Deployment and Licensing.
Power BI Report Server for on-premises deployment: Power BI Report Server is the best solution for organizations that are managing sensitive data in their infrastructure due to regulatory or compliance requirements. It accompanies SQL Server Enterprise Edition with Software Assurance or can be purchased with a separate license. Power BI Premium Service: This is a cloud-based service that depends on the Microsoft Azure platform. It belongs to the Power BI family and requires a Power BI Premium subscription. It's divided into two: capacity-based licensing (Premium Per Capacity) and user-based licensing (Premium Per User).
Features and Capability.
Power BI Report Server:
Supports Publishing of Power BI reports, paginated reports, and mobile reports.
It doesn't have many advanced AI capabilities, such as AutoML or cognitive services integrations.
It does not include some of the more cloud-specific features, such as Power BI dataflows, real-time data streaming, or ease of integration to other Microsoft cloud services like Azure Synapse Analytics.
Updates are semi-annual, which means fewer feature enhancements compared to the cloud.
Storage cap and data storage
Power BI Report Server: The storage is tied only to the organization's on-premises resources. There is no scalability in the cloud.
Power BI Premium Service Offers cloud storage capacity that is scalable from 100 TB to above, depending on the Premium tier selected.
Pricing and cost considerations
Power BI Report Server:
The cost flows through SQL Server Enterprise Edition with Software Assurance. If your company already has this, the minimum incremental cost applies.
Standalone licensing for Power BI Report Server is available, but it is generally seen as a more cost-effective option for organizations already using SQL Server Enterprise.
Power BI Premium Service:
Premium Per Capacity: It begins at $4,995 per dedicated capacity per month. This permits the dissemination of content organization-wide without requiring individuals to be Pro-licensed at the consumer level.
Premium Per User: This plan is priced at $20 per user per month and is well-suited for small teams or firms that require some advanced functionality yet do not need dedicated capacity.
5. Integration Options
Power BI Report Server: This tool allows for little integration with other tools and is mostly suitable for a standalone reporting environment.
Power BI Premium Service: Well-versed in integrated capabilities with Microsoft 365, Azure, and third-party cloud applications. The service favors an organization that is cloud-first in strategy.
