Power BI vs Qlik Sense: Which BI tool do you choose for your organization?
Business intelligence (BI) is no longer optional today, but essential. SMEs and larger organizations are increasingly investing in BI tools to analyze, visualize and convert data into actionable insights. Two of the most used platforms are Microsoft's Power BI and Qlik Sense by Qlik. Both tools have a solid reputation, but differ in several ways. In this article, we compare them extensively in terms of usability, visualizations, data modeling, costs, integrations and governance.
User interface and ease of use
One of the first criteria for choosing a BI tool is user experience.
Power BI is intuitive for users who are already familiar with Microsoft Office. The interface is very similar to Excel and PowerPoint, so many users quickly feel familiar with it. The drag and drop system makes setting up dashboards easy. Power BI Desktop is free to install and has a short learning curve for basic use. For advanced use, you need extra help quickly. Also read this article about opportunities and pitfalls with PowerBI.
Qlik Sense on the other hand, requires a little more getting used to. The interface is modern and clean, but the concept of associative data models is less obvious for beginners. However, the platform allows more freedom in analysis and exploration. That's why Qlik Sense offers more flexibility for advanced users who want deeper insights. If you use Qlik Sense inte form of standard Apps such as InsightData, you have the benefits of both systems.
Conclusion: Power BI scores higher on accessibility for beginners, Qlik Sense offers more depth for analytically savvy users.
Visualisations and Interaction
Both Power BI and Qlik Sense offer a wide range of visualizations including line graphs, bar charts, maps, gauges, and tables.
Power BI offers standard visual elements and a marketplace where you can download customized visuals. Each visual can be enriched with DAX formulas, tooltips, drill-down functionality and bookmarks.
Qlik Sense excels in interactivity. The associative engine allows users to click into any field and see related data immediately. The interface adapts based on your selection, making exploration feel intuitive. Qlik's unique “green-white-gray” color system shows you which data is selected, excluded, or neutral.
Conclusion: For dashboards that are highly visually focused, Power BI is very suitable. For dynamic data analysis and interactive filtering, Qlik Sense has a big advantage.
Data Modeling and Analytical Power
Both tools have a different view on how data should be modelled and analyzed.
Power BI uses DAX (Data Analysis Expressions), a powerful formulaic language that allows you to define calculations, measurements, and filters. The relational model (star schema) is recommended, which is familiar territory for Excel and database users.
Qlik Sense uses an associative data model. All tables are automatically linked to each other via common fields. This makes it possible to do complex analyses without fixed hierarchies or joins. Qlik works with scripts to load and transform data, which requires more technical knowledge.
Conclusion: Power BI is stronger for those who are used to a classic model. Qlik Sense offers more freedom, but it also requires more technical maturity.
Connectivity and data sources
Power BI has native connectors for Excel, SQL Server, SharePoint, Google Analytics, Salesforce and Azure, among others. Especially within the Microsoft ecosystem, there is integration. Power BI also offers built-in links for cloud applications such as Dynamics 365 or Teams.
Qlik Sense also offers a wide range of connectors, both on-premise and cloud. The Qlik Data Gateway makes it possible to retrieve data securely from internal systems. In addition, Qlik offers automatic data refresh via Qlik Application Automation.
Conclusion: Both tools support a wide range of data sources.
Costs and licensing model
Power BI works with a user-friendly pricing model. Power BI Desktop is free. Publication and collaboration require a Power BI Pro license. For larger organizations, there is Power BI Premium with dedicated capacity and more than likely the need for Microsoft Fabric.
Qlik Sense works with a simple pricing model. There are licenses per user, but also based on capacity or server usage. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) can increase for larger deployments, although Qlik also offers a more extensive infrastructure. Providers such as InsightData have Qlik Sense as an engine for their Business Intelligence Apps, making the Qlik licensing model irrelevant.
Conclusion: Power BI seems cheaper, but as the needs increase, the costs increase quickly. Qlik Sense is cheaper when used with an integrated solution such as InsightData.
Security and Governance
Power BI offers integrated RLS (Row Level Security), audit logs, and integration with Azure Active Directory for access control. Governance can be managed centrally via the Power BI Service.
Qlik Sense provides detailed user rights and object-based security. For larger organizations, there are extensive governance and deployment options via Qlik Enterprise Manager.
Conclusion: Both platforms are suitable for professional use. Power BI offers more plug-and-play governance, while Qlik Sense is better for SME and enterprise environments.
Community and Support
Power BI has a very large user community. The documentation has been expanded and Microsoft releases regular updates. There are many tutorials and courses available, free and paid.
Qlik Sense has an active but slightly smaller community. The official documentation is thorough, and Qlik organises training courses through partners and events such as QlikWorld.
Conclusion: Power BI wins on accessibility of support, Qlik Sense offers in-depth partner expertise for those who specialize in it.
Who is which tool suitable for?
Organization with a focus on self-service and analytics > Qlik Sense
Users with no IT knowledge > Power BI/Qlik Sense
Complex associative datasets > Qlik Sense
Easy Reporting > Power BI
SMEs with many analytical needs and insights > Qlik Sense
Common mistakes when choosing
- Only pay attention to price without evaluating functionality
- Let IT make the choice
- Follow basic training and think you can do everything yourself
- Wrong expectations about ease of use
- Not taking IT knowledge into account in the team
- Do not start a pilot project or pilot
- Limited attention to governance and scalability
Conclusion: Power BI or Qlik Sense?
There is no absolute winner. Power BI and Qlik Sense are both powerful tools but focus on different needs. Power BI excels in brand awareness and integration with Microsoft. Qlik Sense is the better choice for advanced self-service BI and complex data exploration or analysis tools.
Want to further compare with other tools? Then also check out these articles:
See how Power BI compares to the pre-configured InsightData apps on Qlik Sense.
Find out if Qlik Sense or Tableau is a better fit for your data strategy.
Compare Power BI to Looker in terms of cloud functionality, governance, and scalability.
Learn when to switch from Excel to Power BI for more efficient reporting.