Top Sigma Computing Alternatives & Competitors For 2024

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Looking for alternatives to Sigma Computing? Many users crave user-friendly and feature-rich solutions for tasks like Data Management, Reporting, and Data Transformation. Leveraging crowdsourced data from over 1,000 real Business Intelligence Tools selection projects based on 400+ capabilities, we present a comparison of Sigma Computing to leading industry alternatives like SQL Server, Cloudera, JReport, and Qlik Sense.

Sigma Computing Software Tool
SQL Server Software Tool
Cloudera Software Tool
Qlik Sense Software Tool

Product Basics

Sigma Computing is an analytics solution that directly connects to cloud warehouses and delivers real-time insights that drive data-informed decision making. With a spreadsheet-like interface, it provides a familiar experience for business users and analysts to utilize formulas to analyze and visualize their data. Through a self-service model, users can explore their data and ask and answer questions for themselves. It streamlines complex data analysis processes and promotes teamwork throughout a business with a balance of collaboration and control.

It is entirely cloud-based and enables data access without the risk of extracting, moving and storing data. Suitable for companies of all sizes, this SaaS runs on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Pros
  • User-friendly interface
  • Affordable pricing
  • Scalable for business growth
  • Cloud-based accessibility
  • Responsive customer support
Cons
  • Limited data analysis features
  • Less powerful than competitors
  • Occasional performance issues
  • Restricted data storage capacity
  • Lower customization options
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SQL Server, a relational database management system (RDBMS) from Microsoft, excels at storing, organizing, and retrieving large datasets. It's often a top choice for businesses running on Microsoft ecosystems due to its seamless integration with other Microsoft tools like Office and Power BI. Priced per core or server license, its cost can vary depending on the chosen edition and scale. While offering a free express edition for smaller deployments, its paid tiers cater to mission-critical applications and larger organizations. SQL Server shines in reliability, security, and performance, making it suitable for various data management needs. Its robust security features ensure data integrity, while its scalability allows handling massive datasets efficiently. Popular features include built-in reporting tools, disaster recovery options, and tight integration with development frameworks like .NET. However, setup and maintenance can be complex, requiring specialized skills. Additionally, some users cite limited cross-platform compatibility and a steeper learning curve compared to open-source alternatives. Overall, SQL Server offers a powerful and secure solution for organizations invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, especially those managing large-scale data and requiring robust features. However, its cost and complexity might deter smaller businesses or those seeking more flexible, cross-platform options.

Pros
  • Reliable performance
  • Strong security features
  • Integration with Microsoft tools
  • Scalable for large datasets
  • Extensive online resources
Cons
  • Can be expensive
  • Complex setup and maintenance
  • Vendor lock-in potential
  • Limited cross-platform support
  • Steeper learning curve
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Cloudera is a multi-environment analytics platform powered by integrated open source technologies that help users glean actionable business insights from their data, wherever it lives. With an enterprise data cloud, it puts data management at analysts’ fingertips, with the scalability and elasticity to manage any workload. It offers users transparency into the whole data lifecycle and the flexibility of customization through its open architecture.

It is available on an annual subscription basis with three offerings: CDP Data Center, Enterprise Data Hub and HDP Enterprise Plus. Each edition offers different components and pricing varies based on computing power, storage space and number of nodes.

The company merged with Hortonworks in 2019 to provide a comprehensive, end-to-end hybrid and multi-cloud offering.
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JReport by Logi Analytics (now discontinued) empowered companies to perform data analysis and generate reports directly from other business applications. It was scalable, customizable, fault-tolerant and worked seamlessly within other web interfaces. It integrated with any architecture and supported a range of embedding methods from the front and back ends.
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Qlik Sense is a self-service analytics solution that supports enterprise decisions and strategy. Its value lies in interactive dashboards and reports for exploring data independently. Embedded analytics lets your users work freely with data within their applications and websites.

Like QlikView, Qlik Sense has an associative engine. It links data tables in memory, keeping the information ready for when your users build models. Plus, its cognitive engine uses natural language for data tasks.

The Enterprise subscription includes Talend Data Integration and Qlik Advanced Analytics in Qlik Cloud. You can also choose Qlik Data Integration. Qlik Sense Enterprise SaaS includes 5000 automations and 100 reports. It might be a good fit if your data loads are predictable and don't change much. The vendor charges for the data you move or the volumes you analyze; you can choose between the two.

