Power BI on Mac: Run the Windows-Only Power BI Desktop

Run Power BI Desktop on Mac with Parallels Desktop

Q: Is technical support available for Power BI and Parallels Desktop integration?

Yes. Both Microsoft and Parallels offer comprehensive support resources for Power BI Desktop and Parallels Desktop. Documentation, community forums, and direct customer support channels are available for both products.

Power BI Desktop doesn’t have a Mac version. There’s no native app, no beta, and no announced plan for one. If you need the full authoring experience—custom connectors, DAX modeling, Power Query, or Microsoft Fabric semantic models—you’ll need the Windows version.
Parallels Desktop lets you run that full Windows version on your mac, with support for all data connectors and full Fabric workflows. Microsoft-authorized for Windows 11 on Apple silicon.
Parallels Desktop and Power BI: how Mac users run the Windows authoring tool

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"Parallels Desktop Pro works really well and allows you to work with Power BI and Microsoft Access between MacOS and Windows 11."

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Power BI Desktop has no Mac version.
To use it on a Mac, you need to run the Windows version—and here’s how

There’s no Mac version of Power BI Desktop

Power BI Desktop is a Windows-only application. Microsoft hasn’t published a Mac version, and there’s no public roadmap suggesting one is coming. You can use Power BI Service in a browser on Mac, but that’s a different product. It’s useful for viewing reports and light edits, but it doesn’t replace the full Desktop experience. If your work depends on building models, transforming data, or working with custom connectors, you’ll need Power BI Desktop running on Mac. Parallels Desktop lets you run a licensed version of Windows 11 on your Mac, with Microsoft authorization for Apple silicon.

Power BI Service on Mac isn’t the same as Desktop

Power BI Service (the web app at app.powerbi.com) runs in any modern browser on Mac. It’s great for viewing reports, creating dashboards, and some semantic model editing. But it’s not where most analysts do their core work. Key capabilities—custom connectors, advanced Power Query M editing, large-model authoring, custom visual development, and certain Direct Lake authoring paths—still live in Power BI Desktop. For teams building reports day-to-day. Service complements Desktop instead of replacing it.

Parallels Desktop is Microsoft-authorized on Apple silicon

Parallels Desktop is a Microsoft-authorized way to run Windows 11 on Apple silicon Macs (M1 through M5, MacBook Neo). That means you can install Power BI Desktop just like you would on a Windows PC—sign in with your Microsoft account, connect to Fabric workspaces, and use Pro or Premium features without limitations. For Mac users, this is the most direct way to keep using Power BI Desktop without changing tools or workflows.

Power BI Desktop is still the primary authoring tool for Microsoft Fabric

Microsoft has been integrating Power BI into Microsoft Fabric since 2023. Power BI Premium per-capacity (P SKUs) sunset on January 1, 2026 for non-Enterprise Agreement customers and January 1, 2028 for EA customers.
Existing Premium subscriptions transitioned to Fabric capacities (F SKUs).

Despite this transformation, Power BI Desktop remains the primary authoring tool for Fabric semantic models, custom connectors, Direct Lake on OneLake editing, and report development. The Fabric web experience handles browser-based authoring for some scenarios but does not replace Desktop for professional BI work. Power BI Desktop is Windows-only. Mac users running Power BI Desktop through Parallels Desktop have the same Fabric authoring path as users on a native Windows machine.

Direct Lake authoring on OneLake requires Power BI Desktop

Custom connector development is Power BI Desktop only

P SKU to F SKU transition: what Mac-using BI teams need to know

Direct Lake authoring on OneLake requires Power BI Desktop

Direct Lake mode reads Parquet files directly from OneLake without the import-versus-DirectQuery tradeoff. Microsoft launched Direct Lake on OneLake semantic model creation from Power BI Desktop in March 2025. Live editing of Direct Lake semantic models happens in Power BI Desktop with changes flowing directly to the Fabric workspace. Mac users authoring Fabric semantic models in Direct Lake mode need Power BI Desktop, which means Windows. Parallels Desktop is the standard path.

