Home › Course guides › Excel vs Power BI
This guide is published by Intellisoft. We run several of the courses recommended here. · Last updated 16 October 2026
Short answer: learn Excel first, then Power BI. Excel is for everyday calculations, lists and reports; Power BI is for turning large or changing data into interactive dashboards. If you are new to both, Data Analytics With Excel & Power BI (16 hours) covers PivotTables, Power Query and dashboards in one course for S$195 after 70% funding or S$295 after 50% funding. If you already use Excel daily, go straight to Data Analytics & Visualization with Power BI (S$390 after 70% funding, S$590 after 50%). If you still struggle with formulas, start with Basic-Intermediate Excel 365.
Excel vs Power BI at a glance
| Excel | Power BI | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Calculations, lists, budgets, ad-hoc analysis and reports you edit by hand | Dashboards and reports built from large or regularly refreshed data, shared with others |
| Typical tasks | Formulas, lookups, PivotTables, charts, forecasts, small data clean-up | Connect to many sources, clean data, build a data model, write DAX measures, publish interactive dashboards |
| Learning curve | Gentle. Useful from day one | Steeper. Easier if you already know Excel and PivotTables |
| Learn it first if | You are new to data, or you work with spreadsheets every day | You already use Excel well and your reports are slow, manual or too big for a spreadsheet |
| Mac support | Excel runs on Windows and Mac | Power BI Desktop runs on Windows only. Mac users need a Windows machine or the web service |
| Cost of software | Part of Microsoft 365 | Power BI Desktop is free on Windows. Sharing dashboards needs a Power BI Pro or Premium licence, usually through your employer |
The learning path we suggest
- Excel basics. Formulas, functions, tables, charts and PivotTables. Most people need this before anything else.
- Power Query. The data-cleaning tool inside Excel. Power BI uses the same engine, so this is the bridge between the two.
- Power BI. Import, model and visualise data, then publish dashboards.
- Advanced. Power Pivot and DAX if your output stays in Excel; advanced Power BI if you build production dashboards.
Short on time? Take the combined Excel and Power BI course, which covers steps 1 to 3 at an introductory level in 2 days.
Our recommendations
New to data: Data Analytics With Excel & Power BI (2 days, WSQ-funded)
Run by Intellisoft Training Pte Ltd at Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Road (Bugis). You analyse data with PivotTables and Power Query, then build Power BI dashboards from the same data. Trainers are rated 4.7/5 by learners.
| Duration | 16 hours (2 days), classroom |
|---|---|
| Full fee | S$500 + 9% GST (S$545) |
| With 70% funding | S$195 incl. GST (Citizens 40+, SME-sponsored staff) |
| With 50% funding | S$295 incl. GST (other eligible Citizens and PRs) |
| Course reference | TGS-2026065710 |
| Upcoming dates | 17 & 24 Oct 2026 · 26–27 Oct 2026 · 19–20 Nov 2026 |
See the full outline and register for Data Analytics With Excel & Power BI →
Excel first: Basic-Intermediate Excel 365 (2 days, WSQ-funded)
Run by Intellisoft Training Pte Ltd at Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Road (Bugis). For new or self-taught Excel users on Microsoft 365: formulas, functions, tables, charts and PivotTables. Trainers are rated 4.7/5 by learners.
| Duration | 16 hours (2 days), classroom |
|---|---|
| Full fee | S$500 + 9% GST (S$545) |
| With 70% funding | S$195 incl. GST (Citizens 40+, SME-sponsored staff) |
| With 50% funding | S$295 incl. GST (other eligible Citizens and PRs) |
| Course reference | TGS-2026066420 |
| Upcoming dates | 26–27 Oct 2026 · 2–3 Nov 2026 · 23–24 Nov 2026 |
See the full outline and register for Basic-Intermediate Excel 365 →
Excel users ready for dashboards: Data Analytics & Visualization with Power BI (2 days, WSQ-funded)
Run by Intellisoft Systems at Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Road (Bugis). Aimed at Excel users moving into dashboards and business reporting. You import, clean, model and visualise data in Power BI and publish interactive dashboards. Trainers are rated 4.7/5 by learners.
