Best economic workflow for small smartups

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I've been evaluating the Power BI service for the last few days, exploring on the different options available and here's what we are experimenting on right now:

1. The dataset is pushing to OneDrive through API everyday

2. The report is linked to the dataset in the OneDrive (I'm thinking auto-refreshed daily)

3. Currently, we have a Pro trial account and we successfully managed to embed this report in our own portal (good so far)

Here's where the hiccups start:

1. To view the report in our portal, the users are required have a Pro account as well. We have very few users who will be using this report and we don't know if it's worth the monthly cost billed to buy for each user. Any other economic way of dealing with this? (one-time subscription over something and then any number of end users to use?). Premium is out of the table because it's ridiculously unaffordable for small startups.

2. When my trial Pro account ends:

a) Will the embedded report links still work?

b) Will the auto-refresh to OneDrive still work?

That's all.

Appreciate the time and effort taken to read this post. Any little information would help.

Thank you,

AB

[collinq · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous ,

You are correct that to see the report, the users have to have a pro license.  The market price (in USA, is $10 a month per user) may be adjustable for you if you are a non-profit or if you have a Microsoft license already.  When you think about this from a "data to everybody" perspective this is quite affordable.  

If you truly have just a few users and you don't care at all about security, the least expensive alternative is to continue using the free desktop version and have everybody you want to see the report to have their own free copy of Power BI on their desktop.  THen, you can share the .pbix file with everybody.  This does mean that everybody can do anything they want and can modify or delete the file entirely.  It also means no security and anything in the report can be read by anybody.  This is not the recommended method but if cost is the only criteria and you really just have a few folks then this might be the way to go.

I would appreciate Kudos if my response was helpful. I would also appreciate it if you would Mark this As a Solution if it solved the problem. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Hi @collinq ,

Thank you for your reply. It was helpful.

I just have one more question. What did you mean when you said the price is adjustable if I have a Microsoft license already? Did you mean Microsoft 365, because all of our users do have this but I think it's only the standard plan for which the free version of Power BI is offered.

Thank you.

[collinq]

Hi @Anonymous ,

My apologies, I said that awkwardly.  I meant that various E levels have different licenses and some of them include, and/or have Power BI as part of them. 

I would appreciate Kudos if my response was helpful. I would also appreciate it if you would Mark this As a Solution if it solved the problem. Thanks!