Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs XLCubed comparison

Microsoft and Fluence Technologies are both solutions in the Reporting category. Microsoft is ranked #4 with an average rating of 7.5, while Fluence Technologies is ranked #31. Microsoft holds a 2.7% mindshare in RT, compared to Fluence Technologies’s 0.8% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 50% of Fluence Technologies users who would recommend it.

Microsoft SQL Server Report...

Read 22 Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services reviews

1,956 Views
1,936 Comparison Views

85% willing to recommend

XLCubed

Read 2 XLCubed reviews

404 Views
271 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

Microsoft SQL Server Report...

XLCubed

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

XLCubed and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services compete in the business intelligence and reporting category. XLCubed has an edge in pricing and support, while Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services offers more extensive features, commanding a robust position in data analysis and integration.

Features: XLCubed features an interactive Excel-based interface, seamless data connectivity, and agile reporting solutions. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services provides advanced data visualization, wide integration capabilities, and automated report generation. XLCubed suits Excel-savvy environments whereas Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is preferred for its comprehensive solution features.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: XLCubed offers easy deployment with minimal technical barriers, supported by personalized customer service. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services requires deeper technical knowledge but provides thorough documentation and extensive support.

Pricing and ROI: XLCubed comes with a competitive price and quick ROI due to low-cost setup and efficient deployment. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services may have higher initial costs but delivers value through its scalability and rich features, promising long-term ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs. XLCubed Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft SQL Servering Services vs. XLCubed

December 2025

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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

4th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

XLCubed

Ranking in Reporting

31st

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Reporting category, the mindshare of Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is 2.7%, down from 3.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of XLCubed is 0.8%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Reporting Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services	2.7%
XLCubed	0.8%
Other	96.5%

Reporting

Featured Reviews

Gnaneshwar Dayanandan

Consulting IT Head at MYKLaticrete

Reports generation is efficient and saves effort, but integrating new features could enhance overall experience

I haven't contacted Microsoft technical support because of this tool, but for some other things I have, and I found them quite lacking. We had trouble with Azure Firewall, where we wanted logs from our VMs, but reaching out to Microsoft took a prolonged time to the extent that we were wondering why Microsoft was unable to get its own logs to us, which occurred a few months back. I would rate Microsoft support around 6.5 to seven, as they don't directly interact with medium-sized MSMEs, always referring to their partners, so it differs based on the partner's level of relationship with Microsoft.

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it_user1391316

Head of Finance Systems at NHS

Cost effective with great capability, performance, flexibility and visuals

In general, we're happy with the solution but we're always looking to see what else is out there. The thing we've struggled with is our partnership with Tagetik UK, the consultants, and the issue we had gaining access to consultants to develop the solution on our behalf. Thankfully we connected directly with XLCubed and now have a pretty close and good relationship with them so the earlier problem we had of actually getting resources to help us develop has now been solved. One of the things that we've been asking for and would like as an additional feature is a sort of benchmarking functionality. The ability to be able to benchmark, directly against the company digital corporate numbers. That said, there seems to be improved functionality within the latest release that could help us develop that further.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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."

"It is scalable."

"Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is reliable for management dashboard and reporting purposes. It is helpful for user reporting and administrative tasks, such as monitoring progress. It is easy to use since it is lightweight and integrates well with the SQL Server database, making reporting straightforward. The visualization capabilities enhance our reporting needs with good pagination and KPI features. It integrates well with data servers and workbooks, allowing us to publish reports on mobile applications and tablets easily. Integrating other tools and platforms in our tech ecosystem is generally straightforward. However, if we need to perform something very specialized, we might have to use third-party tools rather than inbuilt options."

"The stability of SSRS has been reliable, with minimal issues encountered during our usage."

"We get good support from Microsoft."

"The SQL Server Reporting Services makes it very easy to get the data whenever we need it."

"Outside of that, it's a pretty solid tool, pretty straightforward, and I have no issues with it."

"In Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, the installation and configuration are easy."

More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services pros

"Great capability, performance, flexibility, visuals, and the solution is also very cost effective."

"I am looking forward to testing their full graphics that are available, as they looked very interesting in the demo."

Cons

"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."

"The setup is difficult because you have to install different servers."

"The product should improve its performance."

"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."

"Technical support is in minor need of improvement so that they can solve problems in a more timely manner."

"I would like the solution to add the scheduling feature for reports."

"The product could be improved by reducing the time it takes to build and deploy reports."

More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services cons

"There should be a better or an easier way to establish that connection to external sources."

"Would like the ability to be able to benchmark."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The tool's licensing costs are expensive."

"The product pricing is reasonable in terms of suitable features for business."

"The price is pretty good."

"The solution is cheaper than its alternatives."

"The solution is expensive."

"The solution is free to use for developers."

"The pricing is high."

"Value-wise, the solution's pricing is good for the price that we pay."

"14,000 Pounds per year for licensing."

"I am still using the two-week trial, but at first sight, the price is reasonable."

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881,114 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

13%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Computer Software Company

No data available

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	15

No data available

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.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?

I would consider it cost effective for our environment, and we don't have to invest in another big tool to generate these reports, making it all integrated and easier. Otherwise, you need to write ...

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What needs improvement with Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?

Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is not difficult to use, but my main issue is troubleshooting whenever there is any problem, as the logs can be unclear. Perhaps I don't have enough experien...

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Comparisons

Tableau Enterprise vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 16% of the time

TIBCO Jaspersoft vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 10% of the time

SAP Crystal Reports vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 10% of the time

Oracle OBIEE vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 9% of the time

QlikView vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services

Compared 8% of the time

More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Competitors

Microsoft Power BI vs XLCubed

Compared 64% of the time

Tableau Enterprise vs XLCubed

Compared 36% of the time

More XLCubed Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft SQL Servering Services

January 2026

Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services report

Download Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services product report

Buyer's Guide

Reporting

January 2026

Download XLCubed product report

Also Known As

SQL Server Reporting Services, Microsoft SSRS, SSRS, MS SQL Server Reporting Services

No data available

Overview

At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our mission is grounded in both the world in which we live and the future we strive to create. Today, we live in a mobile-first, cloud-first world, and the transformation we are driving across our businesses is designed to enable Microsoft and our customers to thrive in this world.

We do business in 170 countries and are made up of 114,000 passionate employees dedicated to fulfilling our mission of helping you and your organization achieve more.

Microsoft

Produce insightful, interactive reports on, company-wide metrics for any business audience. Now all in Excel.
Pixel-perfect financial reporting with the skill sets you already have. No IT required.
Meet XLCubed: The data-connected Excel add-in for all your reporting needs.

Fluence Technologies

Sample Customers

CMS Wire, The New York Times

Marshalls Ltd, BP Exploration and Production, Thorntons, Ted Baker, Bristol-Myers, Rank Group, ING Bank Genve, Cargill Value Investment, Chloride Power, Auchan, Erste, UEFA, Novartis, Porsche Informatik, Raiffeisen Bank International

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft SQL Servering Services vs. XLCubed

December 2025

Free Report: Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services vs. XLCubed

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We monitor all Reporting reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.