Power BI Paginated Reports vs Interactive Reports: When to Use Each in 2026

<h2>Two Report Types, One Platform: Understanding Power BI's Dual Reporting Engine</h2>

<p>Power BI is not a single reporting tool—it is a platform that contains two fundamentally different report engines, each designed for different purposes, consumed in different ways, and authored with different tools. Choosing the wrong report type for a given use case is one of the most common mistakes organizations make during Power BI adoption, and it leads to frustrated users, wasted development effort, and reports that do not meet business requirements.</p>

<p><strong>Interactive reports</strong> (PBIX files authored in Power BI Desktop) are designed for data exploration, visual analytics, and dashboard-style consumption. Users click, filter, drill, and discover insights by interacting with visuals.</p>

<p><strong>Paginated reports</strong> (RDL files authored in Power BI Report Builder) are designed for operational reporting, compliance documentation, and formatted output. They render pixel-perfect, multi-page documents optimized for printing and export.</p>

<p>Both report types are first-class citizens in the Power BI service. Both can be published to workspaces, shared via Apps, secured with row-level security, and distributed through subscriptions. But they solve different problems, and understanding when to use each—and when to use both together—is the key to a successful enterprise Power BI deployment.</p>

<p>Our <a href="/services/power-bi-consulting">Power BI consulting team</a> designs reporting architectures that use both report types strategically. This guide provides the decision framework, technical comparison, and implementation guidance you need.</p>

<h2>Key Differences at a Glance</h2>

<table> <thead> <tr><th>Dimension</th><th>Interactive Reports</th><th>Paginated Reports</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr><td>Authoring tool</td><td>Power BI Desktop (free download)</td><td>Power BI Report Builder (free download)</td></tr> <tr><td>File format</td><td>PBIX (proprietary)</td><td>RDL (XML-based, open specification)</td></tr> <tr><td>Design paradigm</td><td>Canvas with drag-and-drop visuals</td><td>Banded layout (header, body, footer, groups)</td></tr> <tr><td>Data model</td><td>In-memory semantic model (import) or DirectQuery</td><td>Direct database queries per report execution</td></tr> <tr><td>Interactivity</td><td>Cross-filtering, drill-down, drill-through, tooltips, bookmarks, slicers</td><td>Parameters (dropdowns, date pickers, text input)</td></tr> <tr><td>Page layout</td><td>Fixed canvas size (no page breaks)</td><td>Multi-page with page breaks, headers, footers, page numbers</td></tr> <tr><td>Print output</td><td>Screen capture (not designed for print)</td><td>Pixel-perfect print layout (designed for print)</td></tr> <tr><td>Row limit</td><td>Visual-level limits (typically 30K rows displayed)</td><td>No practical row limit (renders all rows)</td></tr> <tr><td>Export formats</td><td>PDF, PowerPoint, Excel (data only), CSV, image</td><td>PDF, Excel (formatted), Word, CSV, XML, TIFF, MHTML</td></tr> <tr><td>Rendering</td><td>Client-side (browser/app renders visuals)</td><td>Server-side (fully rendered before delivery)</td></tr> <tr><td>Mobile</td><td>Native mobile app with phone/tablet layouts</td><td>PDF-based viewing on mobile</td></tr> <tr><td>AI features</td><td>Q&amp;A, smart narratives, anomaly detection, Copilot</td><td>None</td></tr> <tr><td>Licensing</td><td>Power BI Pro, PPU, or Fabric capacity</td><td>PPU or Fabric capacity (Pro alone is not sufficient)</td></tr> </tbody> </table>

<h2>When to Use Interactive Reports</h2>

<p>Interactive reports are the right choice when the primary consumption pattern is <strong>exploration</strong>—users interact with the data to answer questions, discover patterns, and make decisions based on visual analysis.</p>