Custom connector development is Power BI Desktop only

Power BI custom connectors (built using the Power Query SDK and the M language) are developed and tested in Power BI Desktop on Windows. The Fabric web authoring experience does not support custom connector development or testing. For some data engineering teams, Power BI Desktop is still the only practical way to build custom connectors for internal systems or niche data sources—and that workflow still depends on Windows.

P SKU to F SKU transition: what Mac-using BI teams need to know

Microsoft retired Power BI Premium per-capacity (P) SKUs and transitioned them to Fabric F SKUs. The last day to purchase or renew P SKUs was January 31, 2025. End-of-life for non-EA customers was January 1, 2026. EA customers have until January 1, 2028. Mappings: P1 to F64, P2 to F128, P3 to F256, P4 to F512, P5 to F1024. If your organization was running Power BI Premium, it is already on Fabric infrastructure. The Mac-using BI developers and data engineers in your organization still need Power BI Desktop on Windows to author against Fabric capacities.

Power BI Desktop, Service, and Pro:
which one do you actually need on Mac

Product	What it is	Mac status
Power BI Desktop	The Windows authoring tool for Power BI. Used to connect to data sources, transform data with Power Query, build semantic models with DAX, design reports, and develop custom visuals. The primary tool for BI developers and data analysts.	No Mac version. Run via Parallels Desktop.
Power BI Service	The web-based Power BI environment at app.powerbi.com. Used for sharing reports, viewing dashboards, scheduled refresh, workspace administration, and some browser-based authoring. Subscription tiered: Free, Pro, Premium Per User.	Runs in any browser on Mac. Sufficient for viewing and basic admin. Not sufficient for full report authoring.
Power BI Pro	A licensing tier (not a separate product). Power BI Pro license is required to publish reports to shared workspaces, share content with non-Pro users, and use most premium features. The same license applies whether you author in Desktop or Service.	License works on Mac. The license is platform-agnostic. The authoring tool requirement is what drives the Mac-via-Parallels path.
Microsoft Fabric	The unified analytics platform that Power BI is part of. Includes Power BI plus data engineering, data science, real-time analytics, and warehousing workloads. Capacity licensed via F SKUs.	Web-based Fabric portal works on Mac. Authoring against Fabric capacities still requires Power BI Desktop for most professional BI workflows.

