Business Intelligence & Dashboards
Microsoft Power BI
Rest of world Report an error0–5 in half steps. 5 means the rubric's top anchor is met on the evidence.
by Microsoft Corporation · www.microsoft.com
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Microsoft Power BI at a glance
- Vendor
- Microsoft Corporation
- Headquarters
- Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 1 Nov 2026
- Data hosting
- Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 1 Nov 2026
- Free plan
- Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 1 Nov 2026
- Panel verdict
- The AI panel rates Microsoft Power BI 2/5, the mean of 6 judges. Power BI is strongest here on governance and portability, where scores cluster at 5–6: Report Server is a documented on-premises edition behind the company firewall, and a REST API covers administration, users, gateways, pipelines and service principals. how scores are made
- As of
- Vendor pages captured 1 Nov 2026; evaluated by the panel 1 Nov 2026. all sources
Read this page as one judge. Each weighs the same scores by what they care about.
The panel's verdict
Power BI is strongest here on governance and portability, where scores cluster at 5–6: Report Server is a documented on-premises edition behind the company firewall, and a REST API covers administration, users, gateways, pipelines and service principals. Sharing and embedding follows at 4–6, with embedding endpoints and tokens, a.NET SDK and embedded capacities managed through Azure APIs. Self-service and modelling scores cluster at 3 — drag-and-drop Desktop authoring and a Power Query connection layer are shown, and the captured pages carry no public information on a shared metric layer, a SQL editor, natural-language questions or version-controlled definitions. Data connectivity and dashboards hold a flat 4 — a documented connector framework that names no individual connector, and authoring basics without chart, filter or format detail. The genuine split is sovereignty, spanning 3–6: judges weighed the published data processing addendum and the EU Data Boundary's fifteen named European datacentre countries against a US provider of record and conditional scope. Pricing transparency scores span 2–3: the product page states no prices, only a "Preise anzeigen" link.
Speaks for it
- Power BI Report Server is a documented on-premises edition that distributes reports behind the company firewall, with folders and access management.
- The REST API covers administration, users, groups, gateways, capacities, dataflows, pipelines and template apps, authenticated through Azure AD with service-principal support.
- Embedding is documented as a first-class capability — embedding endpoints and tokens, a.NET SDK, and Power BI Embedded capacities managed through Azure Resource Manager APIs.
- Both interactive and paginated report types are documented, scaling to thousands of users, with consumption on web and mobile devices.
- Each data-source article in the Power Query documentation states whether DirectQuery live queries are supported, and caching behaviour is explained.
Held against it
- No individual connector, refresh interval or multi-source combination is named on the captured pages, so fit against a specific warehouse or ERP cannot be checked.
- The captured pages give no public information on a shared metric layer, a SQL editor, natural-language questions or version-controlled definitions.
- Scheduled email or chat delivery and export to PDF or Excel are not described on the captured pages.
- Row-level security, single sign-on for report readers, audit logs and export of dashboards and definitions on exit are not described on the captured pages.
- The provider of record is Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, and the EU Data Boundary applies only to designated services under signup, billing and configuration conditions, excludes Multi-Geo customers and reserves limited continued transfers outside the boundary; no subprocessor list or security certification appears on the captured pages.
Best for
- You need reporting on your own servers behind the firewall — Power BI Report Server is a documented on-premises edition with folders and access management.
- You are embedding analytics into your own product — embedding endpoints, embedding tokens, a.NET SDK and Azure-managed embedded capacities are documented.
- You administer BI programmatically — the REST API covers administrator operations, users, gateways, pipelines and service principals under Azure AD.
- You need paginated, print-ready reports alongside interactive dashboards — both report types are documented, scaling to thousands of users.
Avoid if
- You must verify a connector for a specific warehouse, ERP or accounting system before signing — the captured pages name no individual connector and state no refresh interval.
- You need one centrally defined metric reused across departments — self-service and modelling scores cluster at 3, with visual authoring and Power Query the extent of the public evidence.
- Your compliance requires that no customer data leave the EU under any circumstance — the EU Data Boundary pages reserve limited continued transfers and state that request and response data may be processed in datacentres outside the tenant's home region.
