Power BI desktop vs. Power BI service

Question

New user of power BI desktop. Question regarding the next step of power BI service.

is the power BI service necessary to create a visual presentation/ dashboard?

If so, what is the cost?

Answer 1

Hi Theodore Karnezis,

Thank you for reaching out to us on the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Power BI Desktop is free and provides all the essential tools for creating visuals. However, to share and collaborate on dashboards, you'll need the Power BI Service, which offers the following pricing options:

• Pro License: $10 per user per month.
• Premium Per User: $20 per user per month, including advanced features.

To pursue certification, consider the Power BI Data Analyst Certification (PL-300). The exam fee is $165 USD, though it may vary by region.

Please reach out to us if you have any other queries.

If the information is helpful, please Accept Answer & Upvote so that it would be helpful to other community members.

Answer 2

Power BI Desktop is a free, Windows-based application primarily used for data modeling, creating reports, and performing in-depth analysis. It allows users to connect to various data sources, transform data using Power Query, and build interactive visualizations.

Power BI Service (Power BI Online) is a cloud-based platform that enables users to publish, share, and collaborate on reports and dashboards. It supports scheduled data refresh, real-time dashboards, and integration with Microsoft services like Azure and SharePoint.

In short, Power BI Desktop is for development, while Power BI Service is for sharing and collaboration. Most workflows involve building reports in Desktop and then publishing them to the Service for access and distribution.