# Microsoft Power BI vs Smart Access

The clearest difference is update cadence: Microsoft Power BI at fortnightly against Smart Access's every 3 months. Microsoft Power BI also leads on ratings volume (97K vs 2) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). Smart Access's advantage is iOS requirement (13 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 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Power BI has 97K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Microsoft Power BI ships an update fortnightly, Smart Access every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Power BI | Smart Access |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (97K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-power-bi/id929738808/reviews)** | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-access/id1485890051/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **97K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 46.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#155** | — |
| Size | 215 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [1904038 Alberta Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1247957248) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Smart Access

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-access/id1485890051)

This platform provides frontline workers with actionable task guidance on their mobile devices. It helps businesses rapidly onboard, upskill, and adapt their workforce to changing operational needs, replacing traditional training methods.

**Highlights:** Actionable task guidance, Mobile device delivery, Context-tailored information, Rapid onboarding, Upskilling capabilities, Role adaptation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Power BI free?

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

### Is Smart Access free?

Smart Access is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft Power BI or Smart Access?

Microsoft Power BI is rated higher. Microsoft Power BI averages 4.7 out of 5 from 97K ratings, while Smart Access averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Microsoft Power BI or Smart Access have ads?

Neither Microsoft Power BI nor Smart Access shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Power BI or Smart Access?

Microsoft Power BI ships an update fortnightly, and Smart Access every 3 months. Most recently, Microsoft Power BI was updated on October 22, 2026 and Smart Access on October 12, 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.*