Forum Discussion
Licensing
To allow around 100 users to view Power BI reports in their browsers (view-only), you’ll need appropriate licensing based on whether users are internal or external. For internal users, the most straightforward option is assigning each user a Power BI Pro license, now priced at $14/user/month as of April 1, 2025. This totals to approximately $1,400/month for 100 users. If you expect to scale up or need broader access without per-user licensing, Power BI Premium Capacity (starting at ~$4,995/month for P1 SKU) allows unlimited internal viewers without needing Pro licenses. For external users, you either need to provide each of them a Pro license or use Power BI Embedded, which lets you integrate reports into your app or portal and pay based on usage. Power BI Desktop remains free for developers who design and publish reports.
Hi IainC
- Creator: Your colleague uses Power BI Desktop to build and update reports.
- Viewers (~100 users): Need browser-based access to view-only subsets of data.
- No editing or collaboration required from viewers.
Option 1: Power BI Premium Capacity (F64 or higher)
This is the most cost-effective and scalable solution for large view-only audiences.
Role License Needed Notes Creator Power BI Pro or PPU Needed to publish reports to Premium workspace Viewers Free license Can view reports if hosted in Premium capacity (F64 or higher) - Cost Estimate: Starts around $5,000/month for F64 capacity
- Benefits:
- Viewers don’t need paid licenses
- Centralized management
- High performance and refresh rates
- Scalable for hundreds or thousands of users
Option 2: Power BI Pro for All Users
Not ideal for your case.
Role License Needed Notes Creator Power BI Pro Required Viewers Power BI Pro Each viewer needs a paid license (~$14/user/month) - Cost Estimate: ~$1,400/month for 100 viewers
- Drawback: Unnecessary cost for view-only access
Option 3: Power BI Embedded (A SKUs)
If you want to embed reports in a custom web portal or app, this is a flexible option.
Role License Needed Notes Creator Power BI Pro Required to publish content Viewers No license needed Covered by Azure capacity pricing - Cost Estimate: Starts around $735/month for A1 SKU
- Use Case: Ideal for external clients or partners accessing embedded reports
Reference
Types of licenses for Power BI business users - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Power BI License Types: Who Each Plan Is For | DataCamp
Regards,
Ritesh
Community Champion
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