Power BI Goals Licensing: Scorecards, Requirements & Enterprise Cost Guide 2026

Power BI Goals — previously branded as Metrics, now uniformly called Goals as of 2023 — is one of the most licence-trap-prone features in the Power BI ecosystem. The core confusion: unlike standard Power BI reports, where free-licence users can consume content in Premium capacity workspaces, Goals/Scorecards have a stricter licensing floor. Deploying an executive scorecard visible to 200 business leaders without checking their licence tier is the kind of oversight that turns a $2,400/year oversight into a $24,000/year remediation. This guide covers the exact requirements.

What Are Power BI Goals?

Power BI Goals (Scorecards) provide a structured KPI tracking and OKR-style management layer within the Power BI Service and Microsoft Fabric. They allow organisations to define metrics with targets, connect those metrics to underlying data in Power BI reports or datasets, track status (on track/at risk/behind), and cascade goals hierarchically through organisational layers.

Key use cases: CEO/executive dashboards showing company-wide KPIs, departmental OKR tracking, finance metric monitoring with threshold alerting, and operational performance management integrated with Power BI analytics. The feature integrates with Microsoft Teams (scorecards viewable in Teams channels) and has a connector to Viva Goals for full OKR management.

Licence Requirements: The Complete Map

Goals licensing varies by role (creator vs viewer) and by workspace type (standard vs Premium vs Fabric). The matrix below covers every combination:

User Role	Standard Workspace	Premium Capacity (P/F SKU)	PPU Workspace
Scorecard Creator (create/edit goals)	Pro required	Pro required	PPU required
Scorecard Owner (update check-ins)	Pro required	Pro required	PPU required
Scorecard Viewer (read-only)	Pro required	Pro OR Free	PPU required
Teams scorecard tab viewer	Pro required	Pro OR Free (if Teams channel linked to Premium workspace)	PPU required
Mobile app viewer	Pro required	Pro OR Free	PPU required

Goals vs Metrics: Terminology Clarification

Microsoft has changed the feature name multiple times, creating documentation confusion:

Period	Feature Name	Notes
2021 launch	Power BI Metrics	Original branding
2022–2023	Power BI Goals (sometimes both names)	Transitional period — documentation inconsistent
2023–present	Power BI Goals (Scorecards)	Current official name; "Metrics" deprecated in UI
In Fabric	Power BI Goals (within Fabric workspaces)	Same feature, Fabric context

Licensing requirements have not changed through these rebrands — all editions require Pro for creation and updates. Third-party documentation referencing "Metrics" and "Goals" describes the same product.

Cost Modelling: Who Needs What

Scenario 1: Executive Scorecard for C-Suite and VPs

Organisation deploys a company-wide OKR scorecard for 15 executives and 40 VP/Director-level leaders. All 55 users need to view goals AND update their own check-ins. Workspace type: standard (no Premium capacity). All 55 require Pro at $10/user/month = $550/month ($6,600/year). If the workspace were moved to Premium capacity, viewers who only read would be covered free — but since everyone updates, Pro is required anyway.

Scenario 2: Department-Level KPIs — Mixed Interaction

Finance team deploys departmental scorecards. 5 finance analysts create and update scorecards. 120 business stakeholders view scorecard results monthly. Workspace in Premium capacity (F64). Creators and updaters (5 people): must have Pro ($10/user) = $50/month. View-only stakeholders (120 people): covered by free licence in Premium workspace. Total incremental cost for Goals: $50/month if these 5 analysts already have Pro for other Power BI work. If they need new Pro licences: $50/month additional spend.

Scenario 3: Enterprise OKR with Check-In Updates by All Staff

1,000-person company deploys goals for all employees, with each employee responsible for updating their own individual metrics quarterly. All 1,000 need Pro for check-in capability. Current Pro licence coverage: 400 users already have Pro. Additional Pro needed: 600 × $10/month = $6,000/month ($72,000/year) in new licences. This is the scenario where Goal deployment drives unexpected licence expansion — the check-in requirement makes everyone a "creator" from a licensing perspective.

Goals Integration with Viva Goals

Microsoft Viva Goals is a separate OKR management platform that integrates with Power BI Goals via a connector. The integration allows Viva Goals key results to pull their current values automatically from Power BI metrics. This is a unidirectional feed — Power BI provides the data value, Viva Goals provides the OKR management structure and workflow.

Licensing for the integrated experience: Power BI Goals requires Pro (or Premium access as described above). Viva Goals requires either a standalone Viva Goals licence ($6/user/month, EA pricing) or Viva Suite ($12/user/month). Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 do not include Viva Goals — it is always an add-on.

For organisations evaluating whether to use Power BI Goals natively or build on Viva Goals: if the use case is operational KPI tracking where the metrics come from Power BI data, Goals natively in Power BI is the right tool. If the use case is full OKR methodology with cascading objectives, progress narrative, and manager check-in workflows, Viva Goals provides significantly more capability — but adds $6/user/month to the stack.

Optimising Goals Licensing in Your EA

The most cost-effective approach to Power BI Goals licensing is to map interaction patterns before purchasing. Three questions determine the licence requirement:

1. Who creates scorecards? Always needs Pro — typically a small number of BI developers or business analysts who likely already have Pro for report authoring.
2. Who updates check-ins? Needs Pro even in Premium workspaces — this is the expansion driver. If this group is large, prioritise Premium capacity to at least cover any read-only viewers without additional Pro.
3. Who only views? In Premium capacity (P/F SKU) workspaces, free-licence users can view. In standard workspaces, Pro required. Moving the Goals workspace into Premium capacity eliminates viewer licence cost.

EA negotiation angle: If you are adding Pro licences specifically for Goals check-in updates, negotiate these as part of your next EA renewal cycle rather than through a mid-term order. Pro is one of the most heavily discounted M365 components — 10–15% below list is achievable at volume. Alternatively, evaluate whether these users' job functions justify upgrading to E3 ($36/user) which includes Pro: for users who also benefit from Teams Premium, advanced compliance, or other E3 features, the bundle often wins on value.

Frequently Asked Questions

What licence is required to use Power BI Goals?

Power BI Goals (Scorecards) require Power BI Pro at minimum for creators and users who update check-ins — in any workspace type. Viewing scorecards in Premium capacity (P/F SKU) workspaces can be done with a free licence, similar to viewing regular reports. PPU workspaces require PPU for all interactions.

Can Power BI Free licence users view Power BI Goals?

Free users can view Goals/Scorecards only if the workspace is in Power BI Premium capacity (P/F SKU). In standard workspaces, all viewers require Pro. Any user updating their own metrics or adding check-in notes requires Pro even in Premium workspaces.

Are Power BI Goals included in Microsoft Fabric?

Yes. Goals/Scorecards are available in Fabric workspaces and follow the same licensing model as in the Power BI Service. The feature consumes minimal Fabric capacity — scorecard creation and viewing has negligible CU impact compared to Spark or Warehouse workloads.

What are Power BI Goals vs Power BI Metrics?

Microsoft rebranded from 'Metrics' to 'Goals' in 2023. Both names refer to the same feature. 'Scorecards' is the container — an individual scorecard holds multiple Goals/Metrics. All three terms have identical licensing requirements.

Do Power BI Goals integrate with Microsoft Viva Goals?

Yes. Power BI Goals can feed metric values into Viva Goals key results via an integration connector. Both products require separate licences — Power BI Pro for the Goals feature, and Viva Goals ($6/user/month) or Viva Suite ($12/user/month) for the OKR management platform.