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IBM Cognos Analytics

Business intelligence suite

Table of Contents

Is this product right for your business?

Find out with a

IBM Cognos Analytics - 2026 Pricing, Features, Reviews & Alternatives

All user reviews are verified by in-house moderators and provider data by our software research team. Learn more

IBM Cognos Analytics overview

What is IBM Cognos Analytics?

Cognos Software by IBM is a family of business intelligence products with tailored solutions for businesses of all sizes. The software combines standard BI features such as reports, dashboards, advanced data visualization, real-time monitoring, analysis, and forecasting, with advanced features such as performance scorecards and strategy management, collaboration tools, and financial planning and analysis. You can also use Cognos to design automated workflows and data integrations.

The kinds of analysis you can carry out in Cognos include trend analysis, what-if analysis, and predictive analysis. You can build interactive dashboards in Cognos with moving data and collaboration tools such as comments and annotations. You can also build scorecards to monitor performance, measure KPIs against corporate objectives and develop strategy. Also included in the suite of products are solutions for sales compensation management, process automation, and planning & budgeting.

Key benefits of using IBM Cognos Analytics

Use Cognos to design automated process using an intuitive interface with no coding or IT skills required.

Use Cognos Insight to create custom dashboards, apps & visualizations using data from your desktop, such as personal files, historical data and more.

Small & medium-sized businesses can use IBM Cognos Express to access enterprise-level reporting, analysis, dashboard, visualization, scorecard, planning, budgeting & forecasting.

Use the Android and iOS app to access and interact with reports, analysis, dashboards, and visualizations when on the move.

Use the collaboration and social networking-inspired tools to exchange knowledge and information, share insights, and comment on data.

Use dashboards to visualize, personalize and interact with data. You can view historical data, data in motion, and predictive analytics on one screen.

Use scorecards to measure and communicate performance and to manage and plan strategy with elements such as strategy maps, impact diagrams, & financial KPI monitoring.

Starting price

10.6per user /
per month

Alternatives

with better value for money

Pros & Cons

Customization

Insights

Capabilities

Navigation

Affordability

IBM Cognos Analytics’s user interface

Ease of use rating:

4.2

(137)

IBM Cognos Analytics pros, cons and reviews insights

To determine these pros and cons insights, we analyzed responses from

Overall rating

Reviews sentiment

1-2(5)

3-4(79)

5(53)

What do users say about IBM Cognos Analytics?

Reviewers feel IBM Cognos Analytics offers robust reporting and data analysis capabilities, allowing them to create detailed, customizable reports and interactive dashboards from diverse data sources. They appreciate its flexibility, scalability, and extensive features for business intelligence, though they mention the platform requires significant training and technical expertise to use effectively. Some say the software is suitable for large organizations due to its advanced functionality and security options.

Users report the learning curve is steep, with many finding the interface less intuitive than competitors like Tableau or Power BI. They indicate pricing is high, making it less accessible for small and mid-sized companies, and note that setup and maintenance can be complex.

Select to learn more

Who uses IBM Cognos Analytics?

Based on 137 verified user reviews.

Company size

Enterprises

Midsize Businesses

Small Businesses

Top industries

Computer Software

Information Technology and Services

Banking

Management Consulting

Others

Use cases

Reporting

Data Visualization

Business Intelligence

Dashboard

Financial Reporting

IBM Cognos Analytics's key features

Most critical features, based on insights from IBM Cognos Analytics users:

Reporting/Analytics

4.6

(15)

Data visualization

4.3

(15)

Data connectors

4.4

(10)

Forecasting

4.5

(6)

KPI monitoring

4.2

(6)

Visual analytics

3.7

(7)

All IBM Cognos Analytics features

Features rating:

4.2

(137)

Data quality control

5.0

(2)

Relational display

4.0

(3)

Data cleansing

4.0

(3)

Scorecards

5.0

(1)

Search/Filter

3.8

(5)

Dashboard

4.8

(5)

High volume processing

5.0

(1)

Single page view

4.0

(2)

Key performance indicators

4.0

(3)

Performance metrics

5.0

(5)

Customizable dashboard

3.8

(5)

Ad hoc reporting

3.7

(6)

Profitability analysis

(0)

Private dashboards

(0)

Public dashboards

(0)

Predictive analytics

(0)

