Exploring Qlik Sense, Microsoft Power BI & Visivo
Qlik Sense vs. Microsoft Power BI vs. Visivo
Compare key features, capabilities, and differentiators between Qlik Sense, Microsoft Power BI, 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
| Feature | Qlik Sense | Microsoft Power BI | Visivo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment Model | Client-managed (Windows), Client-managed (Kubernetes), Qlik Cloud (SaaS) | Desktop + Cloud Service (PowerBI.com), on-prem Report Server | Open-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted |
| Pricing | Commercial. Qlik Sense Enterprise is subscription (by user or capacity). Qlik Sense Desktop free for personal use. | Free desktop for windows; Pro $10/user/mo for sharing; Premium by capacity. Proprietary license. | 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.
Qlik Sense
Microsoft Power BI
Visivo
Ease of Development & Deployment
Development experience directly impacts team productivity and time-to-value.
Qlik Sense
Microsoft Power BI
Visivo
Key Integrations & Ecosystem
A robust ecosystem of integrations is essential for modern BI tools.
Qlik Sense
Microsoft Power BI
Visivo
Visualization Capabilities
The ability to create compelling visualizations is key to data storytelling.
Qlik Sense
Powerful interactive visuals with unique associative filtering: all charts update with each selection, and show gray 'excluded' values to encourage discovery. Chart types cover most needs, and extension mechanism allows custom charts. Good formatting control but primarily via UI (no raw HTML/CSS editing).
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.
Visivo
Highly custom UI with easy defaults
Detailed Differentiators
Each platform's unique strengths and limitations.
Qlik Sense
Microsoft Power BI
Visivo
Security & Architecture
Critical considerations for enterprise deployments.
Qlik Sense
DB Access: Typically Qlik imports data into its engine (so not needed at runtime). The new Direct Query option (in Qlik Cloud) allows leaving data in DB and querying on interaction for huge data sets. Virtualization: Qlik's standard method is not virtualization but in-memory copies. However, with Direct Query it behaves virtually. Push: Data is pushed into Qlik via load scripts (you schedule reloads). Other: Strong security – Section Access to implement row-level security inside Qlik apps, and robust user access control on the server.
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.
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.
Ready to Experience Modern BI?
Try Visivo today and see how it transforms your data analytics workflow.
$ curl -fsSL https://visivo.sh | bash
