Sigma Computing vs Oracle Business Intelligence

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Our analysts compared Sigma Computing vs Oracle Business Intelligence based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Business Intelligence Tools, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Sigma Computing Software Tool
Oracle Business Intelligence 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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Oracle Business Intelligence (BI) is a robust suite designed to empower users by providing comprehensive capabilities, including data integration, analytics, and reporting. This is a product that's most suited for medium to large enterprises which have complex data environments and require in-depth insights into their operations. Its important benefits are scalability, advanced analytics, data visualization, and a strong support infrastructure that Oracle is known for. An important feature set includes self-service analytics, ad-hoc analysis, mobile analytics, and robust dashboard capabilities. This sophistication lends itself to comparison with other enterprise-grade BI tools, where users often highlight Oracle BI's extensive integration facilities and powerful back-end capabilities as differentiators. However, given its depth and complexities, it can also present a steep learning curve for new users. Pricing considerations are important as Oracle BI is viewed as a premium offering. Typically, it's priced on a per-user basis, with payment frequencies ranging from monthly to annual licensing. Prospective buyers should note that the total cost of ownership may include additional expenses for implementation, customization, and training. In summary, Oracle Business Intelligence serves as a comprehensive data suite that leans towards the higher end of the market in both capability and price.

Pros
  • Powerful data warehousing
  • Scalable for large organizations
  • Wide range of features
  • Integrates with other Oracle products
  • Large user and developer community
Cons
  • High cost of ownership
  • Complex setup and management
  • Steep learning curve
  • Limited non-Oracle platform support
  • Less user-friendly than some alternatives
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$300 Monthly
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$33/Processor, Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
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Linux
Android
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Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Fast Integration: Without coding experience, users can securely and directly connect to data warehouses and get started without wasting valuable time on importing their data. Analysts can lay the foundation for the entire organization to succeed with data in hours, rather than days.
  • Ease of Use: Users work with a familiar spreadsheet-like interface and formulas to generate insights, no code required. The system automatically translates all the front-end actions input by users into SQL on the back-end.
  • Real-Time Access: Users can leverage the power of the cloud to query data directly where it lives, allowing for live analysis of massive datasets and insights in real time. 
  • Keep Data Safe: Sigma never moves, stores, copies or caches users’ data, instead running queries against the data warehouses and passing the results back to the system, ensuring that data remains secure with robust data governance and platform security that exceeds industry standards. It complies with data privacy guidelines SOC 2 Type II, CSA, GDPR and CCPA.
  • Improve Collaboration: The system eliminates BI bottlenecks and inaccurate analyses by establishing a single, reusable and accessible source of truth for all users to query. Sigma transforms the data modeling process into a collaborative one; users can edit tables and create visualizations together, enabling better communication and decision making by forging a bridge between data teams and business users.
  • Self-Service BI: Users have the freedom to explore ad hoc analysis without waiting for IT teams to update models.
  • SQL Authoring: Users with SQL technical knowledge can create and edit reusable analyses to activate with one-click parsing.
  • Free Trial or Demo: Interested customers can try out the full platform for free for 14 days, or request a demo of the solution to try with their own data warehouse.
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  • Interactive Visualizations: Users have access to a wide selection of interactive dashboards, charts, graphs and other data visualization tools. They can filter, drill down or pivot data directly from the dashboard while prompts and suggestions from the system guide them through the exploration process to uncover additional insights.
  • Oracle Exalytics: Using Oracle Exalytics, users can analyze massive datasets efficiently and without the need for a technical professional such as a data analyst.
  • Self-Service: Even non-technical users will be able to explore, organize and interpret data using this analysis system. The intuitive visualizations make the information easy to understand and share for employees at any level of data literacy.
  • Actionable Intelligence: By analyzing data and identifying trends, users are more prepared to make decisions about business practices, quotas, forecasting and much more.
  • Proactive Alerts: Users can set predefined alerts that send users real-time updates when the system is triggered or scheduled. These alerts are sent via a preferred channel, including email, internal file storage and text message based on the severity of the alert.
  • Mobile Access: Everything in the solution is presented with a consistent interface on the mobile device of the user’s choosing. This includes multitouch and gestural interactions with map graphics and other advanced features.
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  • Data Warehouse Connectivity:  Sigma connects directly with many popular data warehouses, including Snowflake, Google Big Query, Amazon Redshift and PostgreSQL, or users may pull their data from other partners like Matillion, Fivetran, Alooma and Stitch to create their central source of truth by indexing all the tables in those sources. 
  • Dataset Preparation: Sigma creates reusable datasets from individual or joined tables using one or more data sources. These Datasets can be edited either with a no-code worksheet-based interface, or with Sigma’s SQL Runner. 
  • Links: Users can add context to their Datasets by setting up the relationships between datasets in a guided, contextualized way. Non-technical users can preview and create pre-model joins without needing knowledge of the join creation process. The system also pulls pre-existing relationships in databases upon connection with a data warehouse.
  • Data Visualization: Users can create assorted kinds of charts and graphs from their worksheets, including bar charts, line graphs, pie graphs, tables and more. These visualizations can be formatted in various ways. 
  • Object Badges: Users can flag datasets and worksheets as Endorsed, Warning or Deprecated, guiding others to the most accurate and relevant data with a glance.
  • Shareable Workspaces: The platform has both individual and team workspaces, allowing for collaboration on data analysis. These workspaces can be shared externally, providing access to insights to partners or third parties who may benefit from them. The system also has an organization-wide workspace that everyone can search and explore through filters, descriptions and file names.
  • Role-Based Permissions: The system has tiered permission levels from highest to lowest for admins, authors and viewers, to allow different permissions and access settings on a role-by-role basis. Permissions may be granted on an individual or team level, allowing for organizations to add and remove users from access levels based on function, department or other categorization.
  • Data Security: In addition to role-based access control, the platform provides single-sign-on (SSO) and row-level security to ensure safe data analysis. The application has a secure infrastructure, with firewalls, credential and vulnerability checking, peer review, static code analysis, threat and anomaly detection and encryption in transit.
  • JSON Support: The visual interface enables business users to create views with JSON that unlock the value of semi-structured data. These strings of JSON can be stored, referenced and reused for analyses and visualizations across the ecosystem. 
  • Third Party Integrations: The system integrates with Slack and Google Sheets for enhanced collaboration.
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  • Dashboards: The rich dashboard feature lets users see and interact with personalized dashboards based on their predefined role. They can explore the data freely along a guided navigation path that leads them to new insights.
  • Report Types: The system can create a variety of report types including ad-hoc analysis, interactive reports, custom reports and a selection of pre-built reports.
  • Big Data: The in-memory processing power of this solution allows users to incorporate big data sets without needing to integrate another solution. It can draw from large databases such as Hadoop, HIVE, Google Analytics, etc.
  • Augmented Analytics: The inclusion of machine learning and AI in the analytics process enhances the user experience by streamlining every aspect of it. The system remembers previous searches, offers natural language search queries and provides intelligence suggestions for the ideal visualization for each individual dataset.
  • Enterprise Reporting: This feature refers to the creation of simple reports in the most efficient, organized manner possible. This analytics tool facilitates the creation of files from templates such as checks, flash reports, tables and more.
  • Spatial Visualizations: The visualization tools aren’t limited to two dimensions; the system also offers a map view in which the data is projected on a fully interactive map. This graphic can include color fill, adjustable size markers, customizable image markers, multiple forms of binning and continuous color-fill features.
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Product Ranking

