Executive Summary
Microsoft Power BI and Qlik represent two leading approaches to business intelligence, each with distinct strengths. Power BI dominates market share at 15.74% versus Qlik's 4%, leveraging deep Microsoft ecosystem integration and cost-effectiveness. Qlik excels in advanced analytics through its unique associative engine and superior mobile capabilities. Both platforms are Leaders in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant, but serve different organisational needs and use cases.
Key Takeaways
- Power BI: Best for Microsoft-centric organisations prioritising cost and ease of use
- Qlik: Ideal for advanced analytics, large datasets, and mobile-first strategies
- Pricing: Power BI from £14/user/month; Qlik from £200/month unlimited users
- Performance: Qlik handles larger datasets; Power BI integrates better with Microsoft
Platform Overview and Market Position
Both platforms have evolved significantly, with Power BI increasingly integrated into Microsoft Fabric and Qlik advancing its cloud-first strategy. Power BI serves 30 million monthly active users across 56,711 companies globally, while Qlik maintains over 40,000 customers across 100+ countries. The global BI market, valued at $31.98 billion in 2024, is projected to reach $63.20 billion by 2032, providing growth opportunities for both platforms.
Analyst Recognition
- Microsoft Power BI: Leader in Gartner Magic Quadrant for 18 consecutive years, positioned furthest in Completeness of Vision
- Qlik: Leader for 15th consecutive year, advancing further in the Leaders quadrant with strong customer satisfaction (4.5/5 stars vs Power BI's 4.4/5)
Core Features and Capabilities Comparison
Data Connectivity and Integration
Power BI
- 200+ native connectors
- Microsoft-first approach
- Optimised Azure integration
- Power Query with M language
- Import and DirectQuery modes
Qlik
- 150+ native connectors
- Platform-agnostic approach
- Real-time CDC technology
- QVD format (10-100x faster)
- Superior large-scale processing
Analytics and AI Capabilities
Power BI's AI features centre around Copilot integration, offering natural language querying, automated report generation, and AI-powered insights. The platform integrates Azure Cognitive Services for text analytics and computer vision, with automated machine learning through Azure AutoML.
Qlik's analytical engine differentiates through its associative model, showing relationships between all data points without predefined hierarchies. Qlik AutoML provides no-code machine learning with full explainability, while Insight Advisor offers AI-powered natural language analytics.
Visualisation and User Experience
| Feature | Power BI | Qlik |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in Visualisations | 50+ visuals | 30+ highly interactive |
| Custom Visuals | 1,000+ via AppSource | Open APIs & extensions |
| Customisation | Moderate | Extensive (CSS, APIs) |
| Mobile Design | Separate layouts needed | Native responsive |
| Learning Curve | Low (Microsoft familiar) | Moderate to High |
Pricing Models and Total Cost of Ownership
Current Pricing Structure (as of April 2025)
Microsoft Power BI
Recently implemented significant price increases:
- Power BI Pro: £14/user/month (40% increase)
- Premium Per User: £24/user/month (20% increase)
- Premium Capacity: From £4,995/month (P1)
- Embedded: £1/hour for A capacity
Qlik
User-based and capacity-based options:
- Starter: £200/month (10 users, 25GB)
- Standard: £825/month (unlimited users, 25GB)
- Premium: £2,750/month (unlimited users, 50GB)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing from 250GB
TCO Analysis by Organisation Size
25-user organisation: Power BI Pro costs £4,200 annually vs Qlik Standard at £9,900 annually
100+ users: Qlik's unlimited model becomes competitive at £9,900-£33,000 vs Power BI's £16,800-£28,800
Large enterprises: Typically find better value with Qlik's capacity model
Deployment Flexibility and Infrastructure
Cloud and Hybrid Options
Power BI operates primarily as an Azure-based service with Power BI Report Server for on-premises needs. The platform requires Premium capacity or SQL Server licensing for on-premises deployment. While it connects to multiple cloud data sources, its architecture remains Azure-centric with limited true multi-cloud support.
Qlik provides genuine multi-cloud flexibility, supporting deployment on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. The platform offers both Windows-based and Kubernetes container deployments for on-premises installations. Its hybrid architecture allows apps created on-premises to be consumed in the cloud seamlessly, providing superior deployment flexibility.
Infrastructure Requirements
Power BI Report Server
- Windows Server 2016+
- 8GB minimum RAM
- SQL Server 2016+ repository
- 8+ CPU cores for Gateway
Qlik Sense Enterprise
- 16GB minimum RAM
- Multi-core x64 processors
- PostgreSQL included
- Multi-node architecture support
Performance and Scalability Considerations
Data Processing Capabilities
Qlik's associative engine provides instant calculation performance even with massive datasets and high concurrent users. The QIX in-memory architecture handles large volumes through distributed processing, with no specific data limits. Real-time streaming capabilities and incremental loading keep data fresh without full refreshes.
