TL;DR
Why pay for licenses for every Power BI user when all they need are standardized reports at a regular frequency? BI Helper simplifies reporting with plans starting at $50/month, delivering PDFs directly to your team without excessive licensing costs. From small teams to enterprises, BI Helper offers smarter, scalable, and budget-friendly solutions.
Power BI is a powerful analytics and visualization tool, but its multiple licensing options often leave organizations wondering which one gives them the best value for their money. With Pro, Premium Per User (PPU), and now Fabric, costs can grow quickly, especially for businesses that report on a large scale.
On the other hand, BI Helper offers a straightforward, cost-effective alternative that simplifies report distribution through automated PDF generation and delivery.
In the context of report distribution, let’s see how Power BI’s licensing compares to BI Helper’s, so you can decide what best suits your needs and budget.
Power BI Licenses
Power BI has multiple licensing options, but its pricing model often requires businesses to spend on licenses they don’t fully utilize, either for analytics or distribution. Let’s review its licensing options.
Power BI Pro: Costs $14 per user per month, which is affordable. However, every single person who needs to view or interact with a report requires a license. If your reports have 50 end-users, most of whom do not need to interact with data, that’s still $700 per month. As your team grows, costs quickly spiral.
Power BI Premium Per User (PPU): At $24 per user per month, Premium Per User has advanced features like larger model sizes, more frequent refresh rates, and more storage. While these capabilities are impressive, they’re overkill for most users, especially those who only need to consume reports, and are not required to either build them or analyze the data.
Microsoft Fabric (F64 or larger): Starting at $5,000 per month, this plan offers organization-wide Power BI licensing without needing individual Power BI licenses. While it’s built for enterprises with large data and analytics, it is not affordable for small and mid-sized businesses.
BI Helper Pricing Plans: Simple, Flexible, and Cost-Effective
When it comes to reporting, BI Helper redefines affordability and transparency. Unlike Power BI’s licensing model which ties your costs to the number of users, BI Helper lets you pay only for the reports you generate. With no lock-in or hidden fees, BI Helper offers plans for businesses of every size, making it a winner.
Standard Plan: For small teams with low-volume reporting needs, the Standard Plan is a great starting point. At just $50 per month, it includes 300 PDFs, with additional PDFs priced at $0.12 each. With manual filter and slicer input, it provides everything needed for lightweight reporting at a great price.
Premium Plan: If your business requires regular reporting, the Premium Plan strikes the right balance. For $100 per month, it includes 500 PDFs. It automates filter and slicer selection and processes up to 25 PDFs simultaneously. With 4 hours of annual support included, it’s ideal for medium-sized businesses looking to streamline their workflows.
Enterprise Plan: For large organizations with high reporting volumes, the Enterprise Plan is a powerhouse. Starting at $350 per month, it supports 1,500 PDFs and advanced automation for filters and slicers. With the ability to process 50 PDFs in parallel and 10 hours of support annually, this plan provides effortless scalability without breaking the bank.
On-Demand Plan: Need a short-term solution? The On-Demand Plan offers flexibility at $200 for a one-time package of 500 PDFs, valid for 15 days. It’s perfect for project-based reporting or businesses that only have to distribute reports once in a while.
BI Helper’s pricing is simple: no unnecessary user licenses, no inflated costs - just efficient, affordable reporting. Whether you’re a startup or a large enterprise, BI Helper delivers exactly what you need at a fraction of the price of Power BI.
BI Helper vs Power BI: What’s the Difference?
BI Helper takes a completely different approach to licensing as compared to Power BI. Rather than tying costs to the number of users accessing reports, BI Helper mainly charges based on usage, i.e., on reporting volume. Here’s how BI Helper makes reporting smarter:
1. License Optimization Without Compromise
One of the biggest challenges with Power BI is the need for licenses for every user. With BI Helper, you can:
- Generate reports using a single Power BI Pro license and share them with multiple stakeholders.
- Deliver customized, secure PDFs directly to recipients’ inboxes, without individual Power BI accounts.
- Cut down licensing costs significantly, ensuring your budget is used more efficiently.
For example, if your organization has 50 users who use reports, you will need 50 Power BI Pro licenses. With BI Helper, you only need one Power BI Pro license to generate and distribute reports to all users.
2. Scalability Made Simple
As your team grows, managing licenses for new users can quickly become a logistical and financial burden. BI Helper eliminates this challenge by providing:
On-demand Scalability: Whether you’re sharing reports with 10 people or 100, BI Helper’s automated workflows ensure seamless distribution without additional licensing expenses.
Affordability: Unlike Power BI plans where costs are tied to the number of users, BI Helper offers plans that grow with your needs while keeping costs low.
With BI Helper, you don’t have to worry about additional costs every time your organization adds new users.
3. Effortless Report Distribution
Manually sharing Power BI reports can be time-consuming and inefficient, especially if your audience isn’t familiar with dashboards or analytics tools. BI Helper automates this process by:
- Generating PDF versions of your reports tailored to each recipient’s needs.
- Delivering reports directly to recipients’ inboxes on a set schedule, ensuring they always have access to the latest insights.
- Making reports accessible to non-technical users who may not be comfortable navigating Power BI dashboards.
This approach removes barriers to data access, ensuring that every user gets the information they need in a user-friendly format.
4. Built-In Security and Compliance
While saving money and time is critical, data security is non-negotiable. BI Helper incorporates industry-leading security features to ensure your reports are handled with care:
- Encryption: All reports are protected with AES 256 encryption for secure storage and transmission.
- OAuth2 Integration: Access is managed securely, limiting exposure to sensitive data.
- Compliance: BI Helper meets SOC 2 and HIPAA standards, making it ideal for businesses in regulated industries like healthcare and finance.
This combination of cost-effectiveness and security makes BI Helper a top choice for organizations of all sizes.
Why BI Helper is the Smart Choice
Power BI’s subscription options can work for some organizations, but they often result in unnecessary costs and complexity. BI Helper offers a solution that’s simple, cost-effective, and easy to scale. Businesses can invest in a small number of Power BI licenses to design and create reports, then leverage the power of BI Helper to distribute them to end-users.
Automating reporting workflows and reducing licensing requirements means BI Helper ensures your team gets their insights - without the headaches.
Ready to simplify your reporting process? Start your 7-day free trial with BI Helper today. No credit card is required.