Publishing/Sharing

(0)

OLAP

(0)

Real-Time analytics

(0)

Real-Time data

(0)

Natural language search

(0)

Real-Time monitoring

(0)

Natural language processing

(0)

Real-Time notifications

(0)

Real-Time reporting

(0)

Role-Based permissions

(0)

Sales reports

(0)

Scheduled/Automated reports

(0)

Secure data storage

(0)

Self service data preparation

(0)

Single sign on

(0)

Strategic planning

(0)

Text analysis

(0)

Third-Party integrations

(0)

Trend analysis

(0)

Trend/Problem indicators

(0)

Widgets

(0)

Workflow management

(0)

Access controls/permissions

(0)

Activity dashboard

(0)

Activity tracking

(0)

Alerts/Notifications

(0)

API

(0)

Audit management

(0)

Benchmarking

(0)

Collaboration tools

(0)

Customizable branding

(0)

Customizable reports

(0)

Customizable templates

(0)

Dashboard creation

(0)

Data aggregation

(0)

Data blending

(0)

Data discovery

4.0

(1)

Data extraction

(0)

Data import/export

(0)

Data mapping

(0)

Data mining

(0)

Data synchronization

(0)

Data transformation

(0)

Drag & drop

(0)

Financial reporting

(0)

Functions/Calculations

(0)

Interactive elements

(0)

Interactive reports

(0)

Marketing reports

(0)

Metadata management

(0)

Mobile access

(0)

Mobile dashboards

(0)

Multiple data sources

(0)

IBM Cognos Analytics alternatives

IBM Cognos Analytics

4.2

(137)

Starting from

10.6

/user

Per month

Free trial

Free version

Ease of Use

3.8

Features

4.2

Value for Money

3.9

Customer Support

3.8

Xero

4.4

(3.2K)

visit website

Starting from

Per month

Free trial

Free version

Ease of Use

4.4

Features

4.3

Value for Money

4.3

Customer Support

4.0

FreshBooks

4.5

(4.5K)

visit website

Starting from

Per month

Free trial

Free version

Ease of Use

4.5

Features

4.3

Value for Money

4.3

Customer Support

4.4

CCH Tagetik

4.4

(102)

visit website

Starting from

50000

Free trial

Free version

Ease of Use

4.1

Features

4.4

Value for Money

4.2

Customer Support

4.5

IBM Cognos Analytics pricing

Value for money rating:

3.9

(137)

Starting from

10.6

/user

Per month

Pricing details

Subscription

Free trial

Free plan

Pricing range

User opinions about IBM Cognos Analytics price and value

Value for money rating:

3.9

(137)

To see what individual users think of IBM Cognos Analytics's price and value, check out the review snippets below.

“Combined with a proper balance between ease of use and customization when developing and an affordable licensing model, Cognos was a superb choice.”

CHANDAR R.

BI SPECIALIST

“I love working with this tool from IBM. It allows some SQL language, and some configuration features that are very good too.”

Catarina A.

SAP Business Analyst

IBM Cognos Analytics integrations (22)

IBM Cognos Analytics support options

Typical customers

Freelancers

Small businesses

Mid size businesses

Large enterprises

Platforms supported

Web

Android

iPhone/iPad

Support options

FAQs/Forum

Knowledge Base

Training options

Webinars

Videos

IBM Cognos Analytics FAQs

Q. What type of pricing plans does IBM Cognos Analytics offer?

IBM Cognos Analytics has the following pricing plans:
Starting from: $10.60/month
Pricing model: Subscription
Free Trial: Available | (No Credit Card required)

These products have better value for money

Q. Who are the typical users of IBM Cognos Analytics?

IBM Cognos Analytics has the following typical customers:
Freelancers, Large Enterprises, Mid Size Business, Non Profit, Public Administrations, Small Business

Q. What languages does IBM Cognos Analytics support?

IBM Cognos Analytics supports the following languages:
Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese

Q. Does IBM Cognos Analytics offer an API?

No, IBM Cognos Analytics does not have an API available.

Q. What other apps does IBM Cognos Analytics integrate with?

IBM Cognos Analytics integrates with the following applications:
IBM Planning Analytics, Slack

Q. What level of support does IBM Cognos Analytics offer?

IBM Cognos Analytics offers the following support options:
FAQs/Forum, Knowledge Base