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Power BI Alternative: Zoho Analytics
Your dashboards deserve better. So does your budget.
Tired of rising Power BI costs, complex UI, and feature restrictions? Switch to Zoho Analytics, the best Power BI alternative built for speed, simplicity, and savings.
SIGN UP FOR FREE Calculate cost savings Starts at just $8 per user per month
Trusted by data teams at
- 20K
Customers
- 3M
Users
Is Power BI holding your data analysis back?
Hidden cost for basic functionalities
With Power BI, the feature list might look full until you try to use it.
Confusing Licensing
You shouldn't need a dashboard to understand your BI tool's pricing model.
DAX Complexity
Building reports shouldn't feel like learning a second language.
You're not the only one who's feeling like this
I initially thought that the out-of-the-blue 40% price hike for Power BI Pro was pretty bad but once you really sit down and think about it, it really is far WORSE than I originally thought...https://t.co/Vdcba1l7EE#powerbi #microsoft #microsoftfabric #msfabric
— Greg Deckler (@GregDeckler) November 16, 2024
Just once I'd like to open Power BI and not be gaslit by a broken filter, an empty visual, and a rogue measure that worked 5 minutes ago.#PowerBI #AnalyticsComedy #buildinpublic #letsconnect #Engineering #ComputerScience #Visualization #Microsoft365 @Office @Google @Windows
— Parinoor (@Parinoor_18) April 17, 2025
Amira Bedhiafi Data Witch | Microsoft MVP Data Platform
DAX - The Dark Side of Power BI: DAX, Power BI's query language. A godsend for data manipulation and an absolute nightmare for beginners. You've got to love how it throws errors that make you feel like you're solving a cryptic crossword puzzle.
It's time to switch from
What makes Zoho Analytics a better Power BI alternative?
Flat or per user plans
Get clear, upfront pricing before you begin. No hidden charges for sharing, embedding, or refreshing your data.
Transparent pricing
You always know what you're paying for. Finally, a BI tool where your pricing model doesn't need its own dashboard.
Intuitive drag-and-drop analytics
Build reports with clicks, not code. Designed for all types of users, so your team can focus only on insights.
Pricing Comparison: Zoho Analytics vs Power BI
Zoho Analytics Power BI Pro Power BI Premium
*Assuming the below split of 300 user licenses:
Zoho Analytics
50 Users/Creators
200 Viewers
Total cost per year
$11,520Power BI Pro
250 Users/Creators
Total cost per year
$42,000Power BI Premium
Users/Creators
Total cost per year
$59,940Note: Taking into account the site-wide licensing option of $4,995 per month for Power BI Premium
Power BI Pro: With Zoho Analytics, you save $30,480 or up to 72.57% in savings.
Power BI Premium: With Zoho Analytics, you save $48,420 or up to 80.78% in savings.
Key Differentiators
| Features | Zoho Analytics | Power BI |
|---|---|---|
| Data integration | Seamless integration with 500+ native data connectors | Powerful Microsoft integration but require manual setup for others |
| Data visualization | Create reports with over 50 visualization options with the intuitive drag-and-drop interface | Requires a separate desktop app to create reports |
| Native data preparation | Built-in data prep and easy for non-technical users | Requires Power Query and is more complex |
| Automatic data blending | Automatic blending across sources | Manual setup for complex datasets |
| Generative AI | Zia AI for automated insights, NLP queries, anomaly detection | Power BI AI, but with limited automation |
| DSML studio | Built-in DSML tools for predictive analytics and anomaly detection - no code needed | Requires Azure ML, Python for advanced ML capabilities |
| Automation and reporting | Automated data workflows and data reporting | Limited without paid licenses |
| Deployment flexibility | Flexible cloud and on-premises options are available | Mostly cloud, on-premises requires Power BI Server |
| Scalability | Scales easily and supports data growth without any extra cost | Requires Premium for large datasets |
| Customization | Users can tailor the platform to their business needs | Customization is possible but is more technical |
| Collaboration | Real-time collaboration and easy sharing, which enables easy teamwork | Requires Pro or Premium version for collaboration |
| Global presence and compliance | Global data centers ensuring compliance with regional data protection. Strong global presence, multilingual support | Strong compliance, but within the Microsoft ecosystem. Access to specific tools often requires additional services |
| Security and governance | ISO/IEC 27001, 27017,27018, SOC 2 Type 2, GDPR, HIPAA | ISO 27001, 27018, GDPR, HIPAA |
Want to go deeper?
