Qlikview vs Power BI: Everything you need to know

Disclaimer: QlikView is no longer available for new clients. Instead, new users can purchase Qlik’s next-generation analytics solution, Qlik Sense.

If you’ve got a wealth of data on your business, but are unsure how to take meaningful action on it, it’s a good idea to invest in a business intelligence (BI) platform.

If you’ve done even a little bit of digging into the world of BI, you’ve likely come across both QlikView and Power BI. Both of these well-known BI solutions have helped businesses like yours leverage their data to get actionable business insights. 

But when it comes to QlikView and Power BI, which is the right choice for your company? 

In this article, we’ll give you a complete breakdown of the capabilities of both QlikView and Power BI, looking at their target markets, pricing differences, functionality and more. We’ll also provide you with an informed recommendation on which service would best benefit your business type.

Product Overviews

QlikView

What Does QlikView Offer?

QlikView’s main feature is a Google-like search function that allows you to quickly and easily find the information you’re looking for. 

This system works through data association and compiles results for your specific query along with related data. It’s similar to how Google gives you a “People Also Ask” section when you’re performing a web search. 

QlikView generates this supplemental data by doing a related search. For example, you might get a business address after searching for the speciality of that business. 

It combines gathered data sources into one centralized platform, simplifying the data review process. QlikView can also highlight important relationships and relevant data in a customized color-coded visual representation. 

What is QlikView’s Target Market?

QlikView is perfect for mid-sized to large companies with a dedicated technical team. Its self-service features can be difficult for beginners with no technical experience. 

How Much Does QlikView Cost?

QlikView’s licensing is broken down into user-based, server-based, document-based and application-based categories.

The vendor also has an Enterprise Edition available for larger companies. 

Unfortunately, QlikView doesn’t publicly release pricing information, so you’ll have to contact the vendor directly for more specifics. 

Click here to check out our comprehensive review on QlikView.

Microsoft Power BI

What Does Power BI Offer?

Power BI is Microsoft’s signature BI platform. It uses cloud-based analytics and business intelligence to provide an overview of the most critical data for a business. 

Power BI offers simplified sharing, thanks to its various connected data sources. It features scalable dashboards that are easy to use, along with the ability to customize visualizations. 

This platform uses a drag and drop interface, making it remarkably user friendly. 

What is Power BI’s Target Market?

Power BI is intended for small to mid-sized businesses. It has some affordable options, including a free solo desktop version.

How Much Does Power BI Cost?

Power BI has three main subscription plans:

• Desktop – The Desktop Plan is free for individual users. This plan isn’t recommended for a larger business with multiple employees, but should work well for a small startup or sole proprietorship. 
• Pro – The Pro plan costs $10 per user, per month. It comes with data governance and content packaging/distribution features. A 60-day trial is offered with this tier. 
• Premium – Power BI’s Premium level has two pricing tiers: per user and per capacity. The per-user plan costs $20 per user, per month while the per-capacity plan starts at $4,995 per month, per dedicated cloud computer and storage resource.

Click here to check out our comprehensive review on Microsoft Power BI.

QlikView vs. Power BI: 3 Essential Variables of BI

How do QlikView and Power BI handle the most important tasks of a BI platform? 

Below, we’ve highlighted three of the biggest BI essentials to determine how each of these solutions addresses them.

Data Sources

QlikView on Data Sources

QlikView combines all data sources into one centralized platform, which makes your information much easier to review. 

This applies to both internal and external data sources to provide you with a big-picture look at all of your information. 

Power BI on Data Sources

Power BI can also connect all of your data sources together into a simplified central platform. When users add data from various sources, relationships are automatically determined.  

The system combines disparate data and reduces data capture times. This allows for easier access and evaluation when you’re trying to quickly turn data into action. 

Using Power BI, you can easily identify data trends that’ll help you make informed decisions.

As a Microsoft product, it also connects to Microsoft Azure databases. But it’s not just limited to Azure. Power BI also connects with third-party services like Salesforce and Google Analytics. 

Visuals

QlikView on Visuals

QlikView identifies data in a color-coded customized manner for easy viewing. 

Instead of omitting irrelevant data, it colors it in gray. This helps you save time, but also gives you the chance to comb through that data separately to see if there’s something of value within. 

However, the self-service functions of QlikView can be difficult for beginners to use. That’s because the filtering system can be convoluted, which leads to issues creating visuals for those who aren’t as tech-savvy. 

Power BI on Visuals

Power BI uses scalable dashboards and embedded visuals, along with interactive reports. 

These dashboards are composed of interactive panels that include data separated into tiles. They’re linked out to every dataset for easy visualization and comparison.

Reports are created from scratch and paired down to only critical data, so as not to overwhelm or confuse users. 

Implementation/Integration

QlikView on Implementation/Integration

When using QlikView, clients have access to a dedicated project manager who’ll work with them to implement the platform. 

Integration is broken down into Discovery, Execution and Deployment phases. 

In the Discovery phase, the user attends a requirements workshop. Your internal team works alongside the QlikView project manager to discuss goals and perform a needs analysis. 

Execution is the development phase. Here, QlikView is tested for quality control by your internal staff. Some components may be rolled out in increments, depending on your specific needs. This phase is where data modeling and platform configurations occur. 

Deployment is the last phase, where QlikView is officially rolled out. QlikView provides training services for the organization’s employees. 

Power BI on Implementation/Integration

Power BI is easy to implement because it’s a cloud-based service.

After signing up, you’re directed to download the system, and that’s basically it. This is a super simple and straightforward integration. 

The database is available online with FAQs to help with any issues. Support staff is also available through a live chat feature.

QlikView vs Power BI: Which One is Right for Your Business?

Now that you’ve learned about many of the similarities and differences between QlikView and Power BI, which service would best benefit your company? 

Small Businesses and Startups:

If you’re a small business or startup, Power BI would be the perfect choice for you because of its affordable nature and simple implementation. 

While QlikView may be a quality service, it can be somewhat complicated and more expensive than Power BI. And it would likely fall outside of the skill set and budget of a smaller business. 

If you’re a startup company with a small staff, the free individual desktop version of Power BI would be a handy tool at no cost.

Medium-Sized Businesses:

As a medium-sized business with more complicated needs (plus more of a budget), QlikView could be an ideal platform for you. Its guided implementation and search engine functionality makes it one of the top BI services around, and it should serve a mid-sized company well. 

But you could also get a lot of use out of Power BI at a company of this size. The free individual desktop plan wouldn’t be enough, and it’s unlikely your needs would be met by the Pro Plan. However, if you have the budget to purchase the Premium service, it could be a surefire bet. 

Enterprise-Level Businesses:

As a large enterprise, you’ll want to go all in on QlikView. 

The solution comes with a lot more value than Power BI, from implementation to daily use. Larger companies have some very complicated data to sift through, so the search functionality and enhanced visuals of QlikView are just right for your needs. 

If you’re looking for a complete rundown of BI services or software to find the one that’s best for your business, check out our BI buyer’s guide.

Final Thoughts

When you’re trying to choose between two BI platforms, it can be a daunting task involving a great deal of research. Both QlikView and Power BI are quality BI solutions, but depending on the size of your business and your specific needs, one will be a better fit for you than the other. 

Take the features and cost of both services into account to determine which of these systems best serves your company.