- You plan to serve every source you model in Desktop through Report Server — some data sources are documented as unsupported by Report Server after publishing.
The scores
| Criterion | Panel median |
|---|---|
| Data sources, connectors & refresh | 2 of 5 |
| Dashboards, charts & interactivity | 2 of 5 |
| Self-service analysis & shared metrics | 1.5 of 5 |
| Sharing, scheduled reports & embedding | 2.5 of 5 |
| Access control, administration & portability | 3 of 5 |
| European sovereignty | 2.5 of 5 |
Data sources, connectors & refresh
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How this is scored
Which data the product can reach and how it stays current: native connectors to databases and warehouses (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, BigQuery, Snowflake), to business applications (accounting, ERP, CRM, shop, help desk, ad platforms) and to files and spreadsheets (Excel, CSV, Google Sheets), live queries versus imported extracts, scheduled and incremental refresh with its minimum interval, joining data from several sources, light data preparation, access to databases behind a firewall (gateway, SSH tunnel, IP allow-list), and a generic REST or custom connector for what is not listed.
0 — Not a reporting product, or data can only be typed or pasted in by hand.
3 — Spreadsheet and file uploads plus a handful of named connectors; refresh schedules, live queries and blending sources are basic or not described.
5 — A published connector list covering the common databases, warehouses, spreadsheets and several named business applications, scheduled refresh with its interval stated, live queries or extracts at the customer's choice, data from two sources combined in one report, and a documented way to reach a database behind a firewall.
8 — Hundreds of maintained connectors or a full SQL layer over every major warehouse, incremental refresh and caching explained, a built-in data preparation or modelling step, a gateway or agent for on-premise sources, a generic REST or custom connector SDK, and connector limits (rows, API calls, history) stated per plan.
10 — Connectivity an organisation can standardise on: every source reachable live or by extract with the trade-offs documented, refresh down to minutes with lineage from report back to source, source changes detected and reported, and connector behaviour, quotas and failure handling published.
The Finance Controller
Power Query is documented as the connection layer, each data-source article states whether DirectQuery live queries are supported, and the API catalogue lists gateways, dataflows and imports — so live versus imported data and a path to on-premises sources exist on paper. But the captured pages name not a single connector — nothing on DATEV, my ERP or even Excel — and refresh appears only as "nach Bedarf", with no schedule or interval stated. 1 2 3
The Managing Director
Power Query is the documented connection layer, each connector article states whether live queries (DirectQuery) are supported, and gateways, dataflows and imports appear in the REST API, so my databases behind the office firewall are addressed in principle. But the captured pages name no individual connectors for a CRM, accounting package or help desk, and no refresh interval is stated, so I could not tell from what I read how an afternoon setup would actually go. 1 2 3
The Data Analyst
The captured pages show connections made through Power Query with per-connector documentation stating whether live queries (DirectQuery) are supported, gateway operations in the REST API, and distribution of reports behind the company firewall — so a PostgreSQL warehouse and an on-premises path are addressed in principle, and caching behaviour of multiple queries is even explained. I did not find the connector list itself, a refresh interval, or anything on combining several sources in one model. 1 2 3
The IT Administrator
Connectivity goes through Power Query, and every connector article states whether DirectQuery live queries are supported, with caching and multiple-query behaviour explained; gateways and imports also appear among the documented REST operations. What I could not see on the captured pages is the connector list itself, a stated refresh interval, or a documented route to a database behind our firewall — and Report Server stops supporting some Desktop data sources after publishing, which I would have to check against our ERP. 1 2 3
The SaaS Product Lead
Connectivity runs through Power Query with per-connector documentation that states whether DirectQuery is supported, gateways appear as a managed operation group, and reports can even be served from on-premises behind our corporate firewall — relevant for the databases in our fleet data centre. The captured pages name no individual connectors, refresh intervals or multi-source joins, so for our PostgreSQL and telemetry sources I cannot verify the connector list or refresh cadence from public evidence. 1 2 3
The Skeptic
The documentation points to per-source connector articles that state whether live queries are supported and describes query and caching behaviour, and the REST API exposes gateways, dataflows, imports and push datasets. But the captured pages name no individual connector, state no refresh interval, and say nothing about combining several sources, so what is shown is a documented connector framework rather than a connector list I could check a warehouse or ERP against. 1 2 3
Dashboards, charts & interactivity
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How this is scored
What can be built and how readers use it: the range of chart types, tables and pivot tables, maps, KPI tiles with targets and comparisons, dashboard layout, filters and date controls that apply across a dashboard, drill-down and drill-through, cross-filtering by clicking a chart, templates for common sources, mobile and TV display, theming to the company's design, number formatting and localisation (decimal comma, currencies, German date formats), and accessibility of the result.
