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govind_021
Super User
‎09-21-2025 08:22 PM

DirectQuery vs Live Connection in Power BI: What’s the Difference?

👉 DirectQuery keeps the model inside Power BI but leaves the data in the source (SQL Server, Snowflake, etc.). Every visual triggers a query to the database. This allows near real-time reporting and supports massive datasets without imports. However, performance depends heavily on source speed, query folding, and network latency. Complex DAX or transformations may also be restricted.

👉 Live Connection, on the other hand, connects Power BI to an existing semantic model—such as Analysis Services, Azure AS, or a published Power BI dataset. Here, the report doesn’t contain a model. All measures, relationships, and calculations live in the remote model, ensuring governance, consistency, and centralized KPIs. Reports stay lightweight but lack flexibility for custom modeling.

✅ When to choose what?

  • Use DirectQuery when data must remain in the source and freshness matters.

  • Use Live Connection when you already have a centralized, optimized semantic model for enterprise-wide reporting.

In short: DirectQuery = flexible queries on source data, Live Connection = centralized semantic model governance.

Best Regards
Govind Sapkade ( Microsoft Certified Data Analyst , PL 300 Certified , MS Fabric Enthusiast)
Let's Connect
Linkdin - www.linkedin.com/in/govind-sapkade-845104225
Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/@govind_dataanalyst

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