analytics, Sisense ElastiCube, and Sisense Blox. The company is 100% specialized in BI & Analytics. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from Sisense are strong in the following areas, among others:
- dashboards
- business intelligence
- usage analytics
- embedded analytics
- analytics platform
- healthcare analytics
- complex data
- data mining
- data hub
Figure 55: Elasticube
Figure 56: Elasticube Manager
Figure 57: Sisense Analytics20. Tableau
The most well-known products in the area of BI & Analytics of the company Tableau are Tableau Server, Tableau Desktop, Tableau Online, Tableau Public, and Tableau Cloud. We analyzed and evaluated these BI & Analytics products in depth and meticulously. The Business Intelligence tools from Tableau can be characterized by good support on the following topics:
- analytics
- data management
- embedded analytics
- analysis
- dashboards
- natural language
- business intelligence
- advanced analytics
- Salesforce
- generative AI
Figure 58: Tableau Server
Figure 59: Tableau Desktop
Figure 60: Tableau Online21. ThoughtSpot
ThoughtSpot is widely known for its products SpotIQ, ThoughtSpot Embrace, ThoughtSpot mobile, ThoughtSpot DataFlow, and ThoughtSpot Business Intelligence. The company is 100% specialized in BI & Analytics. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from ThoughtSpot are strong in the following areas, among others:
- business intelligence
- analysis
- analytics platform
- Teradata
- in-memory
- natural language
- artificial intelligence
- cloud data warehouse
- Amazon Redshift
Figure 61: SpotIQ
Figure 62: ThoughtSpot Embrace
Figure 63: ThoughtSpot mobile22. TIBCO
TIBCO is widely known for its products TIBCO Spotfire, TIBCO Data Science, TIBCO Data Virtualization, Jasperreports, and TIBCO Analytics. The company is 100% specialized in BI & Analytics. Take a look at the images below. The Business Intelligence tools from TIBCO are strong in the following areas, among others:
- analytics
- streaming
- data science
- data virtualization
- reporting
- analysis
- MDM
- data quality
- real-time data
Figure 64: TIBCO Spotfire
Figure 65: TIBCO Data Science
Figure 66: TIBCO Data Virtualization23. Wyn Enterprise
As far as we have been able to ascertain, Wyn Enterprise currently has only one primary product: Wyn Enterprise Business Intelligence. Take a look at the screen shots below. The Business Intelligence tools from Wyn Enterprise are strong in the following areas, among others:
- dashboards
- reporting
- analytics
- enterprise business intelligence
- embedded business intelligence
- interactive dashboards
- analysis
- self-service BI
- business intelligence platform
Figure 67: Wyn Enterprise Business Intelligence
Figure 68: Wyn Enterprise Business Intelligence
Figure 69: Wyn Enterprise Business Intelligence24. Yellowfin
The most well-known products in the area of BI & Analytics of the company Yellowfin are Yellowfin Signals, Yellowfin Suite, Yellowfin Dashboards, Yellowfin SAML Bridge, and Yellowfin Data Discovery. We analyzed and evaluated these BI & Analytics products in depth and meticulously. The Business Intelligence tools from Yellowfin can be characterized by good support on the following topics:
- dashboards
- analysis
- business intelligence
- data discovery
- reporting
- analytics platform
- data preparation
- data storytelling
- data science
Figure 70: Yellowfin Signals
Figure 71: Yellowfin Suite
Figure 72: Yellowfin Dashboards25. Zoho BI & Analytics
The most well-known products in the area of BI & Analytics of the company Zoho are Zia, Zoho Databridge, Zoho DataPrep, and Zoho Analytics Server. We analyzed and evaluated these BI & Analytics products in depth and meticulously. The Business Intelligence tools from Zoho can be characterized by good support on the following topics:
- analytics
- dashboards
- data preparation
- CRM
- business intelligence
- self-service data preparation
- self-service BI
- mobile business intelligence
- Windows
- data visualization
Figure 73: Zoho Analytics
Figure 74: Zia
Figure 75: Zoho Databridge
How can BI tools help an organization?
Business Intelligence tools equip organizations with reliable management information and advanced insights to enhance decision-making and collaboration. With BI tools, you can generate detailed reports, perform in-depth analyses, and visualize key performance indicators (KPIs) through intuitive dashboards, ensuring data-driven success.
The BI & Analytics Guide™ 2025
If you need help choosing the right BI or data science tool for you, the BI & Analytics Guide can help you to quickly arrive at a shortlist and make a final selection. Our BI & Analytics Guide gives you many comparison functionalities. See which vendor excels in which area and compare vendors in just a few clicks.
Excel: the most misused BI tool
Choosing the wrong BI tool can significantly impact your organization. Many companies struggle with inefficient information infrastructure, preventing them from effectively extracting the management information they need. Excel is a prime example of this issue – it is widely used for Business Intelligence but often falls short, earning its reputation as the most misused BI tool. While Excel is powerful for spreadsheets, it lacks the scalability, automation, and advanced analytics capabilities required for true BI success.
How to choose the best BI tool?
Some people download a popular BI tool without much thought and start using it enthusiastically. That’s great – until they realize later that key functionalities are missing, costs rise with more users, or the tool isn’t as simple as promised. That’s why making an informed choice is essential. Here are the five most important steps to selecting the right Business Intelligence software:
- Define the most important BI tool selection criteria: IT needs and user requirements
- With this list, contact vendors for answers (RFI)
- Analyze all the data from the different Business Intelligence vendors
- Shortlist up to 3 vendors and BI tools that score best
- Start a “proof of concept” and choose the solution that best fits your requirements
Of course, you can use tools like ChatGPT for assistance, but their accuracy and reliability can sometimes be questionable, making it unclear which information to trust. However, you can skip steps 1 through 4 entirely by downloading our independent BI tool comparison guide. We’ve handled the time-consuming research for you, saving valuable time and ensuring that the information is correct.
Let us help you with your BI tool selection
Selecting the right BI software is a time-consuming process – we know this from experience. For over 20 years, we have been guiding organizations through this journey with our expertise, supported by our powerful assessment tool, the Business Intelligence & Analytics Guide, and our independent BI consulting services.
The 250+ functionalities of Business Intelligence software
Business Intelligence tools come in many forms, each with its own strengths. Some excel in reporting, while others are designed for dashboarding. Some are platform-specific, running only on Windows. In our BI vendor survey, we compare all these tools across 250+ criteria that are critical for achieving the best results with business analytics – so you don’t have to conduct this research yourself.
Need help choosing the right Business Intelligence tool?
If you need assistance selecting the best BI tool for your business, feel free to contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment.
About Passionned Group
Passionned Group is the specialist in designing and implementing Business Intelligence tools and Data Science. Our passionate BI consultants help large and small organizations transform into an intelligent organization. Every other year we organize the Dutch BI & Data Science Award©, the election of the smartest organization in the Netherlands.