0 — No charts or dashboards; the product only stores or moves data.
3 — Standard bar, line and pie charts and a table on a dashboard; filters, drill-down and mobile display are basic or not described.
5 — A broad chart library with pivot tables, maps and KPI tiles with comparison to a previous period or target, dashboard-wide filters and date ranges, drill-down, templates for common sources, a mobile view, and number and date formats localised.
8 — Cross-filtering and drill-through between dashboards, custom visuals or a chart SDK, conditional formatting and annotations, dashboards themed to a brand, TV and presentation modes, pixel-exact or paginated reports for print, and accessibility of charts documented.
10 — Dashboards that a whole organisation reads daily: every interaction (filter, drill, cross-filter, parameter) available to readers without editor rights, performance on large data stated, accessibility conformance (WCAG) published, and every chart reproducible from a documented query.
The Finance Controller
A drag-and-drop freeform canvas with modern visualizations, interactive plus paginated reports, and consumption on web and mobile scaling to thousands of users are all stated — the paginated reports are exactly what I need for the advisory board pack. We found no public information on the captured pages about chart types, filters, drill-down, KPI tiles or German number and date formats, so the depth of interactivity cannot be judged from this evidence. 1
The Managing Director
The product page documents a drag-and-drop report canvas with modern visualisations, interactive and paginated reports that scale to thousands of users, and sharing for use on the web and on mobile devices — my one-screen-and-phone picture at a basic level. The range of chart types, dashboard-wide filters, drill-down and ready-made templates for common sources are not described on the pages I read. 1
The Data Analyst
Documented are a drag-and-drop freeform canvas with modern visualisations, interactive plus paginated reports, consumption on web and mobile, and scaling to thousands of users. The pages do not describe chart types, pivot tables, maps, dashboard filters, drill-down, theming, German number and date formats or accessibility, so I cannot judge the breadth a dashboard read daily by every department needs. 1
The IT Administrator
Desktop offers a drag-and-drop freeform canvas with modern visualisations, both interactive and paginated report types, scaling to thousands of users, and consumption on web and mobile. We found no public information on the chart library, dashboard-wide filters, drill-down, localised number and date formats, or accessibility of the result. 1 3
The SaaS Product Lead
Drag-and-drop authoring on a freeform canvas, interactive and paginated report types that scale to thousands of users, and consumption on the web and mobile devices are documented — the paginated reports matter for the print-ready compliance reports our fleet customers demand. We found no public information on chart types, dashboard-wide filters, drill-down, theming or localised number and date formats in the captured pages. 1
The Skeptic
The product page shows drag-and-drop authoring in Desktop, both interactive and paginated reports, consumption on web and mobile, and a claim of scaling to thousands of users, with dashboards and reports as API objects. Nothing captured describes the chart library, filters, drill-down, cross-filtering, theming or number and date formatting, so I credit the basics plus the paginated-report capability and no more. 1 3
Self-service analysis & shared metrics
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How this is scored
Whether people outside the data team can answer their own questions and whether everyone gets the same answer: a visual query builder, a SQL editor for analysts, calculated fields and formulas, a semantic layer or data model where metrics such as revenue or churn are defined once and reused, metric definitions under version control (Git, dbt integration), questions in natural language with the generated query shown, forecasting and anomaly detection with the method stated, and notebooks or Python for deeper analysis.
0 — Dashboards can only be viewed; no one can ask a new question of the data.