Windows-only Power BI data connectors, and how to use them on Mac

Connector	What it is and why it matters	Category
Snowflake	Cloud data warehouse used by enterprises for data warehousing and analytics. Power BI Desktop connector supports DirectQuery and imports modes with single sign-on.	Cloud platforms
Google BigQuery	Google Cloud serverless data warehouse. Heavily used by digital-native and Google Cloud customers. Power BI Desktop connector required for full feature access.	Cloud platforms
Amazon Redshift	AWS data warehouse. The Power BI Desktop connector handles authentication, schema discovery, and DirectQuery.	Cloud platforms
Azure Synapse Analytics	Microsoft cloud data warehouse (formerly SQL Data Warehouse). The Power BI Desktop connector is the supported path for full integration.	Cloud platforms
Azure Data Lake Storage	Microsoft data lake storage in Azure. Power BI Desktop required for the import path.	Cloud platforms
Salesforce	CRM platform. The Salesforce Objects and Salesforce Reports connectors are Windows-only in Power BI Desktop.	SaaS apps
Google Analytics	Web analytics platform. Universal Analytics and GA4 connectors are Windows-only in Power BI Desktop.	SaaS apps
Google Sheets	Web spreadsheet. Power BI Desktop connector required.	SaaS apps
Adobe Analytics	Enterprise web analytics. Power BI Desktop connector for Windows only.	SaaS apps
Marketo	Marketing automation. Power BI Desktop connector for Windows only.	SaaS apps
Facebook Insights	Meta business platform analytics. Power BI Desktop connector required.	SaaS apps
Zendesk	Customer support platform. Power BI Desktop connector required.	SaaS apps
Atlassian Confluence	Wiki and documentation platform. Connector requires Power BI Desktop.	SaaS apps
Atlassian Jira	Issue tracking. Connector requires Power BI Desktop.	SaaS apps
GitHub	Code hosting. Power BI Desktop connector for Windows only.	SaaS apps
Dropbox	File storage. Power BI Desktop connector required.	SaaS apps
Oracle Database	Enterprise relational database. Power BI Desktop connector with full feature support.	Databases
MySQL Database	Open-source relational database. Power BI Desktop connector required for the full driver and feature set.	Databases
IBM Db2	Enterprise database. Power BI Desktop connector required.	Databases
Sybase Database	Enterprise database. Power BI Desktop connector required.	Databases
Teradata Database	Enterprise data warehouse. Power BI Desktop connector required.	Databases
SAP HANA	In-memory enterprise database. Power BI Desktop connector for Windows only.	SAP ecosystem
SAP BW Business Warehouse	SAP data warehouse. Power BI Desktop connector required.	SAP ecosystem
SAP NetWeaver	SAP application platform. Power BI Desktop connector required.	SAP ecosystem
SAP BusinessObjects	SAP BI platform. Power BI Desktop connector required.	SAP ecosystem
Apache Spark	Big data processing. Power BI Desktop connector required.	Big data
Apache Cassandra	Distributed NoSQL database. Power BI Desktop connector required.	Big data
Apache Hive	Hadoop data warehouse. Power BI Desktop connector required.	Big data
Hadoop File HDFS	Hadoop file system. Power BI Desktop connector required.	Big data
Microsoft Exchange Online	Email platform. Power BI Desktop connector required.	Microsoft ecosystem
SharePoint Online	SharePoint platform. List and Folder connectors with full feature support.	Microsoft ecosystem
SQL Server Analysis Services	Enterprise OLAP. Live Connect and import via Power BI Desktop.	Microsoft ecosystem
Active Directory	Identity directory. Power BI Desktop connector for Windows only.	Microsoft ecosystem
OData feeds	Open Data Protocol feeds. Power BI Desktop connector with full feature support.	Open standards
Custom connectors via Power Query SDK	User-developed connectors using the Power Query SDK and M language. Development and testing requires Power BI Desktop on Windows.	Custom development

The verdict: how to actually run Power BI Desktop on a Mac

If you only view Power BI reports and dashboards

Power BI Service in a Mac browser is sufficient for viewing reports and dashboards published by colleagues. Safari, Chrome, and Edge all work. You do not need Power BI Desktop or Parallels Desktop for viewing-only workflows.

Run Power BI Desktop through Parallels Desktop if you author reports

Run Power BI Desktop through Parallels Desktop if you build reports, develop semantic models, write DAX, transform data with Power Query M, develop custom visuals, or use any of the 35 Windows-only data connectors. The Mac browser version of Power BI Service is not sufficient for these workflows. Best for BI developers, data analysts, FP&A teams, marketing analytics teams, and anyone whose primary work is in Power BI Desktop.

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Microsoft Fabric authors still need Power BI Desktop on Windows

Microsoft Fabric semantic model editing, Direct Lake on OneLake authoring, custom connector development, and most enterprise Fabric authoring scenarios still require Power BI Desktop on Windows. The Fabric web experience handles browser-based authoring for some scenarios but not the full professional toolkit. Mac users in Fabric organizations need Power BI Desktop, which means Parallels Desktop.

On Apple silicon, Parallels Desktop is the only Microsoft-authorized option

Parallels Desktop is the only solution Microsoft has authorized to run Windows 11 on Apple silicon Macs (M1 through M5, MacBook Neo). For Power BI Desktop specifically, this is the only authorized way to run the Windows-only authoring tool on a recent Mac.

