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Power BI Premium and Pro License Sharing Requirements Explained
Question details
The user needs clarification on the licensing requirements for viewing and sharing reports in Power BI, specifically regarding Pro licenses and Premium capacity.
- Product
- Microsoft Power BI
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Determining how viewers can access or share reports based on whether they are stored in a Premium capacity or shared via a Pro license.
- Observed behavior
- The user is seeking official confirmation on licensing rules for Power BI report sharing and viewer access requirements.
Before diving into license specifics, verify whether your organization's Power BI workspaces are hosted on a shared capacity or a dedicated Premium capacity, as this determines viewer access rules.
Consult the Official Power BI Community
Because Power BI licensing is highly specific to your organization's Microsoft tenant setup, the best approach is to ask Power BI specialists directly on the official forums.
Power BI license sharing rules are managed by Microsoft and depend heavily on your specific enterprise agreement and workspace capacities. The Microsoft Fabric Community is the best place to get accurate answers for complex licensing structures.
Open your web browser and go to the official Power BI Community forums at https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Power-BI-forums/ct-p/powerbi.
Use the community search bar to look for terms like 'Premium vs Pro sharing' to see if your exact workspace scenario has already been answered by an expert.
If you cannot find a matching answer, click 'New Message' to create a post detailing your workspace capacity (Premium or shared) and the licenses your viewers currently hold.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do viewers need a Pro license if a Power BI report is in Premium capacity?
No. If a report is hosted in a Power BI Premium capacity workspace, users with a free Power BI license can view and interact with the report without needing a Pro license.
Can a Power BI Pro user share reports with free users?
If the report is not hosted in a Premium capacity workspace, a Power BI Pro user can only share reports with other users who also hold a Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) license.
What is Premium Per User (PPU) licensing?
Premium Per User (PPU) is a license that provides Premium features on a per-user basis. It allows access to Premium features without requiring the organization to purchase a dedicated Premium capacity server for the entire workspace.