3 — Charts are configured from a field list and simple calculated fields; shared metric definitions, SQL and a query builder are basic or not described.
5 — A visual query builder for business users and a SQL editor for analysts, calculated fields and formulas, saved questions reused across dashboards, a data model or dataset layer where joins and metrics are defined once, and natural-language questions that show the query they ran.
8 — A semantic layer with governed metrics and dimensions reused across every report, definitions in code under Git version control or synced with dbt, certified or endorsed datasets, forecasting and anomaly detection with the method stated, and Python or notebook analysis beside the dashboards.
10 — Self-service that stays consistent at scale: every metric defined once and traced to every chart that uses it, changes reviewed and tested before they reach readers, AI answers grounded in the semantic layer with their limits documented, and the model exportable in an open format.
The Finance Controller
Authoring by drag-and-drop in Power BI Desktop, Power Query as the preparation path, and datasets and dataflows in the API catalogue give business users a place to model. We found no public information on the captured pages about a shared metric layer, calculated fields, a SQL editor or version-controlled definitions, so my requirement of one contribution-margin definition on every page is not addressed. 1 2 3
The Managing Director
Reports are built on a visual drag-and-drop canvas, which is genuine self-service authoring for someone like me. Beyond that I found no public information on a query builder, calculated fields, a shared metric layer where revenue is defined once, or natural-language questions in the captured pages. 1 3
The Data Analyst
Authoring happens on a drag-and-drop canvas in Power BI Desktop, and the REST API exposes datasets and dataflows as managed objects, which hints at a dataset layer. But the captured pages say nothing about a SQL editor, a visual query builder for colleagues, metrics defined once in a model, version control, or natural-language questions that show the query they ran — exactly the things that would stop every department computing revenue differently. 1 3
The IT Administrator
Business users author visually in Desktop with Power Query doing the connection work, and datasets and dataflows exist as managed API objects. We found no public information on a shared semantic layer, a SQL editor, natural-language questions, or version control of metric definitions, which is what I would need before calling this governed self-service. 1 2 3
The SaaS Product Lead
Report authoring happens in a drag-and-drop canvas and data connection plus preparation is handled through Power Query, which is where the captured evidence ends. We found no public information on a semantic layer where metrics are defined once and reused, a SQL editor, natural-language questions or version-controlled definitions — exactly the consistency piece my 600 customers would need so that two customers computing fleet utilisation get the same number. 1 2
The Skeptic
Desktop authoring via drag-and-drop and a Power Query connection layer are shown, and datasets and dataflows appear as managed objects in the API. On a query builder for business users, a SQL editor, metrics defined once and reused, natural-language answers that show the query they ran, and definitions under version control, I found no public information in the captures — and shared, consistent definitions are the difference between self-service and every department inventing its own revenue. 1 2 3
Sharing, scheduled reports & embedding
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How this is scored
How results reach the people who need them: sharing a dashboard with colleagues and with external parties, public or password-protected links, scheduled reports by email or chat (Slack, Microsoft Teams) as PDF, image or data, threshold alerts, comments and annotations, export to PDF, PowerPoint and Excel, embedding dashboards in an intranet, a website or the company's own software product, white-label options, and per-customer data separation for embedded use.
0 — Results cannot leave the editor; no sharing, export or embedding.
3 — Dashboards shared with other users of the account and exported to PDF or CSV; scheduled reports, alerts and embedding are basic or not described.
5 — Sharing with colleagues and by link, scheduled email reports with PDF or image, alerts when a metric crosses a threshold, export to PDF and Excel, and dashboards embedded in a website or intranet with an iframe or script.
8 — Reports delivered to Slack or Microsoft Teams, comments and annotations on dashboards, signed embedding with row-level filtering per viewer, an embedding SDK for a software product with white-label styling, client or guest portals, and an embedding licence model documented.
10 — Distribution as a product: multi-tenant embedded analytics with per-customer data isolation, theming and custom domains, end-user self-service inside the host application, every delivery channel automatable through an API, and usage of shared and embedded content reported to the customer.
