# IBM Cognos Analytics Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is IBM Cognos Analytics the right Reporting solution for you? Explore 137 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/240583/IBM-Cognos-Analytics/reviews --- IBM Cognos Analytics 4.2 (137) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/240583/IBM-Cognos-Analytics/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of IBM Cognos Analytics Ease of use 3.8 Customer Service 3.8 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Glenn H M Chief EngineerOil & Energy, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The software is highly intuitive since it recognizes the demands of the business and promotes work productivity; it can manage a big quantity of data and allows all departments to easily build reports to examine the data. While reporting, you may effortlessly combine numerous searches or arrange your data; no background or technical expertise is necessary.“ June 5, 2023 Joseph M Senior EngineerComputer Software, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “The complexity of certain functionalities and the lack of intuitive user interfaces made it a bit difficult for me to navigate and utilize the tool effectively at first.“ May 18, 2023 Joseph M Senior EngineerComputer Software, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “In general, IBM Cognos Analytics has changed the game for our company by enabling us to make data-driven decisions that are both effective and efficient.“ May 18, 2023 CJ Curt J Data/Analytics Consultant, FounderInsurance, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I think it also has a more difficult learning curve.“ December 6, 2022 Glenn H M Chief EngineerOil & Energy, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “I utilized it to complete projects as part of my Coursera studies; it is taught step by step, and cloud computing was much more familiar to me.“ June 5, 2023 Henri A Analytics Market ManagerComputer Software, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Our business analysts were constantly complaining about the long delays to get data extracts.“ April 30, 2022 HS Harpreet S Continuous improvement specialistAutomotive, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “We can customize our report and distribute easy to all teams.“ January 16, 2025 CM Christopher M Finance ManagerHealth, Wellness and Fitness, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Steep learning curve, this software requires intensive training, is not intuitive and requires a dedicated analyst.“ January 13, 2022 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 137 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Henri A. Analytics Market Manager Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Professional dataviz tool which ensures a unique experience to expertsor first-time business users" April 30, 2022 4.0 We have been using Cognos BI for many years for data reporting and performance analysis. Our business analysts were constantly complaining about the long delays to get data extracts. Withe Cognos Analytics we were in a position to give the BA access to pertinent data extracts in record time and with minimum hands-on training. This empowered them and allowed them to spend more time on building predictions and preparing recommendations for corrective actions. Pros The quick learning curve which turns every intuition into a positive experience Cons The story telling capabilities are not seamless enough and consume too much efforts to be reach the desired effect. Alternatives considered [Tableau](https://www.capterra.com/p/208764/Tableau/) Reason for choosing IBM Cognos Analytics Smooth integration with IBM analytics product suite and quality of support provided by the vendor. Review Source Federico A. CFO Banking Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "The best BI Product so far" July 26, 2022 5.0 It was the greatest experience we have with a BI tool. We really loved it. Pros This solution has everything for Data Analysis, since ETL to Visualization. Great tool for Business Analytics. Supports a wide variety of data sources, great reporting features and capabilities, you can publish to PDF, predictive analytics, and easy to create Dashboards with multiple templates. Cons They need to work on their compatibility with web browsers, it did not work with Opera. The price is a little high per user. You cannot share a Dashboard unless the other party has a license. Alternatives considered [Qlik Sense](https://www.capterra.com/p/209809/Qlik-Sense/)[Tableau](https://www.capterra.com/p/208764/Tableau/)[Microsoft Power BI](https://www.capterra.com/p/176586/Power-BI/) Reason for choosing IBM Cognos Analytics We really loved Cognos, it is easy to use and have great capabilities. Switched from [NetSuite](https://www.capterra.com/p/135757/NetSuite/) When we analyzed the ratio price benefit, we preferred Cognos. Review Source CJ Curt J. Data/Analytics Consultant, Founder Insurance Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Cognos - Fantastic In Some Areas; Lags In Others" December 6, 2022 3.0 It’s a means to an end. Not perfect, but no tool is. Pretty much everyone I know in the industry operates in a multi-tool BI environment. Cognos, like most, hasn’t been able to put together the full package. Pros Pixel perfect printing. Most competitors have tagged printing as a way of the past, but there’s still a half generation that relies heavily upon it. This can’t be overlooked. Cons The flexibility/functionality of the viz tools can’t compete with competitors. I think it also has a more difficult learning curve. It isn’t an intuitive tool. Review Source Avineet A. Sr. Architect Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "New age and Traditional BI tool" January 8, 2020 5.0 Cognos is used for operational reporting and analytics and schedule reports to be sent via email to users on a duly basis. Used in mobile as well. Pros Cognos 11 comes with all the latest features expected in a BI tool, the graph generations and story buildings as well as