💁 About this article
This article is part of Fugo’s Power BI knowledge base: a collection of resources answering common Power BI questions. We include notes throughout where Fugo’s integration may be helpful for displaying dashboards on digital signage.
Table of contents
Short answer
Yes, there is a free version of Power BI.
It’s designed for learning, personal analysis, and report creation, not for sharing or distributing dashboards to others.
In practical terms, “free” in Power BI means authoring, not consumption. You can build reports at no cost, but the moment other people need to view them, licensing comes into play.
What Microsoft means by “Power BI Free”
When Microsoft refers to Power BI Free, they’re usually talking about a combination of:
Power BI Desktop (the report-building application)
A limited experience in the Power BI Service tied to a free account
Together, this allows individuals to build reports and explore data without paying, as long as the work stays personal.
What the free version is good for
Power BI Free works well if you want to:
Learn Power BI or practice building reports
Analyze data on your own computer
Create proof-of-concept dashboards
Experiment before committing to licenses
There are no feature caps inside Power BI Desktop itself, which is why it’s widely used for self-learning and training.
What the free version can’t do
Power BI Free is intentionally limited when it comes to sharing and collaboration.
With only the free version, you cannot:
Share reports securely with other users
Give view-only access to coworkers or clients
Use Power BI as a shared reporting platform
Manage permissions, audiences, or access controls
Microsoft does offer a public sharing option (Publish to web), but this makes reports accessible to anyone with the link and is not suitable for most business use cases.
When Power BI stops being free
Power BI stops being free as soon as you want to:
Let other people view your reports securely
Publish dashboards for team or company use
Display reports in shared or public-facing environments
At that point, Power BI requires paid licenses or capacity, depending on how content is published and consumed.
Summary
Power BI does have a free version
It’s intended for individual use and learning
Sharing and distribution are not free features
“Free” in Power BI means authoring, not consumption
Understanding this distinction helps set realistic expectations before you invest time building dashboards.
Power BI on digital signage with Fugo
Power BI’s free version is designed around individual users. If your goal is to make dashboards visible in shared spaces - such as office screens, operations areas, or team displays - you’ll need an additional delivery layer.
Fugo’s Power BI app is built for displaying Power BI dashboards on digital signage at scale. You can explore it on a free trial or book a demo to see how teams typically deploy Power BI to screens.