Qlik Sense deploys on Windows, Mac, Linux and any phone device. By contrast, Tableau runs on Windows, Mac and mobile, while Power BI is available only on Windows and Android devices.

Individual users can choose the desktop edition, though they’ll need a Qlik Cloud account to download it. A 30-day trial period is available, after which it'll cost $30 per user monthly.

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$300
$1,418
$833
$10,000
$30
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Product Assistance

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24/7 Live Support
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Product Ranking

#184

among all
Business Intelligence Tools

#127

among all
Business Intelligence Tools

#72

among all
Business Intelligence Tools

#44

among all
Business Intelligence Tools

#5

among all
Business Intelligence Tools

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

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94
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Availability and Scalability
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Platform Security

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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SQL Server
Cloudera
JReport
Qlik Sense
+ Add Product + Add Product
Advanced Analytics Augmented Analytics Data Management Data Pre-processing Data Transformation Data Visualization Embedded Analytics Capabilities Geospatial Visualizations and Analysis Mobile Capabilities Platform Capabilities Reporting 94 80 100 90 100 100 96 80 79 96 88 0 25 50 75 100
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User Sentiment Summary

we're gathering data
Great User Sentiment 7657 reviews
Great User Sentiment 216 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 53 reviews
Great User Sentiment 3168 reviews
we're gathering data
89%
of users recommend this product

SQL Server has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 89% when considering 7657 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

82%
of users recommend this product

Cloudera has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 82% when considering 216 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

92%
of users recommend this product

JReport has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 92% when considering 53 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

87%
of users recommend this product

Qlik Sense has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 87% when considering 3168 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

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Awards

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Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

