Dataki vs Power BI
A Power BI alternative with no DAX to learn
Power BI reports sit on a semantic model: data shaped in Power Query, measures written in DAX, built in Power BI Desktop, which runs on Windows, or in the browser, and shared through the Power BI service. Dataki skips the model. You ask in plain English, it writes SQL against your database, and the answer becomes a dashboard anyone can open in a browser.
Why Dataki?
- No semantic model to build first. Ask in plain English and Dataki writes the SQL, shows it with the answer, and lets you edit and re-run it.
- Works in any browser on Windows, macOS or Linux; there is no desktop app to install.
- Viewers need no licence. Dataki is priced on data sources and AI messages, not seats, and everyone on your team can build.
- Queries run live and read-only against your database, with credentials encrypted and never sent to the model.
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Where Power BI stands
What it does well
- Tight integration with the Microsoft stack, and some Microsoft 365 subscriptions already include a licence
- A full modelling language: DAX measures, calculated columns and row-level security
- Import, DirectQuery and composite storage modes
- Copilot drafts report pages, summarises reports and writes DAX queries
Where it gets in the way
- Power BI Desktop, the free authoring app for models and reports, runs on Windows only; the service is web-based
- Measures are written in DAX, which takes time to learn
- Sharing needs a Pro or Premium Per User licence per person, unless content sits in Premium or Fabric F64+ capacity
- Copilot needs a paid Fabric (F2+) or Premium (P1+) capacity; a Pro licence alone is not enough
Dataki and Power BI at a glance
What each one asks of you, what it keeps, and where your data is queried.
| Row | DATAKI | Power BI |
|---|---|---|
| How you ask a question | DATAKI Type the question in plain English. Dataki writes the SQL, runs it and draws the chart, and the SQL is shown with the answer for you to edit and re-run. | Power BI Build visuals on a report canvas from a semantic model. Copilot answers questions about a report and drafts pages, on Fabric or Premium capacity. |
| Who can build | DATAKI Everyone on the team, whether or not they write SQL. Anyone can view a dashboard for free. | Power BI Pro or Premium Per User licence holders publish and share. Free-licence users can view content only when it sits in Premium or Fabric F64+ capacity. |
| What you keep | DATAKI A live dashboard on a permanent link that refreshes on its own, with filters and a date range. | Power BI A report and its semantic model, published to a workspace or an app. |
| Where the data is queried | DATAKI On your database or warehouse, through a read-only connection, when the question is asked or the dashboard refreshes. Uploaded CSV and Excel files are snapshots. | Power BI Import (an in-memory copy refreshed on a schedule), DirectQuery (sent to the source), or a mix of both. |
| Setup before the first chart | DATAKI Connect a source with a read-only user. No modelling layer: optional notes per source (metric definitions, joins, column warnings) that the model reads before it writes SQL. | Power BI Build the semantic model first: shape data in Power Query, add relationships, write DAX measures, in Power BI Desktop (Windows only) or in the browser. |
| AI assistants and MCP | DATAKI A remote MCP server on every plan: Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and VS Code query your sources and save dashboards, and Claude draws the answers as charts. Credentials never reach the model. | Power BI Copilot in reports and a standalone Copilot (preview). An authoring MCP server edits semantic models; Fabric IQ answers natural-language questions over them. |
| Embedding | DATAKI A <dataki-dashboard> web component, a React component or an iframe, with each of your customers limited to their own rows. | Power BI Embed for your customers (app owns data) or your organisation. Production embedding needs a capacity. |
| Pricing model | DATAKI By data sources and AI messages, not seats. Everyone on the team can build, and viewers are free. | Power BI Per user (Pro, Premium Per User), plus capacity (Fabric F or Premium P SKUs) for wider sharing and Copilot. |
Which one to choose
Choose Power BI if…
- Your company is standardised on Microsoft 365 and Fabric, and Power BI licences are already paid for.
- You need one governed semantic model, with DAX measures and row-level security, that many reports share.
- You want Import mode's in-memory speed, or your data lives in sources Dataki does not connect to.
- Your analysts already know DAX and Power Query.
Choose Dataki if…
- The people with questions don't write DAX, and you want them to ask in plain English and see the SQL that answered them.
- Your data is in BigQuery, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Amazon Redshift, Supabase or Google Sheets.
- You want to share dashboards beyond a licensed group, including with customers through an embed.
- Your team works on macOS or Linux, where Power BI Desktop does not run, or in Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor.
Questions about Power BI and Dataki
- Is Dataki a replacement for Power BI?
- For ad hoc questions and shared dashboards, yes; for a governed DAX semantic model, no. Dataki turns a plain-English question into SQL, runs it read-only against your database and keeps the answer as a live dashboard. It has no modelling language like DAX. Instead, each source can carry plain-language notes — metric definitions, joins, column warnings — that Dataki's model reads before it writes SQL.
- Does Dataki work on a Mac?
- Yes. Dataki runs in the browser, so it works the same on macOS, Windows and Linux. The Power BI service is web-based too, and semantic models can now be created and edited there, but Power BI Desktop, Microsoft's free app for building models and reports, requires Windows 10 or later.
- Does Power BI have an AI assistant?
- Yes. Copilot in Power BI can summarise a report, answer questions about its data, draft report pages and write DAX queries. It needs a paid Fabric capacity (F2 or higher) or Power BI Premium (P1 or higher); a Pro or Premium Per User licence alone is not enough. Copilot answers from the semantic model, and Microsoft advises preparing the model for it. Dataki answers from the database itself, with SQL you can read and edit.
- Can people view Dataki dashboards without a licence?
- Yes. Anyone can view a Dataki dashboard for free, and everyone on your team can build one, because Dataki is priced on data sources and AI messages rather than seats. In Power BI, sharing content needs a Pro or Premium Per User licence for each viewer, unless the content sits in a Premium or Fabric F64+ capacity.
Ready to move on from Power BI?
Connect a data source, ask a question in plain English, and share the dashboard. No modelling layer to build first.