Licensing question for Power BI and Power Apps integration

[VickyMarga]

Hi,

I have a Power BI dataset residing in a Premium workspace. I have created a Power Apps app that connects both to a SQL Server via DirectQuery and to my Power BI dataset.

Additionally, I have a non-Premium workspace with a report that includes a table linked to the same dataset. Inside this report, there is a Power Apps app that allows users to modify rows of that table.

This app will be used by two users.

My question is:
What type of Power BI license should I assign to these users?
I have already purchased Power Apps Premium licenses, but I would like to understand if purchasing only Power BI Pro licenses is sufficient for these users to modify data via the Power Apps app inside the Power BI report and to view the updated data, or if I need to purchase Power BI Premium licenses for them to both edit and view the data within Power BI.

Also, could you please explain the key differences between Power BI Pro and Power BI Premium licenses in this context?

Thank you for your help!

[v-venuppu · Accepted solution]

Hi @VickyMarga ,

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Fabric Community.

Thank you @burakkaragoz @andrewsommer for the prompt response.

To answer your question:

Yes - a Power BI Pro user can view a report in Workspace B (Pro workspace) that connects to a dataset in Workspace A (Premium workspace), as long as the dataset is shared and access is properly configured.

If this post helps, then please consider Accepting as solution to help the other members find it more quickly, don't forget to give a "Kudos" – I’d truly appreciate it! 

Thank you.

[burakkaragoz]

Hi @VickyMarga ,

Hey, just to add a bit more clarity here

If your users are modifying data via Power Apps and consuming reports in a workspace that is not backed by Premium capacity, then Power BI Pro licenses are enough. Pro users can publish, share, and collaborate in Pro workspaces without any issues.

However, if the workspace is assigned to Premium capacity, then:

• Consumers of the report (view-only users) can use Free licenses
• Contributors (those who publish or edit reports) still need Pro licenses

So if your workspace is Premium and users are just viewing reports, you might not need to assign Pro licenses to everyone. But if they’re editing or publishing, Pro is still required.

Also, keep in mind that Power Apps embedded in Power BI reports can have some limitations depending on the data source and row-level security setup.

If my response resolved your query, kindly mark it as the Accepted Solution to assist others. Additionally, I would be grateful for a 'Kudos' if you found my response helpful.
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[VickyMarga]

HI @burakkaragoz , 

Thank you very much for your response, Is it clear!
Also I have a last question regarding licensing and cross-workspace data access in Power BI.

If I have two workspaces:

1. Workspace A – assigned to Premium capacity, containing only the dataset (data model), because it's a large dataset

2. Workspace B – a regular Pro workspace, containing a report that connects to the dataset in Workspace A

Can a user with a Power BI Pro license (who does not have access to Workspace A) still view the report in Workspace B, assuming:

• The dataset in Workspace A is shared and properly configured for external use?

• The user only needs to view the report, not edit or access the dataset directly?

Thanks in advance!

[andrewsommer]

You just need Pro licenses for those two users.  We do this all the time and it works really well, just be conscience of the row limits with a Power BI dataset connected to a Power App.  

Please mark this post as a solution if it helps you. Appreciate Kudos.

[VickyMarga]

Thank you very much for your response, it was very helpful.
Could you please explain the difference between having a Pro license and a Premium license in a workspace that only contains reports?