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Anonymous
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Licensing for Non-Publishing PBIRS Desktop Users

I'm looking to learn about license requirements for the Power BI Report Server(PBIRS). Using a scenario, here's what is confirmed from my understanding:

  • Organization had a PBI Report Server licensed by SQL Server Enterprise Edition with Software Assurance.
  • Users who publish to the Report Server need a Power BI Pro license. Users who only consume reports do not require a Power BI Pro license.

Here's what I can't find clarified in official Microsoft documentation:

  • User in the organization downloads "Power BI Desktop Optimized for Report Server". Nothing is published to the Report Server or the Power BI Service. The user may send the file to others in the organization, or send report screenshots.

 

Does anybody know if the above user requires a Power BI Pro license? If so, is there any Microsoft documentation to clarify/confirm?

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION
Anonymous
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Asked this question on the Desktop forum, as it really addresses the Desktop client: https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Desktop/Licensing-for-Non-Publishing-Desktop-Report-Server-Version-...

 

To summarize, Microsoft used vague language addressing this. If you want to ensure you're in compliance, give a Power BI Pro license to anybody "sharing" Power BI reports. "Sharing" could mean sending reports via email.

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Asked this question on the Desktop forum, as it really addresses the Desktop client: https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Desktop/Licensing-for-Non-Publishing-Desktop-Report-Server-Version-...

 

To summarize, Microsoft used vague language addressing this. If you want to ensure you're in compliance, give a Power BI Pro license to anybody "sharing" Power BI reports. "Sharing" could mean sending reports via email.

I feel like there is some confusion on this. If you have PBIRS through SQL Enterprise then you don't need any additional licensing. PBIRS is an in house server and not on Microsoft's cloud service. You don't need to buy any PowerBI Pro licenses to use PBIRS.

Anonymous
Not applicable

Incorrect.

 

https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/

 

"A Power BI Pro license is required to publish content to Power BI Report Server."

I reached out to the power bi sales team for clarification.

 

My original question was "If we get Power BI Report Server through SQL Server Enterprise with Software Assurance would we also need a Power BI Pro license? I was in the community forum and someone said that you have to have a Power BI Pro license to upload to the Power BI Report Server. Isn’t the Report Server on premise? Why would a cloud service license be needed to upload a report to an on premise server?" 

 

I received a reply saying that a pro license is needed and then within 5 minutes received this follow up email

 

Capture.JPG

Anonymous
Not applicable

Only the user that is publishing the report to the report server requires a pro licence.

It is highly recommended that the other users creating the Power BI reports also use the same version of the Power BI Desktop for Report Server as the Report Server version.

 

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