Power BI Embedded on Microsoft Azure
Power BI Embedded is an Azure service that enables embedding of Power BI reports, dashboards, and visualizations into own web applications or SaaS products. Unlike Power BI Service, which is used standalone, Embedded is specifically designed for ISVs and developers who want to integrate BI functions into their applications.
The service enables white-label solutions where end users are not confronted with Power BI branding. Developers use Power BI REST APIs and JavaScript/.NET SDKs for integration. Licensing is capacity-based via so-called A SKUs, not per user, which can be more cost-effective especially for applications with many users. Alternatively, embedding can also be done via Microsoft Fabric capacities (F SKUs), which support the same embedding scenarios.
Power BI Embedded is available in numerous Azure regions. Production environments always require a purchased capacity; free embed trial tokens are intended for development testing only.
Typical Use Cases
SaaS analytics: Integration of customer-facing analytics in multi-tenant SaaS platforms with isolated data per tenant and white-label branding.
ISV solutions: Embedding of industry-specific dashboards in software products (e.g., ERP, CRM, IoT platforms) without separate BI licensing.
Portals and intranets: Integration of HR dashboards, sales reports, or operations overviews in enterprise portals with single sign-on.
Custom B2B applications: Provision of customer-specific reports in B2B platforms with row-level security per customer.
Frequently Asked Questions about Power BI Embedded
What is the difference to Power BI Premium?
Power BI Premium (P and EM SKUs) targets organizations that want a complete BI solution for internal and, in some cases, external use. Power BI Embedded (A SKUs) specifically targets ISVs and developers who embed visuals into their own applications. Both license by capacity rather than by number of users; Microsoft Fabric F SKUs offer a third path for embedding scenarios.
Do end users need Power BI licenses?
In app-owns-data scenarios (embedding for your customers), end users don’t need their own Power BI license, since licensing is covered by the Azure capacity. Content creation, and user-owns-data scenarios on capacities below F64/A4, still require a Power BI Pro or PPU license.
How does Row-Level Security work in multi-tenant scenarios?
RLS can be dynamically applied based on the logged-in user. When embedding, embed tokens specify which data the user may see. This allows using one database for all tenants with secure data isolation.
Can users create reports themselves?
By default, embedded users only consume predefined reports. Power BI Embedded also supports self-service scenarios where users can customize reports or create their own via the API.
How is billing structured?
Power BI Embedded uses A SKUs with hourly billing and no commitment. Capacity can be paused and resumed when not in use to reduce costs. Use the Azure pricing calculator for a current cost estimate.
Can I switch between Embedded and Premium?
Yes, content can be moved between Power BI Embedded, Power BI Premium, and Microsoft Fabric capacities, since the underlying Power BI items (reports, datasets) are compatible. On SKUs below the F64/A-equivalent tier, viewers without an embed token still require a Power BI Pro or PPU license.
Which authentication methods are supported?
Embed tokens (for app-owns-data scenarios) or Microsoft Entra ID tokens (for user-owns-data). Integration with your own identity providers via Microsoft Entra External ID is possible.
Alternatives
alternatives:
- provider: “aws” product: “quicksight-embedding”
- provider: “gcp” product: “looker-embedding”
Integration with innFactory
As a Microsoft Solutions Partner, innFactory supports you in integrating Power BI Embedded into SaaS applications and custom solutions. We help with architecture, implementation, security concepts, and cost optimization.
Contact us for a non-binding consultation on Power BI Embedded.
Typical Use Cases
Note: All product information on this page has been compiled with care, but is provided without guarantee and may be outdated or incomplete. Cloud services evolve rapidly — features, pricing, SLAs, and availability change frequently. Authoritative and up-to-date information can only be found on the official product page of Azure (official documentation). This page does not represent an offer by Azure.