| Duration | 16 hours (2 days), classroom |
|---|---|
| Full fee | S$1,000 + 9% GST (S$1,090) |
| With 70% funding | S$390 incl. GST (Citizens 40+, SME-sponsored staff) |
| With 50% funding | S$590 incl. GST (other eligible Citizens and PRs) |
| Course reference | TGS-2026065708 |
| Upcoming dates | 14 & 21 Nov 2026 · 16–17 Nov 2026 · 10–11 Dec 2026 |
See the full outline and register for Data Analytics & Visualization with Power BI →
Stay in Excel, handle bigger data: Power Query & Power Pivot for Deep Analysis with Excel (2 days, WSQ-funded)
Run by Intellisoft Systems at Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Road (Bugis). For analysts working with large or multi-source data in Excel. You clean and combine data with Power Query, then build data models and DAX measures in Power Pivot. Trainers are rated 4.7/5 by learners.
| Duration | 16 hours (2 days), classroom |
|---|---|
| Full fee | S$1,000 + 9% GST (S$1,090) |
| With 70% funding | S$390 incl. GST (Citizens 40+, SME-sponsored staff) |
| With 50% funding | S$590 incl. GST (other eligible Citizens and PRs) |
| Course reference | TGS-2024049574 |
| Upcoming dates | 23–24 Nov 2026 · 7–8 Dec 2026 · 18–19 Jan 2027 |
See the full outline and register for Power Query & Power Pivot for Deep Analysis with Excel →
Compare more options in the Intellisoft course finder.
Related courses
- Advanced Power BI MasterClass: 16 hours, for data modelling, DAX and row-level security once you build Power BI reports. Rated 4.5/5 from 83 learner reviews. S$468 after 70% funding.
- Advanced Excel: 24 hours, for lookups, PivotTables, data validation and macros.
Other ways to learn
- Microsoft Learn and Power BI Desktop (Microsoft’s own free tutorials and software): good for personal use and learning the interface. No trainer, no funding needed.
- Udemy, Coursera and LinkedIn Learning: self-paced video courses from overseas instructors. Cheap or subscription-based, but not eligible for SSG course-fee funding in Singapore and there’s no one to check your work.
Not sure which course fits? Compare all our courses by topic, level, fee after funding and next dates, or answer three quick questions.
Get your funded fee and next class dates
Tell us what you want to learn. A course adviser replies within 1 working day with the fee after SkillsFuture/WSQ funding, the next dates and which level suits you. Or call +65 6252 5033.
Check your SkillsFuture Credit balance on MySkillsFuture, and see SkillsFuture Credit rules on the SkillsFuture Singapore site.
Frequently asked questions
Should I learn Excel or Power BI first?
Learn Excel first. Power BI builds on Excel ideas such as tables, formulas and PivotTables, and it uses the same Power Query data-cleaning engine. If you want both quickly, the 2-day Data Analytics With Excel & Power BI course (TGS-2026065710) covers them together.
Is Power BI harder than Excel?
Yes, for most people. Excel is useful from the first hour, while Power BI adds data modelling and DAX formulas. Learners who already use Excel PivotTables usually find the step to Power BI manageable.
Can Power BI replace Excel?
No. Power BI is for dashboards and large data; Excel is still better for quick calculations, budgets, lists and anything you edit by hand. Most office teams use both, often with Excel files as the data source for Power BI.
Do I need Power BI if I already know advanced Excel?
Only if your reports are getting slow, manual or hard to share. If your output stays in a spreadsheet, Power Query and Power Pivot in Excel may be enough. If people need interactive dashboards, take a Power BI course.
How much does an Excel or Power BI course cost in Singapore after SkillsFuture funding?
Basic-Intermediate Excel 365 and Data Analytics With Excel & Power BI are S$195 with 70% funding or S$295 with 50% funding. Data Analytics & Visualization with Power BI and Power Query & Power Pivot are S$390 or S$590. Full fees without funding are S$545 and S$1,090, including GST.
Can I use SkillsFuture Credit for these courses?
Yes. All the courses recommended here carry TGS course references, so Singapore Citizens aged 25+ can use SkillsFuture Credit to pay the nett fee after funding. Funding is 70% for Citizens aged 40+ and SME-sponsored staff, and 50% for other eligible Citizens and PRs.
Can I learn Power BI on a Mac?
Power BI Desktop runs on Windows only. Mac users need a Windows machine or virtual machine, or can use Power BI’s web service with fewer features. Excel itself runs on both Windows and Mac. Ask us what is provided in class before you book.
Can you train our whole team in-house?
Yes. Call +65 6250 3575 (Intellisoft Systems) or +65 6252 5033 (Intellisoft Training Pte Ltd) to arrange a private class for your company. SFEC can be used for company-sponsored training.
More course guides
