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Software · head to head

Baserow vs Power BI

Baserow logo

Baserow

Software

Open-source no-code database platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Power BI logo

Power BI

Software

Business analytics by Microsoft

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Baserow the free tier is capped at 3,000 rows and 2GB of storage per workspace; Power BI free tier cannot publish or share reports; Pro tier required for collaboration
  • They diverge on capability: Baserow covers Database tables, Power BI covers AI-powered Insights.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Baserow and Power BI actually diverge.

Attributes where Baserow and Power BI differ
AttributeBaserowPower BI
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Api, Self-hostedWeb, Desktop, Mobile
Founded20191975

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Baserow

  • Database tables
  • Multiple views
  • Forms
  • API access
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Templates
  • Plugins
  • Self-hosting

Only in Power BI

  • AI-powered Insights
  • Natural Language Queries
  • Real-time Dashboards
  • Paginated Reports
  • Mobile Apps
  • Excel
  • Azure
  • Dynamics 365

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Baserow

  • Self-hosting an open source alternative to a spreadsheet databasenot Power BI
  • Structured team data with Kanban, calendar and grid viewsnot Power BI
  • Building internal tools on top of a database with an APInot Power BI
  • Sharing data with external app users without giving them full seatsnot Power BI

Power BI

  • Self-service analyticsnot Baserow
  • Data explorationnot Baserow
  • Ad-hoc reportingnot Baserow
  • Collaborative analysisnot Baserow
  • Embedded analyticsnot Baserow

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Baserow

  • The free tier is capped at 3,000 rows and 2GB of storage per workspace
  • Kanban, calendar and survey views need Premium at $10 per user per month billed yearly
  • Role-based permissions, audit logs and SSO require Premium or higher
  • Row limits are per workspace rather than per table, so splitting data across bases does not raise the ceiling
  • Automation runs are metered as credits, 2,000 a month on free

Power BI

  • Free tier cannot publish or share reports; Pro tier required for collaboration
  • Free tier cannot schedule automatic data refreshes
  • Offline capabilities limited to local Power BI Desktop; cloud service always requires internet
  • Data refresh capped at 8 times per day on Pro tier without Premium Per User

Pricing, plan by plan

Baserow

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited rows
    • Core features
    • Community support
  • Premium$5/user/month
    • Row comments
    • Kanban view
    • Survey form

Power BI

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Local report creation in Power BI Desktop
    • Cannot publish or share
    • No scheduled refreshes
  • Power BI Pro$14/user/month
    • Publish and share reports
    • Up to 8 scheduled refreshes/day
    • Collaborate with other Pro users
  • Premium Per User$24/user/month
    • All Pro features
    • Up to 48 scheduled refreshes/day
    • Copilot integration

Which should you pick?

Choose Baserow if

  • You need database tables.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api, Self-hosted.
  • You also want multiple views.
Baserow review

Choose Power BI if

  • You need ai-powered insights.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want natural language queries.
Power BI review

Questions people ask

Is Baserow or Power BI better?
Neither clearly leads. Baserow starts at Free and Power BI at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Baserow or Power BI?
Baserow starts at Free and Power BI at Free.
Does Baserow or Power BI run on more platforms?
Baserow runs on Web, Api, Self-hosted. Power BI runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
Can I use Baserow for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Baserow best used for?
Baserow is most often used for self-hosting an open source alternative to a spreadsheet database, structured team data with kanban, calendar and grid views, building internal tools on top of a database with an api, sharing data with external app users without giving them full seats. Of those, self-hosting an open source alternative to a spreadsheet database and structured team data with kanban, calendar and grid views are not what Power BI is typically brought in for.
What can Baserow do that Power BI cannot?
Baserow covers Database tables, Multiple views, Forms, API access. Power BI covers AI-powered Insights, Natural Language Queries, Real-time Dashboards, Paginated Reports. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Power BI: Can I use Power BI Desktop offline?

Power BI Desktop runs locally and can edit reports offline, but publishing to the service and refreshing cloud data sources requires internet connection. Offline reports show cached data from the last refresh.

Source
Power BI: What are the data refresh limits for each tier?

Power BI Premium Per User allows up to 48 scheduled refreshes per day, while Pro tier is limited to 8 scheduled refreshes per day. Free tier cannot schedule automatic refreshes.

Source
Power BI: Can I use Power BI Free with shared data sources?

Free tier users can create local reports in Power BI Desktop but cannot publish to the Power BI Service for collaboration. Publishing requires Power BI Pro ($14/user/month).

Source
Power BI: Is SSO available and on which plan?

SSO is available on Power BI Premium Per User ($24/user/month) and Fabric capacity plans through Azure AD integration.

Source
Power BI: What does Copilot require in Power BI?

Copilot for natural language queries and automatic report generation requires Power BI Premium Per User or Fabric capacity pricing, not available on Pro or Free tiers.

Source
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