Introduction
This article describes
- The differences between the Power BI Standard and Power BI Pro licenses offered at Virginia Tech,
- Restrictions associated with the different licenses, and
- Options to share a report without having a A5 license.
Explanation
As part of our Microsoft 365 licensing, Virginia Tech will assign students access to the Power BI Standard license and faculty and staff access to the Power BI Pro license.
Restrictions/Permissions
Users with the Power BI Standard (free) license can download the Desktop Client, upload reports, and have access to all filters and dynamic report bells and whistles.
Those with this license have full access to their own workspace, however, they are restricted from accessing shared workspaces. A user with only the Standard license can be given access to any workspace, but only when he/she uses the link.
Sharing Reports with Users with Standard Licenses
Here are some ways you, as a Pro license user, can share the report to those with Standard licenses.
Please note some of the caveats with each option:
- Export to PDF: This creates a static report. There are no interactive styling options, and the data can get stale over time.
- Download Report: Users may use the Desktop client to view the report or upload to their workspace. From there, they will have access to the dynamic styling options, but their data will get stale over time.
The following options listed below will not work for sharing with users that do not have the Pro license:
- Embed in SharePoint Online: The report will only appear for the recipient if he/she has the Power BI Pro license. Users with the Free license will not be able to view it.
For more information about the differences in the offered versions, please visit this Microsoft documentation page.