Open a .pbix on your Mac, in this page
Drop a .pbix to list its report pages, each visual and the fields it uses. For the DAX, drop a Power BI project (.pbip) folder zipped into one file: you get every table, each measure with its formula, and the relationships. Nothing is uploaded.
No file loaded yet. You can also drop a file on this box.
Exported the data to CSV? Chart it here
Drop a CSV export of a Power BI table, or the source file behind the report. xmetric reads every row in this browser (the CSV chart accepts up to 160 MiB and 3.5 million rows, or 32 MiB on low-memory or unknown-memory devices) and draws a first chart. Nothing is uploaded.
No file loaded yet. You can also drop a CSV on this box.
xmetric and Power BI, side by side
| xmetric | Power BI | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Any modern browser on Mac, Windows or Linux. Nothing to install. source | Windows only: Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 or later, 64-bit; client Windows recommended. No macOS version is mentioned. source |
| Free option | Free in your browser. No account needed to open a file. source | Power BI Desktop is a free download; free account (Fabric Free license) also available. source |
| The catch | Saving a workbook online and sharing a link need a free account. source | Sharing reports needs Pro or Premium; Desktop is Windows-only; the service needs a work or school email. source |
| Paid plans | No paid plans | |
| Power BI files | Opens most .pbix reports in the browser app with their pages and filters; the inspector also lists every report page, visual and the fields each visual uses, and a zipped .pbip adds tables, DAX measures and relationships. source | Power BI Desktop saves .pbix files or Power BI Projects (.pbip folders of text files). source |
| Where your data is processed | In your browser. Files are not uploaded. source | Desktop works locally; the Power BI service (sharing, publishing) is Microsoft-hosted SaaS inside Microsoft Fabric. source |
Power BI facts are taken from Power BI's own pages and were checked on 2026-10-17. Each cell links to its source.
Where Power BI is the better choice
- Building and editing reports. Power BI Desktop builds the data model and edits every visual. xmetric opens most reports and runs their DAX to draw the visuals, but some visuals are not supported yet.
- DAX and the data model. DAX is the formula language of Power BI, Analysis Services and Power Pivot in Excel, used for measures, calculated columns, calculated tables and row-level security. source If your company's numbers are defined as DAX measures, Power BI is where they get computed.
- Sharing inside a Microsoft shop. Power BI Desktop builds models and reports; sharing works by publishing them to the Power BI service. source Power BI Pro is included in Microsoft 365 E5 and Office 365 E5. source If your company has E5, sharing may already be paid for.
- A supported way to run it from a Mac. Power BI Desktop is fully supported on Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows 365 (cloud Windows PCs); other virtual desktop environments such as Citrix VDI are not supported. source
- Live data. Power BI's connectors cover files and databases source, and reports refresh. xmetric reads the files you drop; Postgres and BigQuery connections are planned.
Where xmetric fits
- No Windows, no install. It runs in Safari, Chrome, Firefox or Edge on a Mac, on Linux or on a Chromebook.
- No work account. Signing up for the Power BI service needs a work or school account; consumer email can't be used directly. source xmetric needs no account at all.
- See what a report is built from. Every page, every visual and the fields it shows, from a .pbix someone emailed you.
- Review DAX without Desktop. From a zipped .pbip, each measure with its DAX in one table you can copy, plus the relationships between tables.
- The file stays on your computer. It's read in this tab and never uploaded.
Why a .pbix shows pages but not the DAX
A .pbix is a ZIP archive. The report layout inside it is plain JSON, so this page can list every page and visual and the fields each one uses. The data model, which holds the tables, the measures and their DAX, sits in a compressed part this page can't decode yet. A Power BI project is different: Power BI Desktop saves .pbix files or Power BI Projects (.pbip folders of text files). source Those text files spell out every table and measure, which is why a zipped .pbip shows the DAX here. If you need the formulas, ask the author to save a copy as a project and send you the zipped folder.
Your options on a Mac or Linux
- You only need to know what's in the file: drop it above. It takes seconds, and nothing is installed or uploaded.
- You need to click through the report as built: ask for it to be shared with you in the Power BI service, which runs in a browser. You need a work or school account, and sharing needs a paid license such as Pro ($14.00 user/month, paid yearly).
- You need to edit it: a Windows 365 or Azure Virtual Desktop PC, both of which Microsoft supports for Power BI Desktop.
- You want to analyse the data yourself: export it to CSV and chart it in the second box above.
Questions people ask
Is there a Mac version of Power BI Desktop?
No. Microsoft's requirements: Windows only: Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 or later, 64-bit; client Windows recommended. No macOS version is mentioned.
Can I open a .pbix on a Mac without Power BI?
Yes. Open it in xmetric: most reports open in the browser, pages and filters included. The box above lists its pages, visuals and the fields each visual uses.
Why doesn't my .pbix show any measures?
The box on this page lists what's in the file. To see the report with its measures computed, open the .pbix in xmetric. To read each measure's DAX in the box, save the report as a Power BI project (.pbip), zip the project folder, and drop the zip.
Does xmetric run DAX?
Yes: xmetric runs the report's DAX measures and calculated columns in your browser to draw its visuals. Most reports open; some visuals are not supported yet. xmetric's own calculations follow Tableau's formula language; see the function reference.
Open your .pbix above, or use the workbook inspector to compare several files and spot unused or duplicate calculations.
Sources, checked 2026-10-17
Prices and features of Power BI on this page were checked against these pages on 2026-10-17. Prices change; the vendor's page is the final word.
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/power-platform/products/power-bi/pricing
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/fundamentals/desktop-get-the-desktop
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-query/connectors/
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/enterprise/powerbi/service-admin-power-bi-licensing
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/fundamentals/service-self-service-signup-purchase-for-power-bi
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/developer/projects/projects-overview
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dax/dax-overview
xmetric is an independent project, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Microsoft Corporation. Power BI is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. The name is used only to identify the product being compared.