kitio.aiMicrosoft Power BI vs Athena
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Microsoft Power BI starts at $14/mo and Athena starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Power BI Desktop
- Copilot report creation
- DAX measures
- Scheduled refresh
- Microsoft Fabric integration
- SQL and NoSQL connectors
- File and S3 imports
- Real-time dashboards
- Data alerts
- API connection
| Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Athena |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Microsoft's BI tool with Copilot for reports and data questions | AI-assisted BI platform for dashboards, alerts and predictive analytics |
| Category | Data & analytics | Data & analytics |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $14/mo | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Microsoft | Athena |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Microsoft Power BI starts at $14/mo and Athena starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free
Free
- Power BI Desktop
- Personal reports
Pro
$14/mo
- Per user
- Share and collaborate on reports
Premium Per User
$24/mo
- Per user
- Larger models and AI features
- Paginated reports
Fabric capacity
Usage-based
- Organization-wide capacity
- Pay as you go or reserved
4 plans
Free
Free
- Unlimited team members
- 3 chart types
- Daily data sync
- 1 GB storage
Team
$16/creator/mo billed annually
- Per user
- All chart types and connectors
- Syncs up to every 4 hours
Business
$24/creator/mo billed annually
- Per user
- Hourly sync
- Data alerts and API
Enterprise
Custom
- Audit logs
- Dedicated success manager
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Microsoft Power BI
- Low cost per user
- Deep Microsoft integration
- Free desktop authoring
- Copilot needs higher capacity licenses
- DAX has a learning curve
- Desktop app is Windows only
Athena
- Free plan with unlimited members
- Wide range of data connectors
- Cheap viewer seats
- Free plan limited to 3 chart types
- Listed prices assume annual billing
- Fastest syncs only on Business
Which one should you choose?
Choose Microsoft Power BI if you want:
- Low cost per user
- Deep Microsoft integration
- Free desktop authoring
Watch out: copilot needs higher capacity licenses.
Choose Athena if you want:
- Free plan with unlimited members
- Wide range of data connectors
- Cheap viewer seats
Watch out: free plan limited to 3 chart types.
Microsoft Power BI vs Athena FAQ
What is the difference between Microsoft Power BI and Athena?
Microsoft Power BI: Microsoft's BI tool with Copilot for reports and data questions. Athena: AI-assisted BI platform for dashboards, alerts and predictive analytics. Both are data & analytics tools.
Is Microsoft Power BI or Athena cheaper?
Microsoft Power BI starts at $14/mo and Athena starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Microsoft Power BI and Athena have free plans?
Microsoft Power BI: Yes. Athena: Yes.
Who makes Microsoft Power BI?
Microsoft Power BI is made by Microsoft, based in United States.
Who makes Athena?
Athena is made by Athena.
Which should I choose, Microsoft Power BI or Athena?
Choose Microsoft Power BI if you value low cost per user and deep microsoft integration. Choose Athena if you value free plan with unlimited members and wide range of data connectors.