The Finance Controller
Sharing reports with users for web and mobile is stated, and embedding is properly documented: the REST API provides embedding endpoints and embed tokens, a.NET SDK is referenced, and Power BI Embedded capacities are managed through Azure Resource Manager APIs. Scheduled e-mail delivery, threshold alerts, comments and per-viewer filtering in embedded use did not appear on the captured pages. 1 3
The Managing Director
Sharing reports with users for web and mobile is stated, and embedding is properly documented: the REST API lists embedding as a capability, with embedding-token operations, an SDK and Power BI Embedded capacity management via Azure APIs. Scheduled email reports, threshold alerts and export formats are not described on the captured pages, so my Monday-morning inbox summary is not evidenced. 1 3
The Data Analyst
Reports can be shared with users for web and mobile consumption, and embedding is a first-class API concern: an embed capability, embedding tokens, a.NET SDK and dedicated Power BI Embedded capacities managed through Azure are documented. Scheduled email or chat delivery, threshold alerts and export to PDF or Excel are not described on the captured pages. 1 3
The IT Administrator
Reports are shared to users for web and mobile, organised in folders with managed access on Report Server, and embedding is a first-class capability — embedding tokens, embedded capacities managed through Azure APIs, and template apps all appear in the documentation. We found no public information on scheduled email or chat delivery, threshold alerts, export formats, or per-viewer row filtering in embedded scenarios. 1 3
The SaaS Product Lead
This is what my product lives or dies by, and embedding is documented as a first-class capability: REST endpoints for embedding Power BI content, embedding tokens, a.NET SDK, Power BI Embedded capacities managed through Azure Resource Manager APIs, plus sharing for web and mobile and folder-level access management on the report server. The captured pages show scheduled email delivery, threshold alerts, white-label styling, per-viewer row-level filtering and an embedding licence price only by their absence, so I could not confirm the branded multi-tenant embedding my roadmap needs. 1 3
The Skeptic
Sharing reports for web and mobile use and folder-level access management on the report server are stated, and the REST API documents embedding content, issuing embedding tokens and managing dedicated embedded capacity, with a.NET SDK offered as a next step. Scheduled email or chat delivery, threshold alerts, export to PDF or Excel, external sharing and white-label or per-viewer embedding are not described on any captured page. 1 3
Access control, administration & portability
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How this is scored
What a company needs before it gives the tool to everyone, and what leaving would cost: roles and folder or workspace permissions, row-level and column-level security, single sign-on (SAML, OpenID Connect) and user provisioning (SCIM), audit logs and usage analytics, content certification and lifecycle, environments for development and production, a public REST API for administration and content, export of dashboards and definitions in a reusable format, open-source code, and a self-hosted or on-premise edition the customer runs on its own servers.
0 — A single shared login with no permissions; dashboards cannot be exported or administered.
3 — Users with view and edit rights; row-level security, single sign-on, an API and export of definitions are basic or not described.
5 — Roles and folder or workspace permissions, row-level security documented, single sign-on on at least one stated plan, an audit log, a documented REST API, and dashboards and data exportable on termination.
8 — Column-level security and data permissions inherited from the source, SAML and SCIM provisioning, usage analytics for admins, development and production environments or content promotion, dashboards and definitions as code that can be versioned and moved, and a self-hosted or on-premise edition with its own documentation.
10 — Governance and an exit that can be verified: open-source code under a named licence that runs fully self-hosted with feature parity stated, every object (data model, dashboards, permissions) exportable in a documented format another instance imports, audit logs streamed to the customer's own systems, and deletion of every copy on termination documented.