Power BI performs well within its constraints but faces challenges with datasets over 1GB without Premium capacity. DirectLake mode in Fabric improves big data performance, but the platform struggles with over 1,000 concurrent users without proper capacity planning.
Enterprise Scale Benchmarks
Query Performance
Qlik maintains consistent speed as data scales; Power BI degrades with very large datasets
Concurrent Users
Qlik supports unlimited users; Power BI requires careful capacity planning
Collaboration and Sharing Capabilities
Microsoft Ecosystem Integration
Power BI's collaboration strengths lie in seamless Microsoft 365 integration. Reports embed directly as Teams tabs with real-time collaboration, while SharePoint web parts enable dashboard integration in intranets. The platform supports multiple sharing methods including workspaces, apps, and publish to web.
Advanced Collaboration Features
Qlik's collaboration focuses on analytical discussions through Insight Advisor Chat in Microsoft Teams. The platform enables conversational analytics with natural language queries, though setup is more complex than Power BI. Qlik's data storytelling features convert insights into narrative presentations.
Mobile Capabilities and Responsive Design
Qlik Sense Mobile
- True responsive design
- Create/edit on mobile
- Full offline capabilities
- 5 concurrent devices
- Automatic adaptation
Power BI Mobile
- Good touch optimisation
- View-only offline mode
- Push notifications
- Separate mobile layouts
- Limited creation features
Strengths, Weaknesses, and Ideal Use Cases
When to Choose Power BI
Ideal for organisations:
- Heavily invested in Microsoft 365
- Requiring quick deployment with minimal training
- Focused on standard reporting and dashboards
- Cost-conscious implementations
- Needing tight Excel, Teams, and SharePoint integration
✓ Strengths
- Low entry cost
- Familiar interface
- Extensive templates
- Microsoft integration
✗ Weaknesses
- Large dataset limits
- Complex permissions
- Microsoft dependency
- Mobile limitations
When to Choose Qlik
Ideal for organisations:
- Requiring advanced data discovery
- Complex analytical scenarios
- Superior mobile capabilities needed
- Dedicated analytics teams
- Diverse data sources and real-time needs
✓ Strengths
- Associative engine
- Large dataset performance
- Multi-cloud deployment
- Advanced analytics
✗ Weaknesses
- Higher costs
- Steeper learning curve
- Complex scripting
- Limited MS integration
Recent Updates and Future Roadmap
Power BI Evolution (2024-2025)
Microsoft's strategy centres on Fabric integration, with Power BI becoming a core component of the unified analytics platform. Copilot capabilities expand across all workloads with enhanced natural language processing. The deprecation of Premium P, EM, and Embedded licenses on January 1, 2025, signals a complete shift to the Fabric ecosystem.
Qlik Innovation (2024-2025)
Qlik transitioned to bi-annual releases, focusing on AI-driven analytics through Insight Advisor enhancements. Recent updates include AutoML integration, expanded SaaS connectors, and improved visualisation capabilities. The platform's cloud-first strategy emphasises the unique value of its associative engine while expanding machine learning capabilities.
Industry-Specific Considerations
Financial Services
Qlik excels in risk modelling and compliance; Power BI suits operational reporting
Healthcare
Power BI for departmental dashboards; Qlik for research analytics and patient data
Manufacturing
Qlik preferred for IoT analytics and supply chain; Power BI for production reports
Retail
Split between Power BI for sales reporting and Qlik for customer journey analysis
Conclusions and Recommendations
The choice between Qlik and Power BI depends fundamentally on organisational priorities. Choose Power BI for Microsoft-centric environments prioritising cost-effectiveness, ease of adoption, and seamless collaboration. Choose Qlik for advanced analytical requirements, superior data exploration capabilities, and true multi-cloud flexibility.
Recommendations by Organisation Size
- Small organisations (under 50 users): Power BI Pro offers compelling value at £14/user/month
- Medium organisations (50-200 users): Evaluate Qlik's unlimited user model against growth projections
- Large enterprises: Qlik's capacity-based pricing and performance provide better long-term value
Consider hybrid approaches where Power BI serves departmental reporting needs while Qlik handles enterprise-wide advanced analytics. Both platforms continue evolving rapidly, with AI-powered features and enhanced collaboration capabilities driving innovation throughout 2025 and beyond.
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