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[Article] Why I Migrated from Power BI to TURBOARD?

As a team committed to delivering innovative business intelligence solutions, we've closely collaborated with clients who initially relied on Power BI for their analytics needs. Through these partnerships, we've gained valuable insights into the challenges they faced and the limitations of existing tools. Our clients have shared their experiences of migrating to TURBOARD, highlighting how it better aligns with their evolving requirements in a data-driven world.

In this article, we compile our learnings and the feedback from organizations that have transitioned from Power BI to TURBOARD. Our goal is to provide an objective overview of the key reasons behind this shift, offering clarity for others considering a similar move.

Our comparison covers critical aspects such as support and total cost of ownership, ease of learning and use, user interface, web infrastructure, date handling, data preparation, and advanced analytics, where TURBOARD offers significant advantages over Power BI.


Support and TCO	TURBOARD is renowned for its dedicated support, offering affordable and expert assistance. This high level of support contributes to a lower total cost of ownership by reducing the need for expensive external consultants.	Finding experienced Power BI developers can be challenging, with novice users often unable to address complex issues. Hiring expert support can be costly, potentially increasing the total cost of ownership for organizations.
Ease of Learning and Use	TURBOARD offers a user-friendly interface where complex tasks can be performed using SQL or Pandas-like syntax, which are standard and widely understood. The platform allows building complex logic through a graphical user interface (GUI), reducing the need for extensive coding.	Power BI often requires writing complex DAX queries even for simple tasks, such as sorting weekdays. Users may need to switch back and forth between data models and add additional columns to enable custom sorting, which can be time-consuming and requires a deeper understanding of DAX and data modeling.
User Interface	TURBOARD's interface is designed with user feedback in mind, and new features are often delivered rapidly, sometimes within a month, to support analytics projects. Common tasks are easily accessible, and the platform is sensitive to user requests.	In Power BI, many common tasks are not intuitively placed. For instance, editing a dashlet's filter interactions requires navigating through less obvious menus. The interface updates are less frequent, and some functionalities are buried, making them less accessible.
Web Infrastructure	TURBOARD utilizes the latest stable version of Vue.js (Vue 3), released recently, ensuring a modern, efficient, and responsive user experience. The platform is regularly updated to incorporate the latest technological advancements and user feedback.	Power BI's web interface uses older technology Angular 1 which was released more than 10 years ago and also long term support ended years ago. Resulting in a less modern user experience compared to platforms using newer platforms.
Date Handling	TURBOARD provides automatic and intuitive handling of date-related data. Users can build complex date logic using the GUI without the need for coding. Date filters and dashlets work seamlessly out of the box.	Power BI's default date filters or visuals may require adjustments each time they are used. Auto-aggregation often defaults to the year level, which can be unhelpful if all data is within one year. Many common date functions require writing DAX queries or using Quick Measures, adding complexity to the process.
Data Preparation	TURBOARD connects seamlessly to diverse real-time data sources, eliminating the need for mandatory Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) processes and saving time. Its in-memory data processing option ensures superior performance and quicker insights.	Power BI allows connection to various data sources, but complex data preparation may require additional steps. Users often need to create relationships and manage data models manually, which can be time-consuming.
Performance on Big Data	TURBOARD’s native connectivity to prominent big data warehousing solutions like Impala, Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, and others ensures high-performance data processing and analysis, enabling users to leverage the full potential of their big data resources.	Power BI may require additional Microsoft products like Azure HDInsight, SSIS, or SSRS, which require extra effort and technical considerations, potentially impacting the smoothness of the overall integration process.
Advanced Analytics	TURBOARD integrates Python-backed capabilities, providing a one-stop solution for advanced analytics. With a wide range of machine learning algorithms just a click away, users can perform data modeling and analysis without the need for separate tools or libraries.	Power BI may require the use of additional Python libraries or external tools for advanced machine learning capabilities. Integration of these models for visualization and reporting can add complexity to the workflow.
Add-Ons	TURBOARD's add-ons provide advanced functionalities and cater to various use cases, easily utilized within the platform without the need for extra installations or switching to separate applications. These include GIS-S (Geo Visualization), PER-S (Score Cards), EMB-S (Embedded), FOR-S (Form Builder), and ANA-S (Analytics).	Power BI may require additional applications or installations for different use cases, such as installing "Microsoft R Open" for R scripting functionalities.
Licensing	TURBOARD's comprehensive solution for all data-related needs offers a compelling cost advantage compared to other tools. Clients have successfully transitioned from multiple BI tools to TURBOARD, significantly reducing their total cost of ownership (TCO) by consolidating data management processes and enhancing overall organizational efficiency.	Organizations heavily engaged with Microsoft tools may incur higher costs for advanced features in Power BI. While Power BI is included in certain Microsoft packages, access to premium services and advanced functionalities often requires additional payment.

Kindly note that the content presented in this blog is based on our observations and experiences. We welcome your feedback and insights. Please feel free to contact us at contact@turboard.com.

Titiana Shabsough / TURBOARD Marketing Specialist (first published 2023/08/07) 2024/11/20