The Finance Controller
Folders with access management on a report server we can run on our own premises behind the firewall, plus a documented administration REST API covering administrator operations, gateways, pipelines and service principals, cover most of what my auditors ask about. We found no public information on the captured pages about row-level security, audit logs, user single sign-on or exporting dashboards and definitions on exit. 1 3
The Managing Director
Reports are organised in folders with access management, the REST API covers administrator operations and workspace groups with service-principal support, and Power BI Report Server is a documented on-premise edition I could run on my own servers — a real exit route. Row-level security, single sign-on for users, audit logs and export of dashboards on termination are not described in the captured pages. 1 3
The Data Analyst
Folders with access management, an extensive documented REST API covering administrator operations, apps, pipelines and users, Azure AD or Microsoft Identity Platform authentication with service principals, and a dedicated on-premises edition (Power BI Report Server) running behind our own firewall are all evidenced — that edition matters to my exit path. Row-level security, single sign-on per plan, audit logs and export of dashboards and definitions in a reusable format are not described, so the way out cannot be verified from these pages alone. 1 3
The IT Administrator
The edition I prefer is real and documented: Report Server runs on-premises, distributes reports behind our firewall, and gives us folders with access management, plus a documented admin REST API authenticated through Azure AD covering users, groups, gateways, capacities and pipelines. We found no public information on row-level security, single sign-on for report readers, audit logs, or exporting dashboards and definitions out again — exactly the questions I must answer before the tool touches customer, pricing and employee data. 1 3
The SaaS Product Lead
A documented REST API covers administration and content management across dashboards, datasets, dataflows, gateways, pipelines, template apps and workspaces, service principals are supported, and Power BI Report Server is a genuinely on-premises edition with its own documentation — the self-hosting and exit story my procurement team always asks about. We found no public information on row-level or column-level security, single sign-on, audit logs or export of definitions on termination in the captured pages, which leaves the per-customer separation question for embedding open. 1 2 3
The Skeptic
A documented REST API covers administration, workspaces, users and deployment pipelines, the report server edition runs on the customer's own servers behind the firewall, and reports are organised in folders with managed access. Row-level security, single sign-on and provisioning, audit logs, and — the question I always ask before recommending anything — export of dashboards and definitions in a format another tool reads, are not described on the captured pages, so what leaving would cost is unknown. 1 3
European sovereignty
panel opinion
panel disagrees
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How this is scored
Who the contracting entity and the parent company are, where the connected business data is queried, cached, extracted and stored, and who the subprocessors are (hosting, query engine, AI model providers, email delivery of reports, support and payment tools). Independently sourced by the sovereignty pipeline; a BI tool reads revenue, customer and employee data from many systems, so every place a copy or cache lands counts, not only the account database. A self-hosted or open-source edition the customer runs on its own European servers counts as the customer's chain, whatever the vendor's seat.
0 — Non-EU vendor and contracting entity, hosting unstated, subprocessors unnamed, and no data processing agreement offered.
3 — A privacy policy and a data processing agreement exist, but hosting location is unstated or non-EU and the subprocessors are not listed.
5 — EU hosting available and an EU contracting entity or EU representative, but parts of the chain (query engine, extracts and caches, AI features, report emails, support, payment) run through non-EU providers without a stated safeguard.
8 — EU hosting on named infrastructure, EU contracting entity, subprocessors listed with their locations, a data processing agreement published, where extracts and caches are stored stated, and security certifications (ISO 27001, SOC 2) stated — or a self-hosted edition documented that keeps every query and cache on the customer's own servers.
10 — Sovereign end to end and evidenced: European ownership, entity, hosting and every subprocessor including AI features, or a self-hosted open-source edition with no call home, data export and deletion documented, and certifications published with their scope rather than implied.