predictions. Cons Interactive pdf is not available for reports. Can be difficult to implement without admin support for end users. Alternatives considered [MicroStrategy Analytics](https://www.capterra.com/p/250435/MicroStrategy-Analytics/) Reason for choosing IBM Cognos Analytics As it was cheaper and had more skills available in the market to support the tool. Review Source Glenn H M. Chief Engineer Oil & Energy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Excellent software is easy to implement and use." June 5, 2023 5.0 I utilized it to complete projects as part of my Coursera studies; it is taught step by step, and cloud computing was much more familiar to me. On a monthly basis, we do key reconciliations to predict, and reports allow us to record all data pieces. IBM Cognos Analytics recognizes business demands and improves job productivity; it can manage big volumes of data; and it makes it extremely simple for all departments to build reports to see the data. While reporting, you may effortlessly combine numerous searches or arrange your data; no background or technical expertise is necessary. Pros The software is highly intuitive since it recognizes the demands of the business and promotes work productivity; it can manage a big quantity of data and allows all departments to easily build reports to examine the data. While reporting, you may effortlessly combine numerous searches or arrange your data; no background or technical expertise is necessary. The process is quite fluid, and compared to other cloud services I've tried, IBM Cognos offers a well-designed interface that is simple to educate personnel on. Reports give significant detail that can be exported and edited to explain crucial choices. They are simple to run and compatible with office applications. Cons Reports may take some time to execute depending on their size; reporting software may include cautions about where students committed errors and the report will not run; alternatively, more thorough instructions for new employees are provided. You obviously require proper training, and anyone who aren't familiar with SQL will struggle to put it up. I've been seeing some delays while switching sites or loading materials, but I appreciate IBM's ability to work on this issue. Review Source Joseph M. Senior Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Agrxis Review on IBM Cognos Analytics" May 18, 2023 5.0 My experience with IBM Cognos Analytics has been great. I have used the platform and discovered it to be exceptionally robust and user-friendly. I can navigate and access the many features and functionalities with ease because to the user-friendly UI. The excellent reporting and analytics tools allow me to easily derive insightful conclusions from my data. The platform's powerful collaboration tools have also significantly increased our team's effectiveness and productivity. IBM's customer service has been outstanding, with quick responses and useful advice whenever needed. In general, IBM Cognos Analytics has changed the game for our company by enabling us to make data-driven decisions that are both effective and efficient. Anyone in need of a complete and dependable analytics solution should definitely consider it. Pros In my experience using IBM Cognos Analytics, I discovered a number of features that I genuinely valued. One of the features I enjoyed the most was how capable and thorough the reporting was. I was able to show data in a relevant and interesting way thanks to the software, which offered a variety of possibilities for designing visually appealing and interactive reports. The customization and flexibility features in IBM Cognos Analytics were very appealing to me. I was able to add my own branding and layouts to reports and dashboards to match my own business demands. The capability to smoothly link to diverse data sources was another noteworthy feature. I was able to access and analyze a variety of datasets with ease because to IBM Cognos Analytics' support for integration with various databases and file types. Additionally, the software offered robust collaboration and sharing features, enabling me to collaborate with team members and stakeholders efficiently.  Cons In my experience with IBM Cognos Analytics, there were a few aspects that I found challenging and could be improved upon. One of the areas that I liked least was the learning curve associated with the software. It took some time and effort to become familiar with the platform and its features. The complexity of certain functionalities and the lack of intuitive user interfaces made it a bit difficult for me to navigate and utilize the tool effectively at first. Review Source Sally April W. Information Technology Engineer Semiconductors Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Tool that improves decision making" June 21, 2022 5.0 Pros It has a nice user interface, with multiple customization options, attractive panels and excellent performance. It has the useful drag and drop tool that makes it easy to manipulate data to create nice visualizations. Provides high quality and visually pleasing real-time reports. The mobile application works very well, giving the platform greater mobility. Cons I would like them to improve the documentation to start using the platform more easily and get the most out of all its functions. Its cost is considerably high. Review Source Nicolas P. Financial Analyst Financial Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Robust BI tool" June 8, 2022 5.0 It provides a set of highly flexible and customizable features that help improve our analytics and positively impact our decision-making. Pros It allows you to connect the data thrown by different sources and create personalized reports that you can share in real time. It allows planning operations based on pre-established rules to model the entire business process and obtain the best results on the implemented strategies. Cons Its license has a high cost compared to similar platforms. It has a steep learning curve and its user interface has a lot of room for improvement. Review Source