Using One Power BI Premium User to Host >10 GB Models While Pro Users Only Consume Reports

[weisensu]

Hello everyone,

I have a question regarding Power BI licensing and dataset size limits.

I understand that Power BI Pro users have a 10 GB storage limit per user, while Power BI Premium (Per User or Capacity) allows hosting larger datasets and models (over 10 GB).

My scenario is the following:

• Use one Power BI Premium user (or Premium capacity) to publish and host datasets and reports whose models exceed 10 GB.

• Have the rest of the users with Power BI Pro licenses, who would only consume and interact with those reports and datasets, even though the underlying model is larger than 10 GB.

My questions are:

1. Is it technically and license-wise supported for Pro users to consume reports backed by datasets larger than 10 GB, as long as those datasets are hosted in Premium?

2. Does the 10 GB limit of a Pro user apply only to their own published content, and not to consumption of content hosted in Premium?

3. Are there any limitations or considerations (performance, refresh, sharing, workspace setup) I should be aware of in this scenario?

Thanks in advance for your help and insights.

[DataVitalizer · Accepted solution]

Hi @weisensu

1. Yes, Pro users can consume reports backed by >10 GB datasets when hosted in Premium capacity/workspace. 
2. Yes, The 10 GB limit applies only to what Pro users publish. Consumption has no size limit when content is in Premium.
3. Limitations:

- Pro users can only view and interact with reports

- To create new reports from the dataset, they need Premium licenses

- The dataset must be in a Premium capacity or Premium Per User workspace

- Pro users need at least read access to that workspace

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[GilbertQ]

Hi @weisensu 

Just one further point I would like to clarify is that when uploading a semantic model in a PRO workspace, it cannot have a PBIX file size larger than 1GB.

[weisensu]

Thank you!!

[cengizhanarslan · Accepted solution]

If your datasets are hosted in a Premium capacity workspace (P SKU or Fabric capacity), then yes, users with Power BI Pro (or even Free) can consume reports backed by datasets larger than 10 GB. The dataset size limit applies to where the dataset lives, not to who is viewing it. So as long as the model is in Premium capacity, Pro users can interact with it normally without hitting the 10-GB restriction.

Where this does not work is with Premium Per User (PPU). PPU increases the dataset size limit for the publisher, but all consumers must also have PPU. You cannot use one PPU user to host large models and then let Pro users consume them. That’s a very common misconception.

PPU ≠ Capacity

Regarding the 10-GB limit: it applies only to what a Pro user publishes or owns. A Pro user cannot publish a dataset larger than 10 GB themselves, but they can absolutely consume, analyze, and interact with a much larger dataset that’s already hosted in Premium capacity.

[weisensu]

Absolutely clear!!!

[DataVitalizer · Accepted solution]

Hi @weisensu

1. Yes, Pro users can consume reports backed by >10 GB datasets when hosted in Premium capacity/workspace. 
2. Yes, The 10 GB limit applies only to what Pro users publish. Consumption has no size limit when content is in Premium.
3. Limitations:

- Pro users can only view and interact with reports

- To create new reports from the dataset, they need Premium licenses

- The dataset must be in a Premium capacity or Premium Per User workspace

- Pro users need at least read access to that workspace

Did it work? 👍 A kudos would be appreciated
🟨 Mark it as a solution to help spread knowledge 💡

🟩 Let's connect on LinkedIn