In this Power BI Tutorial, we will discuss the difference between Microsoft Power BI and Power BI dashboard. So let us check the Power BI report vs dashboard differences.
What is Power BI report?
Power BI report is a collection of pages or dashboards in a Single file. On each page, there are multiple visualizations.
If you are using Power BI desktop, then it allows us to create multiple pages in a single file and each page is known as a report. The report came from the same data source.
In Power BI, we can create reports over your data model using the tables, columns, and visualization tools, and also reports usually created on the same data set.
What is Power BI Dashboard?
Power BI Dashboard is a collection of multiple visualizations on a single page therefore it is known as canvas. The Power BI Dashboard is a high-level business data view where navigation of report to power bi dashboard originates.
Difference between Power BI Report and Dashboard
A lot of people get confused between Power BI Report and Dashboard. Here we will be discussing how are they different from each other.
- A Power BI Report is a multi-page canvas where a dashboard is a single-page canvas. A report consists of one or more than the dashboard.
- Power BI Reports can be created on both Power BI desktop and service but the power bi dashboard is not available in power bi desktop.
- Email subscription is available on the Power BI Report, but it is not available in the Power BI Dashboard.
- Power BI Report has many ways to slice and filter the visuals, but the dashboard has not that feature to slice or dice.
- Power BI Reports are used to analyze the real-time data in detail but the dashboard is used to analyze the high visibility of data.
- Power BI Reports are individual datasets and the Power BI Dashboards are a collection of different datasets.
- The Report can see tables, datasets, the field of the data in detail but in the dashboard, we can not see the data source as the reader only get the single page visualization.
Power bi report vs Dashboard
Here we will see the difference between power bi report and dashboard:
| Comparision on the basis | Power BI Report | Power BI Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Email Subscription feature | Power Bi reports can be subscribed by the users to deliver to their email box at any given point in time. | The email Subscription feature is not present in the power bi dashboard. |
| Multi pages feature | In the power Bi report, there are multiple pages and the navigation between the pages is simply because of the navigation pane which is present at the bottom of the report page. | In the power Bi dashboard, there is no concept of pages, everything is on one page. |
| Usage | In the power bi Report, the data analyzed by a business analyst to know more about business, which further helps the business owner decide on information provided by the Power Bi report. | In the Power Bi dashboard, in which we can view business insight and use KPI(key performance indicator) to make the business decision by the business owner by web or via the web application. |
| Application | Power Bi report is used everywhere when it comes to analyzing the business from sales to service. | Whereas power Bi dashboard is used by all modern business owner on this internet and mobile world |
| Slice feature | In the Power Bi report, we can simply slice and dice the data with slicers | In the power bi dashboard, there are no features for Slicing. |
| Benefits | By using a power bi report business analysts make a detailed analysis across dimensions and facts that are achieved. | By using the power Bi dashboard business owner can make a business profit and loss decision by analyzing a high-level view of key performance indicators (KPI). |
| Publish to web | Publish to web features are present power Bi report. With publish to web feature we can publish the power bi report on the public web page and also can be embedded in a publicly available web page. | Whereas in the power bi dashboard we cannot publish on the web at the timing of writing the post. |
| Interactivity feature | In addition to the slicer, in the power bi report, you can select a particular element in a chart and it will highlight the other element. Users can simply interact with power bi report elements and get more insight from them. | Whereas in the power bi dashboard with clicking on the tile you will be redirected to the report that built the element. |
| Automatic refresh | In the power Bi report, you need to manually refresh the data, otherwise, the report will not refresh automatically. | But In power bi dashboard gets refreshed automatically. The dashboard gets refreshes automatically whenever the data set refreshes. For direct queries, the dashboard refreshes every 15 minutes. |
| Customized by user is easy | In the Power bi report, we can change the tile and add the tile but it requires edit mode to change the report. | In the power bi dashboard, it is easy to change the size of the tile and also add new tiles (like image, text, web, and video) to the dashboard |
| Data Sources | In the power Bi report, there is only one dataset can be used as sources. | Whereas the power bi dashboard uses different types of data sources like maps, graphs, etc. |
| Data exported | In the Power bi report, the data can be exported to any format like excel. In reports, one can see datasets tables and values in them. | Power bi dashboards data can only be exported not the visualization. |
| Featured dashboard | A power bi report cannot be featured. | But the power bi dashboard can be set as featured. When you set another power bi dashboard to be featured, then the previously featured dashboard is replaced with new one. |
| Drill down/up | Power bi report can be drill down/up to the report level details through some of the visualization element. | But in the power bi dashboard drill down/up is not possible, and with a click on visuals present in the dashboard, you will be redirected to the report or page. |
| Pinning feature | In the Power bi report, we can pin visualization in any of the dashboards. And also you can pin the entire power bi report too. | But in the power bi dashboard, you can pin the visualization from the current dashboard to any of the dashboard. |
| Alert feature | Power bi report doesn’t have a feature to throw an alert | But in power bi dashboard can transmit alerts if certain condition met. |
| Customize visual feature | In the power bi report, we can download, publish, embed, analyze and filter, etc. | In the power bi dashboard, we can move and arrange visuals, add links, resize the visuals and view full screen, etc. |
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In this tutorial, we learned the difference between Power BI report vs dashboard.
After working for more than 15 years in Microsoft technologies like SharePoint, Office 365, and Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI), I thought will share my SharePoint expertise knowledge with the world. Our audiences are from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. For my expertise knowledge and SharePoint tutorials, Microsoft has been awarded a Microsoft SharePoint MVP (9 times). I have also worked in companies like HP, TCS, KPIT, etc.