Justin S. Director of Enrollment Systems and Data Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Used to be good, showing age" February 14, 2019 2.0 General business intelligence tool that is showing its age and needs to be geared more for agile. Not a great solution for small user numbers or more towards hardcore analyst/data scientist. Pros The latest versions have improved the report writer experience by consolidating a few of the modules. Generally robust at connecting to single data sources. Cons Steep learning curve for writing reports and setting up Framework Manager packaging is way too time consuming. The end user interface got more complicated and less easy to use in their attempt for more flashiness. The latest versions have been extremely buggy. Data blending and quick turnarounds are not its strong point. Review Source Vlad D. Project Manager / Solutions Architect Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Powerful, Reliable, Expensive" November 28, 2018 4.0 I've been working with IBM Cognos since version 8.4 I like this product and see how IBM is improving it. Pros It's been a long on the market. It's offered by IBM It has a great integration with many databases Cons New version (CA 11) has some inconvenient UI changes (new side panel which does not allow to easily navigate and see all properties) Many things need to be done manually instead of integrating as best practices (security, deployments, testing, version control, etc.) New studios are not that intuitive / transparent Review Source HS Harpreet S. Continuous improvement specialist Automotive Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Cognos data reporting tool" January 16, 2025 5.0 Pros It has great functionality for reporting purpose. We can customize our report and distribute easy to all teams. Cons Drill down in reports seems to take much time which make this software slow sometime. Review Source RG Robert G. Lead Developer Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Full-featured, slightly behind the curve." November 26, 2021 4.0 It brings a lot of functionality all under one roof. Our team found the "visualization" a little easier in Cognos vs Power BI, but the paginated reporting better in SSRS/PBIRS. We ended up transitioning entirely from Cognos to the MS stack and the broad consensus by the team is it was an overall welcomed upgrade. We're starting to consider Tableau or Looker, but returning to Cognos isn't on our horizon. Pros The ability to visualize data in many way all using the same utility is beneficial so we don't have to worry about multiple deployment/support patterns. Having an in-memory OLAP option made performance less of an issue compared to hitting an on-prem database directly for everything. The ability to add custom code allows for some really creative solutions to unique business problems in reporting. Cons We felt the interface and functionality was a little dated - our more technical employees were fine but the more analyst-type developers preferred something "prettier"/"friendlier" like Tableau/Power BI. It also got expensive for us which was one of the two the primary reasons we transitioned. This is obviously dependent on the number of users, so consider your own environment of course. Review Source PL Phil L. SQL DBA \\ ERP Administrator Oil & Energy Used the software for: 2+ years ### "IBM Cognos Analytics 11" August 11, 2023 4.0 Cognos Analytics is currently meeting our financial and operational reporting needs. Pros We like the ability to create custom reports to meet user requirements. This includes being able to link data coming from databases using Cognos Framework Manager, plus the ability to create SQL select queries within Cognos that pull data directly from custom SQL objects. We also appreciate that Cognos Analytics still supports the use of Portals that we created in a previous version of the product. Other features that we appreciate are Bursting, Conditional Styling and Rendering, Exports to Excel and PDF, and drill-through reports, to name a few. Cons Crosstabs could use more features and provide more flexibility in formatting. Review Source MB Michael B. BI project manager Primary/Secondary Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "IBM Cognos Review" February 23, 2017 4.0 My company has been using IBM Cognos for the past 4 years. When we purchased IBM Cognos it was the best fit for our situation. It has been a valued piece of software in our business. It has given us the ability to tie data from multiple data sources. It has given the ability for our departments to run reports that we haven't been able to in the past. Pros The software is very intuitive. If you have knowledge of SQL, it is a very easy software to pick up. The Help portion of the Cognos interface is very helpful also. Cons Customer Support for this product isn't the best. We have been on Cognos 10.1.1 for a while and when it came up for licensing renewal, we were charged for a newer version of Data Manger. When we inquired about this through our support contract we were going to be charged for the new software. Review Source BA Beena A. BI Consultant Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I feel Cognos is the best BI Product that I have come across. " February 26, 2018 4.0 Data Analytics, Dashboards, Complex KPI reports, Event studio objects Pros Very structured, Reporting features are very good and we can make use of various functions, Event studio tool is the most powerful. Cons I wish if natural language feature is added to Cognos. When it comes to the calculated fields we need to write functions in Cognos, but if IBM Cognos can make built in functions like Microsoft power BI then that would be awesome. High pricing is another factor. