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IBM Cognos Reviews

Vendor: IBM
4.0 out of 5
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What is IBM Cognos?

IBM Cognos Business Intelligence provides a wide range of tools to help you analyze your organization's data. IBM Cognos BI allows businesses to monitor events and metrics, create and view business reports, and analyze data to help them make effective business decisions.

Get the IBM Cognos Buyer's Guide and find out what your peers are saying about IBM Cognos, Microsoft Power BI, Tableau Enterprise and more!
IBM Cognos is the #6 ranked solution in top Reporting Tools and #8 ranked solution in top Business Intelligence Tools. PeerSpot users give IBM Cognos an average rating of 8.0 out of 10. IBM Cognos is most commonly compared to Microsoft Power BI: IBM Cognos vs Microsoft Power BI. IBM Cognos is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 62% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a financial services firm, accounting for 15% of all views.
Buyer's Guide
IBM Cognos
August 2025
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IBM Cognos mindshare

Product category:
BI (Business Intelligence) Tools
As of August 2025, the mindshare of IBM Cognos in the BI (Business Intelligence) Tools category stands at 3.1%, down from 4.3% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
BI (Business Intelligence) Tools Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
IBM Cognos3.1%
Microsoft Power BI20.4%
Tableau15.4%
Other61.1%
BI (Business Intelligence) Tools

PeerResearch reports based on IBM Cognos reviews

TypeTitleDate
CategoryBI (Business Intelligence) ToolsAug 27, 2025Download
ProductReviews, tips, and advice from real usersAug 27, 2025Download
ComparisonIBM Cognos vs Microsoft Power BIAug 27, 2025Download
ComparisonIBM Cognos vs Tableau EnterpriseAug 27, 2025Download
ComparisonIBM Cognos vs SAP Analytics CloudAug 27, 2025Download
Suggested products
TitleRatingMindshareRecommending
Microsoft Power BI4.020.4%93%326 interviewsAdd to research
Tableau Enterprise4.215.4%89%307 interviewsAdd to research
 
 
Key learnings from peers

Valuable Features

IBM Cognos offers powerful features like robust reporting, versatile Report Studio, and flexible Query Studio for ad-hoc queries. Users appreciate its data integration capabilities, scalability, user-friendly interface, and extensive customization. The platform supports dashboards, dynamic cubes, and automated reporting, enhancing efficiency. Users value its security, metadata management, and compatibility with different databases, facilitating quick access to diverse data sources. It enables complex data modeling and visual storytelling, catering to a broad spectrum of analytical needs.
  • "IBM Cognos is a robust governed platform with significant security features and provides excellent graphics and reporting."
  • "IBM Cognos is a robust governed platform with significant security features and provides excellent graphics and reporting."
  • "The initial setup was straightforward."

Room for Improvement

IBM Cognos needs enhancements in visualization quality and user interface, which feels outdated and complex. Users encounter challenges with integration, especially with data sources and frameworks. Performance issues include slow dashboards and inefficient handling of large data volumes. There is a need for improved self-service analytics and error messaging clarity. Users desire more flexibility in report authoring and customization features, along with better support and scalability across its functionalities.
  • "I rate pricing as a four, meaning it is more expensive compared to other solutions."
  • "There is room for improvement in self-service analytics and predictiveness."
  • "It is a costly product; it is comparatively expensive."

ROI

IBM Cognos provides a substantial return on investment depending on implementation and use. Some experiences indicate significant financial savings and improved operational efficiency. Companies reported better data understanding and efficiency, though opinions on precise returns varied. Users achieved extensive time savings, transforming processes such as delivery times from hours to minutes, using tools like barcodes for efficient data handling. Customers valued IBM Cognos for enhancing business insights, reflected in positive feedback from various clients.

