Card vs. KPI in Power BI: The Differences and Use Cases

Quality AI needs quality data - get AI-ready with SyncHub

Card Visual

Purpose:

Displays a single, static value, such as a total, average, or any summarized metric.

Key Characteristics:

Shows a single number or data point. Useful for presenting straightforward metrics without trends or targets. Minimalist design, often used in dashboards for quick insights.

Use Cases:

1) Current Totals: Displaying the total sales, revenue, or expenses for the current period.

2) Summarized Metrics: Showing a snapshot of metrics like "Total Customers," "Average Order Value," or "Profit Margin".

3)"Static Reporting: When there’s no need to compare the value to targets or trends.

KPI Visual

Purpose:

Displays a key metric in the context of a goal, trend, or target value.

Key Characteristics:

Includes a main value (current metric), a target value, and a trend indicator (up or down arrow, color coding). Visualizes progress toward a goal or highlights performance trends. Often uses conditional formatting to indicate positive (green) or negative (red) performance.

Use Cases:

1) Goal Tracking: Measuring progress toward a predefined target, e.g., "Sales Target Achieved" or "Customer Retention Rate".

2) Trend Monitoring: Displaying trends over time, such as "Monthly Sales Growth" or "Year-to-Date Profit".

3) Performance Analysis: Comparing actual vs. target values to identify areas for improvement.

When to Use Card vs. KPI

Use Card when:

You need to display a single value without any additional context, like "Total Sales" or "Current Headcount". Simplicity and clarity are a priority in your report.

Use KPI when:

You want to evaluate progress toward a goal, like "Sales Target: 90% achieved". Showing trends over time or performance compared to a baseline is essential. Stakeholders need to quickly assess whether a metric is on track (green) or underperforming (red).

Quality AI needs quality data - get AI-ready with SyncHub