Head-to-head · Business Intelligence Tools
Microsoft Power BI vs Qlik Sense
Microsoft Power BI leads on 2 checks, Qlik Sense on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreMicrosoft Power BI · 9.4/10
- Lowest starting priceMicrosoft Power BI · $14/user/mo
- Free planonly Microsoft Power BI
- Free trialonly Qlik Sense
Microsoft Power BI scores higher on our rubric for business intelligence tools: 9.4 against 8.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #7.
Microsoft Power BI offers free plan; Qlik Sense doesn't. Microsoft Power BI is cheaper to start at $14/user/mo against $300/user/mo.
Microsoft Power BI is the better fit for microsoft-centric teams needing full BI coverage. Qlik Sense is the better fit for enterprise teams needing governed exploration.
- Microsoft Power BI fits best
Microsoft-centric teams needing full BI coverage
- Qlik Sense fits best
Enterprise teams needing governed exploration
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Side by side
| Feature | Microsoft Power BI 9.4/10 Visit ↗ | Qlik Sense 8.8/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.4 | 8.8 |
| Ranking | #1 in Business Intelligence Tools | #7 in Business Intelligence Tools |
| Best for | Microsoft-centric teams needing full BI coverage | Enterprise teams needing governed exploration |
| Pricing model | Free plan + paid | Paid |
| Starting price | $14/user/mo (best) | $300/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ (best) | — |
| Free trial | — | 30 days |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, iOS, Android | Web, Windows, iOS |
| Support | Community, Docs | Community, Docs · 24/7 |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Microsoft Power BI 4/4 · Qlik Sense 4/4 | ||
| Row-level security | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduled reports | ✓ | ✓ |
| Embedded analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Natural-language queries | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| Deployment | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Refresh frequency | Hourly | Hourly |
| Viewer seats | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Our review | ||
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| Our verdict | Microsoft Power BI is a business analytics platform for business users, report creators, administrators, and developers. It connects to more than 100 data sources and supports data transformation through Power Query Editor, semantic… Read the review → |
Qlik Sense is a business intelligence and analytics platform for business users, analysts, developers, and enterprises that need governed analysis across multiple data sources. It combines self-service visualization, interactive… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Microsoft Power BI — where it wins
- Connects to more than 100 data sources
- Includes modeling, transformation, security, refresh, and embedding
- Supports web, Windows, iOS, Android, and on-premises reporting
Where it doesn't
- Power BI Pro pricing starts at $14 per user per month, billed annually
- Premium Per User raises the price to $24 per user per month
- Embedded analytics uses variable pricing and requires a sales contact
Qlik Sense — where it wins
- Associative exploration with drill-downs, filtering, and interactive dashboards
- Natural-language queries, AI-assisted insights, and automated machine learning
- Row- and column-level security, alerts, reload scheduling, and embedding
Where it doesn't
- No free plan for teams that want a zero-cost starting point
- Starter is limited to 10 users and 10 GB of data for analysis
- Published paid plans use annual billing
- Microsoft Power BI9.4/10 · Free plan
A broad BI platform for Microsoft-centric teams that need modeling, security, sharing, and embedding.
Visit Power BIFull verdict → - Qlik Sense8.8/10 · 30-day trial
A governed BI platform for associative exploration, AI-assisted analysis, and embedded insights.
Visit Qlik SenseFull verdict →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update