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Business Intelligence · head to head

Evidence vs IBM Cognos Analytics

Evidence logo

Evidence

Business Intelligence

Business intelligence as code for teams and AI agents

From
$2500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IBM Cognos Analytics logo

IBM Cognos Analytics

Business Intelligence

AI-powered business intelligence

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Evidence high starting price at $2,500/month limits small team adoption; IBM Cognos Analytics listed on UK G-Cloud at £42.53 per user per month for IBM Cognos Analytics, via reseller Computacenter
  • They diverge on capability: Evidence covers Analytics Agent, IBM Cognos Analytics covers AI Assistant.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Evidence and IBM Cognos Analytics actually diverge.

Attributes where Evidence and IBM Cognos Analytics differ
AttributeEvidenceIBM Cognos Analytics
Starting price$2500/month$15/month
Pricing modelFlat team pricing with no per-user feessubscription
PlatformsCloud, EmbeddedWeb, Desktop, Mobile, Cloud
FoundedUnknown1911

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Business Intelligence).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Evidence

  • Analytics Agent
  • Code-based infrastructure
  • Development environment
  • Visualization tools
  • Embedded analytics
  • Enterprise security
  • Multi-channel access

Only in IBM Cognos Analytics

  • AI Assistant
  • Natural Language Queries
  • Automated Insights
  • Story Telling
  • Mobile Analytics
  • IBM Db2
  • Oracle
  • SQL Server

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Evidence

  • Building version-controlled analytics infrastructurenot IBM Cognos Analytics
  • Enabling AI agents to answer business questionsnot IBM Cognos Analytics
  • Delivering analytics through multiple channels (web, Slack, ChatGPT)not IBM Cognos Analytics
  • Embedding white-labeled analytics in productsnot IBM Cognos Analytics

IBM Cognos Analytics

  • Self-service analyticsnot Evidence
  • Data explorationnot Evidence
  • Ad-hoc reportingnot Evidence
  • Collaborative analysisnot Evidence
  • Embedded analyticsnot Evidence

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Evidence

  • High starting price at $2,500/month limits small team adoption
  • No freemium option for evaluation or learning
  • Code-based approach has steeper learning curve than visual tools
  • AI credits limited on Team plan; additional credits cost extra
  • Requires Git workflow familiarity for effective collaboration

IBM Cognos Analytics

  • Listed on UK G-Cloud at £42.53 per user per month for IBM Cognos Analytics, via reseller Computacenter

Pricing, plan by plan

Evidence

$2500/month
  • Team$2500/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Monthly billing
    • Analytics Agent
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • All Team features
    • SSO/SAML authentication
    • SCIM directory sync

IBM Cognos Analytics

$15/month
  • Standard$15/month
    • Dashboards
    • Reporting
    • AI Insights
  • Plus$35/month
    • Advanced Analytics
    • Planning
    • Premium Support

Which should you pick?

Choose Evidence if

  • You need analytics agent.
  • You work on Cloud, Embedded.
  • You also want code-based infrastructure.
Evidence review

Choose IBM Cognos Analytics if

  • You need ai assistant.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Cloud.
  • You also want natural language queries.
IBM Cognos Analytics review

Questions people ask

Is Evidence or IBM Cognos Analytics better?
Neither clearly leads. Evidence starts at $2500/month and IBM Cognos Analytics at $15/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Evidence or IBM Cognos Analytics?
Evidence starts at $2500/month and IBM Cognos Analytics at $15/month.
Does Evidence or IBM Cognos Analytics run on more platforms?
Evidence runs on Cloud, Embedded. IBM Cognos Analytics runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Cloud.
What is Evidence best used for?
Evidence is most often used for building version-controlled analytics infrastructure, enabling ai agents to answer business questions, delivering analytics through multiple channels (web, slack, chatgpt), embedding white-labeled analytics in products. Of those, building version-controlled analytics infrastructure and enabling ai agents to answer business questions are not what IBM Cognos Analytics is typically brought in for.
What can Evidence do that IBM Cognos Analytics cannot?
Evidence covers Analytics Agent, Code-based infrastructure, Development environment, Visualization tools. IBM Cognos Analytics covers AI Assistant, Natural Language Queries, Automated Insights, Story Telling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Evidence: Does Evidence have per-user pricing?

No, Evidence offers one flat price for unlimited users at $2,500/month on the Team plan with a 30-day free trial.

Source
Evidence: How many AI credits come with Team plan?

Team plan includes 20,000 AI credits monthly at $0.01 per additional credit. Enterprise offers custom credit packages.

Source
Evidence: What is included in the Enterprise plan?

Enterprise adds SSO/SAML, SCIM directory sync, row-level access rules, embedding capabilities, and custom deployment options at custom pricing.

Source
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