#184

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Business Intelligence Tools

#50

among all
Business Intelligence Tools

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User Sentiment Summary

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Great User Sentiment 508 reviews
we're gathering data
83%
of users recommend this product

Oracle Business Intelligence has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 83% when considering 508 user reviews from 3 recognized software review sites.

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3.3 (11)
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4.1 (89)
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4.2 (408)

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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User-friendly interface: Oracle BI is lauded for its intuitive and easy-to-use interface, making it accessible to users with varying technical expertise. Drag-and-drop functionality and self-service reporting empower users to analyze data independently.
Robust data integration: Oracle BI seamlessly integrates with diverse data sources, including relational databases, cloud applications, and flat files. This eliminates data silos and provides a unified view of critical business information.
Powerful data visualization: Oracle BI offers a comprehensive library of interactive visualizations, including charts, graphs, maps, and dashboards. These visuals help users identify trends, patterns, and insights within their data.
Flexible deployment options: Oracle BI offers both on-premise and cloud deployment models, catering to various organizational needs and preferences. This flexibility ensures scalability and accessibility for users across different locations.
Extensive security features: Oracle BI prioritizes data security with role-based access control, data encryption, and auditing capabilities. This ensures authorized users can access relevant information while protecting sensitive data.
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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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High cost: Oracle BI can be expensive to purchase and implement, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. The initial investment and ongoing maintenance costs can be a significant barrier for some organizations.
Steep learning curve: While the interface is user-friendly, mastering the full potential of Oracle BI requires time and effort. This can be challenging for users who are not familiar with data analysis tools or who have limited technical experience.
Limited customization options: While Oracle BI offers a range of features, some users find the customization options to be restrictive. This can be limiting for organizations with specific needs or unique data analysis requirements.
Potential performance issues: Large datasets and complex queries can lead to performance slowdowns in Oracle BI. This can be frustrating for users who rely on real-time insights and data accessibility.
Vendor lock-in: As a proprietary platform, Oracle BI can lock users into Oracle's ecosystem. This can make it difficult to switch to other BI solutions in the future, limiting flexibility and potentially increasing costs.
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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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Oracle Business Intelligence (OBI) garners mixed reviews from users. Many praise its robust functionality and ability to handle large datasets, with one user noting, "OBI can handle almost anything I throw at it." Another highlights its insightful dashboards and reporting capabilities, stating, "OBI provides the perfect blend of data visualization and analysis tools." However, some users criticize OBI's steep learning curve and complex interface. One user lamented, "It took me months to feel comfortable using OBI effectively." Others point to its integration limitations, especially with non-Oracle products, with one user stating, "OBI shines within the Oracle ecosystem but struggles with others." When compared to competitors like Microsoft Power BI and Tableau, users often cite OBI's scalability and data-handling prowess as its main differentiators. One user highlighted, "OBI is the go-to solution for large-scale enterprise data analysis, leaving Power BI and Tableau behind when dealing with massive datasets." Additionally, users appreciate OBI's tight integration with other Oracle products, creating a seamless workflow within the Oracle ecosystem. However, users also acknowledge OBI's shortcomings in terms of user-friendliness and flexibility. One user stated, "Power BI and Tableau offer a more intuitive and user-friendly experience, making them more accessible to a broader range of users." Additionally, some users find OBI's reliance on Oracle technologies limiting, preferring the broader platform compatibility offered by competitors. Ultimately, the choice between OBI and its competitors depends on specific needs. For organizations requiring in-depth analysis and scalability, OBI remains a powerful contender. However, those prioritizing user-friendliness and integration flexibility may find alternatives like Power BI and Tableau more attractive.

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