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Where Power BI on Mac falls short, and what Parallels Desktop adds

Performance and stability for large semantic models

Custom visuals, themes, and report design

Data sources and connectors

Over 35 Power BI data connectors are Windows-only, including Snowflake, BigQuery, Salesforce, Google Analytics, SAP HANA, Adobe Analytics, Marketo, GitHub, and SharePoint Online. The dedicated connectors module below lists each one. Running Power BI Desktop through Parallels Desktop on Mac gives you the full connector set with no missing data sources.

Microsoft ecosystem integration

Full integration with Excel (including Pivot Tables driven by Power BI semantic models), SQL Server, SQL Server Analysis Services, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Access databases, and Microsoft Fabric Direct Lake authoring requires the Windows version. Running Power BI Desktop through Parallels Desktop on Mac maintains all of these integrations.

DAX, semantic modeling, and authoring

Calculated columns, DAX measures, calculation groups, time intelligence functions, semantic model authoring, M language transformations in Power Query, custom visuals development, and Tabular Editor integration all require Power BI Desktop on Windows. The Mac browser version of Power BI Service does not provide these capabilities. Parallels Desktop runs the full authoring stack on Mac hardware.

Performance and stability for large semantic models

Power BI Desktop performance is heavily memory-bound for large semantic models. Parallels Desktop Pro Edition allocates additional RAM and dedicated CPU cores to the Windows VM, which Power BI Desktop can use for larger imports, faster refresh, and more responsive DAX query execution. For semantic models in the 1-10 GB range, the recommended Pro Edition allocation is 16 GB RAM minimum to the VM, with 32 GB or higher for larger models.

Custom visuals, themes, and report design

Custom visual development using the Power BI Visuals SDK (TypeScript and D3) requires Power BI Desktop on Windows. Custom theme JSON authoring, report bookmarks, drill-through configuration, and field parameter setup all happen in Power BI Desktop. Running Power BI Desktop through Parallels Desktop on Mac gives custom visual developers and report designers the full toolkit.

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How to set up Power BI Desktop on your Mac with Parallels Desktop

Get started with Parallels Desktop and start maximizing the potential of your Mac to run Power BI and more.

Download Parallels Desktop Pro Edition

Download Parallels Desktop Pro Edition. Pro Edition is recommended for Power BI Desktop because it supports higher VM memory allocation (up to 128 GB) and dedicated CPU cores—both of which become important when working with large semantic models.

Install Windows 11 with at least 16 GB RAM allocated to the VM

Parallels Desktop downloads and installs Windows 11 automatically on Apple silicon Macs. For Power BI Desktop, allocate at least 16 GB RAM to the Windows VM (32 GB recommended for semantic models over 1 GB). Allocate at least 4 dedicated CPU cores. These allocations can be changed later in VM settings.

*Windows license required

Install Power BI Desktop inside Windows

Open the Edge browser inside Windows and download Power BI Desktop from the Microsoft Store or from powerbi.microsoft.com. Run the installer. Sign in with the Microsoft account that holds your Power BI license (Free, Pro, or Premium Per User).

Enable Coherence mode so Power BI Desktop behaves like a native Mac app

Switch your VM to Coherence mode. Power BI Desktop will appear in your Mac dock, Cmd-Tab switcher, and Mission Control like any other Mac app. Pin it to your dock for one-click access. The Windows desktop disappears; only Power BI Desktop is visible.

Connect to Fabric workspaces, OneLake, and your data sources

Inside Power BI Desktop, sign in with your Microsoft work or school account to access your Fabric workspaces and OneLake catalog. From the Get Data ribbon, connect to your data sources: Snowflake, Salesforce, BigQuery, SAP HANA, or any of the 35 Windows-only connectors. The connector behavior matches what you would see on a native Windows machine.

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Who runs Power BI Desktop on Mac with Parallels Desktop

BI developers and report authors

BI developers building semantic models, authoring DAX measures, designing reports, and developing custom visuals depend on Power BI Desktop. Most ship reports daily and need the full Power Query M editor, calculation groups, time intelligence, and field parameters. Mac-using BI developers run Power BI Desktop through Parallels Desktop to keep their full authoring stack on Mac hardware.

