Microsoft Power BI
by Microsoft · Embedded BI
Self-service dashboards with native connectors for Dynamics 365 and other ERPs.
Updated August 2026 · By the ERP Research Editorial Team · Independent and vendor-neutral.
- Works with
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & OperationsMicrosoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
SAP
Oracle- Deployment
- Cloud, On-premises (Report Server)
- Company size
- SMB, Mid-market, Enterprise
- Pricing
- Per-user/month
- Founded
- 1975
- Headquarters
- Redmond, Washington, United States
Overview
Microsoft Power BI is a business intelligence and self-service analytics platform that lets users connect to data sources, model and transform data, and build interactive reports and dashboards. It is part of the Microsoft Power Platform and is tightly integrated with the broader Microsoft ecosystem, including Excel, Microsoft 365, Teams, Azure, and Dynamics 365. Power BI is also a workload within Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft's unified analytics SaaS platform.
For ERP analytics, Power BI provides native connectors for Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations and Business Central, plus connectors and certified content for SAP HANA, SAP BW, Oracle, and many databases. Reports can be authored in Power BI Desktop and published to the Power BI service for sharing, scheduled refresh, and governed distribution. Power BI Embedded and the embedding APIs allow ISVs and enterprises to surface dashboards inside their own applications and portals.
The platform combines a tabular data model (VueModel/VertiPaq engine) with the DAX expression language and Power Query (M) for data transformation. Recent releases add generative-AI assistance through Copilot for report creation, narrative summaries, and natural-language Q&A over governed semantic models.
Screenshots & demo
Demo video from the vendor's YouTube channel. Screenshots sourced from Microsoft.
Modules & capabilities
Microsoft Power BI covers 40 of 45 capabilities we track in this category
89%- Drag-and-drop dashboard/report authoringCore strength
- Interactive filtering, drill-down and cross-filteringCore strength
- Broad chart and visualization libraryCore strength
- Mobile-optimized dashboardsMobile-optimized report layoutsSupported
- Geospatial / map visualizationsBuilt-in Map, Filled Map and Azure Maps visualsSupported
- Pixel-perfect / paginated report layoutsPaginated Reports (Power BI Report Builder)Supported
- Narrative data storytellingNot evidenced
“Not evidenced” means our research found no public documentation of this capability — the vendor may still offer it. Confirm on a demo.
Common use cases
- Finance teams building P&L, balance-sheet, and cash-flow dashboards on Dynamics 365 data
- Operations reporting across SAP and non-SAP sources in one model
- Self-service exploration for business users via shared semantic models
- Executive KPI dashboards distributed through Teams and mobile
- ISVs embedding customer-facing analytics into SaaS applications
- Supply-chain and inventory monitoring with scheduled refresh
- Ad-hoc natural-language Q&A for non-technical staff
Strengths & considerations
Strengths
- Deep native integration with Microsoft 365, Teams, Azure, and Dynamics 365
- Low entry price with free desktop authoring and per-user licensing
- Workload within Microsoft Fabric for unified data engineering and BI
- Very large ecosystem of custom visuals and community content
Considerations
- Premium/Fabric capacity and gateways add cost and administration for large deployments
- DAX has a steep learning curve for advanced modeling
Used Microsoft Power BI with your ERP? Rate it in 30 seconds — it helps every buyer after you.
Rate itERP integrations
Native Power BI Desktop connector for Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations; Business Central ships built-in Power BI report packs.
Native Power Query connectors for SAP HANA and SAP Business Warehouse; supports DirectQuery and Import modes.
Generic Oracle Database (OCI) connector in Power Query; not a purpose-built Oracle Fusion Cloud ERP connector.
Connector details independently verified against vendor marketplaces and documentation; last checked 2026-08-11.
Pricing
Full Microsoft Power BI pricing breakdown — cost at 25/100/500 seats, competitor rates & FAQs
Power BI Desktop is free. Sharing requires Pro or Premium Per User; large-scale capacity is sold via Microsoft Fabric capacities and Power BI Embedded (Azure). Prices vary by region and have been subject to change. Get an independent shortlist with pricing guidance below.
What does Microsoft Power BI cost?
Microsoft Power BI publishes a list price. Enter your seat count for an annual figure at that rate.
Technical & security
- Hosting
- SaaS (multi-tenant) on Azure; Power BI Report Server available on-premises
- Data residency
- US, EU, UK, APAC
- Compliance
- SOC 1, SOC 2, SOC 3, ISO 27001, HIPAA, GDPR
- Mobile app
- Yes
- Languages
- English, and 40+ supported languages
About the vendor
- Founded
- 1975
- Headquarters
- Redmond, Washington, United States
- Employees
- ~220,000 (Microsoft total)
- Ownership
- Public (NASDAQ: MSFT)
Alternatives to Microsoft Power BI in Embedded BI
Microsoft Power BI — frequently asked questions
Does Power BI connect natively to Dynamics 365?
Yes. Power BI provides native connectors for Dynamics 365 Finance and Operations and for Business Central, and Business Central ships with built-in Power BI reports.
Can Power BI be embedded in a custom application?
Yes. Power BI Embedded (an Azure capacity) and the embedding REST/JavaScript APIs let ISVs and enterprises embed reports and dashboards into their own apps and portals.
What is the relationship between Power BI and Microsoft Fabric?
Power BI is the BI workload within Microsoft Fabric, Microsoft's unified SaaS analytics platform that also includes data engineering, data warehousing, and real-time analytics.
Compare Microsoft Power BI head-to-head
The Embedded BI Buyer's Guide
Before you commit to Microsoft Power BI, see how it sits against the 13 embedded BI systems we track — on capability, ERP integration depth and what each one actually charges for.
Embedded BI Buyer's Guide
13 systems compared · 2026
ERP Research
- Microsoft Power BI compared side-by-side with 12 alternatives
- ERP integration checklist — what to verify before you shortlist
- The pricing questions that change the quote
- A Microsoft Power BI evaluation brief, included with the guide
Embedded BI Buyer's Guide
Get a quote for Microsoft Power BI
Microsoft Power BI publishes a list price, but the number you pay depends on volume, modules and integration scope. Tell us your setup and we'll come back with a realistic figure and the alternatives worth quoting against it.