User-friendly interface: Sigma's intuitive design and drag-and-drop functionality make it easy for users with limited technical expertise to get started and create insightful reports.
Affordable pricing: Sigma offers a competitive pricing model with a free tier for individual users and small teams, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes.
Scalable for business growth: Sigma's cloud-based architecture scales seamlessly to accommodate growing data volumes and user bases, ensuring your BI solution can grow with your business.
Cloud-based accessibility: Access your data and insights from anywhere, anytime with Sigma's cloud-based platform, eliminating the need for on-premise infrastructure.
Responsive customer support: Sigma provides responsive and helpful customer support via email, phone, and live chat, ensuring you get the assistance you need when you need it.
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Reliability and Performance: Users consistently praise SQL Server's stability, speed, and ability to handle large, complex workloads with minimal downtime.
Security: SQL Server offers robust security features, including multi-layered encryption, access controls, and active threat detection, to safeguard sensitive data.
Scalability: Users appreciate the ability to easily scale SQL Server to meet evolving data needs without compromising performance or incurring significant costs.
Integration with Microsoft Ecosystem: Seamless integration with other Microsoft tools and services, such as Azure cloud services and Power BI, enhances productivity and data management capabilities.
Comprehensive Tools and Features: SQL Server provides a rich set of tools for database administration, development, and analysis, including SSMS, SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT), and SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS).
Strong Community and Support: Users benefit from a large, active community of SQL Server professionals and extensive resources from Microsoft, including documentation, tutorials, and forums.
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Scalability: Cloudera can handle massive datasets and complex queries, making it suitable for large-scale data analysis and reporting.
Security: Cloudera offers robust security features, including data encryption and access control, ensuring sensitive data is protected.
Performance: Cloudera's optimized architecture and distributed processing capabilities deliver fast query execution and efficient data processing.
Integration: Cloudera integrates seamlessly with various data sources and tools, enabling users to connect and analyze data from different systems.
Community Support: Cloudera has a large and active community, providing access to resources, support, and best practices.
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Data Integration: All users who mentioned the platform’s data accessibility capabilities said that it connected seamlessly to a wide range of data sources and embedded equally easily into business applications.
Functionality: Around 74% of users who reflected on its functionality said that, coupled with rich features, the platform was highly scalable in implementing industry-specific reporting and advanced data analysis.
Ease of Use: In terms of ease of use, approximately 74% of users said that the platform was generally intuitive to navigate, with a modern-looking GUI.
Reporting: Around 67% of users who mentioned reporting said that the platform offered custom reporting to the desired level of granularity and report scheduling for sharing insights with departments and teams.
Service and Support: All users who mentioned support said that they were responsive and proactive, especially in responding to requests for new features.
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Integrations: Approximately 86% of users reviewing data sources were satisfied with its wide connectivity.
Ease of Use: About 84% of users who cited usability praised the platform for self-service BI.
Functionality: Around 80% of the reviews that mentioned features praised it for ETL and data visualization.
Data Visualization: About 66% of the users discussing dashboards were satisfied with its interactive displays that allowed them to dig deep.
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Limited data analysis features: Compared to more robust BI solutions, Sigma offers a less extensive range of advanced data analysis capabilities.
Occasional performance issues: Some users have reported encountering occasional performance issues, such as slow loading times and data refreshes.
Restricted data storage capacity: Sigma's free and lower-tier plans offer limited data storage, requiring upgrades for larger datasets.
Lower customization options: While Sigma offers some customization options, its capabilities are not as extensive as other BI platforms.
Less powerful than competitors: Although Sigma excels in user-friendliness, it may lack the power and flexibility required for complex data analysis needs.
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Licensing Cost: Can be expensive for large deployments, especially with Enterprise editions and complex licensing requirements.
Complexity: Managing and maintaining SQL Server, particularly in large environments, can require specialized skills and expertise.
Limited Cloud Flexibility: While Azure SQL Managed Instance offers managed cloud services, on-premises deployments might require additional effort for cloud migration and management.
Vendor Lock-in: Switching from SQL Server to other database systems can be complex due to its proprietary nature and T-SQL language.
Performance Overhead: Complex queries or large datasets can strain resource usage, potentially impacting performance, especially on less powerful hardware.
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Steep Learning Curve: New users often find Cloudera's interface and complex architecture challenging to navigate, requiring significant time and effort to master. This can be especially problematic for teams with limited technical expertise.
Costly Implementation: Cloudera's pricing model can be expensive, particularly for large deployments. The cost of hardware, software licenses, and ongoing support can be a significant barrier for some organizations.
Limited Scalability: While Cloudera offers scalability, some users have reported challenges scaling their deployments to meet rapidly growing data volumes. This can lead to performance bottlenecks and slow query execution times.
Complex Management: Managing a Cloudera cluster can be complex, requiring specialized skills and knowledge. This can be a burden for organizations with limited IT resources.
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At the time of publishing this synopsis, there were no tangible limitations of this platform as per available user sentiment online.
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Cost: About 87% of users who mentioned pricing found the tool expensive.
Performance: Around 86% of users citing speed said it lagged when processing large and complex datasets.
Training: Approximately 69% of users who discussed adoption said there was a significant learning curve.
Customization: Around 65% of users who mentioned the freedom to design dashboards said the tool offered limited options.
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While Sigma Computing receives praise for its user-friendly interface and affordability, some users feel it lacks compared to similar BI tools like Tableau and Power BI. One user noted, "Sigma is great for beginners, but I quickly outgrew its capabilities. It just doesn't offer the depth of analysis I need." Another echoed this sentiment, stating, "The lack of advanced features was a dealbreaker for me. While Sigma is easy to use, it's not powerful enough for complex data analysis." However, others find Sigma's strengths outweigh its weaknesses. One user commented, "For the price, Sigma is a fantastic tool. It's simple to use and allows me to create insightful reports quickly and easily. I don't need all the bells and whistles offered by other platforms." Another user praised its scalability, saying, "Sigma has grown with my business. As my data volume increased, Sigma seamlessly scaled to accommodate my needs." One differentiating factor is Sigma's focus on real-time data and collaboration. One user highlighted this, saying, "Sigma's ability to work with real-time data is a game-changer. It allows me to make decisions based on the latest information, not outdated data." Another user noted the benefits of collaboration, stating, "Sigma's collaborative features make it easy to work with my team on data analysis. We can share insights and brainstorm ideas in real-time." Ultimately, the suitability of Sigma Computing depends on individual needs and priorities. If you're a small business or individual user who needs a basic, affordable BI tool, Sigma is a great option. However, if you require advanced data analysis capabilities or extensive customization options, you may be better served by a more powerful BI platform.

