Cheapest workspace license to enable dynamic subscription to paginated reports and the Pros & Cons

[Will004]

We are looking at enabling dynamic subscription to paginated reports with our current Power BI license.

We have E5 deployed across the org which gives Power BI Pro license to each business users.

Tried assigning a workspace to our (one & only) PPU license but despite the Pro license, user got prompted with "Upgrade your Power BI license"; apparently, I realized to access a PPU workspace, all users must have a PPU license. This led us looking at fabric capacity options.

I understand smaller F SKUs (like F4/CU4) will require a Pro license to use Power BI content, while P/F SKUs larger than F64 will allow free Power BI users to use Power BI apps and share content within the Power BI service.

As the former applies to us, I tried re-assigning the workspace to our existing F4/4CU fabric capacity and it seems to work.
(Note: We were only trialing a Pay-as-you-go fabric capacity for an app/project that didn't push through; And still yet to decide about keeping the capacity just for this purpose: to enable dynamic subscription to paginated reports.)  

Will a smaller F SKU+Pro license be cheaper than a larger F SKU; Or if there's a cheaper option where we can leverage our users' existing Pro license.

Also, would there be obvious impact when it comes to limitations due to the small SKU, if for example, we have four (4) workspaces assigned to the same minimal Fabric capacity? Thanks in advance!

[V-yubandi-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Will004 ,

Thanks for reaching out to the Fabric Community. Since your organization already has E5 licenses providing Power BI Pro access to all business users, the F4/4CU Fabric capacity is a cost-effective option for enabling dynamic subscriptions in paginated reports.

The F4 capacity allows you to set up dynamic subscriptions while using your existing Pro licenses—helping you avoid the extra costs associated with Premium Per User (PPU) licenses.

Larger SKUs like F64 allow free users to access content without needing a Pro license but can be more expensive, which may not be necessary for your current situation.

Differences between Fabric Capacities and Power BI Premium Capacities.

Pricing: Fabric capacities are significantly cheaper than Power BI Premium capacities.

Features: Power BI Premium capacities include all Fabric features, plus additional advanced security and governance features.

Licensing: Fabric capacities can be licensed independently, while Power BI Premium capacities require a Power BI Premium license.

The best capacity for an organization really depends on specific needs and requirements.

Given your current setup, it's best to continue using the F4/4CU capacity with your existing Pro licenses. This remains the most economical solution for you.

If you're after a budget-friendly option with all the essential Fabric features, the F4/4CU capacity paired with your Pro licenses is the way to go.

If my response solved your query, please mark it as the Accepted solution to help others find it easily.

And if my answer was helpful, I'd really appreciate a 'Kudos'.

[Will004]

Hi @V-yubandi-msft I really appreciate your quick response to address my concerns/queries, very much appreciated!