Power Platform licensing

Understand your options, maximise your value

Explore the licensing options for Microsoft Power Platform tools, including Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI. Learn how qualifying Microsoft 365 licences include some functionality and when premium licences are needed for advanced features and capabilities.

What does it cost?

Power Platform licensing explained

Choosing the right licensing plan for Microsoft Power Platform is crucial to making the most of its capabilities while ensuring cost-efficiency. Microsoft offers a range of licensing options designed to meet the diverse needs of businesses, whether you're a small organisation or a large enterprise.

But when do you need a Power Platform licence? Qualifying M365 licences give users access to use standard Power Platform tools including Power Apps (Canvas apps only), Power Automate and Power BI. For many projects and use cases, the included features will be enough to
get started.

For Power Apps and Power Automate, a premium licence is only required to use premium connectors or features (marked with a diamond or premium badge). For Power BI, a Pro licence is necessary to share reports and consume reports created by other users.

When do you need a licence? Considerations before you use Power Platform.

  • Power Apps using Dataverse or premium connectors are automatically classified as premium.
  • All users of a premium Power Apps must have a premium licence, even if they are not using premium features.
  • For Power BI, each user viewing each dashboard will also require a Pro licence.
  • Power Automate Flows using premium connectors make the entire flow premium.
  • Standalone premium flows for Power Automate require a premium Power Automate licence.

Selecting the right Power Platform licence is crucial for maximising value and ensuring cost-efficiency. While some functionality is included with existing Microsoft 365 licences, premium licences may be required for advanced features, such as accessing premium connectors in Power Apps and Power Automate or sharing reports in Power BI. Licensing requirements often depend on factors like user roles, workflow complexity and integration with external systems. By understanding your specific project goals and long-term needs, you can choose the plan that best supports your organisation's objectives while keeping costs under control.

Why would I need a Power Apps premium licence?

Power Apps Licensing

Power Apps allows businesses to develop low-code applications quickly and effectively. However, the standard licensing may not include all the features you need, particularly if your application relies on premium connectors or advanced functionality. A premium licence for Power Apps includes access to premium connectors, custom connectors and the ability to integrate with third-party data sources. Additionally, a premium licence enables you to have unlimited Power Apps and Power Pages for allocated users. If your organisation requires the flexibility to connect to complex data or use enterprise-level resources, upgrading to a premium licence can significantly expand your app-building capabilities and ensure scalability for future needs.

What to learn more about Power Apps licensing? Check out the Microsoft pricing page below.

See Power Apps pricing

Why would I need a Power Automate premium licence?

Power Automate Licensing

Power Automate enables users to automate processes, integrate apps, and create workflows with ease. However, to get the most out of this tool, you may find that the premium licence is necessary. A premium licence allows you access to premium connectors, such as Salesforce, SQL Server and Dataverse. Additionally, it provides access to custom connectors and enables more complex workflows that can drive business automation at scale. If your organisation needs to automate processes that involve high-volume tasks or data-sensitive integrations, a premium licence for Power Automate will allow you to maximise efficiency and expand automation capabilities across your business.

What to learn more about Power Automate licensing? Check out the Microsoft pricing page below.

See Power Automate pricing

Why would I need a Power BI premium licence?

Power BI Licensing

While Power BI offers substantial features in its standard free licence, opting for a premium licence unlocks additional capabilities that are crucial for businesses needing advanced analytics and reporting. A Power BI Premium licence provides users with higher data capacity, faster processing speeds and the ability to share reports internally and externally, note that users will need the same licence to view the content.

A premium licence also enables access to advanced AI-powered analytics, large-scale data models and enhanced governance and security features. If your organisation requires advanced data visualisation, real-time analytics, or the ability to distribute reports to a larger team, a premium licence for Power BI ensures that you have the tools necessary to elevate your business intelligence efforts and drive data-driven decision-making at scale.

What to learn more about Power BI licensing? Check out the Microsoft pricing page below.

See Power BI pricing

Stay informed

Current pricing & FAQs

To help you make the best decisions for your organisation, we’ve included links to the official Microsoft Pricing pages above for Power Apps, Power Automate and Power BI. This ensures you always have access to the most accurate and current information about licensing costs and options. Have questions about Microsoft licensing? Explore the Microsoft FAQ's for detailed answers and helpful documentation.

Still need assistance? Our team is here to help provide further guidance.

Licensing FAQs