Best AI BI tools for 2025
Business Intelligence
Jul 7, 2025
Explore the top AI-driven business intelligence tools in 2025, highlighting their unique features, pricing, and suitability for organizations.
In 2025, artificial intelligence is transforming business intelligence (BI) tools into essential assets for organizations. With 67% of the global workforce using BI tools and the market projected to grow to $8 billion by 2025, choosing the right platform is critical. This article highlights three leading AI-powered BI tools:
Querio: Simplifies data analysis with natural language queries and live data connections. Pricing starts at $14,000/year.
ThoughtSpot: Focuses on search-driven analytics for self-service data exploration.
Microsoft Power BI: Offers affordable, AI-driven analytics with seamless integration into the Microsoft ecosystem, starting at $10/user/month.
Each tool excels in specific areas, from ease of use to affordability and scalability. Below is a quick comparison to help you decide.
Quick Comparison
Tool | Strengths | Drawbacks | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Querio | Natural language queries; live data access | Higher starting cost | $14,000/year |
ThoughtSpot | Search-driven, self-service analytics | Setup may require extra effort | Contact for pricing |
Microsoft Power BI | Affordable; integrates with Microsoft tools | Limited to Microsoft ecosystem | $10/user/month |
For businesses, these tools offer varying benefits based on technical needs, budgets, and data strategies.
How to Choose a BI Tool For Your Business
1. Querio
Querio is an AI-native business intelligence workspace designed to transform how organizations interact with their data. Unlike traditional tools that often require SQL expertise, Querio enables anyone - from product managers to finance teams - to ask questions about live warehouse data in plain English and get accurate visualizations in seconds.
The platform connects directly to major data warehouses like Snowflake, BigQuery, and PostgreSQL, ensuring real-time access without creating data copies. This direct connection eliminates delays and inconsistencies, giving businesses the confidence to make data-driven decisions faster and more effectively.
AI-powered querying
Querio’s natural language processing takes data accessibility to the next level. Users can ask straightforward questions like, "What was our customer acquisition cost last quarter?" and the AI instantly translates the query into optimized SQL, delivering interactive visualizations.
The platform’s performance speaks for itself, with ratings of 4.8/5 for AI accuracy and 4.9/5 for processing speed [3]. This efficiency can reduce data reporting time by up to 20x compared to traditional methods [3].
"What used to be weeks, now takes minutes!" - Jennifer Leidich, Co-Founder & CEO [1]
Querio doesn’t just translate queries; it also understands the broader business context. Through its governance layer, data teams can define table relationships, business metrics, and glossary terms. This knowledge is then shared across the organization, ensuring everyone speaks the same data language.
These features align with the growing demand for instant, data-driven decision-making as businesses head toward 2025.
Data integration
Querio excels in live data connections rather than relying on replication. It supports databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MariaDB [1][2], using encrypted, read-only credentials to ensure users always work with the most current data - without the complexities of ETL processes.
For companies that require additional help, Querio offers infrastructure setup services, including ETL and data modeling assistance [3]. This ensures businesses can optimize their data architecture to fully leverage Querio’s AI capabilities.
The platform also includes drag-and-drop dashboards, enabling users to build KPI tracking tools and storytelling visualizations without technical expertise. This functionality encourages collaboration and helps teams share insights regularly, fostering a culture that prioritizes data in decision-making.
Compliance and security
Querio places a strong emphasis on security and compliance. The platform is SOC 2 Type II compliant, guarantees 99.9% uptime, and meets enterprise-grade security standards.
All database connections use encrypted credentials and read-only access, ensuring the platform cannot alter or compromise source data. This robust security framework gives IT teams peace of mind while enabling broader access to business intelligence tools across the organization.
Pricing
Querio’s pricing structure is designed to be accessible for growing businesses. The Core Platform starts at $14,000 per year, which includes one database connection, 4,000 prompts per month, and unlimited viewer users.
Additional features can be added as needed:
Dashboards Add-On: $6,000 per year
Extra Database Connections: $4,000 per database per year
Data-Pipelines Subscription: $10,000 per year (covers up to three pipelines)
Monthly billing is available with a 10% surcharge (annual commitment required). For enterprises needing on-premises solutions, Querio offers self-hosted deployment at an additional 50% of recurring fees, with a minimum annual revenue commitment of $60,000.
"I've been really surprised with how well Querio works. The team is a lot more self-sufficient, more than I assumed they could be, and our engineering team has a much closer relationship to the business. Querio changed how we work with our data and each other!" - Moe, CTO [1]
With a 4.8/5 rating for Value for Money [3], Querio offers a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to streamline their data operations while empowering teams to make smarter, faster decisions.