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SQL Server continues to be a popular choice for database management, with user reviews highlighting both its strengths and weaknesses. Reliability and performance remain key selling points. Users praise its stability, speed, and ability to handle demanding workloads, making it a trusted choice for mission-critical applications. However, licensing costs can be a significant barrier, especially for larger deployments compared to open-source alternatives like PostgreSQL. Security is another forte, with users appreciating its multi-layered approach to protecting sensitive data. However, its complexity can be daunting, requiring specialized skills for administration and maintenance, particularly in larger environments. While Azure SQL Managed Instance offers managed cloud services, some users find on-premises deployments less flexible for cloud migration. Users acknowledge its rich set of tools and features, including SSMS, SSDT, and SSRS, for efficient database management, development, and analysis. Yet, they recognize vendor lock-in as a potential drawback, as switching to other systems can be challenging due to its proprietary nature and T-SQL language. Overall, SQL Server's reliability, performance, and security are highly valued. However, its cost, complexity, and limited cloud flexibility are common concerns. Users compare it favorably to PostgreSQL for affordability and open-source nature, while acknowledging its less mature feature set. Oracle Database is seen as a competitor for large-scale enterprise deployments, but users note its even higher cost and complexity. Ultimately, the choice comes down to specific needs and priorities. For users prioritizing reliability, security, and integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, SQL Server remains a compelling option. However, those seeking flexibility, lower costs, or open-source options might find PostgreSQL or other alternatives more attractive.

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Is Cloudera the answer to your data management woes, or is it just a bunch of hot air? User reviews from the past year paint a mixed picture of Cloudera. While some users praise its flexibility and ability to handle large datasets, others find it cumbersome and expensive. Cloudera's hybrid cloud approach, allowing users to deploy on-premises or in the cloud, is a major selling point for many. However, some users find the platform's complexity a barrier to entry, especially for those without extensive experience in data management. Cloudera's integration with other tools, such as Apache Hadoop, is a key differentiator, but some users report issues with compatibility and performance. Cloudera is best suited for large enterprises with complex data needs and a dedicated team of data engineers. Its robust features and scalability make it a powerful tool for organizations that require a comprehensive data management solution. However, smaller businesses or those with limited technical resources may find Cloudera's complexity and cost prohibitive.

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JReport is an embedded reporting and business intelligence solution that drives self-service analytics, helps users to customize interactive data dashboards and adds value to business applications via report creation and sharing. Mentioning its data connectivity capabilities, both as an embedded and a standalone solution, many users said that it integrated well with a range of data sources and embedded seamlessly into any application on any platform. Many users who discussed its functionality said that the solution was feature-rich, with intuitive capabilities such as drag-and-drop, and that it was highly scalable in implementing domain-specific features with server clustering. All users who discussed support said that they were proactive and responsive in ensuring that feature requests were added to upcoming releases. Though the platform did not seem to have any tangible limitations at the time of publishing this synopsis, some users said that there is definite room for improvement in regards to clarity of the product roadmap. Reviewing reporting, quite a few users said that the multitude of options was overwhelming and reporting features were not ubiquitous between the two modules - on the web and in the JReport desktop application. Overall, JReport embeds smoothly into business applications to enable self-service and interactive data analysis via impressive features like visualizations and report scheduling that power decision-making processes.

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Qlik Sense focuses on independent data analysis for enterprises with advanced tools that include AI, natural language processing and automation. User reviews praise it for its associative engine, interactive visualizations and sophisticated analytics.Its dataset-linking functionality gets my vote as the most significant differentiator since it makes data modeling seamless and saves time. In comparison, manually linking tables in Tableau and Power BI feels like a huge task.It supports fewer features out of the box (69%) compared to Tableau (72%) and Power BI (74%), but this could be intentional. Qlik has ready-to-go modules for analytics, automation and printing, so keeping it lean is a smart vendor move. Users should be aware that additional modules will cost extra, though.Qlik Sense SaaS is multi-cloud, so unless the admin assigns separate workspaces, your users won’t be able to create personal dashboards — everything is shared otherwise. Some users said the platform slowed when processing large workloads, which is a common issue with many other platforms. Assess your need for speed before committing to a purchase.If upgrading from QlikView, you’ll need to create new objects initially, as both platforms have different architectures. However, the vendor assists in seamless migration with the Qlik Analytics Modernization program.Overall, Qlik Sense is an efficient platform that offers many analysis capabilities worth considering. We recommend checking it out if you’re looking for an alternative to Power BI, entrenched in Microsoft technology, or Tableau, with its emphasis on visualization.

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