Microsoft Power BI review (2026): features, pros and cons, pricing
Microsoft's BI platform with a free authoring tier, $14 per-user sharing licence and capacity options through Fabric.
Verdict at a glance
Microsoft Power BI offers a free authoring tier, a per-user sharing licence and capacity options through Fabric. It builds interactive dashboards from raw data, includes row-level security and works best alongside Microsoft products.
Pros
- Interactive dashboards from raw data.
- Row-level security.
- Strong Microsoft integrations.
Cons
- Steep learning curve.
- Slow on large datasets.
- Limited customization.
What is Microsoft Power BI?
Microsoft's BI platform with a free authoring tier, $14 per-user sharing licence and capacity options through Fabric. It is built for microsoft 365 and Azure shops and teams wanting low per-user cost for dashboard sharing. Microsoft Power BI is based in Redmond, US (Microsoft).
Category: Business Intelligence Software
Microsoft Power BI key features
| Feature | What we found |
|---|---|
| Data modeling and governance | Larger models and more refreshes on Premium Per User. |
| Embedded analytics | Power BI Embedded, variable pricing via sales. |
Microsoft Power BI pricing
Power BI has a Free tier for creating reports, but sharing requires Pro at $14.00 per user per month billed yearly, or Premium Per User at $24.00. Pro is included in Microsoft 365 E5. Embedded and Fabric capacity are variable: Embedded goes through sales, and Fabric can be reserved or pay-as-you-go, with Microsoft saying reservation saves 40.5%. Microsoft notes that page prices are marketing prices and may vary by region. Existing contracts kept the old price until renewal after the 2025 increase.
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Create reports; sharing requires Pro or Premium | |
| Pro | $14.00 | per user/month billed yearly | Publish and share; included in Microsoft 365 E5 |
| Premium Per User | $24.00 | per user/month billed yearly | Larger models, more frequent refresh |
| Embedded | Variable | Contact sales | |
| Fabric capacity | Variable | reserved or pay-as-you-go | Reservation saves 40.5% vs pay-as-you-go per Microsoft |
Microsoft says page prices are marketing prices and may vary by region.
Who Microsoft Power BI is best for
Best for
- Microsoft 365 and Azure shops.
- Teams wanting low per-user cost for dashboard sharing.
Not ideal for
- Buyers wanting predictable capacity pricing without Fabric complexity.
- Teams mostly on non-Microsoft stacks (reviewers cite learning curve and large-data slowness)
Microsoft Power BI alternatives
TableauAnalyst-led teams doing deep visual exploration.
LookerData teams that want a central semantic layer (LookML)
Looker StudioMarketers reporting from Google Analytics 4 and Search Console.
Qlik SenseMid-size and large teams that want many users on one fixed annual fee (Standard onward adds users at no cost)
MetabaseSmall teams wanting a free self-hosted start.
DataboxSmall teams and agencies that want KPI dashboards from SaaS data sources without a data team.
What Microsoft Power BI really costs
- Per seat per month
- $14 (Pro, billed yearly)
- Billing
- Annual billing for per-user prices; capacity monthly or reserved.
- 20 users per year
- 20 x $14 x 12 = $3,360/year on Pro (Premium Per User: 20 x $24 x 12 = $5,760)
- Recent price change
- Pro $10 to $14 and PPU $20 to $24 effective 2025-04-01 (theregister.com, erp.today)
Add-ons and extras to budget for
- Fabric capacity (needed for broad free-viewer distribution at scale)
- Embedded.
Questions to ask about price
- Is there a minimum number of seats or a minimum annual spend?
- What is the discount for annual billing, and can we start monthly?
- How much can the price rise at renewal, and is the increase capped in the contract?
- Are there one-time costs for implementation, onboarding or data migration?
Is Microsoft Power BI worth the price?
Power BI is good value for Microsoft 365 and Azure shops that need dashboard sharing at a low per-user cost. Twenty people on Pro cost $3,360 a year, or $5,760 on Premium Per User. It gets awkward for buyers who want predictable capacity pricing without Fabric complexity. Some Fabric activities also still need per-user licences, so model both before committing.
Worth it if
- Microsoft 365 and Azure shops.
- Teams wanting low per-user cost for dashboard sharing.
Look elsewhere if
- Buyers wanting predictable capacity pricing without Fabric complexity.
- Teams mostly on non-Microsoft stacks (reviewers cite learning curve and large-data slowness)
Cheaper per seat than Microsoft Power BI
- Looker Studio$0 free; Pro about $9 per user per project.
- MetabaseStarter: $6/mo per extra user after first 5 ($65/yr); Pro: $12/mo after first 10 ($130/yr)
Pricing details most reviews leave out
- Pro rose from about $10 to $14 and PPU from $20 to $24 on April 1, 2025, announced Nov 12, 2024; existing contracts kept old price until renewal.
- Free users can build but cannot share without Pro or Premium.
- Pro is bundled in Microsoft 365 E5.
- Fabric reservation is MACC-eligible and some activities still need per-user licences.
Microsoft Power BI compared
Our verdict on Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI has one of the lowest per-user entry points among BI tools. Building reports is free, and sharing them costs $14 per user per month on Pro, billed yearly. That price rose from about $10 on April 1, 2025, after Microsoft announced the change on November 12, 2024. Premium Per User rose from $20 to $24 at the same time.
The catch is what happens as distribution grows. Free users can build but cannot share, and broad viewing by people without a licence points toward Fabric capacity, which is variable and reserved or pay-as-you-go. For a Microsoft 365 company with a few dozen analysts, Power BI is cheap. For a company that wants everyone to view dashboards, the bill depends on capacity.
Microsoft Power BI FAQ
What is Microsoft Power BI used for?
Microsoft Power BI offers a free authoring tier, a per-user sharing licence and capacity options through Fabric. It builds interactive dashboards from raw data, includes row-level security and works best alongside Microsoft products. It suits microsoft 365 and Azure shops.
Does Power BI have a free plan?
Yes. The Free tier lets you create reports, but sharing them requires a Pro or Premium licence. There is also a free trial.
How much does Power BI cost for 20 users?
On Pro, 20 users cost 20 x $14 x 12 = $3,360 per year. On Premium Per User, 20 users cost $5,760 per year. Both prices are billed yearly.
Did Power BI raise its prices?
Yes. Pro went from about $10 to $14 and Premium Per User from $20 to $24 on April 1, 2025. Existing contracts kept the old price until renewal.
About Microsoft Power BI
- Headquarters
- Redmond, US (Microsoft)
- Funding or owner
- Part of Microsoft (public)
Listed in: Business Intelligence Software
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Microsoft Power BI's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.