Power bi premium vs embedded: which one is best for you

Trying to decide between Power BI Premium and Power BI Embedded for your analytics strategy?

It’s not always an easy call. 

Both are powerful options in Microsoft’s Power BI ecosystem, but they’re designed with different goals in mind. 

Power BI Premium: Best suited for large enterprises that need advanced analytics, AI-driven insights, and enterprise-scale governance.

It works well for organizations with thousands of employees who want predictable costs and full control. 

Power BI Embedded: Ideal for developers and SaaS providers who want to integrate interactive reports and dashboards into apps or websites.

Thanks to flexible Power BI Embedded pricing, you only pay for what you use, making it perfect for customer-facing analytics. 

So, why should you read this blog? Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Core Features: A breakdown of what each option brings to the table.
  
  

• Who Benefits: Which type of organization should pick Premium vs Embedded?
  
  

• Scalability & Control: How each option handles growth and performance.
  
  

• Pricing Models: From fixed monthly costs to usage-based Power BI Embedded pricing.
  
  

• Use Cases: Clear scenarios showing when each option is the smarter choice.

By the end, you’ll know exactly which Power BI option fits your business needs.

Before we dive deeper, here’s a quick comparison table of Power BI Premium vs Power BI Embedded for a side-by-side view. 

Power BI Premium vs Power BI Embedded: Quick Comparison

What Is Power BI Premium?

Power BI Premium is Microsoft’s advanced analytics offering that provides dedicated cloud resources for organizations that need reliable, large-scale reporting. 

Unlike shared capacity, Premium ensures that performance stays consistent even when handling massive datasets, making it a top choice for enterprise-level reporting.

It’s built for businesses that want not just dashboards, but also AI-driven insights, stronger governance, and enterprise-grade scalability all within the Microsoft ecosystem. 

Key Features Of Power BI Premium

• Dedicated Cloud Resources: Get your own reserved capacity, so reports run faster without performance drops.
  
  

• Scalability: Handles huge volumes of data, supporting thousands of users across multiple departments.
  
  

• AI-Driven Insights: Built-in machine learning and natural language queries let teams uncover insights without coding.
  
  

• Enterprise Security: Role-based access, encryption, and compliance features keep sensitive data safe.
  
  

• Integration With Microsoft Tools: Works seamlessly with Excel, Azure, and Microsoft Teams for a connected experience.

Who Uses Power BI Premium?

Power BI Premium is commonly chosen by:

• Large Enterprises: Companies that need to provide secure dashboards to thousands of employees.
  
  

• Finance & Compliance Teams: Businesses that must meet strict governance and reporting standards.
  
  

• Global Organizations: Enterprises with multiple locations requiring regional data residency and large-scale deployments.
  
  

• IT & Data Teams: Teams that want control over performance, user access, and system capacity.

Power BI Premium is perfect for organizations that need enterprise-level reporting with predictable costs.

While Power BI Embedded pricing is usage-based, Premium offers fixed capacity pricing, giving large businesses more control over budgeting. 

What Is Power BI Embedded?

Power BI Embedded is a Microsoft solution that allows developers to embed interactive reports and dashboards directly into their applications or websites. 

Unlike Premium, it doesn’t require per-user licensing and works on a pay-as-you-go usage model, making it ideal for customer-facing analytics.

It’s designed for organizations that want to provide analytics to their customers or app users without managing enterprise-level capacity. 

Embedded lets you deliver rich, interactive visuals without the overhead of dedicated infrastructure.

Key Features Of Power BI Embedded

• Flexible Usage-Based Pricing: Pay only for what you use with Power BI Embedded pricing, scaling up or down based on app demand.
  
  

• Developer-Focused: APIs and SDKs allow seamless integration into web or mobile applications.
  
  

• Scalable Dashboards: Handle hundreds or thousands of end-users without affecting performance.
  
  

• Interactive Analytics: Users can filter, drill down, and explore reports inside your app.
  
  

• Microsoft Ecosystem Integration: Works with Azure and other Microsoft services for a smooth workflow.

Learn more about the benefits of embedded business intelligence and how it can transform your analytics strategy in Upsolve’s detailed guide.

Who Usually Uses Power BI Embedded?

• Startups and SaaS Providers: Embed interactive analytics directly into their apps to offer insights to customers.
  