<h3>Ideal Use Cases for Interactive Reports</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Executive dashboards</strong>: High-level KPI summaries with drill-down capability. Executives view a summary page, then click into specific metrics to understand drivers and trends. The value is in the interaction—not a static document.</li> <li><strong>Ad-hoc analysis</strong>: Business analysts exploring data to answer specific questions. "Why did revenue drop in the Northeast region last quarter?" requires filtering, drilling, comparing, and iterating—capabilities that paginated reports cannot provide.</li> <li><strong>Operational monitoring</strong>: Real-time or near-real-time dashboards displaying current system status, production metrics, or service levels. The visual presentation and automatic refresh make interactive reports ideal for wall-mounted displays and monitoring scenarios.</li> <li><strong>Self-service analytics</strong>: Empowering business users to create their own visualizations from governed semantic models. Interactive reports enable "citizen analyst" programs where business users explore data without writing SQL or depending on IT.</li> <li><strong>Comparative analysis</strong>: Side-by-side comparison of products, regions, time periods, or scenarios using slicers and visual cross-filtering. The interactive model lets users define their own comparisons dynamically.</li> <li><strong>Trend analysis</strong>: Time-series visualizations with forecasting, anomaly detection, and period-over-period comparisons. Line charts, area charts, and decomposition trees in interactive reports make trend patterns visually obvious.</li> <li><strong>Geographic analysis</strong>: Map-based visualizations with drill-down from country to region to city. Interactive maps enable spatial pattern discovery that static reports cannot provide.</li> </ul>

<h3>Interactive Report Strengths</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>In-memory performance</strong>: The VertiPaq engine compresses data and serves queries in milliseconds. Users experience instant visual updates when they click, filter, or drill—no waiting for database queries to execute.</li> <li><strong>Cross-filtering</strong>: Clicking on a value in one visual automatically filters all other visuals on the page. This connected experience enables rapid multi-dimensional exploration without the user writing queries or applying explicit filters.</li> <li><strong>AI integration</strong>: Smart narratives auto-generate text descriptions of visual data. Q&amp;A lets users type natural language questions. Anomaly detection flags unexpected data points. Copilot generates insights, creates visuals, and answers questions about the data in conversational language.</li> <li><strong>Mobile optimization</strong>: Power BI mobile app provides native phone and tablet layouts with touch-optimized interactions. Separate mobile layout pages can be designed specifically for small screens.</li> <li><strong>Embedding flexibility</strong>: Interactive reports embed in web applications, SharePoint pages, Microsoft Teams tabs, and custom portals using the Power BI Embedded SDK. The embedded experience preserves full interactivity.</li> </ul>

<h2>When to Use Paginated Reports</h2>

<p>Paginated reports are the right choice when the primary consumption pattern is <strong>reading a formatted document</strong>—users view, print, or export a report that must have a specific layout, include all rows of data, and produce consistent output regardless of who runs it.</p>

<h3>Ideal Use Cases for Paginated Reports</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Financial statements</strong>: Income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements that must match a specific layout with precise alignment, subtotals at defined positions, and page breaks between sections. Auditors expect consistent formatting.</li> <li><strong>Regulatory and compliance reports</strong>: Reports submitted to regulatory agencies (FDA, SEC, CMS, state regulators) that must follow a prescribed format. Any deviation in layout or content ordering may cause the submission to be rejected.</li> <li><strong>Invoices and purchase orders</strong>: Transactional documents generated in bulk (hundreds or thousands per run) with customer-specific data, line items, totals, and terms. These are printed or emailed as PDF attachments.</li> <li><strong>Patient/member statements</strong>: Healthcare explanation of benefits (EOBs), insurance policy documents, and patient account statements that must include specific regulatory language and formatted content for every recipient.</li> <li><strong>Detailed data extracts</strong>: Reports that must include every row—100, 1,000, or 100,000 rows—with no visual summarization. Interactive report visuals truncate at display limits; paginated reports render every row across as many pages as needed.</li> <li><strong>Mailing labels and letters</strong>: List-based layouts (address labels, form letters, certificates) where the same layout repeats for each record in the dataset.</li> <li><strong>Multi-page tabular reports</strong>: Long operational reports with repeating column headers on every page, group headers and footers with subtotals, and grand totals at the end. The classic "operational report" format that SSRS and Crystal Reports have served for decades.</li> <li><strong>Parameterized lookups</strong>: "Show me invoice #12345" or "Show me all orders for customer ABC between January and March." Users provide specific parameters, the report retrieves and formats the matching data, and the output is a document—not an interactive exploration.</li> </ul>