Data analysts in finance, ops, and FP&A

Data analysts in finance and operations roles use Power BI Desktop for self-service BI: pulling data from Snowflake, BigQuery, Salesforce, and SAP, transforming with Power Query, and building dashboards for leadership. The 35 Windows-only connectors are the reason these analysts cannot just use Power BI Service. Running Power BI Desktop through Parallels Desktop on Mac gives analysts the full connector and authoring stack.

Marketing analytics and growth teams

Marketing analysts depend on Windows-only Power BI connectors for Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Facebook, Marketo, Salesforce, and Google Sheets. The Mac browser version of Power BI Service does not include most of these. Running Power BI Desktop through Parallels Desktop is the standard path for Mac-based marketing analytics teams.

Microsoft Fabric data engineers and analytics engineers

Fabric professionals authoring semantic models, building Direct Lake on OneLake datasets, developing custom connectors, and editing Fabric workspaces use Power BI Desktop as the primary authoring tool. The Fabric web experience does not replace Desktop for professional work. Parallels Desktop on Mac is the standard path for Mac-using Fabric teams.

Enterprise IT teams and BI Centers of Excellence

IT teams standardizing on Mac hardware while supporting Power BI workflows across the organization need a managed path to Power BI Desktop. Parallels Desktop Business Edition provides centralized VM management, license compliance, and Microsoft authorization for Windows 11 on Apple silicon. BI Centers of Excellence can roll out Power BI Desktop to Mac users without procuring Windows hardware.

Mac switchers with existing Power BI workflows

Users switching from a Windows PC to Mac who already work daily in Power BI Desktop cannot abandon their existing reports, semantic models, and connector configurations. Parallels Desktop runs the full Windows version of Power BI Desktop on Mac with no migration required; your existing PBIX files, semantic models, and Microsoft account sign-in continue to work as they did on the Windows PC.

Why choose Parallels Desktop?

Authorized by Microsoft

Parallels Desktop is the only virtualization tool Microsoft has authorized to run Windows 11 on Apple silicon Macs (M1 through M5, MacBook Neo). For Power BI Desktop specifically, this means licensed access to the Windows-only authoring tool, full Microsoft account sign-in, full Power BI Pro and Premium Per User licensing, and full integration with the Microsoft Fabric authoring stack.

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Using Power BI on Mac with Parallels Desktop FAQs

Is Power BI available on Mac?

Power BI Desktop has no Mac version. The web-based Power BI Service runs in any Mac browser but is a different product with limited authoring capabilities. To run the full Windows version of Power BI Desktop on Mac, install Parallels Desktop Pro Edition and run Windows 11 on your Mac. Parallels Desktop is Microsoft-authorized for Windows 11 on Apple silicon.

Can I run Power BI on a Mac using Parallels Desktop?

Yes. Parallels Desktop Pro Edition runs the full Windows version of Power BI Desktop on Mac, including all 35 Windows-only data connectors, custom visual development, DAX modeling, and Microsoft Fabric authoring. Works on Apple silicon Macs (M1 through M5, MacBook Neo) and Intel Macs.

Will Power BI perform well on Parallels Desktop for Mac?

Yes. Power BI Desktop performance on Parallels Desktop Pro Edition is comparable to native Windows performance, provided you allocate sufficient resources to the VM. Recommended: minimum 16 GB RAM and 4 dedicated CPU cores for the Windows VM (32 GB RAM and 8 cores for semantic models over 1 GB). Confirm Mac system meets Parallels Desktop minimum system requirements.

Can I access all the features of Power BI on a Mac via Parallels Desktop?

Yes. Parallels Desktop runs the full Windows version of Power BI Desktop with no feature reduction. This includes all 35 data connectors, full Power Query M language editor, DAX measure authoring, custom visual development, calculation groups, time intelligence, semantic model editing, and Microsoft Fabric Direct Lake on OneLake authoring.

Is Parallels Desktop easy to set up for running Power BI on a Mac?

