Exploring Microsoft Power BI, Omni & Visivo

Microsoft Power BI vs. Omni vs. Visivo

Compare key features, capabilities, and differentiators between Microsoft Power BI, Omni, Visivo. This comprehensive analysis will help you make an informed decision for your data visualization needs.

Quick Comparison

Key features and capabilities at a glance

FeatureMicrosoft Power BIOmniVisivo
Deployment ModelDesktop + Cloud Service (PowerBI.com), on-prem Report ServerCloud (SaaS on AWS), Private cloud, Enterprise VPCOpen-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted
PricingFree desktop for windows; Pro $10/user/mo for sharing; Premium by capacity. Proprietary license.Commercial (Proprietary SaaS); demo & trial available (pricing not public)Open source (GPL-3.0)
Cost$$$$$$$$
Git Integration
CI/CD & Testing
Real-time
AI Features
Visual to Code
DAG-Based

Target Users & Use-Cases

Each BI tool is designed with specific user personas in mind.

Microsoft Power BI

Business analystsExcel power usersenterprise BI teamsBusiness analysts

Omni

SQL usersSpreadsheet usersBusiness executivesData teams

Visivo

Analytics EngineersData teamsBusiness usersEngineers

Ease of Development & Deployment

Development experience directly impacts team productivity and time-to-value.

Microsoft Power BI

3/5

Omni

5/5

Visivo

5/5

Key Integrations & Ecosystem

A robust ecosystem of integrations is essential for modern BI tools.

Microsoft Power BI

100+ connectors (SQL DBs, Spark, Snowflake, Excel, Salesforce, etc.)Azure ML and Python/R integrationPower BI Gateway for custom integrations

Omni

dbt (bi-directional sync)Cloud data warehouses (Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift)Spreadsheet data sources

Visivo

dbt coreAll major databasesCustom connector frameworkSlack for alertsGithub

Visualization Capabilities

The ability to create compelling visualizations is key to data storytelling.

Microsoft Power BI

Rich library of visuals (bar, line, maps, etc.) plus custom visuals marketplace. Highly customizable formatting. Dashboard-style layouts with interactive tiles. Advanced calculations via DAX formula language.

Omni

Combines spreadsheet-like calculations, SQL, and drag/drop. Users can create charts with one-click from data tables. Good selection of standard visuals, with focus on ease (smart defaults). Custom styling is somewhat guided (aims for simplicity over exhaustive options).

Visivo

Highly custom UI with easy defaults

Detailed Differentiators

Each platform's unique strengths and limitations.

Microsoft Power BI

Tight integration with Microsoft ecosystem (Excel, Azure). Easy to start for Excel users. AI features like Natural Language Q&A and Quick Insights built-in.
Desktop Windows-only; complex on very large datasets without Premium. DAX formulas have steep learning curve for some.

Omni

Spreadsheet meets SQL: users can use Excel formulas or SQL interchangeably. AI "calculation assistant" suggests formulas from natural language. Governed semantic model ensures consistent metrics.
Newer product – not as feature-rich in visualization customization as legacy tools; purely cloud (may not suit those needing on-prem).

Visivo

BI-as-code approach enables version control, collaboration, and CI/CD workflows. DAG-based architecture provides powerful data transformation capabilities and dependency management. Seamless visual-to-code workflow allows both technical and non-technical users to build dashboards effectively.
Requires understanding of data concepts; not a pure drag-and-drop tool like Tableau. Initial setup requires technical knowledge for optimal configuration.

Security & Architecture

Critical considerations for enterprise deployments.

Microsoft Power BI

DB Access: Import mode stores data in in-memory caches (no DB needed at view time); DirectQuery mode requires DB connection for each view. Virtualization: DirectQuery and live connect act as virtualization (query on demand). Push: Supports push data via streaming API for real-time dashboards. Other: Robust security with Azure AD; row-level security definable in reports; data encryption on cloud.

Omni

DB Access: Yes, Omni directly queries your databases (encrypted connections). Virtualization: Queries data in place (no data copy) – essentially virtualization with a semantic layer. Push: No, it's live query (though cached metrics can be materialized on demand). Other: Strong security focus – column & row-level controls, SAML SSO, data encrypted at rest. SOC 2 compliant.

Visivo

No db access required. Very strong security features due to the DAG-based access controls and the push based deployment model.

Why Visivo Stands Out

While each platform has its strengths, Visivo offers unique advantages for modern data teams.

DAG-Based Architecture for complex data transformations
Visual to Human-readable Code conversion
Multiple development approaches for all skill levels
AI-Powered dashboard creation
Full Git integration and version control
Open-source with enterprise features

Ready to Experience Modern BI?

Try Visivo today and see how it transforms your data analytics workflow.

$ curl -fsSL https://visivo.sh | bash
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Jared Jesionek (co-founder)
Jared Jesionek (co-founder)
Jared Jesionek (co-founder)
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How can I help? This connects to our slack so I'll respond real quickly 😄
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