<h3>Paginated Report Strengths</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Pixel-perfect layout</strong>: Every element is positioned precisely. Headers align with columns. Totals appear at exact positions. Page breaks occur where you define them. The output looks identical whether viewed on screen, printed on paper, or exported to PDF.</li> <li><strong>Multi-page rendering</strong>: Reports span as many pages as the data requires—5 pages or 5,000 pages. Each page has consistent headers, footers, and page numbers. Repeating column headers on every page ensure readability on long tabular reports.</li> <li><strong>Complete data rendering</strong>: No row limits. Every row in the dataset is rendered. A report pulling 500,000 rows from a database will render all 500,000 rows across however many pages are needed. Interactive reports cannot do this.</li> <li><strong>Export fidelity</strong>: Excel exports preserve formatting, column widths, merged cells, and formulas (not just data dumps). Word exports produce formatted documents. PDF exports produce print-ready documents. TIFF exports produce archival images.</li> <li><strong>Subscription automation</strong>: Paginated reports support rich subscription configurations—deliver a formatted PDF to 500 managers every Monday morning, each with their own parameter values (region, department, cost center) applied automatically. Power Automate integration enables even more complex delivery scenarios.</li> <li><strong>Expressions and custom logic</strong>: The Visual Basic expression language in paginated reports supports complex conditional formatting, running totals, custom aggregations, and dynamic text—capabilities that exceed what interactive report visuals can express.</li> </ul>

<h2>The Hybrid Approach: Using Both Together</h2>

<p>The most effective enterprise Power BI deployments use both report types strategically. The pattern we implement most frequently at <a href="/services/power-bi-architecture">EPC Group</a> is:</p>

<h3>Pattern 1: Interactive Dashboard + Paginated Detail</h3>

<p>An interactive dashboard provides the overview and exploration experience. When users need the formatted detail, a button or link opens a paginated report pre-filtered with the current dashboard context.</p>

<p><strong>Example</strong>: A finance team uses an interactive dashboard to monitor departmental spending trends, drill into cost categories, and compare actual vs. budget. When they need the formatted monthly budget variance report for the CFO's signature, they click a button that opens a paginated report pre-filtered to the selected department and month, producing a pixel-perfect PDF.</p>

<h3>Pattern 2: Interactive Exploration + Paginated Export</h3>

<p>Users explore data interactively to identify the dataset they need, then trigger a paginated report to export the complete, formatted dataset.</p>

<p><strong>Example</strong>: A sales operations team uses an interactive report to filter accounts by territory, segment, and pipeline stage. Once they have the right filter combination, they click "Export Full Report" which triggers a paginated report with the same filters, producing a formatted Excel file with all columns, all rows, and proper formatting for distribution to the field team.</p>

<h3>Pattern 3: Paginated Compliance + Interactive Analytics</h3>

<p>Regulated reports are built as paginated (pixel-perfect, validated, GxP-compliant where needed). The same data feeds an interactive dashboard for ad-hoc analysis by the same team.</p>

<p><strong>Example</strong>: A pharmaceutical company's pharmacovigilance team uses a paginated report to generate the quarterly PSUR (Periodic Safety Update Report) in the exact format required by the EMA. They also have an interactive dashboard built on the same semantic model that lets them explore adverse event patterns, run signal detection queries, and investigate safety signals interactively—analysis that would be impossible in a static paginated report.</p>

<h3>Shared Semantic Model</h3>

<p>The key enabler of the hybrid approach is the <strong>shared semantic model</strong>. Both interactive and paginated reports can connect to the same Power BI semantic model. This ensures:</p>

<ul> <li><strong>Consistent numbers</strong>: Both report types use the same <a href="/blog/power-bi-dax-formulas-complete-guide">DAX measures</a> and produce identical calculations. No discrepancies between the dashboard total and the paginated report total.</li> <li><strong>Single source of truth</strong>: One governed dataset, one refresh schedule, one security model. No data duplication or synchronization issues.</li> <li><strong>Simplified maintenance</strong>: Changes to business logic (new measure, modified calculation, updated filter) are made once in the semantic model and automatically reflected in both report types.</li> </ul>

<h2>Report Builder vs Power BI Desktop: Authoring Tools Compared</h2>

<h3>Power BI Desktop (Interactive Reports)</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Data modeling</strong>: Full data modeling capabilities—import, DirectQuery, composite models, relationships, calculated columns, <a href="/blog/power-bi-dax-formulas-complete-guide">DAX measures</a>, Power Query transformations.</li> <li><strong>Visual design</strong>: Drag-and-drop visual canvas with 30+ built-in visual types and hundreds of custom visuals from AppSource. Formatting pane for visual customization.</li> <li><strong>Preview</strong>: Instant preview—visuals render immediately in the canvas as you build them.</li> <li><strong>Learning curve</strong>: Moderate. Business analysts can learn the basics in 1-2 weeks. Advanced data modeling and DAX require months of practice.</li> <li><strong>Community</strong>: Massive community—thousands of tutorials, forums, and user groups. Power BI Desktop is the primary tool for 90%+ of Power BI users.</li> </ul>

<h3>Power BI Report Builder (Paginated Reports)</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Data modeling</strong>: None. Report Builder does not have a data modeling layer. Each report defines its own data sources and datasets (SQL queries, stored procedures, or connections to Power BI semantic models).</li> <li><strong>Layout design</strong>: Banded report layout—header, body, footer, with tablix data regions (tables, matrices, lists) for data display. Precise positioning of every element (x, y, width, height in inches or centimeters).</li> <li><strong>Preview</strong>: Run-time preview—you must click "Run" to execute queries and render the report. No instant canvas preview.</li> <li><strong>Learning curve</strong>: Steep for users new to banded report design. Familiar for users with SSRS, Crystal Reports, or Oracle Reports experience. The expression language (Visual Basic) and layout model are fundamentally different from Power BI Desktop.</li> <li><strong>Community</strong>: Smaller community compared to Power BI Desktop. Most resources come from the SSRS community (same technology, different hosting). Fewer tutorials and less third-party content.</li> </ul>

<h2>Data Sources: What Connects Where</h2>

<h3>Interactive Report Data Sources</h3>

<p>Interactive reports connect through Power BI Desktop's Power Query engine, which supports 300+ data connectors:</p>

<ul> <li><strong>Databases</strong>: SQL Server, Azure SQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, SAP HANA, Snowflake, Databricks, and dozens more.</li> <li><strong>Files</strong>: Excel, CSV, JSON, XML, Parquet.</li> <li><strong>Cloud services</strong>: Salesforce, Dynamics 365, Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Dataverse.</li> <li><strong>Azure services</strong>: Azure Data Lake, Azure Synapse, Azure Cosmos DB, Azure Data Explorer.</li> <li><strong>Web/API</strong>: REST APIs, OData feeds, web page scraping.</li> <li><strong>Fabric</strong>: Lakehouse, Warehouse, KQL Database, Dataflow Gen2 outputs.</li> </ul>

<h3>Paginated Report Data Sources</h3>

<p>Paginated reports have a more limited but still comprehensive set of data sources:</p>

<ul> <li><strong>Power BI semantic models</strong>: Connect to any published Power BI semantic model. This is the <strong>recommended approach</strong> because it reuses the governed data layer. DAX queries against the semantic model drive the paginated report data.</li> <li><strong>Azure SQL Database and SQL Server</strong>: Direct SQL queries or stored procedures. Requires on-premises data gateway for on-premises SQL Server.</li> <li><strong>Azure Analysis Services</strong>: DAX or MDX queries against AAS models.</li> <li><strong>Oracle, Teradata, ODBC</strong>: Supported through the gateway for on-premises sources.</li> <li><strong>Dataverse</strong>: Direct connection to Dynamics 365/Power Platform data.</li> </ul>