Yes. Install Parallels Desktop Pro Edition, allow Windows 11 to install automatically, then install Power BI Desktop from the Microsoft Store inside Windows. Total setup time is approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Detailed step-by-step instructions appear in the setup guide above.

Can I run other Windows applications alongside Power BI with Parallels Desktop Pro?

Yes. Parallels Desktop runs over 200,000 Windows applications on Mac. Common Power BI complementary apps include SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), Tabular Editor, DAX Studio, Visual Studio with Analysis Services projects, and the Microsoft Fabric portal in Edge.

Why are some data connectors or data integrations only available in the Windows version of software like Power BI?

Microsoft's connector ecosystem for Power BI Desktop is built around the .NET runtime and Windows-specific drivers. Many enterprise connectors (Snowflake, BigQuery, Salesforce, SAP HANA, Oracle, Active Directory, and more) ship with the Windows authoring tool only. The dedicated connectors module above lists each one. Running Power BI Desktop through Parallels Desktop on Mac gives you all of them.

Can I collaborate with Windows users while using Power BI on Parallels Desktop?

Yes. Power BI Desktop files (PBIX) created on Parallels Desktop on a Mac are bit-identical to those created on a native Windows machine, because they are running in the same Windows version. Full file compatibility, full collaboration with Windows-using teammates.

Is technical support available for Power BI and Parallels Desktop integration?

Yes, technical support is available for Power BI and Parallels Desktop integration. Both Microsoft and Parallels offer comprehensive support resources, including documentation, forums, and customer support channels, to assist users with any questions or issues they may encounter.

Can I use Power BI on a Mac?

Yes, you can use Power BI on a Mac, but the experience depends on which version you use.

Power BI Desktop, the full data modeling and report-building tool, is only available for Windows. Mac users typically run Power BI Desktop by installing Windows on their Mac using virtualization software such as Parallels Desktop.

If you do not need the desktop application, you can access Power BI Service (PowerBI.com) through a web browser on macOS. The web version allows you to view dashboards, collaborate, and interact with reports, but some advanced modeling and data preparation features are only available in Power BI Desktop.

Is Power BI on Mac good?

Power BI works well on a Mac when you run the Windows version through virtualization or a virtual machine.

This approach allows Mac users to use the full Power BI Desktop experience, including data modeling, DAX calculations, and report development. Performance will depend on your Mac’s processor, memory, and available resources.

If you only need to view dashboards or collaborate on reports, using Power BI through a browser on macOS is usually sufficient.

Is Power BI Mac free?

Power BI itself has both free and paid versions, but there is no separate Mac-specific version.

The Power BI Desktop application is free, but it runs only on Windows. Mac users who want to use it must install Windows on their Mac.

The cloud version, Power BI Service, offers a free tier for personal use. However, organizations often use Power BI Pro or Power BI Premium, which require a paid subscription to share reports and collaborate with teams.

What is the Apple equivalent of Power BI?

There is no direct Apple-made equivalent to Power BI, but several analytics and business intelligence tools work well on macOS.

Common alternatives include:

Tableau – advanced data visualization and analytics platform
Looker Studio (Google) – cloud-based reporting and dashboard tool
Qlik Sense – business intelligence and analytics platform
Mode Analytics – SQL-based analytics and reporting platform

Many Mac users still choose to run Power BI Desktop on Mac through Windows virtualization, because it provides the full Microsoft data modeling and reporting capabilities used in many organizations.

What is the difference between Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service, and which do I need on Mac?

Power BI Desktop is the Windows authoring tool used to build reports, develop semantic models, and connect to data sources. Power BI Service is the web-based environment at app.powerbi.com used for sharing, viewing, and basic administration. If you only view reports and dashboards, Power BI Service in a Mac browser is sufficient. If you author reports, develop semantic models, write DAX, or use any of the 35 Windows-only connectors, you need Power BI Desktop, which means Windows. Parallels Desktop is the standard path on Mac.

Does Power BI Desktop work with Microsoft Fabric when running through Parallels Desktop on Mac?

