Choosing Power BI: Part 3. Features and Capacities

(NOTE: The options for choosing Power BI platforms were substantially changed with the introduction of Fabric in early 2024. Please view the updated “Choosing Power BI in a Fabric Centric World: A Guide for New and Existing Customers” that was released in July 2024.)

• Power BI advanced report and data features and enterprise controls are exclusive to Premium platforms.
• Compute capacities and scaling limitations of Premium platforms can complicate management or increase expected cost.

The feature and capacity comparisons are likely the easiest part of the series for deciding which Power BI back-end platform to choose. The differences that separate the low-end from the high-end platforms are clear. However, key to a successful evaluation is understanding not only what each platform provides, but also the constraints placed on those platforms that limit flexibility, especially in capacity management.

This report is the third part of a multipart series that breaks down the most important report format factors to consider when selecting a Power BI back-end platform, provides guidance on the capabilities and limitations of each and helps determine which platform (or platforms) best fit an organization’s needs: