Business intelligence is an essential tool for modern businesses, providing insights into data that can drive decision-making and boost performance. Microsoft Power BI is one of the most popular business intelligence solutions available, but many companies are unclear about the costs involved. In this blog, we’ll break down the various pricing options for Power BI and help you understand which one is right for your organization.
Power BI Pricing Overview
Power BI offers two main pricing options: Power BI Free and Power BI Pro. There is also an option for Power BI Premium, which is designed for enterprise-level organizations with complex data needs. Let’s take a closer look at each of these options.
Power BI Free
Power BI Free is exactly what it sounds like – it’s a free version of the platform that allows users to create, share, and collaborate on reports and dashboards. With Power BI Free, you can connect to a wide variety of data sources, including Excel spreadsheets, cloud-based data sources, and on-premises data sources. You can also create interactive visualizations and share them with others in your organization.
However, there are limitations to what you can do with Power BI Free. For example, you can only create a maximum of one workspace, which means that you’ll need to share your reports and dashboards with everyone in your organization in that one workspace. Additionally, you won’t have access to certain features, such as the ability to share content with people outside of your organization.
Power BI Pro
Power BI Pro is a paid version of the platform that offers more features and functionality than Power BI Free. With Power BI Pro, you can create unlimited workspaces, which allows you to organize your reports and dashboards by department, project, or team. You’ll also have access to advanced features, such as the ability to share content with people outside of your organization, and the ability to collaborate in real-time with other Power BI users.
The cost of Power BI Pro is $9.99 per user per month, which is billed annually. This may seem like a small cost, but it can add up quickly if you have a large organization. However, for businesses that rely heavily on data-driven insights, the cost is likely to be well worth it.
Power BI Premium
Power BI Premium is designed for large enterprises with complex data needs. It offers all the features of Power BI Pro, plus additional features such as the ability to work with larger data sets, distribute reports and dashboards more widely, and more granular control over access and permissions.
The cost of Power BI Premium varies depending on the size of your organization and the features you need. The starting price for Power BI Premium is $20,000 per year, but this can quickly rise to tens of thousands of dollars per year for larger organizations.
Choosing the Right Power BI Pricing Option
So, how do you choose the right Power BI pricing option for your organization? Here are a few factors to consider:
- Size of your organization: If you have a small organization with a limited budget, Power BI Free or Power BI Pro may be the best option. If you have a larger organization with more complex data needs, Power BI Premium may be necessary.
- Data needs: Consider the size and complexity of your data. If you have large data sets or need to work with data from multiple sources, Power BI Premium may be the best choice.
- Collaboration: If collaboration and sharing are important to your organization, Power BI Pro or Power BI Premium may be necessary. Power BI Free only allows for limited collaboration within a single workspace.
- Budget: Finally, consider your budget. Power BI Pro and Power BI Premium can be expensive, so make sure you have the budget to support the cost before making a decision.
Power BI Add-Ons
In addition to the main pricing options for Power BI, there are also several add-ons that can be purchased to enhance the functionality of the platform. These add-ons include:
- Power BI Report Server: This add-on allows you to host Power BI reports on your own on-premises servers. This can be useful for organizations that have strict data security requirements or limited internet connectivity.
- Power BI Embedded: Power BI Embedded is designed for software developers who want to integrate Power BI functionality directly into their own applications. This allows users to interact with Power BI reports and visualizations without leaving the application.
- Power BI Pro for Office 365: This add-on is designed for businesses that already use Microsoft Office 365. It allows you to access Power BI Pro features directly from within Office 365 applications like Excel and SharePoint.
- Power BI Mobile: Power BI Mobile is a free app that allows you to view and interact with Power BI reports and dashboards on your mobile device. This can be useful for employees who are frequently on the go.
It’s important to note that these add-ons come with additional costs on top of the main Microsoft Power BI Pricing options.
Conclusion
Power BI is an incredibly powerful tool for businesses of all sizes, but understanding the pricing can be challenging. By considering the factors we’ve outlined above, you can determine which pricing option is right for your organization.
For smaller organizations with limited budgets, Power BI Free or Power BI Pro may be the best choice. For larger organizations with more complex data needs and a greater need for collaboration and sharing, Power BI Premium may be necessary.
And for software developers and businesses already using Office 365, there are a variety of add-ons that can enhance the functionality of the platform even further. By understanding the costs and benefits of each option, you can make an informed decision that will help you get the most out of Power BI.