Power BI: what it is, what it costs and how Philippine teams use it
Short answer
Power BI is Microsoft’s business analytics tool for turning data into reports and dashboards. Its US page lists a free licence for building reports, Pro at US$14 per user a month (about PHP 879) and Premium Per User at US$24 (about PHP 1,508), both paid yearly. Microsoft says the real price shows at checkout and varies by currency and country, so confirm the peso price before you buy.
On this page
Power BI at a glance
- Maker
- Microsoft
- Parts
- Power BI Desktop (Windows app), Power BI service (cloud), mobile apps
- Licences listed
- Free, Pro, Premium Per User, plus Fabric capacity and Embedded for larger needs
- Pro and Premium Per User
- US$14.00 and US$24.00 per user a month, paid yearly, on the US page
- Currency
- “$” with no code. Microsoft says the checkout price varies by currency, country and region
- Scheduled refreshes
- Up to 8 a day on shared capacity, up to 48 on Premium, Premium Per User and Fabric capacity
- Last verified
- 12 Oct 2026
What Power BI does
Microsoft’s documentation describes Power BI as a business analytics platform that connects, visualises and shares data. Two parts do most of the work:
- Power BI Desktop is a Windows app for building reports. Microsoft lists connections to more than 100 data sources, a Power Query editor for cleaning data, and a modelling language called DAX.
- The Power BI service is the cloud side. Microsoft lists workspaces for teams, apps for distributing reports, scheduled refresh, email subscriptions, alerts and security roles.
A Power BI mobile app is for viewing reports. Microsoft also lists paginated reports, which suit printable documents such as invoices, and Copilot, an AI assistant for report creation. The AI features available to you depend on your licence and Microsoft’s terms.
Licences and prices
Prices below come from Microsoft’s US Power BI pricing page. The page states that prices are for marketing purposes and that the actual price shown at checkout varies by currency, country and region. Peso figures are approximate conversions at USD 1 = PHP 62.821 and can differ from what Microsoft charges in the Philippines.
| Licence | Price per user per month | Approx. pesos | What Microsoft lists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | None | None | Create reports with Power BI Desktop. The page says to “upgrade to Pro or Premium to share reports” |
| Pro | US$14.00, paid yearly | PHP 879 | Publish and share reports. Also included in Microsoft 365 E5 and Office 365 E5 |
| Premium Per User | US$24.00, paid yearly | PHP 1,508 | Everything in Pro, plus larger model sizes and more frequent refreshes |
| Fabric capacity | Variable | See Microsoft | Reserved annually or pay as you go. Per-user licences are still needed for some activities |
| Power BI Embedded | Variable | See Microsoft | For customer-facing reports |
Swipe the table sideways to see all columns.
The practical point is sharing. A free licence builds a report on your own computer. A team that wants colleagues to open the same report in the cloud needs Pro or Premium, as the page describes.
Refresh limits that matter for automation
A report is only as current as its data. Microsoft’s data refresh documentation says a semantic model on shared capacity can have up to eight scheduled refresh time slots a day, and up to 48 on Premium capacity, Premium Per User or Fabric capacity. It states that the shared-capacity limit applies to scheduled refreshes and to refreshes triggered through the REST API, so a workflow tool that calls the API does not get around it. Refreshes can also be started on demand.
Where Power BI fits with automation
Power BI is a reporting layer. It reads data that other systems collect. Workflow tools such as n8n can move data into the files or databases that a report reads. Microsoft’s overview also lists Data Activator for real-time alerting and automation, and the service lists email subscriptions and alerts, so a report can notify people without anyone opening it. The pillar guide explains where reporting sits in a wider automation plan, and what AI automation is covers the basics.
What to plan for
Windows for building. Microsoft’s overview lists Power BI Desktop as a Windows app. Microsoft says the Power BI service can also be used in a browser.
Per-user cost. Microsoft prices Pro and Premium Per User per user. Count the people who will build and share reports before choosing.
Dollar pricing. The peso bill depends on the exchange rate and on what Microsoft charges at checkout in the Philippines.
Data in reports. A dashboard often holds customer or staff information. Under the Data Privacy Act (Republic Act No. 10173, Section 20), a business must use reasonable and appropriate security measures. Power BI lists row-level security and sensitivity labels for this, and a person in your business should own the access settings.
Frequently asked questions
What is Power BI used for?
To turn data from sources such as Excel files and databases into reports and dashboards that colleagues can view and filter. Microsoft calls it a business analytics platform.
Is Power BI free?
Power BI Desktop is free to build reports with, per Microsoft’s pricing page. Sharing reports with others needs Pro or Premium.
How much is Power BI Pro in the Philippines?
Microsoft’s US page lists Pro at US$14.00 per user a month, paid yearly, about PHP 879. The checkout price varies by currency and country, so confirm the peso figure with Microsoft or a reseller.
Can I use Power BI on a Mac?
Microsoft describes Power BI Desktop as a Windows app. The Power BI service runs in a browser.
How often can Power BI refresh data?
Microsoft allows up to 8 scheduled refreshes a day on shared capacity and up to 48 on Premium, Premium Per User and Fabric capacity.
Sources
All sources were read on 12 Oct 2026.
- Microsoft, Power BI pricing: licences, prices, checkout note.
- Microsoft Learn, What is Power BI?: parts, features, Windows app.
- Microsoft Learn, Data refresh in Power BI: refresh limits.
- Republic Act No. 10173, Data Privacy Act of 2012, via Lawphil.
- European Central Bank euro reference rates, retrieved through the Frankfurter API (api.frankfurter.dev): EUR to PHP and USD, 9 Oct 2026.