2. ThoughtSpot
After diving into Querio, let’s take a look at ThoughtSpot - a platform that redefines how businesses interact with their data. ThoughtSpot is a search-driven analytics tool that uses AI to simplify data exploration. By allowing users to type queries in plain English, it makes visual insights instantly accessible, even for those without technical expertise. Designed to handle enterprise-level demands, ThoughtSpot prioritizes self-service analytics, enabling teams to explore and analyze data independently.
AI-powered querying
ThoughtSpot’s AI takes data exploration to the next level by automatically uncovering trends, anomalies, and correlations. For example, users can ask questions like, “What were the sales by region this quarter compared to last year?” and instantly receive interactive charts and tables. This conversational approach to analytics makes data insights more intuitive and actionable.
Data integration
The platform integrates effortlessly with a variety of enterprise data sources, ensuring it works smoothly within existing infrastructures. This compatibility simplifies access to organizational datasets, making it easier for teams to find the information they need.
Compliance and security
ThoughtSpot doesn’t just make data accessible - it also ensures it’s secure. Its Row-Level Security (RLS) feature allows administrators to control data visibility based on a user’s role. For instance, as phData noted in January 2025, RLS ensures that users only see data relevant to their country, department, or specific responsibilities[4]. This is particularly important for maintaining privacy and adhering to regulations when working with sensitive information. Additional features like single sign-on (SSO) integration and audit logging further enhance security by tracking user activity and safeguarding data access. These measures help organizations stay compliant while maintaining transparency.
3. Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI continues to be a major force in the business intelligence space in 2025, offering a mix of affordability and enterprise-grade features. Its seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem and focus on AI-driven analytics have transformed it from a traditional reporting tool into a comprehensive platform for actionable insights.
AI-powered querying
In 2025, Power BI's AI capabilities have reached new heights, with Copilot leading the way in conversational analytics. This AI assistant simplifies tasks like creating reports, summarizing dashboards, and handling complex DAX calculations. Users can ask questions in plain language and instantly explore their data to uncover insights. Copilot also helps locate reports, semantic models, apps, and data agents, while generating new DAX formulas as needed. For added convenience, it provides detailed summaries of reports or narrows down to specific topics. Features like AI Instructions allow users to embed business context and logic into prompts, while Verified Answers ensure accurate responses when specific phrases are used. These tools make analytics approachable for everyone, regardless of their technical expertise.
Data integration
Power BI Desktop connects to a wide range of data sources - more than 100 in total - including traditional databases, cloud services, files, and web-based sources. From SQL Server and Oracle to platforms like Azure SQL Database, Salesforce, and Google BigQuery, Power BI offers extensive compatibility. It also integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Power Platform tools, making it easier for teams to work across systems. For efficient collaboration, Power BI supports PBIDS files, which store connection details for easy sharing. Additionally, template apps come preloaded with dashboards, data models, and queries, helping users quickly set up and analyze new data sources.
Compliance and security
Power BI prioritizes security and compliance with industry standards, offering end-to-end encryption and robust controls. It uses dual encryption for Azure SQL and Azure Storage, while incoming HTTP traffic is secured with TLS 1.2 or higher. Built on Microsoft's extensive security infrastructure - which processes over 6.5 trillion signals daily and is supported by more than 3,500 security researchers - Power BI integrates with tools like Microsoft Purview Information Protection, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, and Microsoft 365 data loss prevention. Features like Role-Level Security (RLS) allow administrators to restrict data access at the row level, and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security. Additionally, options for data anonymization and pseudonymization help protect personal information during analysis. These advanced security measures are available across pricing tiers, making Power BI suitable for organizations of all sizes.
Pricing
Power BI offers flexible pricing to meet different needs. Power BI Pro costs $10 per user per month, while Power BI Premium is priced at $20 per user monthly. For organizations requiring enhanced data protection, additional licenses are available. For instance, Microsoft Purview Information Protection Premium P1 or P2 licenses are needed to apply or view sensitivity labels in Power BI. Additionally, a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) license is required to apply these labels to content and files, ensuring advanced security features are accessible to those who need them.
Pros and Cons
When choosing an AI-powered BI tool, it’s essential to weigh the strengths and limitations of each option against your organization's needs, technical expertise, and budget.
Querio stands out for its easy-to-use natural language querying and secure, direct connections to cloud data warehouses. Its governance layer allows data teams to control how information is accessed and interpreted, fostering collaboration between technical and business users.
ThoughtSpot shines in self-service analytics with its AI-driven search capabilities. This feature empowers business users to independently explore data and gain timely insights without relying heavily on technical teams.
Microsoft Power BI strikes a balance between cost and functionality. At just $10 per user per month for the Pro version, it offers enterprise-level features and integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 - making it especially appealing for companies already using Microsoft tools.