The Finance Controller
The EU Data Boundary pages commit Microsoft to storing and processing Power Platform customer data in EU datacenters across named countries including Germany, a data processing addendum is published for download, EU business customers contract with an Irish entity, and an on-premises report server keeps reporting in our own chain. The same pages, however, acknowledge limited continued transfers outside the boundary, make the commitment depend on signup location, billing address and configuration, and state that request data may be processed outside the tenant's home region, while the provider is Microsoft Corporation in Redmond. We found no public information on subprocessors or security certifications on the captured pages. 1 3 5 6 7
The Managing Director
The provider is Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, USA, with EU business customers contracting through the Irish entity, and the EU Data Boundary documentation commits to storing and processing customer data in named EU datacentres for designated services, backed by a published data processing agreement. The same pages acknowledge that limited transfers outside the boundary continue and that request data may be processed in datacentres outside the tenant's home region, and I found no subprocessor list with locations. 3 5 6 7
The Data Analyst
Microsoft commits under the EU Data Boundary to store and process customer data for Power Platform in EU datacentres, naming countries including Germany, and a Data Protection Addendum is published for download. Against that, the provider of record is Microsoft Corporation in the USA, Microsoft Deutschland GmbH expressly disclaims being the provider, the pages acknowledge continued transfers outside the boundary in limited circumstances and processing of API request and response data in datacentres outside the tenant's home region, and no subprocessor list, extract and cache locations or security certifications appear on the captured pages. 3 5 6 7
The IT Administrator
The EU Data Boundary commits Microsoft to store and process customer data for Power Platform and Azure in named datacentres across fifteen European countries, a data processing addendum is published, and an Irish group entity is named in the German legal notice. But the provider of record is Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, the boundary applies only when tenant, signup and billing conditions are met, limited transfers outside it are expressly reserved, and the API pages state that request and response data may be processed in datacentres outside the home region; we found no public information on subprocessors, security certifications, or where extracts and caches are stored. 3 5 6 7
The SaaS Product Lead
Microsoft commits under its EU Data Boundary to store and process customer data in EU datacenters including sites in Austria and Germany, covering Power Platform, and a data processing agreement is published; EU business customers contract with Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited while the German legal notice names Microsoft Corporation in Redmond as provider. The boundary explicitly allows limited continued transfers outside the EU and excludes multi-geo customers, API request and response data may be processed in datacenters outside the tenant's home region, and we found no public information on subprocessors or security certifications. 3 5 6 7
The Skeptic
The German legal notice names Microsoft Corporation of Redmond as the provider and expressly disclaims that the German subsidiary represents it, while a published data processing addendum does exist. The EU Data Boundary documentation names fifteen European datacenter countries but applies only to designated services depending on signup location, billing address and configuration, excludes Multi-Geo customers, and itself acknowledges continued limited transfers outside the boundary, with the API documentation adding that request and response data may be processed outside the home region. No subprocessor list is captured and nothing states where extracts and caches are stored, so the European chain is conditional and cannot be verified from these pages. 3 5 6 7
Pricing transparency
not rated — the vendor publishes no price
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How this is scored
Whether a buyer can compute the real annual cost from public pages alone: price per creator or editor seat and whether viewers are free or paid, capacity or usage pricing (rows, refreshes, queries, AI credits), which features (row-level security, SSO, embedding, API, more connectors, faster refresh) sit behind a higher tier or "contact sales", the price of embedding for external users, the self-hosted edition's licence, the free tier and its limits, minimum term and setup.
0 — No public prices at all; every customer is a sales call.
3 — A starting price or a free tier exists, but how cost scales with viewers, data volume or features is unclear.
5 — Tiers are public with their seat price and main inclusions, but at least one commonly needed piece (viewer seats, row-level security, SSO, embedding, extra connectors or refresh frequency) is unpriced or "on request".
8 — Every tier priced publicly with its scaling rule (creators, viewers, capacity, rows), viewer pricing stated, add-ons and usage overage priced, embedded and self-hosted pricing stated, minimum term and VAT treatment stated.
10 — Complete price computability: annual cost derivable for a given number of creators and viewers, data volume and feature set, with every add-on, embedding, setup, support and overage fee and the cancellation and data-return terms published.