<h2>Licensing: What You Need for Each Report Type</h2>

<p>Licensing is one of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of Power BI reporting, especially for paginated reports.</p>

<h3>Interactive Reports</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Power BI Pro ($10/user/month)</strong>: Users can create, publish, and consume interactive reports in Pro workspaces. Adequate for organizations with limited report consumers (everyone has Pro).</li> <li><strong>Premium Per User ($20/user/month)</strong>: Adds advanced features (AI visuals, larger models, deployment pipelines) plus paginated report creation/consumption.</li> <li><strong>Fabric capacity (F2-F2048)</strong>: Any user with a free Power BI account or Microsoft Entra ID can view interactive reports in workspaces assigned to Fabric capacity. Best for large viewer populations (500+ users).</li> </ul>

<h3>Paginated Reports</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Power BI Pro alone is NOT sufficient</strong>: Pro licenses do not include paginated report consumption in the Power BI service. This is the most common licensing mistake.</li> <li><strong>Premium Per User ($20/user/month)</strong>: Each user who creates or views paginated reports needs PPU. Appropriate for small paginated report audiences (under 100 users).</li> <li><strong>Fabric capacity (F64 or higher)</strong>: Any user with Microsoft Entra ID can view paginated reports in workspaces on Fabric capacity. <strong>This is the recommended licensing model</strong> for organizations with significant paginated report usage because it eliminates per-user licensing for viewers.</li> </ul>

<p>Our <a href="/services/power-bi-consulting">Power BI consulting team</a> helps organizations model their licensing costs based on actual user populations and consumption patterns. The right licensing strategy can save tens of thousands of dollars annually for organizations with large viewer populations.</p>

<h2>Distribution: Getting Reports to Users</h2>

<h3>Interactive Report Distribution</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Power BI Apps</strong>: Curated collections of dashboards and reports distributed to specific audiences. The primary distribution mechanism for enterprise interactive reports.</li> <li><strong>Workspace direct access</strong>: For development teams and power users who need to see all workspace content including drafts.</li> <li><strong>Email subscriptions</strong>: Automated email delivery of report screenshots (PNG) or PDF snapshots on a schedule. Limited formatting compared to paginated report subscriptions.</li> <li><strong>Teams integration</strong>: Embed interactive reports directly in Microsoft Teams tabs for contextual access within team channels.</li> <li><strong>SharePoint embedding</strong>: Embed interactive reports in SharePoint Online pages using the Power BI web part.</li> <li><strong>Public embed</strong>: Publish to web for public-facing reports (no authentication required). Not appropriate for sensitive data.</li> </ul>

<h3>Paginated Report Distribution</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Email subscriptions with attachments</strong>: The killer feature for paginated reports. Deliver formatted PDF, Excel, Word, CSV, or PowerPoint attachments on a schedule. Each subscriber can receive their own parameter-filtered version. This replaces SSRS subscription functionality.</li> <li><strong>Power BI Apps</strong>: Paginated reports can be included in Power BI Apps alongside interactive reports, providing a unified experience.</li> <li><strong>Power Automate integration</strong>: Trigger paginated report export on any event—form submission, data threshold breach, approval completion—and deliver to any destination (email, SharePoint, Teams, Azure Blob, file share, Salesforce, ServiceNow).</li> <li><strong>On-demand export</strong>: Users navigate to the report in the Power BI service, enter parameters, view the rendered report, and export to their preferred format.</li> <li><strong>API-driven export</strong>: The Power BI REST API supports programmatic export of paginated reports with parameters, enabling integration with line-of-business applications, document management systems, and workflow tools.</li> </ul>

<h2>Embedding Considerations</h2>

<p>For organizations embedding Power BI in custom applications, the choice between report types affects the embedding strategy.</p>