  

• Customer-Facing Platforms: Provide dashboards and reporting features as part of their product experience.
  
  

• Developers and Technical Teams: Require granular control over integration, customization, and user interactions.
  
  

• Businesses Wanting Pay-As-You-Go Costs: Prefer flexible, usage-based billing instead of committing to fixed enterprise pricing.

Power BI Embedded is the best fit if you want interactive, app-integrated analytics with flexible pricing, whereas Power BI Premium is better for internal enterprise reporting with fixed capacity. 

To explore a detailed comparison of embedded BI tools and learn how they can transform your analytics strategy, check out this in-depth guide by Upsolve.

Pricing Comparison: Premium vs Embedded

When deciding between Power BI Premium and Power BI Embedded, understanding the cost structure is critical.

Both options are powerful, but they’re built for very different use cases and billing models.

Power BI Premium gives you fixed, predictable costs with dedicated capacity or per-user pricing ideal for large internal teams. 

Embedded, on the other hand, works on a pay-as-you-go model, making it flexible for apps or customer-facing platforms with variable usage. 

Power BI Premium Pricing

• Per Capacity (P1 Tier): Starts at $4,995/month for dedicated cloud capacity. Ideal for smaller enterprises or department-level usage.
  
  

• Higher Capacity (P2–P3): $9,995 - $20,000/month for larger deployments with thousands of users.
  
  

• Per User (Premium Per User): $20/user/month for individuals needing advanced reporting features.
  
  

• Best For: Large enterprises with thousands of internal users who need consistent performance and predictable monthly costs.

Power BI Embedded Pricing

• A SKUs (Azure-based): $1.008/hour (roughly $730/month) for entry-level capacity (A1), suitable for small apps or test environments.
  
  

• Higher SKUs (A2–A6): $4.032–$32.256/hour, depending on capacity, scaling with usage.
  
  

• Pay-As-You-Go: You only pay for the hours your dashboards are running or your users are active.
  
  

• Best For: SaaS products and customer-facing apps where usage fluctuates, making Power BI Embedded pricing flexible and cost-efficient.

To make this easier to digest, here’s a  quick pricing table and key details:

Power BI Premium vs Embedded: Pricing Comparison

Which Option Saves Money?

• Premium: Economical for internal teams with consistent, heavy usage. Fixed pricing makes budgeting straightforward.
  
  

• Embedded: Cost-effective for apps or platforms with variable usage. You avoid paying for idle capacity.

Premium is ideal for large-scale internal reporting, while Embedded shines for external-facing analytics with fluctuating demand and Power BI Embedded pricing flexibility.

For a deeper comparison and insights into other Power BI competitors and alternatives.

You can check out this detailed guide on Upsolve:

https://upsolve.ai/blog/power-bi-competitors.

3 Things to Consider Before Choosing

Choosing between Power BI Premium and Power BI Embedded isn’t just about features; it’s about what fits your business model best.

Before you decide, here are three questions you should ask yourself:

1. Who Will Use It?

• Employees (Internal Teams) → If your goal is to provide consistent access to dashboards and reports for hundreds or thousands of employees, Premium is the smarter choice.
  
  

• Customers (External Users) → If you’re embedding analytics directly into your SaaS platform or customer-facing app, Embedded offers the flexibility you need without licensing every end-user.
  
  

2. Budget Flexibility

• Fixed Cost → Premium gives you predictable monthly pricing, great for enterprises that want budget certainty.
  
  

• Variable Cost → Embedded uses a pay-as-you-go model, so you only pay for the actual usage—perfect if traffic and analytics demand fluctuate.
  
  

3. Growth Plans

• Enterprise-Wide Adoption → Premium scales across your entire organization, making it future-proof if you expect company-wide analytics adoption.
  
  

• SaaS or Product Expansion → Embedded scales with customer growth, so as your user base increases, your analytics capacity grows alongside it.

If you’re focused on internal adoption, go with Premium.

If you’re focused on customer-facing analytics, Embedded is usually the better investment, especially considering Power BI Embedded pricing flexibility.

Which One Should You Go For?

Choosing between Power BI Premium and Power BI Embedded hinges on your organization's specific needs, user base, and growth trajectory.

Here's a concise guide to help you decide:

Power BI Premium: Best for Enterprises with Many Employees

• Ideal For: Large organizations with extensive internal teams requiring consistent access to analytics and reporting tools.
  
