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Business Intelligence · head to head

IBM Cognos Analytics vs Periscope Data

IBM Cognos Analytics logo

IBM Cognos Analytics

Business Intelligence

AI-powered business intelligence

From
$15/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Periscope Data logo

Periscope Data

Business Intelligence

SQL and Python analytics platform

From
$1000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: IBM Cognos Analytics listed on UK G-Cloud at £42.53 per user per month for IBM Cognos Analytics, via reseller Computacenter; Periscope Data the periscopedata.com domain now redirects to sisense.com, so Periscope Data is no longer sold as a standalone product
  • They diverge on capability: IBM Cognos Analytics covers AI Assistant, Periscope Data covers SQL Editor.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where IBM Cognos Analytics and Periscope Data differ
AttributeIBM Cognos AnalyticsPeriscope Data
Starting price$15/month$1000/month
PlatformsWeb, Desktop, Mobile, CloudWeb, Cloud
Founded19112012

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 IBM Cognos Analytics

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

Only in Periscope Data

  • SQL Editor
  • Python/R Integration
  • Version Control
  • Caching
  • Dashboards
  • Redshift
  • BigQuery
  • Snowflake

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

IBM Cognos Analytics

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

Periscope Data

  • SQL-based analytics and dashboards over a data warehousenot IBM Cognos Analytics
  • Python and R analysis alongside SQL in one workflownot IBM Cognos Analytics
  • Shared dashboards for data teamsnot IBM Cognos Analytics

Where each one falls short

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

IBM Cognos Analytics

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

Periscope Data

  • The periscopedata.com domain now redirects to sisense.com, so Periscope Data is no longer sold as a standalone product
  • No Periscope Data pricing, plan or seat rate remains published at the original domain
  • Buyers must now purchase through Sisense, whose own pricing is not published as a rate card

Pricing, plan by plan

IBM Cognos Analytics

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

Periscope Data

$1000/month
  • Team$1000/month
    • SQL Analytics
    • Python/R
    • Dashboards
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced Features
    • Custom Integrations
    • Premium Support

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Periscope Data if

  • You need sql editor.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want python/r integration.
Periscope Data review

Questions people ask

Is IBM Cognos Analytics or Periscope Data better?
Neither clearly leads. IBM Cognos Analytics starts at $15/month and Periscope Data at $1000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IBM Cognos Analytics or Periscope Data?
IBM Cognos Analytics starts at $15/month and Periscope Data at $1000/month.
Does IBM Cognos Analytics or Periscope Data run on more platforms?
IBM Cognos Analytics runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile, Cloud. Periscope Data runs on Web, Cloud.
What is IBM Cognos Analytics best used for?
IBM Cognos Analytics is most often used for self-service analytics, data exploration, ad-hoc reporting, collaborative analysis. Of those, self-service analytics and data exploration are not what Periscope Data is typically brought in for.
What can IBM Cognos Analytics do that Periscope Data cannot?
IBM Cognos Analytics covers AI Assistant, Natural Language Queries, Automated Insights, Story Telling. Periscope Data covers SQL Editor, Python/R Integration, Version Control, Caching. Both handle Web support, Cloud support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Periscope Data: Does Sisense offer a free trial?

Yes. Sisense offers a free trial of their Self-Serve plan. You can try features like data warehouse connectivity, built-in AI for natural-language queries, auto-narratives, and customer assistant features.

Source
Periscope Data: What is the difference between Sisense Self-Serve and Enterprise plans?

The Self-Serve plan is for startups and teams and includes basic connectivity and AI features with iframe embedding. The Enterprise plan is for regulated industries and includes multi-tenant architecture, HIPAA readiness, column-level security, single sign-on, on-premise deployment options, 99.99% SLA, and 30-day backups.

Source
Periscope Data: How do I access the Sisense Enterprise plan?

The Enterprise plan requires contacting Sisense for a demo and custom quote. There is no self-service signup for this tier.

Source
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