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Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs Sisense comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Microsoft SQL Server Report...
Ranking in Reporting
6th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
20
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Sisense
Ranking in Reporting
14th
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
41
Ranking in other categories
BI (Business Intelligence) Tools (19th), Cloud Analytics (4th), Data Visualization (15th), Embedded BI (9th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Reporting category, the mindshare of Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is 3.4%, down from 4.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Sisense is 2.3%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Reporting
 

Featured Reviews

Gnanavel-Chakkarapani - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers useful templates but needs to improve the connectivity offered
In Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, not much of the interface part is used. With Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, its users face issues with the interface after they use Excel or create Microsoft SSIS Packages. The tool's interface is an area of concern requiring improvement. There needs to be an improvement in the product's connectivity so that the tool can connect easily with other third-party databases. In the dashboard, drag and drop functionality needs to improve, especially when compared to other tools like IBM Cognos Analytics and Qlik Sense. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is useful only for standard reports. In IBM Cognos Analytics, query studio can be used by users to drag the data and simply download the reports, so the user doesn't need to have any technical knowledge like developers. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is to be improved to offer features like query Studio, which is provided in IBM Cognos Analytics.
Wiboon Thabsuwan - PeerSpot reviewer
Helps businesses save time and offers good integration features
I would say that using Sisense on Linux's platform might not be advantageous for everyone. I am more familiar with Windows than Linux. With Windows, the system performs very fast. Even if your data size consists of like 10,00,00,000 loads or whatever, it works very fast. When using Sisense, it is better to have some people with a very good understanding of Linux. I need more technical people who understand about Linux OS. Only two people would be enough to operate the tool.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The solution's features are all just wrapped up in one nice easy package. I don't need a lot of toolsets to get everything I need done."
"We were able to embed the report builder within our internal proprietary systems, improving our reporting capabilities."
"The solution is known for its robust security features."
"It is scalable."
"The stability of SSRS has been reliable, with minimal issues encountered during our usage."
"The initial setup is easy."
"I like Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services' automated reporting feature."
"I'm very satisfied with the customer service. And usually, whenever we have any issue or details, we get to the person for the support. I'm really satisfied with the service. Within a few minutes or within a few hours, the support person will be available."
"Sisense can integrate with multiple sources at one time."
"​Allows users to build their own solutions without as much reliance on technology staff."
"A very simple setup: Easy to download, install, and updates are pain free."
"Sisense has helped us gain knowledge about our customers, as well as highlighting data quality issues to correct."
"It has allowed me to move my data to the cloud."
"This solution is easy to learn how to use."
"The Sisense solution was very easy to set up, and its visualizations were effective."
"Allows us to execute heavy, complex computations on the fly so customers can slice and dice the data based on their business needs."
 

Cons

"Technical support is in minor need of improvement so that they can solve problems in a more timely manner."
"It doesn't have quite the flexibility of a Tableau or something like that. Many users are more comfortable with Tableau and I'm not quite sure why that is right now, but it seems to be the case."
"It would be really nice to have better integration between the solution and Power BI."
"The product could be improved by reducing the time it takes to build and deploy reports."
"We have had issues with the refresh interval since we have too many reports scheduled. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is also expensive."
"There are occasions during maintenance runs when the Check Point monitoring system reports a lot of blocked sessions."
"Sometimes, we need to make sure that the configuration stays consistent across the reporting instances. They all connect to the same database. So, it shares that same backend, but the reporting services itself can also be configured. On the application level, for reporting level. And it is, based on my own experience, it is a manual effort to make sure that the reporting servers are configured the same across the environment."
"In this solution, the cost should be reduced for the enterprise edition."
"They should improve the filters to create downloaded data by moving them to the top of the dashboard."
"I would love to have more customization capabilities for building dashboards, especially in creating custom widget sizes."
"I would also like to be able to run a bursts of reports based on different field values with PDF output right in the tool, rather than filtering on each field value and generating each PDF manually."
"The initial version we purchased only ran on Windows servers, which was less than ideal for our DevOps team. I believe that has been remedied in the latest release."
"I would say that using Sisense on Linux's platform might not be advantageous for everyone."
"I would like to see an improvement in the live data connection, specifically making the process faster."
"This solution does not have tabs. In order to have tabs, you have to download an add-on to mimic the tabs. They should be integrated to improve the solution."
"I would like Sisense to improve its performance, particularly when we are dealing with large-scale data."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Value-wise, the solution's pricing is good for the price that we pay."
"The solution is expensive."
"The price is pretty good."
"The product pricing is reasonable in terms of suitable features for business."
"The solution is free to use for developers."
"The tool's licensing costs are expensive."
"The solution is cheaper than its alternatives."
"The pricing is high."
"Compared to Power BI or Tableau, Sisense is much more expensive."
"This solution is more expensive than Tableau, Qlik and Dundas. It is an expensive tool. They charge $75,000 while Tableau is $45,000."
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
14%
Government
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
23%
Computer Software Company
15%
University
6%
Government
5%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?
I mainly use the solution for the ease of reporting and for executive dashboards.
What needs improvement with Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?
They could improve the scalability and stability of SQL Server Reporting Services. I haven't used it recently, so I can't provide detailed suggestions on improvements.
What do you like most about Sisense?
The solution's technical support team is good.
What needs improvement with Sisense?
I would like to see an improvement in the live data connection, specifically making the process faster. Additionally, incorporating more self-service capabilities would benefit the product.
What is your primary use case for Sisense?
I was looking into some of our business operations with tow truck companies. I focused on evaluating turnaround times for tow trucks to arrive on-site for accidents and how long it took them to cle...
 

Also Known As

SQL Server Reporting Services, Microsoft SSRS, SSRS, MS SQL Server Reporting Services
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

CMS Wire, The New York Times
Ebay, WIX, Wave Accounting, ESPN.com, Magellan Luxury Hotel, Paylogic, Sony, Merck, EDA, One Hour Translation, NASA, Plastic Jungle, Philips, Yahoo
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs. Sisense and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.