Figuring out what plan to choose

[Maqda7]

Not sure if im in the right forum to ask this but here it goes. 

Basically we are a markteing agency that wants to create dashboards for our clients from multiple channels. 

We will connect Power BI to a Microsoft Exchange account where CSV reports will be generated by each channel and sent to that email. 

My question is:

First, what power bi plan should I use to keep that connection auto-refreshed?

Secondly, what would be the most cost-effective and user-friendly method of sharing these reports? Getting something like Power BI Embedd and embedding each client's report to a username protected website? Or give each of them a power bi account to view the report on our Power BI service? 

Im getting confused to be honest so any help would be greatly appreciated. 

[v-yangliu-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi  @Maqda7 ,

You can download the latest gateway to configure the scheduled refresh, and refresh the report periodically according to the time interval you set.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/service-gateway-onprem

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/refresh-scheduled-refresh

1. If there are too many people, you can consider Power BI Premium.

With Power BI Premium, content (data sets, dashboards, and reports) are stored in Premium and can then be viewed by any number of users without paying extra for each user. These users can only view content, not create content.

The disadvantage is that Premium is expensive.

https://blog.bemopro.com/cybersecurity-blog/power-bi-pro-vs.-power-bi-premium

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/admin/service-admin-premium-purchase

2. Embed in secure portals, use the URL output of Secure Embed or embed the HTML code in a certain position on the webpage you want, the content inside is protected, but the disadvantage is that users who want to access the embedded report need to have a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) license.

https://radacad.com/sharing-power-bi-reports-with-secure-embed-code

3. Power BI Embedded, which embeds Power BI content into a custom application. The content is protected and works without a Power BI account. If you have a group of users without an account, or your users do not belong to a company, then embedded may be a very big advantage, but the disadvantage is that the Power BI Embedded implementation requires web developers.

https://radacad.com/power-bi-embedded-power-bi-customized-for-you

Here are the various comparisons of power bi sharing methods, I hope it will be helpful to you:

https://radacad.com/power-bi-sharing-methods-comparison-all-in-one-review

Best Regards,

Liu Yang

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

[Maqda7]

Am I in the wrong forum?

[FasihaF]

To keep the connection auto-refreshed, you will need to use a Power BI Premium or Power BI Premium per-user plan. Both of these plans offer the ability to schedule data refreshes, so your dashboards and reports will stay up to date automatically.

Regarding the most cost-effective and user-friendly method of sharing reports, there are a few options you could consider:

Power BI Embedded: This option allows you to embed your reports and dashboards directly into your website or application, and control access to them via username and password authentication. This can be a good option if you want to provide your clients with a seamless experience and don't want to require them to create Power BI accounts. However, Power BI Embedded does require a higher level of technical expertise to set up and maintain, and there are additional costs associated with it.

Power BI Pro: This option allows you to create individual Power BI accounts for each client, which they can use to access their reports and dashboards. This can be a good option if you want to provide your clients with more control over their own data, or if you want to take advantage of Power BI's collaboration and sharing features. However, this option can be more expensive, as you'll need to purchase a separate Power BI Pro license for each client.

Ultimately, the best option for you will depend on your specific needs and budget. If you have the technical expertise and resources to manage Power BI Embedded, it may be the more cost-effective option. If you want to provide your clients with individual accounts and take advantage of Power BI's collaboration features, Power BI Pro may be the better choice. It's also worth noting that you can combine both options if that suits your needs better.

Learn more about Microsoft Power BI in our detailed blog on What is Microsoft Power BI.