The Finance Controller
The captured pages state no price figures at all — only a "Preise anzeigen" link and a free trial download — so no seat, viewer, capacity, embedding or on-premises licence cost, and no minimum term, can be computed from this evidence. 1
The Managing Director
The captured product page carries only a "Preise anzeigen" link with no figures on the page itself, alongside a free trial download. I found no public pricing information in these captures — no per-user price, no viewer terms, nothing that lets me estimate the bill when all forty of my people want to look. 1
The Data Analyst
The German product page offers a free trial download and shows only a "Preise anzeigen" link, with no prices stated on the page itself. I found no public information on seat or viewer pricing, which features sit in higher tiers, capacity or embedding costs, so an annual figure cannot be computed from the captured pages. 1
The IT Administrator
The captured product page offers a free trial download and a "Preise anzeigen" link but states no price figures, and we found no public information on tier or seat prices, viewer cost, capacity pricing, or the licence for the on-premises edition. I cannot compute even a rough annual cost from these pages. 1
The SaaS Product Lead
The product page offers a free trial download but states no prices itself — the price list sits behind a "Preise anzeigen" link whose contents the captured pages do not show. The one number I need, the licence cost of embedding analytics for 600 customer tenants that I could build into our own product price before signing, is not visible in the public evidence, and we found no public information on tier boundaries or how cost scales with viewers or capacity. 1
The Skeptic
The captured product page offers a free trial download and a "show prices" link but states no figures — no seat or viewer prices, no tiers, no capacity or usage pricing, no minimum term or VAT treatment. From these pages alone a buyer cannot compute even a starting annual cost, and nothing says what sits behind the link. 1
European sovereignty — proven facts
0 of 6 dimensions provenBuilt only from facts shown on the vendor's own pages. A dimension we could not prove is left open, not scored as zero.
| Legal entity | Not determined ⚠ unverified | — | uncited Report an error |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting location | Not determined ⚠ unverified | — | uncited Report an error |
| Hosting options | Not determined ⚠ unverified | — | uncited Report an error |
| Open source | Not determined | — | uncited Report an error |
| Data processing agreement | Not determined ⚠ unverified | — | uncited Report an error |
| Transfer impact assessment | Not determined | — | uncited Report an error |
Questions about Microsoft Power BI
Is Microsoft Power BI European?
No. whats-best.ai classifies Microsoft Power BI as Rest of world.
Where does Microsoft Power BI store data?
Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 1 Nov 2026.
Does Microsoft Power BI have a free plan?
Not stated on the vendor’s pages as of 1 Nov 2026.
What are the best alternatives to Microsoft Power BI?
As of 1 Nov 2026, the panel rates Metabase (3.5/5), Preset (Apache Superset) (3.5/5) and Holistics (3/5) highest among the other 15 Business Intelligence & Dashboards products evaluated. Ratings that look equal are rounded to half stars; the order uses the unrounded rating, then the name. The highest-rated European alternative is Luzmo (EU-Made). Ratings are the AI panel’s opinion, formed from public evidence: how scores are made. The full list, with European products first: Microsoft Power BI alternatives.
Where this could be wrong
- Evidence ages. The oldest capture behind this page is from 1 Nov 2026. Vendors change pricing and policies without notice; every fact reflects its source as of the capture date shown in the registry.
- Weak sourcing — Data processing agreement, Hosting location, Hosting options, Legal entity. Not confirmed on the vendor’s own pages as captured.
- AI can misread a source. Extraction and judgement are automated; a citation guarantees traceability, not infallibility. If something here is wrong, say so — no account needed, every report is decided within 5 business days, and accepted corrections are published.
What we left out
A claim that does not survive our checks costs us the claim, not the page. This is what was taken off this one.
- 3 compliance facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material. Know more? Tell us
- 2 product facts could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and were left out of this page and of the panel’s material. Know more? Tell us
- 1 support fact could not be confirmed on the vendor’s page as captured and was left out of this page and of the panel’s material. Know more? Tell us
- 4 sovereignty dimensions could not be confirmed on the vendor’s own pages and are shown as unknown. Know more? Tell us
- 6 of the readings below were written against an earlier fact sheet — a fact has been corrected, added or pulled since. Until the panel next runs on this product you are reading the older judgement. Know more? Tell us
Sources (7)
The pages every claim on this page was read from — each one checked, dated, and kept verifiable.
- 1 Features page (Report Server, on-premise) www.microsoft.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
- 2 Documentation (data sources) learn.microsoft.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
- 3 API documentation learn.microsoft.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
- 4 Documentation (tenant home region) learn.microsoft.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
- 5 Documentation (EU Data Boundary) learn.microsoft.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
- 6 Data processing agreement (dpa) www.microsoft.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →
- 7 Legal notice www.microsoft.com Checked 1 Nov 2026 Details →