Here’s a quick comparison of the tools:
Tool | Key Advantages | Main Limitations |
|---|---|---|
Querio | Natural language querying for all skill levels; secure cloud data connections; strong governance; collaboration-friendly | No major drawbacks |
ThoughtSpot | AI-powered search enabling self-service analytics and independent data exploration | No major drawbacks |
Microsoft Power BI | Affordable at $10/user/month; integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365; user-friendly; robust features | Limited to Microsoft ecosystem |
Integration and Adoption
Integration capabilities vary across these tools. Power BI aligns closely with Microsoft systems, Querio offers high performance through direct connections to data warehouses, and ThoughtSpot provides broad exploration options, though setup might require additional effort.
Adoption speed also differs. Querio’s natural language interface makes it easy to get started quickly, while ThoughtSpot’s search-driven model encourages independent exploration. Power BI, while feature-rich, may require extra training for users unfamiliar with its extensive capabilities.
Scalability Considerations
Each tool handles scalability differently. Power BI’s enterprise-grade infrastructure is ideal for large organizations. Querio’s architecture focuses on specific performance needs, while ThoughtSpot’s self-service approach is well-suited for growing teams.
Ultimately, the choice depends on what matters most to your organization. If accessibility and simplicity are top priorities, Querio might be the best fit. For affordability and a wide range of features, Power BI stands out. And for independent data exploration, ThoughtSpot offers a compelling solution.
Conclusion
The business intelligence (BI) landscape powered by AI in 2025 presents a range of solutions tailored for organizations of all sizes, with the U.S. leading the charge in global adoption. North America accounts for 38% of the global BI software market[6], and an impressive 94% of organizations consider BI critical or very important to their success[7]. This makes selecting the right tool more important than ever.
As the BI market continues to expand, these platforms cater to various business requirements. The best choice for your organization depends on your specific needs, technical capabilities, and budget. For example, Querio offers natural language querying at $14,000 per year, complete with secure cloud connections. ThoughtSpot emphasizes AI-driven, self-service analytics, while Microsoft Power BI provides a cost-conscious option for companies already integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem.
For U.S. businesses, the ever-changing compliance landscape adds another layer of consideration. With more states implementing privacy laws and data subject requests soaring by 246% between 2021 and 2023[8], BI tools must be equipped to handle evolving regulations. Each of the three platforms delivers enterprise-grade security, though the exact implementation will depend on your compliance priorities.
Data analytics has been shown to make decision-making five times faster for organizations[5]. Taking advantage of free trials for these tools can help you identify the one that aligns best with your goals and drives smarter, faster decisions within your business.
FAQs
How does Querio make data exploration easier with natural language queries?
Querio makes digging into data a breeze by letting users ask questions in plain English - no complicated coding or technical know-how required. This approach speeds up data analysis, making it straightforward and open to anyone, no matter their technical skills.
By cutting down the need for IT teams and enabling direct access to data, Querio helps businesses make smarter decisions faster and with greater ease.
What should I consider when deciding if Querio, ThoughtSpot, or Microsoft Power BI is right for my business?
When deciding between Querio, ThoughtSpot, and Microsoft Power BI, it’s essential to consider factors like user experience, scalability, and AI-powered capabilities. Each platform brings something unique to the table, so understanding their strengths can help you make the right choice.
Querio is praised for its simple interface, affordability, and natural language querying. If you’re looking for a solution that’s easy to set up and use, especially for teams that value quick and straightforward analytics, Querio is a solid pick.
ThoughtSpot shines with its speed and self-service features. It’s an excellent option for businesses that need fast, actionable insights without relying heavily on technical expertise. Its focus on empowering users to explore data independently makes it a favorite for teams prioritizing efficiency.
Meanwhile, Microsoft Power BI offers seamless integration with other Microsoft tools, extensive customization options, and a budget-friendly approach for organizations already working within the Microsoft ecosystem. It’s particularly appealing for those who need a highly adaptable and connected analytics platform.
Your final choice should depend on factors like how quickly you need insights, your team’s comfort with technology, and the tools you currently use in your workflow.
How do AI BI tools in 2025 protect sensitive data and ensure compliance with regulations?
AI-Powered Business Intelligence Tools in 2025: Security and Compliance
By 2025, AI-driven business intelligence tools are equipped with advanced security and compliance measures designed to protect sensitive information and adhere to strict regulations. These tools incorporate strong encryption, detailed privacy controls, and automated compliance checks to ensure data remains secure and confidential.
They also simplify the process of keeping up with changing regulations, such as GDPR and various U.S. state privacy laws. Tasks like monitoring data access and enforcing policies are automated, reducing the risk of violations. This approach not only safeguards sensitive data but also helps businesses operate with confidence, enabling smarter and more secure decision-making.