We've put together a detailed comparison guide breaking down Zoho Analytics and Power BI across pricing, features, user experience, and more.
Download the full comparison guideGenerative AI for BI and Data Analytics
Ask Zia - Copilot for Data & Insights
- Ask questions to Zia for instant insights and reports
- Enable conversation mode for followup questions
- Type or speak with Zia in multiple languages
Diagnostic analytics
- Perform root cause analysis with smart key driver analysis
- Diagnosis offered contextually as you analyze any data
- Available inside Zia Insights narratives
Zia Insights
- Get key insights from a report in just a click
- Switch between textual and visual insights
- Spend less time extracting insights, more on action
Predictive AI for advanced analytics
- Use various AI forecasting models to predict future outcomes
- Spot anomalies/outliers in your data and get notified with alerts
- Perform what-if analysis, visualize data clusters, and more
"The Ask Zia and Zia Insights features are so cool. I can ask for a specific agent name for their quarterly or monthly performance and get to see if their sales numbers are trending up or down, and from which geographic areas their sales are coming from. I can also dive into why they can't close deals in other areas and try to replicate the successful ones."
John Sheldon Business Intelligence Manager, Renu Energy SolutionsDSML Studio
More reasons why Zoho Analytics is the best alternative to Power BI
500+ Data Sources
From databases to cloud apps like Salesforce, Google Analytics, and Shopify, bring it all together in one place, no code required.
75+ Visualization types
From heat maps to funnel charts to geo visualizations, Zoho Analytics gives you all the chart types you need to go from raw data to real insights.
Easy collaboration
Invite teammates, annotate reports, and set access levels with ease. Zoho Analytics makes it simple to collaborate on reports & dashboards.
Prebuilt reports & dashboards
As soon as you connect a business app, you will get access to 100+ ready-made reports and dashboards for you to jump-start your analysis.
Embedded analytics
Get your AI-powered embedded analytics solution under your brand name. Focus on your core competency, gain a competitive edge, and accelerate time to market.
Security and governance
Analyze your data with peace of mind with enterprise-grade security. Our multi-layered security approach, makes us a trusted partner in your data journey.
Zoho Analytics Leads
Top rated in TrustRadius | TR Score: 8.3
- Features
- BI Standard Reports
- Ad-hoc Reporting
- Report Output and Scheduling
- Data Discovery and Visualization
- Access control and Security
- Mobile Capabilities
- Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
- Microsoft Power BI
8.3
192 Ratings
2% above category average
7.9
190 Ratings
1% below category average
8.1
183 Ratings
2% below category average
7.8
183 Ratings
1%below category average
8.6
174 Ratings
1% above category average
8
156 Ratings
2% above category average
7.8
112 Ratings
0% above category average
- Zoho Analytics
8.8
134 Ratings
8% above category average
8.2
136 Ratings
2% above category average
8.7
128 Ratings
5% above category average
8.3
83 Ratings
5%above category average
8.6
126 Ratings
1% below category average
7.4
96 Ratings
6% below category average
8.1
64 Ratings
4% above category average
Wondering why you haven't heard more about us?
We get it. We're not the loudest brand in the room.
At Zoho, we don't spend millions on flashy ads or pushy sales calls. Instead, we invest in what matters most: building genuinely great products.
We don't work for investors. We work for you.That's why we've kept our pricing honest, our features open, and our priorities straight.
