# IBM Cognos Analytics Reports vs Microsoft Power BI

The clearest difference is rating: Microsoft Power BI at 4.7 against IBM Cognos Analytics Reports's 3.0. Microsoft Power BI also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (97K vs 3). IBM Cognos Analytics Reports's advantage is review sentiment (71% vs 47%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Microsoft Power BI holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Power BI has 97K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 71% of IBM Cognos Analytics Reports's written reviews are positive against 47% of Microsoft Power BI's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

IBM Cognos Analytics Reports ships an update every 3 months, Microsoft Power BI fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | IBM Cognos Analytics Reports | Microsoft Power BI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibm-cognos-analytics-reports/id455326089/reviews) | **[4.7 (97K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-power-bi/id929738808/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **97K** |
| Positive reviews | **71.4% of reviews** | 46.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#155** |
| Size | 44 MB | 215 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [IBM](https://appshunter.io/developer/367353856) | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) |

## What reviewers say

### IBM Cognos Analytics Reports

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibm-cognos-analytics-reports/id455326089)

Access and interact with business reports on your mobile devices for informed decision-making. Gain trusted insights visually, online or offline, and stay productive anywhere. Easily sync content from various sources.

**Highlights:** Offline and online access to reports, Visual and rich user experience, Sync reports via iTunes, email, or server, Push notifications for new report versions, Touch-friendly prompts and pop-ups, Schedule and deliver content, Annotate and share comments

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Microsoft Power BI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-power-bi/id929738808)

**Currently charting:** #155 Top Free · Business (US App Store)

Access and analyze your business data from anywhere with powerful mobile tools. Visualize key metrics, filter information, and share insights on the go. Get real-time notifications and ask questions of your data with a virtual analyst.

**Highlights:** View data in one place, Explore, filter, and focus data, Annotate and share reports, Set data alerts and notifications, Q&A virtual analyst for insights, Secure on-premises data access, Scan barcodes/QR codes for data

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent mobile app experience
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 💡 Powerful data visualization capabilities
- 🚀 Fast and efficient for viewing reports
- 👍 Helpful for on-the-go business insights

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Stability issues and crashes
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate complex reports
- 🔍 Limited functionality compared to desktop version
- 🔍 Clunky filtering and slicer interactions
- 🔍 Inconsistent data refresh and update issues

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent login issues and SSO problems
- Visualizations not rendering correctly
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between reports
- Drill-through functionality not working as expected
- Scaling and layout issues on iPad and larger devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to refresh data and reports remotely
- Enhanced navigation and bookmarking features
- Improved support for touch-based interactions
- Better optimization for smaller mobile screens
- Integration with other Microsoft 365 apps


## Frequently asked questions

### Is IBM Cognos Analytics Reports free?

IBM Cognos Analytics Reports is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Microsoft Power BI free?

Microsoft Power BI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, IBM Cognos Analytics Reports or Microsoft Power BI?

Microsoft Power BI is rated higher. IBM Cognos Analytics Reports averages 3.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Microsoft Power BI averages 4.7 from 97K ratings.

### Do IBM Cognos Analytics Reports or Microsoft Power BI have ads?

Neither IBM Cognos Analytics Reports nor Microsoft Power BI shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, IBM Cognos Analytics Reports or Microsoft Power BI?

IBM Cognos Analytics Reports ships an update every 3 months, and Microsoft Power BI fortnightly. Most recently, IBM Cognos Analytics Reports was updated on October 22, 2026 and Microsoft Power BI on October 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*