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Power BI Desktop for Mac – Does Power BI Work on Mac?

Introduction

Power BI, developed by Microsoft, is a powerful data visualization and business intelligence tool widely used across industries. But if you’re a Mac user, one question often arises — Does Power BI work on Mac? The short answer is: Power BI Desktop is not natively available for macOS. However, there are several ways you can still use Power BI on your Mac system. Many of our students have Mac OS and they ask us about this question. This blog explains how.

Is Power BI Available for Mac?

No, Microsoft has not yet released a native version of Power BI Desktop for macOS. The official Power BI Desktop application only runs on Windows. However, this doesn’t mean Mac users are completely left out.

How Can Mac Users Use Power BI?

Here are some workarounds and alternatives for using Power BI on a Mac:

1. Use Power BI Online (Power BI Service)

Power BI offers a web-based version that works in any modern browser.

  • Visit https://app.powerbi.com
  • Sign in with your Microsoft account
  • You can view reports, dashboards, and collaborate with teams
  • However, creating and editing reports is more limited than the desktop version

2. Use Virtualization Software

You can run Windows on your Mac using virtualization tools like:

  • Parallels Desktop
  • VMware Fusion
  • VirtualBox

Once Windows is installed on your Mac via one of these tools, you can install and run Power BI Desktop as usual.

Pros:

  • Full Power BI Desktop functionality
    Cons:
  • Requires a Windows license and consumes system resources

3. Use Microsoft Remote Desktop

If you have access to a Windows PC or cloud server, you can:

  • Set up Microsoft Remote Desktop on your Mac
  • Access your Windows system remotely
  • Run Power BI Desktop on the remote machine

This is a great option for teams using virtual environments or workspaces.

4. Use Boot Camp (Intel Macs Only)

If you’re using an Intel-based Mac, you can install Windows using Boot Camp Assistant. Once installed:

  • Boot into Windows
  • Install and use Power BI Desktop

Note: Boot Camp is not supported on M1, M2, or M3 (Apple Silicon) Macs.

Power BI Alternatives for macOS

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of installing Windows, consider using alternative BI tools that work natively on macOS:

  • Tableau Public / Tableau Desktop
  • Google Data Studio (Looker Studio)
  • Zoho Analytics
  • Qlik Sense Cloud

These tools offer good visualization features and native support for macOS users.

Summary

Power BI Desktop does not run natively on macOS, but there are several ways Mac users can still work with it:

  • Use Power BI Service (Web Version)
  • Run Windows via Virtual Machine
  • Use Remote Desktop to access a Windows PC
  • Consider alternative tools for macOS

FAQs

Q: Can I install Power BI Desktop directly on my Mac?
A: No. Power BI Desktop is only available for Windows.

Q: Is the Power BI web version free?
A: Yes, Power BI Service (Web) has a free version for personal use.

Q: Does Power BI support M1/M2 MacBooks?
A: Not natively. You can use virtualization or remote desktop solutions.

Conclusion

While Power BI Desktop isn’t available for Mac users out of the box, multiple reliable workarounds allow you to use its powerful features on a Mac. Choose the method that best suits your technical comfort and workflow needs.