The direct answer
You do not need Premium to use incremental refresh. Microsoft supports it on Power BI Pro, Premium Per User, Premium and Power BI Embedded (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). The license decides what else you get: the real-time DirectQuery partition, longer refresh windows, more refreshes a day and partition-level control through the XMLA endpoint all sit above Pro.
What each license allows, per Microsoft Learn
| Capability | Power BI Pro (shared capacity) | Premium Per User | Premium or Fabric capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incremental refresh policy (import partitions) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time data with a DirectQuery partition (hybrid table) | No | Yes | Yes (Premium capacity) |
| Scheduled refreshes per day | Up to 8 | Up to 48 | Up to 48 |
| Refresh time limit | Two hours | See note below | Five hours; none through the XMLA endpoint |
| XMLA endpoint | No | Yes | Yes |
Sources: incremental refresh overview, data refresh in Power BI, XMLA endpoint and Premium Per User articles on Microsoft Learn (accessed 2026-10-27). Microsoft states the two-hour limit for Pro and the five-hour limit for models in a Premium capacity; the incremental refresh article does not state a separate figure for Premium Per User. Microsoft groups Fabric capacity with Premium and Premium Per User for the 48-a-day schedule.
Real-time data: hybrid tables need Premium, PPU or Embedded
The optional setting Get the latest data in real time with DirectQuery adds a DirectQuery partition for rows newer than the refresh period, so reports show changes without a refresh (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). Microsoft sets these conditions for it:
- It is only supported for Premium, Premium Per User and Power BI Embedded models (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
- A model with this policy can only be published to a Premium workspace (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
- The Only refresh complete days setting becomes required, and nonfolding transformations cannot be used (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
Refresh limits per license
Power BI limits semantic models on shared capacity to eight scheduled refreshes a day, and the same limit applies to refreshes triggered through the REST API; manual Refresh now actions are not counted (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). On Premium, Premium Per User or Fabric capacity you can schedule up to 48 refreshes a day (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). Refresh operations through the XMLA endpoint are not limited to 48 a day and are not subject to the scheduled refresh timeout (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
XMLA endpoint requirements
Power BI Premium, Premium Per User and Power BI Embedded workspaces use the XMLA endpoint (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). It is read-only by default; write operations such as partition refresh from SQL Server Management Studio or TMSL scripts need the setting changed to read-write, for a Premium capacity in the capacity workload settings and for Premium Per User in the admin portal (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). The tenant setting that allows XMLA endpoints must also be on (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). With XMLA, Microsoft documents advanced incremental refresh tasks: managing partitions, bootstrapping the first refresh of very large models and refreshing backdated historical partitions (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
RangeStart, RangeEnd and query folding
- Create the parameters. Two Power Query parameters named RangeStart and RangeEnd, of the date/time type; the names are reserved and case-sensitive (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
- Filter the table. Add filter steps that reference the parameters; they cannot be applied through the standard Custom Filter dialog (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
- Check folding. The filter step should fold into the source query. Power BI Desktop verifies this reliably for SQL-based sources and shows a warning when it cannot (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
- Publish once. After publishing, republishing from Desktop removes existing partitions, and the model cannot be downloaded back as a .pbix file (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
Power BI Pro vs Premium: who can see the content
Licensing for incremental refresh is only half of the decision. Pro users can share content with other Pro users; content in a Premium capacity or a Fabric F64 or larger capacity can be shared with free users; and content in a Premium Per User workspace needs a Premium Per User license for every viewer (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). For licensing costs, see Power BI pricing and licensing 2026.
Where EPC Group fits
EPC Group designs incremental refresh policies, checks query folding against your sources and matches the license or capacity to the refresh pattern you actually need. See Power BI consulting services and the Power BI incremental refresh enterprise guide.
Primary sources
- Configure incremental refresh and real-time data for Power BI semantic models — Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27
- Data refresh in Power BI — Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27
- Semantic model connectivity and management with the XMLA endpoint in Power BI — Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27
- Power BI Premium Per User — Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27
- Power BI service features by license type — Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use Power BI incremental refresh with a Pro license?
Yes. Microsoft lists Power BI Pro as a supported plan for incremental refresh, alongside Premium, Premium Per User and Power BI Embedded (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). On Pro you get the import partitions only: Pro models have a two-hour refresh time limit and do not support getting real-time data with DirectQuery (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
Does incremental refresh with real-time data require Premium or PPU?
