Power Bi Desktop Vs. Power Bi Service: Key Differences

By Author: Sophia Taylor
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Power BI Desktop vs. Power BI Service: Key Differences

The two main parts of the Power BI ecosystem, Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service, each have specific functions. With Power BI Desktop, developers can create intricate reports and visualizations while connecting to several data sources and executing data transformations offline. For lone analysts who require a great level of personalization, it's perfect. On the other hand, Power BI Service is a cloud-based platform that allows teams to share and collaborate on reports and dashboards while providing real-time access to insights. Service improves accessibility and communication while Desktop concentrates on report development, enabling businesses to employ both technologies for their data analysis requirements efficiently.

What is Power BI Desktop?

You may download and install Power BI Desktop for free on your PC. It enables users to efficiently transform, view, and connect to a variety of data sources. You can generate extensive data models and reports using Power BI Desktop that you can distribute inside your organization. It is very helpful for those ...
... who need to do in-depth data analysis, such as data analysts and report writers.

What is Power BI Service?

A cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, Power BI Service is also frequently referred to as Power BI Online. It makes it easier for teams to collaborate and edit reports. Although Power BI Service allows you to connect to data sources, it is not as capable of modeling as Power BI Desktop. Power BI Service's main features include dashboard creation, report sharing, and data research for business insight extraction.

Key Distinctions Between Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service:

Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service are the two primary components of Power BI, and they each have different functions. A free on-premise solution for data analysis and report development is Power BI Desktop, also known as Power BI Designer. It is perfect for extensive data modeling because of its strong features, which include support for row-level security (RLS), data transformation, calculated columns, Python, and DAX.

On the other hand, Power BI Service—also referred to as Power BI Portal or Power BI Online—is a cloud-based tool for simple report editing and teamwork. Dashboards, sharing choices, gateway connections, and RSL management are among the services it provides. Teams can work together more easily and get real-time insights using Power BI Service than they can with Power BI Desktop, which does not support data sharing.

Selecting Between Power BI Service and Desktop

Various tools, each with specific functions, are available with Power BI. You might not be able to get what you need from just one. For instance, Power BI Service is more appropriate for editing and teamwork, but Power BI Desktop shines in data analysis and report production.
Using both platforms is beneficial for making the best use of Power BI. Use Power BI Desktop to analyze data and create reports first, then the Power BI Service to update and share reports.

Partner with Power BI Experts at Fidel Softech

You can see the benefits of utilizing both Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service to get the most out of your Power BI investment now that you are aware of their differences. Fidel Softech can assist if you're looking for skilled Power BI developers!
With our proficiency in Power BI, we can help you make the most of these technologies. To learn more about how we can improve your data capabilities, contact us at Fidel Softech.