Our philosophy is simple: if we build something truly valuable, our customers will spread the word. And they have.
Hear from our happy customers
Simone Drera
VP-Business Development, Flexxaire Inc."We wanted a simple BI solution to analyze our sales, project, and quality data. The tool also needed to be capable of integrating multiple tables, creating models to create charts that could be shared seamlessly across teams."
Moises Ochoa
Application Engineer, Cementos Progreso"With Zoho Analytics, the time spent in creating charts, reports and dashboards went down by 50%. More importantly, our software expenses were reduced by 30%!"
Marc Andrew
Senior Developer, Rental Car Manager"Our main alternate would have been Power BI, but we quickly found that the pricing and user-friendliness wouldn't quite work for a lot of our customers."
Verified TrustRadius User
Zoho costs less than power BI. Also, it's easy to use whereas power BI is a bit complex to use. Zoho has a lot of extra features than a Smartlook. Zoho is best for easy integration and data capturing.
Simone Drera
VP-Business Development, Flexxaire Inc."We wanted a simple BI solution to analyze our sales, project, and quality data. The tool also needed to be capable of integrating multiple tables, creating models to create charts that could be shared seamlessly across teams."
Moises Ochoa
Application Engineer, Cementos Progreso"With Zoho Analytics, the time spent in creating charts, reports and dashboards went down by 50%. More importantly, our software expenses were reduced by 30%!"
Marc Andrew
Senior Developer, Rental Car Manager"Our main alternate would have been Power BI, but we quickly found that the pricing and user-friendliness wouldn't quite work for a lot of our customers."
Verified TrustRadius User
ManagerZoho costs less than power BI. Also, it's easy to use whereas power BI is a bit complex to use. Zoho has a lot of extra features than a Smartlook. Zoho is best for easy integration and data capturing.
Frequently asked questions
How hard is it to switch from Power BI to Zoho Analytics?
- Not hard at all. Most teams are up and running in days. Zoho Analytics supports importing your Power BI datasets and rebuilding dashboards with our easy drag-and-drop interface.
Will I lose my data or dashboards?
- No. Your data remains secure and accessible. While dashboards can't be auto-converted, you can easily recreate reports with similar or improved functionality (often with fewer clicks).
Why is Zoho Analytics the best Power BI alternative in 2025?
- With Zoho Analytic's user-friendly interface, integration with more than 500+ connectors, and pocket friendly pricing, it stands out as the best Power BI alternative in 2024. The advanced analytical capabilities, flexible deployment options, and advanced security make it a top choice for businesses looking for an easy, scalable, and customizable BI solution.
Can Zoho Analytics connect to the same data sources?
- Yes, and then some more. Zoho Analytics supports 500+ data connectors, including databases, data lakes, data warehouses, business apps, and more.
What about user roles and permissions?
- You're covered. Zoho Analytics offers granular user-level controls, data sharing permissions, and role-based access.
Is Zoho Analytics secure and enterprise-ready?
- Absolutely. We're GDPR compliant, SOC 2 Type II certified, and support SSO, encryption, and IP restrictions. Big or small, your data stays protected.
What kind of support do I get during migration?
- You will get onboarding help, live chat, documentation, and even dashboard rebuilding support with the professional services program. We're here to make migration painless.
Is there a free alternative to Power BI?
- Zoho Analytics has a free plan that includes basic data analysis and reporting features, making it an excellent alternative to Power BI for users seeking an analytical tool with no cost. This option is perfect for individuals and small teams interested in exploring BI capabilities without an initial financial commitment.
How does Zoho Analytics compare to Power BI in terms of pricing?
- Compared to Power BI, Zoho Analytics offers a more budget-friendly pricing plan. The recent increase in Power BI's pricing - from $10 to $14 for Power BI Pro and from $20 to $24 for Power BI Premium Per User - has prompted many users to seek a more affordable yet equally powerful analytical tool.