<h3>Embedding Interactive Reports</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Full SDK support</strong>: The Power BI Embedded JavaScript SDK provides comprehensive control over embedded interactive reports—programmatic filtering, page navigation, event handling, theme customization, and full API access.</li> <li><strong>Responsive embedding</strong>: Interactive reports can adapt to container size (with responsive page sizing enabled), providing a good experience across screen sizes.</li> <li><strong>User interaction</strong>: All interactive features (cross-filtering, drill-down, slicers) work in the embedded experience. The application can programmatically respond to user interactions (e.g., when a user clicks a bar chart segment, the application navigates to a detail page).</li> </ul>

<h3>Embedding Paginated Reports</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Limited SDK support</strong>: Paginated report embedding supports parameter passing and basic container sizing, but does not offer the rich event model and API of interactive report embedding.</li> <li><strong>Static rendering</strong>: The embedded paginated report renders server-side and is delivered as a complete document. There is no interactive filtering or exploration within the embedded view.</li> <li><strong>Export integration</strong>: The primary embedding use case for paginated reports is export—the application triggers a paginated report export via the REST API and delivers the rendered document (PDF, Excel) to the user or another system.</li> </ul>

<h2>Modernizing Legacy Operational Reports</h2>

<p>Many organizations have hundreds or thousands of legacy operational reports in SSRS, Crystal Reports, Oracle Reports, or IBM Cognos. Modernizing these reports for Power BI requires a thoughtful classification process.</p>

<h3>Classification Framework</h3>

<ol> <li><strong>Keep as paginated</strong>: Reports that must remain pixel-perfect, multi-page, parameter-driven documents. Migrate from SSRS/Crystal to Power BI paginated reports (same RDL format for SSRS; conversion required for Crystal). See our <a href="/blog/power-bi-vs-ssrs-migration-modernization-guide-2026">SSRS migration guide</a> for details.</li> <li><strong>Convert to interactive</strong>: Reports that are really analytics use cases trapped in an operational report format. These benefit from the visual, interactive, AI-powered capabilities of Power BI interactive reports. The conversion involves redesigning the report as an interactive dashboard rather than a line-by-line migration.</li> <li><strong>Build hybrid</strong>: Use cases that need both exploration (interactive) and formatted output (paginated). Build both report types on a shared semantic model.</li> <li><strong>Retire</strong>: Reports not accessed in 12+ months, superseded by newer reports, or serving no current business purpose. Do not modernize reports nobody uses.</li> </ol>

<h3>Conversion Best Practices</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Start with the semantic model</strong>: Before building any reports, design the semantic model that will serve both interactive and paginated reports. Get the data model right first—relationships, hierarchies, measures, and security.</li> <li><strong>Do not replicate the legacy layout in interactive reports</strong>: A 50-row table in an SSRS report should not become a 50-row table in an interactive report. Redesign the presentation to use visuals—charts, KPI cards, maps—with the table available as a drill-through detail. The value of interactive reports is visualization, not tabulation.</li> <li><strong>Preserve paginated layout for compliance reports</strong>: If a regulatory agency, auditor, or legal team expects a report in a specific format, use paginated reports. Do not compromise compliance for aesthetics.</li> <li><strong>Train users on both tools</strong>: Report developers need proficiency in both Power BI Desktop and Report Builder. These are different tools with different design paradigms. Do not assume that a skilled Power BI Desktop developer can immediately build effective paginated reports, or vice versa.</li> </ul>

<h2>Performance Considerations</h2>

<h3>Interactive Report Performance</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Import mode</strong>: Data is loaded into the in-memory VertiPaq engine during refresh. Visual queries execute in milliseconds against compressed in-memory data. Best for datasets under 10 GB (Pro), 100 GB (PPU), or 400 GB (Fabric).</li> <li><strong>DirectQuery mode</strong>: Visual interactions generate SQL queries against the source database in real time. Performance depends on database performance, query complexity, and network latency. Appropriate when data freshness requirements exceed scheduled refresh frequency or datasets exceed import size limits.</li> <li><strong>Composite models</strong>: Combine import tables (for dimensions and slowly changing data) with DirectQuery tables (for large fact tables or real-time data). Balances performance with data freshness.</li> </ul>

