Power BI Version

[Deager1967]

Some of the Power BI MSI's include the release Month in the ProductName, some don't and have a later Product Version, what is the difference?

[az38]

@Deager1967 

there are 2 Power BI Desktop versions

1. Version for Report Server that not includes last features and options

2. Non-RS version that is most up-to-date

[Deager1967]

thanks for the reply az38

ok there are 2 Versions , but can you explain in more detail what the 2 versions are used for? or what version should be used in our enterprize environment?

[v-yingjl]

Hi @Deager1967 ,

Power BI Desktop is a free application you install on your local computer that lets you connect to, transform, and visualize your data. With Power BI Desktop, you can connect to multiple different sources of data, and combine them (often called modeling) into a data model. This data model lets you build visuals, and collections of visuals you can share as reports, with other people inside your organization.

Power BI Report Server is an on-premises report server with a web portal in which you display and manage reports and KPIs. Along with it come the tools to create Power BI reports, paginated reports, mobile reports, and KPIs. Your users can access those reports in different ways: viewing them in a web browser or mobile device, or as an email in their in-box.

For enterprise environment, if you design reports and share them with your teams, you can use power bi desktop; if you want to design paginated reports, you can use power bi report server.

Here are the documents which introduce them in details that you can refer:

1. What is Power BI Desktop? 
2. What is Power BI Report Server? 

Best Regards,
Yingjie Li

If this post helps then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[Deager1967]

Thanks v-yingjl

but apparently there are 2 versions of Power BI Desktop the standard version and a Report Server Optimized version?

why not just release one version that can be used with or without Report Server??

instead of adding this confusion or call them something totally different?

or One version with an addon pack for Report Server

Des

[v-yingjl · Accepted solution]

Hi @Deager1967 ,

"but apparently there are 2 versions of Power BI Desktop the standard version and a Report Server Optimized version?"

Yes, they are different, you can download power bi desktop from here and download power bi report server from here.

These download pages also introduce them under the Details tab.

"why not just release one version that can be used with or without Report Server?"

In fact, they are still different in essence. Publishing different versions allows users to choose to download and use according to their actual needs.

Best Regards,
Yingjie Li

If this post helps then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.