Yes. Getting the latest data in real time with DirectQuery is only supported for Power BI Premium, Premium Per User and Power BI Embedded models (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). Microsoft also states that a model whose policy includes the real-time DirectQuery partition can only be published to a Premium workspace, and that such a policy cannot use nonfolding transformations (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
How many times a day can a Power BI semantic model refresh on Pro versus Premium?
Semantic models on shared capacity are limited to eight scheduled refreshes a day, and that limit also covers refreshes triggered through the REST API (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). On a Premium capacity, Premium Per User or Fabric capacity you can schedule up to 48 refreshes a day, and with the XMLA endpoint enabled for read-write, programmatic refreshes are effectively unlimited, subject to capacity resources (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
Do you need the XMLA endpoint for incremental refresh?
Not for a standard policy: you define it in Power BI Desktop and the service applies it at each refresh (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). The XMLA endpoint is for advanced work such as viewing and managing partitions, bootstrapping the initial refresh and refreshing backdated historical partitions, and it is available to Premium, Premium Per User and Power BI Embedded workspaces (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). Write operations need the XMLA endpoint switched from its default read-only setting to read-write (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
What are RangeStart and RangeEnd in Power BI incremental refresh?
They are two Power Query date/time parameters with reserved, case-sensitive names that filter the table by date; the service overrides their values to query each partition (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). The filter that uses them should fold back to the data source. If it does not fold in an import-only policy, the engine may pull every row and filter locally, which can make the refresh slow or run out of resources (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
What is the difference between Power BI Pro and Premium Per User?
Power BI Pro lets users publish, share and consume content with other Pro users, while a Premium Per User license includes all Pro capabilities plus most Premium capacity features, such as XMLA endpoint connectivity (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27). Content in a Premium Per User workspace can only be accessed by users who also have a Premium Per User license (Microsoft Learn, accessed 2026-10-27).
Talk to a senior architect
A one-hour scoping call with a senior EPC Group architect covers your largest tables, how often they need to refresh and which Power BI license or capacity fits that pattern. Email contact@epcgroup.net or call 888-381-9725.
Documented and anonymized engagements
Named engagements come first; anonymized summaries follow under the anonymized-engagement rule — the client is not named and every statement is EPC-reported. Documents behind named engagements are in the Evidence Center.
- Town of Prosper, Texas — Power BI data project (2024)Town of Prosper, Texas · 2024 · Contracted
- Smarter Balanced (University of California, Santa Cruz) — Power BI consulting and development with Power BI Embedded (2023)Smarter Balanced (University of California, Santa Cruz) · 2023 · Contracted
- Haskell (The Haskell Company) — Power BI Report Server to Power BI Service migration (2019)Haskell (The Haskell Company) · 2019 · Contracted — countersigned
- Power BI Weld QA/QC and Fabric: Industrial Contractor (2026)Anonymized engagement summary · Industrial construction contractor · 2026
- Azure Data Warehouse and Power BI: Medical Devices (2025)Anonymized engagement summary · Medical device manufacturer · 2025
- Data Warehouse and Partner Power BI: Healthcare (2025)Anonymized engagement summary · Healthcare services company working with partner clinics · 2025
- Power BI and Copilot Training: Truck Dealer Group (2023–25)Anonymized engagement summary · Commercial truck dealership group · 2023–2025
- Urgent Power BI Model Fix: Healthcare Technology (2025)Anonymized engagement summary · Healthcare technology company · 2025
More engagements: Power BI Tax Reporting on MySQL: Tax Services Firm (2024) · Power BI Ops Dashboard: Transit District (2023) · Power BI Report Server Refresh Fix: Agribusiness (2021) · Power BI, Data Warehouse and External Reports: Gaming (2021) · SAP Reports to Power BI in 90 Days: Aerospace (2021) · Power BI Governance Strategy: Global Insurer (2020) · Power BI on HR System Data: Construction Contractor (2020) · Power BI POC, Governance and Roadmap: Electronics (2020) · Power BI Assessment and Integration: Pharmacy (2019) · Power BI Proof of Concept: Global Technology Company (2019) · Power BI Best-Practice Review and Training: Insurer (2018) · Power BI Analytics Platform: State Government · Power BI Enterprise Deployment: Financial Institution