ROLAP can handle large volumes of data. Although its use of a relational database means that it requires more processing time, it can be accessed by any SQL tool, and it does not have to be a tool specifically for OLAPs. Compared to multidimensional online analytical processing (MOLAP), ROLAP tools are much better at controlling non-aggregated facts such as textual descriptions.

In terms of disadvantages, the performance of a ROLAP depends on the data size; it can be slow when the data being processed is large and fast if otherwise. Athough any SQL tool can access ROLAP, it is limited by these tools because SQL statements do not meet all users' needs, especially when performing complex calculations.