How many EM1-EM3 users can use to view the report at the same time?

[Chalisa]

I want to buy Power Bi Premium Em1-EM3 but I can't decide which one is suitable for my organization. The question is, how many EM1-EM3 users can use to view the report at the same time? Where should I check? Are there any sources of information to check?

And if I buy it, do I need to set anything to use premium capacity?

[rohit1991 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Chalisa ,

Power BI Premium EM1–EM3 capacities are designed for Power BI report embedding (not for the Power BI Service portal). Microsoft does not publish a strict concurrent user limit for EM1, EM2, or EM3—it depends on the complexity of your reports, model size, and user behavior.

• EM1: 3 GB RAM, 1 v-core

• EM2: 5 GB RAM, 2 v-cores

• EM3: 10 GB RAM, 4 v-cores

Typical guidance:

• EM1: Suitable for light usage, small models, or development (a few to ~20-30 concurrent users, depending on report complexity).

• EM2/EM3: Support more users (tens to low hundreds of concurrent viewers), but performance is workload-dependent.

Microsoft docs recommend performance testing for your actual usage.
Sources: Microsoft: Premium capacity and v-core guidance , Power BI Embedded capacity FAQ

After purchase, you must assign the EM capacity to your workspace and configure users to access reports via embedding. How to assign Premium capacity to a workspace

[v-pgoloju]

Hi @Chalisa,

Just following up to see if the solutions provided by community members were helpful in addressing the issue.

If one of the responses helped resolve your query, please consider marking it as the Accepted Solution. Feel free to reach out if you need any further clarification or assistance.

Best regards,
Prasanna Kumar

[Poojara_D12 · Accepted solution]

HI @Chalisa 

When deciding between Power BI Premium EM1, EM2, or EM3, the key difference lies in the capacity size (CPU cores and memory) and how many users can view or interact with reports concurrently, especially when embedded in custom applications or SharePoint (since EM SKUs are meant for Power BI Embedded use cases). Microsoft does not publish strict limits on the number of concurrent users per EM SKU because it depends on the complexity of the reports, data model size, frequency of usage, and performance tuning. However, a rough benchmark often cited by partners and Microsoft discussions suggests that EM1 can handle light usage for a few hundred users, EM2 for more sustained and larger concurrent user sessions, and EM3 for heavier enterprise-scale embedded scenarios.

To estimate what your organization needs, you should analyze:

Report complexity (visuals, DAX calculations, model size)

Expected concurrent users and refresh frequency

Performance metrics from usage in Pro or existing capacity (if available)

You can refer to the official Microsoft documentation on Power BI Embedded capacity planning on Microsoft Learn and Azure SKU guidance to estimate resource needs. Additionally, tools like the Power BI Premium Capacity Metrics app can be used after purchase to monitor performance and optimize usage.

Once you purchase an EM SKU via Azure (not Microsoft 365 admin portal), you must create a capacity in Azure, assign it to a workspace in Power BI Service, and move your reports into that workspace. Only then will the reports benefit from Premium capacity. You also need to ensure your users access reports via embed scenarios, as EM SKUs do not support direct access through PowerBI.com—only A SKUs and P SKUs do.

[v-pgoloju]

Hi @Chalisa,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric Forum Community, and special thanks to @rohit1991  for prompt and helpful response.

Just following up to see if the response provided by community members were helpful in addressing the issue.

If one of the responses helped resolve your query, please consider marking it as the Accepted Solution. Feel free to reach out if you need any further clarification or assistance.

Best regards,
Prasanna Kumar

[v-pgoloju]

Hi @Chalisa,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric Forum Community. And thanks to @rohit1991 for prompt and helpful response.

Just following up to see if the reponse provided was helpful in resolving your issue. Please feel free to let us know if you need any further assistance.

Best regards,

Prasanna Kumar

[rohit1991 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Chalisa ,

Power BI Premium EM1–EM3 capacities are designed for Power BI report embedding (not for the Power BI Service portal). Microsoft does not publish a strict concurrent user limit for EM1, EM2, or EM3—it depends on the complexity of your reports, model size, and user behavior.

• EM1: 3 GB RAM, 1 v-core

• EM2: 5 GB RAM, 2 v-cores

• EM3: 10 GB RAM, 4 v-cores

Typical guidance:

• EM1: Suitable for light usage, small models, or development (a few to ~20-30 concurrent users, depending on report complexity).

• EM2/EM3: Support more users (tens to low hundreds of concurrent viewers), but performance is workload-dependent.

Microsoft docs recommend performance testing for your actual usage.
Sources: Microsoft: Premium capacity and v-core guidance , Power BI Embedded capacity FAQ

After purchase, you must assign the EM capacity to your workspace and configure users to access reports via embedding. How to assign Premium capacity to a workspace