Yes. Power BI Desktop running through Parallels Desktop on Mac connects to Microsoft Fabric workspaces, OneLake, Fabric capacities (F SKUs), and Direct Lake on OneLake datasets exactly as it does on a native Windows machine. Power BI Desktop remains the primary authoring tool for Fabric semantic models, custom connectors, and Direct Lake editing. Mac users have the same Fabric authoring path as Windows users.

How much RAM do I need to run Power BI Desktop on Mac with Parallels Desktop?

Allocate at least 16 GB of RAM to the Windows VM when running Power BI Desktop in Parallels Desktop. For semantic models larger than 1 GB, 32 GB or more is recommended. Macs with 32 GB of total memory can comfortably run Parallels Desktop with a 16 GB VM allocation, while systems with 64 GB or 128 GB of unified memory—particularly M-series Pro and Max models—are better suited for very large semantic models.

Can I develop custom Power BI connectors on Mac?

Custom Power BI connectors (built using the Power Query SDK and the M language) require Power BI Desktop on Windows for development and testing. The Fabric web authoring experience does not support custom connector development. Running Power BI Desktop through Parallels Desktop on Mac is the standard path for custom connector developers on Mac hardware.

Does Parallels Desktop Pro Edition include a Power BI Pro license?

No. Parallels Desktop and Power BI are separate products from separate vendors. Parallels Desktop Pro Edition is the recommended Parallels tier for running Power BI Desktop because it allows higher VM RAM allocation and dedicated CPU cores. Your Power BI Pro or Power BI Premium Per User license is purchased separately from Microsoft and signs in to Power BI Desktop with your Microsoft account.

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Power BI Desktop has no Mac version. To use it on a Mac, you need to run the Windows version—and here’s how

There’s no Mac version of Power BI Desktop

Power BI Service on Mac isn’t the same as Desktop

Parallels Desktop is Microsoft-authorized on Apple silicon

Power BI Desktop is still the primary authoring tool for Microsoft Fabric

Microsoft has been integrating Power BI into Microsoft Fabric since 2023. Power BI Premium per-capacity (P SKUs) sunset on January 1, 2026 for non-Enterprise Agreement customers and January 1, 2028 for EA customers. Existing Premium subscriptions transitioned to Fabric capacities (F SKUs).

Power BI Desktop, Service, and Pro: which one do you actually need on Mac

Windows-only Power BI data connectors, and how to use them on Mac

The verdict: how to actually run Power BI Desktop on a Mac

If you only view Power BI reports and dashboards

Run Power BI Desktop through Parallels Desktop if you author reports

Microsoft Fabric authors still need Power BI Desktop on Windows

On Apple silicon, Parallels Desktop is the only Microsoft-authorized option

Where Power BI on Mac falls short, and what Parallels Desktop adds

Parallels Desktop Pro Edition

How to set up Power BI Desktop on your Mac with Parallels Desktop

Download Parallels Desktop Pro Edition

Install Windows 11 with at least 16 GB RAM allocated to the VM

Install Power BI Desktop inside Windows

Enable Coherence mode so Power BI Desktop behaves like a native Mac app

Connect to Fabric workspaces, OneLake, and your data sources

Who runs Power BI Desktop on Mac with Parallels Desktop

Why choose Parallels Desktop?

Using Power BI on Mac with Parallels Desktop FAQs

See what you are capable of with Parallels

200,000+ apps and integrations

Run Excel on Mac

Run Office365 on Mac

Run the Windows-only Power BI Desktop on your Mac

Power BI Desktop has no Mac version.
To use it on a Mac, you need to run the Windows version—and here’s how

Microsoft has been integrating Power BI into Microsoft Fabric since 2023. Power BI Premium per-capacity (P SKUs) sunset on January 1, 2026 for non-Enterprise Agreement customers and January 1, 2028 for EA customers.
Existing Premium subscriptions transitioned to Fabric capacities (F SKUs).

Power BI Desktop, Service, and Pro:
which one do you actually need on Mac