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Senior Manager Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Love it!" April 15, 2019 5.0 Pros I love cognos. I can run any report, any time... past/present/future. So many options. Love the ability to create shortcuts to the reports I use on a daily basis as well. Quick & easy to use. Cons The only thing I don't like is the reports don't always give a good description before running them. Review Source MF Matt F. Business Systems Analyst Construction Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Cognos pulls meaning out of any data" September 1, 2018 4.0 It gives big data meaning and helps us answer business question so we can make smart decisions and provide relevant and cleanly formatted data to our customers. Pros It is straight-forward and feature-rich. We have combined dozens and dozens of queries into a single report without any issue before, so it has that advantage over most of the alternative solutions. Cons The version of Cognos we are running currently makes it difficult to pinpoint the bottle-neck of certain reports. Review Source FF Felix F. Project Leader Primary/Secondary Education Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Powerful tool for the good analysis of your data. can get quick information for quick decisions" June 8, 2018 5.0 Pros Cognos is a very effective BI tool. you can create customized reports without having a very technical background ... It can be easily integrated with several data sources in a simple and consistent way and I find the interface to extract data on demand or send scheduled reports (Report Planner) excellent. good user experience with the drag and drop. . . versatility of the Live API to postgres, sql server and oracle databases. We use Cognos to deliver operational reports to all production units and great and very well presented reports and productivity indicators to senior managers Cons It is a very powerful tool but not as easy to understand quickly as other tools on the market for the same price .. The learning curve is broad. The initial configuration is not easy, the dashboard function does not have many options. Installation can also be a complicated issue and may require vendor support Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Customer Success Manager Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Used by team members across the world and in different markets worldwide" April 7, 2018 4.0 Pros standard reports are great to pull from the system and tbhe user interface allows us to easily create new reports Cons file size get pretty large due to the data and the other info it needs to pull and regenerate charts. Review Source Terrill J. Management Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Best review " January 20, 2020 4.0 My overall experience with the software was very good and productive Pros The software was very productive and have very professional support . It was very useful and fast Cons The cons was pricing and overall learning curve of the software . But once the software was up and running it really was productive Review Source JR Jian R. BI Specialist Civic & Social Organization Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A self-service analytics platform that is able to fulfill almost all BI needs" January 7, 2019 4.0 Pros Handles all BI products very well, including but not limited to self-served reporting structure, reports, cubes, dashboards, and scorecards. Project deployment and duplication are easy and quick. Cons User administration could be very time-consuming and we use a third-party tool (which is not free of charge). Product upgrade is not simple enough and has to be planned and conducted with extra caution. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Product Manager Biotechnology Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Powerful software; steeper learning cure" December 8, 2019 4.0 We use this to analyze sales for our company by region, part, etc. Pros Once this software is set up and you know how to use it, it is great! There is so much data that can be sorted and presented with Cognos and you can really customize how you are viewing the data. Cons We have a team that set up reports for us and without them, I don't think this would be useful at all. You also need to know what you are doing for this to work. There are not helpful troubleshooting messages to help you correct errors, so it can get really frustrating if you get stuck and don't have a team to support you. Review Source jA jakob A. Consultant Computer Software Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Worst of all modern BI tools I've worked with" June 28, 2018 1.0 Cognos is years behind the modern BI tools like Qlikview/Sense, Power BI and Tableau. I will hopefully never again have to work with Cognos products in the future. Pros Customizeable, if you know how to code. Probably could be a good tool if you have a team of trained Cognos experts that deliver all the reports and dashboards in very old-school Enterprise way. Cons Very very bad UI, unintuitive, messy and buggy. Very fiddly to get things right when creating reports. Review Source BW Bret W. Facilities Engineer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Cognos Sucks!" November 28, 2017 1.0 Pros Cognos has some good time based accounting features that allow you to go back and look at how much was booked and when. Cons Getting the Cognos reports to match up. Some reports update once a week others are daily. This makes it difficult to see how much is actually going to be spent. Having to pull multiple reports to get the information that is needed wastes time. Review Source DT Deb T. IT Director Primary/Secondary Education Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Expensive but Good" July 9, 2018 4.0 Pros This product will do just about anything you want it to do. It does take more of a skilled employee in order to create things. However, anyone can run things once they are created. Cons This product is pricey, especially for a mid range company. It takes a lot of training and setup to get the product going as one would like. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Business Intelligence](https://www.capterra.com/business-intelligence-software/)[Dashboard](https://www.capterra.com/dashboard-software/)[Reporting](https://www.capterra.com/reporting-software/) ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.