  

• Benefits:
  
  

  • Dedicated Capacity: Ensures optimal performance for a large number of users.
    
    

  • Predictable Pricing: Fixed monthly costs facilitate straightforward budgeting.
    
    

  • Comprehensive Features: Access to advanced analytics, AI capabilities, and higher data refresh rates.

Note: As of April 1, 2025, Power BI Premium Per User is priced at $24 per user/month, and Power BI Pro at $14 per user/month.

Power BI Embedded: Ideal for SaaS and Customer-Facing Applications

• Ideal For: Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), startups, and businesses aiming to integrate analytics directly into their applications for external users.
  
  

• Benefits:
  
  

  • Scalable Pricing: Pay-as-you-go model based on actual usage.
    
    

  • Seamless Integration: Embed interactive reports and dashboards within your application.
    
    

  • No User Licensing Required: External users can access embedded content without individual Power BI licenses.

To learn more about how AI-powered analytics can enhance Power BI Embedded integrations and improve customer-facing data visualization, check out Upsolve’s detailed blog on AI-powered business intelligence.

Note: Power BI Embedded pricing varies based on node types and usage.

For instance, an A1 node (1 virtual core, 3 GB RAM) is approximately $1/hour, while an A6 node (32 virtual cores, 100 GB RAM) is around $32/hour.

Turnkey Analytics Solutions: A Simplified Approach

For businesses seeking robust analytics capabilities without the complexity of setup and maintenance, turnkey solutions like Upsolve offer a streamlined approach.

Upsolve AI - Embedded Generative Business Intelligence (GenBI)

Benefits:

• Pre-built Dashboards: Ready-to-use analytics interfaces that save time on development.
  
  

• Reduced Engineering Overhead: Allows teams to focus on core business functions rather than maintaining infrastructure.
  
  

• Quick Deployment: Accelerate time-to-market with minimal configuration or setup.
  
  

• Predictable Costs: No hidden infrastructure or dev-hour expenses—budgeting becomes easier.
  
  

• User-Friendly Experience: Non-technical teams can use and interpret data without relying on engineers.

These solutions are ideal for organizations that want speed, simplicity, and reliable analytics without the burden of building or maintaining a complex BI system.

Final Thoughts

Power BI Premium vs Embedded isn’t just a feature fight.

It’s about who you are, how you operate, and what you want to spend.

• Premium: You’ve got hundreds or thousands of internal users? Dedicated capacity, predictable costs, enterprise-grade features - this is your play.
  
  

• Embedded: Building a SaaS app or serving external customers? Pay only for what you use. Scale as your user base grows.

Now here’s the kicker: all the setup, dev time, and hidden infrastructure costs add up fast.

That’s where turnkey solutions like Upsolve shine.

Fast deployment, pre-built dashboards, minimal engineering overhead, no headaches.

If you want results without wasted time or hidden costs, Upsolve gives you embedded analytics that just work.

FAQs

What is the main difference between Power BI Premium and Power BI Embedded?

Power BI Premium is designed for enterprise-wide analytics and collaboration within an organization, while Power BI Embedded is built for developers to integrate interactive reports into custom applications.

Premium targets internal users, whereas Embedded focuses on customer-facing analytics.

Which is better for data visualization-heavy applications?

If your goal is to deliver advanced data visualization experiences directly inside your own apps, Power BI Embedded is better.

However, for company-wide dashboards, self-service analytics, and centralized governance, Power BI Premium offers stronger scalability and enterprise-level features.

Is Power BI Premium cost-effective compared to Embedded?

Power BI Premium uses a capacity-based pricing model, ideal for larger organizations with many internal users.

Power BI Embedded follows a pay-as-you-go model, making it more affordable for developers and ISVs who need analytics for external customers.

How does Upsolve benefit from Power BI Embedded vs Premium?

If a platform like Upsolve integrates Power BI Embedded, it can provide users with seamless, in-app analytics and interactive dashboards.

Power BI Premium would be better if Upsolve needed robust internal reporting for its teams and organization-wide insights.

Which option is best for small to mid-sized businesses?

Small to mid-sized businesses often prefer Power BI Embedded because of its flexible pricing and easy integration into customer-facing apps.

Premium suits larger teams that require organization-wide governance, data security, and scalable reporting for multiple departments.