Pricing

Enterprise buyers evaluating IBM Cognos should be aware that the pricing is generally considered high compared to other solutions like Power BI and Tableau. Users suggest negotiating for better prices, especially on new licenses, and exploring partnerships with third-party vendors for potential discounts. Licensing options include named and CPU-based licenses, each catering to different needs. The platform offers good value for large enterprises due to its extensive features, but it can be costly for smaller businesses.
  • "IBM Cognos is priced reasonable. However, it is more expensive than Power BI and Tableau."
  • "My company uses IBM Cognos with another IBM product, so I think only one license is used."
  • "The licensing costs are a little bit higher for IBM Cognos. I don't think there is any additional cost apart from the licensing charges."

Popular Use Cases

IBM Cognos is widely used for business intelligence, focusing on reporting and analytics across various industries. Users leverage it for financial reporting, data analytics, and enterprise-wide reporting, utilizing its capabilities for standard reports, dashboards, and forecasts. It supports static and dynamic reporting, integrating with various systems for seamless data analysis. IBM Cognos is preferred for its versatility in handling large datasets, predictive analysis, and customizable reporting, catering to diverse business needs.

Service and Support

IBM Cognos customer service varies, with some rating it highly and others finding it lacking, especially in complex cases. Many users mention technical support as knowledgeable and responsive, yet occasionally slow. The costs can be high, resulting in users seeking partner or external support. The effectiveness of technical support often hinges on the specific technician and existing support agreements. Online resources and community forums supplement official support but are sometimes seen as more reliable.

Deployment

IBM Cognos's initial setup often varies in complexity. Many users find it straightforward, particularly with planning and detailed execution, while others highlight challenges due to complex configurations and diverse environments. Expertise is required for advanced setups, including distributed architectures and large-scale deployments. Good documentation and prior experience simplify the process, though integrating additional components may introduce specific complexities. The ease of setup depends on technical proficiency and familiarity with related technologies.

Scalability

IBM Cognos is generally considered scalable, handling numerous users efficiently. Most users have not experienced scalability challenges, noting the platform's strong architecture. Some reported potential issues with dispatcher performance and data retrieval times. Successful scaling often depends on hardware and database integration rather than Cognos itself. The tool supports various user sizes, from personal to large enterprise. Cognos benefits from added features and user training to optimize performance.

Stability

Users report IBM Cognos as highly stable, often highlighting robust performance and few issues when configured correctly. Occasional stability concerns arise with heavy loads, complex datasets, or poor query designs. Proper server management and configuration reduce interruptions. Some users mention periodic reboots for optimal operation. Newer versions have enhanced the stability significantly, emphasizing its reliability in comparison to other BI tools. Administrators find its framework beneficial for stable metadata management.
These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.
Download our IBM Cognos Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Review data by company size

By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business29
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise64
By reviewers
By visitors reading reviews
Company SizeCount
Small Business554
Midsize Enterprise288
Large Enterprise1367
By visitors reading reviews

Top industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
15%
Insurance Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
8%
Computer Software Company
8%
University
5%
Retailer
4%
Healthcare Company
4%
Comms Service Provider
4%
Educational Organization
4%
Energy/Utilities Company
3%
Real Estate/Law Firm
2%
Construction Company
2%
Wholesaler/Distributor
2%
Performing Arts
2%
Legal Firm
2%
Media Company
2%
Transportation Company
2%
Consumer Goods Company
1%
Outsourcing Company
1%
Recreational Facilities/Services Company
1%
Hospitality Company
1%
Non Profit
1%
Pharma/Biotech Company
1%
Aerospace/Defense Firm
1%

Compare IBM Cognos with alternative products

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Learn more about IBM Cognos

IBM Cognos applies techniques to describe, summarize, and compare data, and draw conclusions. This allows users to see trends and discover anomalies or variances that may not be evident by simply reading data. Data sources that contain information from different areas of a business can be stored in separate packages. Users can see only information that they have been granted access to, based on their group or role.

IBM Cognos BI consolidates the following business intelligence functions into a single web-based solution:

  • IBM Cognos Insight: Create personal and managed workspaces for data analysis. Using these interactive workspaces, you can share insight results with managers. Cognos Insight supports write-back, and you can also use these workspaces to capture and integrate management goals, commitments, and forecasts.

