"What does it cost to have a Power BI dashboard built?" is a fair question with a fair, but nuanced answer: it depends on where your data comes from and how complicated your question is. A simple dashboard on a single source is something very different from a data model that brings together CRM, accounting and webshop. In this article we break the price down plainly — build costs, licences and maintenance — with indicative ballpark prices for 2026, so you know what having a Power BI dashboard built realistically costs.
What does a Power BI dashboard cost? This determines the price
The price of a Power BI dashboard is not determined by the number of charts you see, but by what sits underneath. Drawing a nice chart is the easy part. The real work — and therefore the real cost — is in unlocking, cleaning up and bringing your data together. In practice, five factors determine where you land:
1. Number of data sources. Connecting one source (for example just your accounting) is manageable. As soon as you want to combine CRM, accounting, webshop and a few Excel files, the work multiplies: every source has its own API, its own field names and its own quirks.
2. Complexity of the data model. Different sources don't automatically speak the same language. What your CRM calls a 'customer' is a 'debtor' in your accounting. Making those things line up in one clean model — with definitions everyone agrees on — is where much of the budget goes.
3. Number of dashboards and customisation. One dashboard for the board is cheaper than a set with separate views for sales, finance and operations, each with its own access rights. Specific calculations, forecasting or a custom portal come on top of that.
- Number and type of data sources (API, database, standalone Excel file)
- Quality of your data — messy data takes more time to clean up
- Complexity of the data model and the KPI definitions
- Number of dashboards, roles and access levels
- Customisation: forecasting, custom calculations, own portal
Ballpark prices 2026: three scenarios
Below you'll find indicative ballpark prices for the one-off build, split into three scenarios. These are explicitly ranges and not quotes: your situation determines exactly where you fall. In practice a short intake is enough to sharpen this into a fixed project price.
The biggest jump sits between scenario 1 and 2. As soon as you bring multiple sources together into one data model, the design and clean-up work is added — and that is precisely where the value sits, because that is where one truth emerges instead of loose figures.
| Scenario | What you get | Ballpark price (indicative, one-off) |
|---|---|---|
| Simple dashboard, 1 source | One data source, standard KPIs, one view | €3,000 – €8,000 |
| Multiple sources + data model | CRM, accounting and/or webshop brought together, multiple views | €8,000 – €20,000 |
| Enterprise / custom | Many sources, complex model, roles, forecasting, own portal | €20,000+ |
Licence costs: don't forget the monthly Power BI price
The build is a one-off, but Power BI also brings ongoing licence costs — and those are often forgotten in the budget. Anyone who wants to view or edit the dashboard interactively needs a licence.
Power BI Pro costs indicatively around €9.40 per user per month. For a small team that is manageable; for a hundred viewers it adds up. Power BI Premium and Microsoft Fabric (the capacity-based variants) are more expensive, but can actually work out cheaper from a certain number of users onwards, because viewers then no longer need an individual Pro licence. Always work out the licence choice based on the number of people who genuinely look at the dashboard.
If you're already in the Microsoft world — for example after a Microsoft 365 migration — then Power BI fits seamlessly into your existing environment and the licence step is small. If you're on Google Workspace, that is a consideration to weigh in; more on that later.
One-off build versus ongoing maintenance
A dashboard is not a project you finish and forget. It runs on connections that can break: an API changes, a source gets an update, a new question from the business calls for an extra view. That's why we usually split the costs into two parts.
The build is the one-off investment from the table above. The maintenance is an optional monthly amount for watching over the refresh, resolving connection problems and making small changes. In practice that is a fraction of the build cost per month — but it is the difference between a dashboard that keeps adding up and a dashboard that grinds to a halt after three months.
If you'd rather hand the management over entirely, this fits well within broader outsourced IT management. And if your main pain is connections that get updated manually, then automation via the Flow-Lab is often the logical next step. We don't just build — we also manage, so you don't have to knock on two doors if something jams.
Free alternative: when Looker Studio is enough
Not every dashboard needs to be in Power BI. Looker Studio (Google) is free to use and strong for marketing and web data: Google Analytics, Google Ads and webshop data connect to it smoothly. For a lighter reporting need it saves you the licence costs entirely.
Power BI wins on deeper data models, heavier calculations and integration with the Microsoft stack. Looker Studio is lighter and cheaper, but hits its limits sooner with complex models. Because we do both ecosystems — Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace — we don't blindly pick a side: we advise based on your sources, your team and your budget. Want to see the full trade-off? Read Looker Studio vs. Power BI.
Curious what such a live dashboard looks like in practice? Take a look at the interactive cockpit demo with eight dashboards running in real time.
In short
- A simple Power BI dashboard on one source costs indicatively €3,000–€8,000; multiple sources with a data model €8,000–€20,000; enterprise/custom €20,000+.
- The price is not in the charts, but in connecting, cleaning up and bringing your data together into one data model.
- Alongside the one-off build, factor in licence costs too: Power BI Pro is indicatively ~€9.40 per user/month, Fabric/Premium more expensive.
- Maintenance is optional but sensible — it keeps connections and refreshes adding up.
- Looker Studio is a free alternative for lighter, marketing-oriented reporting; the right choice depends on your situation.
Read more
- Looker Studio vs. Power BI: which suits you?
- Have a Power BI dashboard built
- View the live dashboard demo
- What does outsourced IT management cost?
Frequently asked questions
What does a simple Power BI dashboard with one data source cost?
Indicatively between €3,000 and €8,000 for the one-off build. That is a ballpark for one clean source, standard KPIs and a single view. The cleaner your data and the clearer your question, the lower you land in that range. A short intake is usually enough to sharpen this into a fixed project price.
Why is a dashboard with multiple sources so much more expensive?
Because the real work is not in the charts, but in bringing the data together. Every source has its own API, its own field names and its own quirks, and they all have to line up in one clean data model with definitions everyone agrees on. That design and clean-up work explains the jump to an indicative €8,000 to €20,000.
How much do the Power BI licences cost per month?
Power BI Pro costs indicatively around €9.40 per user per month. Anyone who wants to view or edit the dashboard interactively needs such a licence. Microsoft Fabric and Power BI Premium are more expensive per month, but can actually work out cheaper from a larger number of viewers onwards. Always work out the licence based on the number of people who genuinely look at the dashboard.
What does maintenance of a Power BI dashboard cost?
Maintenance is an optional monthly amount and in practice a fraction of the build cost per month. With it we watch over the refresh, resolve connection problems and make small changes. It is the difference between a dashboard that keeps adding up and a dashboard that grinds to a halt after a few months because a source changed.
Is a free dashboard in Looker Studio a good alternative?
For lighter, marketing-oriented reporting, often yes. Looker Studio is free to use and strong for web and advertising data. Power BI wins on deeper data models, heavier calculations and the Microsoft stack. The right choice depends on your sources, your team and your budget; that is why we advise per situation rather than picking a fixed side in advance.
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