<h3>Paginated Report Performance</h3>

<ul> <li><strong>Query execution</strong>: Each report run executes the data source query (SQL, DAX, or stored procedure). Performance depends on query complexity, data volume, and source system performance.</li> <li><strong>Rendering time</strong>: After data retrieval, the rendering engine processes the report layout. Complex layouts with many subreports, large images, or thousands of pages take longer to render.</li> <li><strong>Optimization strategies</strong>: Use stored procedures or optimized SQL for data retrieval. Minimize subreport usage (each subreport executes a separate query). Use shared datasets within a report to avoid duplicate queries. Pre-aggregate data in the source when possible to reduce the row count the rendering engine must process.</li> </ul>

<h2>Decision Matrix: Choosing the Right Report Type</h2>

<table> <thead> <tr><th>Requirement</th><th>Use Interactive</th><th>Use Paginated</th><th>Use Both</th></tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr><td>Users explore data by clicking and filtering</td><td>Yes</td><td></td><td></td></tr> <tr><td>Report must be printed with exact formatting</td><td></td><td>Yes</td><td></td></tr> <tr><td>Report must include ALL rows (no visual truncation)</td><td></td><td>Yes</td><td></td></tr> <tr><td>Regulatory or compliance format required</td><td></td><td>Yes</td><td></td></tr> <tr><td>Dashboard with KPIs and drill-down</td><td>Yes</td><td></td><td></td></tr> <tr><td>Bulk document generation (invoices, statements)</td><td></td><td>Yes</td><td></td></tr> <tr><td>Mobile-first consumption</td><td>Yes</td><td></td><td></td></tr> <tr><td>Email delivery with formatted attachment</td><td></td><td>Yes</td><td></td></tr> <tr><td>Natural language Q&amp;A or Copilot</td><td>Yes</td><td></td><td></td></tr> <tr><td>Dashboard overview + formatted monthly report</td><td></td><td></td><td>Yes</td></tr> <tr><td>Exploration + compliant export</td><td></td><td></td><td>Yes</td></tr> <tr><td>Real-time monitoring display</td><td>Yes</td><td></td><td></td></tr> <tr><td>Embedded in custom web application</td><td>Yes (rich SDK)</td><td>Partial (export API)</td><td></td></tr> </tbody> </table>

<h2>Implementation Recommendations</h2>

<ol> <li><strong>Default to interactive reports</strong> for new analytics use cases. Interactive reports are more engaging, more flexible, and leverage Power BI's strongest capabilities (AI, cross-filtering, mobile).</li> <li><strong>Use paginated reports for operational and compliance outputs</strong> where format, completeness, and print fidelity are requirements. Do not force interactive reports into roles they were not designed for.</li> <li><strong>Build the shared semantic model first</strong>. Both report types should connect to the same governed semantic model. This ensures consistent numbers and eliminates duplicate data processing.</li> <li><strong>Train separate development skills</strong>. Power BI Desktop and Report Builder are fundamentally different tools. Budget for training on both if your organization needs both report types.</li> <li><strong>Plan licensing carefully</strong>. Paginated reports require PPU or Fabric capacity—Pro alone is not sufficient. Model your licensing costs based on actual paginated report consumer counts before deployment.</li> <li><strong>Use Power Automate for advanced distribution</strong>. Combine paginated report exports with Power Automate flows for complex delivery scenarios—conditional routing, approval workflows, multi-destination delivery, and event-triggered generation.</li> </ol>

<p><a href="/contact">Contact EPC Group</a> to design your Power BI reporting architecture. Our <a href="/services/power-bi-consulting">Power BI consulting</a> and <a href="/services/power-bi-architecture">Power BI architecture</a> teams help enterprise organizations deploy both interactive and paginated reports on a shared semantic model foundation, with the governance, licensing optimization, and training programs needed for long-term success. Whether you are starting fresh or modernizing thousands of legacy SSRS or Crystal Reports, we bring the methodology and expertise to get it right.</p>