  • IBM Cognos Workspace: With IBM Cognos Workspace, you can create rich, interactive workspaces using IBM Cognos content as well as data from external sources. You can view and open your favorite workspaces and reports, edit content in your workspaces, and share your workspaces via email.

  • IBM Cognos Analytics: IBM Cognos Analytics utilizes built-in AI and intuitive searches which helps users to quickly create the visualizations and a wide range of reports. Cognos Analytics provides cognitive and managed self-service, enabling you to gain insights from controlled and trusted data.

  • IBM Cognos Report Studio and IBM Cognos Query Studio: Easily create structured and query reports. IBM Cognos allows users to create application and report templates. In addition, report authors can reuse report objects to apply filters, fields, and styles to reports. Users can set the language of the user interface and report content according to the user's native language.

  • IBM Cognos Event Studio: Receive notifications of events that occur within your organization in real time. Event Studio enables the creation of agents that detect the occurrence of business events, failures, or anomalies, based on the change of specific events or data conditions. Notification can be sent via email, publication in the portal, or by triggering reports.

  • IBM Cognos Connection: This is the Web portal for IBM Cognos BI and is the central area for accessing all the IBM Cognos functions. In the web portal, users can schedule and distribute reports, create tasks, administer the server and the access permissions, and more.

Reviews from Real Users

IBM Cognos stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its powerful analysis tool and its reporting capabilities.

Prasad B., a senior software engineer at a financial services firm, notes, “The product is a very good reporting tool and is very flexible. It allows for the users to get a scheduled report. We can receive automated reports as well. They are easy to schedule on a weekly or monthly basis. It is very fast. I mean in means of report output, it's very fast compared to the actual clients involved.”

IBM Cognos was previously known as Cognos, Cognos Analytics, IBM Cognos Analytics.

IBM Cognos customers

More than 23,000 leading organizations across multiple industries use Cognos. Some examples of Cognos customers include BMW Financial Services, Quinte Health Care, Troy Corporation, Michigan State University, and GKN Land System.

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Product Categories

Product Categories
BI (Business Intelligence) Tools
Reporting
Legacy BI Tools

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IBM Cognos Reviews Summary
Author infoRatingReview Summary
Senior BI-ETL Consultant at CMA Consulting Services4.5I'm using IBM Cognos Analytics for dashboarding and reports, enjoying its ad hoc analysis feature, although enhancements have been slow. We also consider Power BI for its easy setup and cloud availability, especially for recent projects.
head of commercial at Assimil8 Ltd.3.0Our clients use IBM Cognos for static and business reporting, benefiting from its robust security and excellent graphics. Although it delivers significant ROI with comprehensive updates, improvements are needed in self-service analytics and predictiveness.
Senior Business Analyst at HSBC4.5We use IBM Cognos for report creation and performance monitoring, especially in handling large datasets efficiently, although formatting issues in the cloud and drag-and-drop limitations exist. It's easier than Tableau and Power BI, but formatting resolutions take time.
Junior Consultant at CMA CGM4.5I use IBM Cognos for standard and audit reports, as well as dashboards. While it offers strong dashboard capabilities, connectivity and database memory issues need addressing. Additionally, the tool's SMTP integration can cause full .mdp files, requiring improvement.
Deputy Director Operations Management Control at Mapfre4.0No summary available
Solution Architect - Data Engineering at Tenx4.0I use IBM Cognos for generating alerts, business reporting, and predictive analysis with IBM Watson. It offers flexibility and customization, superior to Power BI, but needs improvements in Framework Manager's interface and the loss of Event Studio features.
Data & AI Solution Arch. at Alkan CIT Ethiopia4.0I use IBM Cognos for customer analytics services, valuing its IBM Watson integration and dashboard capabilities. Improvements are needed for deploying it as a web and desktop application, and a UI similar to Power BI. The ROI is excellent.
Consultant at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees3.5I use IBM Cognos in my company for reporting activities. Its ease of use is valuable and compatible with other tools, but it lacks online documentation and stability. My company previously worked with Microsoft Power BI, and the ROI is manager-specific.