What's The Difference Between Power BI & Excel?

Did you know that the same Data Model, Power Query Editor, and DAX Measures found in Power BI, are also in Excel? In fact, all these tools started in Excel first, Power BI came after.

Excel Power Pivot and Power BI Desktop share the same Vertipaq Data Model that was originally developed for Excel 2010. The engine continued to evolve each year, and eventually was used as the foundation when Power BI was released in 2015.

Even though Power BI might become the more popular visualization tool as it continues to improve and gain features, Excel isn't likely to disappear anytime soon.

Both tools support a specific need when it comes to reporting. The decision is more about how to want to present your data, rather than features or limitations of the data model in either tool.

Power BI or Excel? Which is Better For Reporting?

The honest answer is neither, and both. Both tools have their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to data visualization.

Power BI's strength comes from its visualizations and online features. Excel however is still a great tool for displaying information in Pivot Tables, and for data analysis or data exploration.

So the question of which tool to use really comes down to how the data model will get used once it has been built. It's not always an easy question to answer either.

If you have any questions about Power BI, Excel, or reporting in general. Please reach out to us by visiting the Contact link at the top of this page

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We provide many consulting services related to Power BI reporting or Fabric Platform development. Including everything from Data Acquisition with Power Query, Data Modeling, or Visualization & Design.

Our services range from customized co-development, to structured training depending on the client's needs.

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We also have numerous videos, articles, and other content we publish multiple times a month on various media platforms.

Many of these articles showcase great practices, techniques, or other important information related to Power BI or the Fabric Platform.