License & Subscription Issues

Can a Power BI License Be Shared Between Users? Licensing Guide

Chanuka Geekiyanage Oct 1, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to know if multiple individuals can share a single Power BI license for accessing dashboards and workspaces.

Can a Power BI License Be Shared Between Users?

Product: Microsoft Power BI
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Distributing and accessing shared Power BI reports and team workspaces within an organization or nonprofit.
Observed behavior: Seeking clarity on whether individual licenses are strictly required for each user to view or interact with shared reports, rather than sharing one login.

Before you start

Before exploring sharing options, identify exactly how many users in your organization need to actively create reports versus how many only need to view them, as this determines the most cost-effective licensing route.

Solution 1Recommended

Understanding Individual Licensing Requirements

Microsoft strictly requires a dedicated license for every individual user accessing or sharing internal Power BI reports.

Microsoft's terms of service prohibit the sharing of a single user account's login credentials among multiple people. Attempting to share an account can lead to security risks, lack of auditability, and potential violation of your licensing agreement.

Review the per-user model

Acknowledge that every user interacting with secure, internal Power BI content needs their own account and, generally, their own Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) license.

Identify creators vs. viewers

Determine which team members are building datasets (creators requiring Pro/PPU licenses) and which are only consuming dashboards.

Assign appropriate licenses

Navigate to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, go to 'Users' > 'Active users', select the specific individual, and assign them a dedicated Power BI license.

Understanding Individual Licensing Requirements

Premium Capacity Exception: If your organization purchases Power BI Premium capacity (P-SKU) and hosts the workspace there, users with a free license can view the shared content without needing an individual Pro license.

Solution 2

Exploring Nonprofit and Public Sharing Alternatives

Organizations can utilize nonprofit grants or the public publishing feature depending on data sensitivity.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do viewers need a Power BI Pro license to see a dashboard?

Yes. Unless the report is hosted in a workspace backed by Power BI Premium capacity, every user viewing a shared report needs their own Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) license.

Can I share Power BI reports with people outside my organization?

Yes, you can share reports with external guest users via Microsoft Entra B2B. However, the guest user must still have a valid Power BI license, which can be assigned by your organization or brought from their own organization.

Is there a way to share a Power BI dashboard for free?

The only way to share a report entirely for free is using the 'Publish to Web' feature, which generates a public URL. This should only be used for public data, as anyone on the internet can find and view the report.

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