SSRS and Power BI Report Server (PBIRS) are both Microsoft on-premises reporting platforms, but they target different reporting needs. SSRS is centered on traditional paginated and operational reporting, while PBIRS adds Power BI reports to the report-server model. With SQL Server 2025, Microsoft has consolidated new on-premises reporting under Power BI Report Server, with no new SSRS versions planned.
If you are deciding between SSRS and Power BI Report Server, or planning to migrate an existing SSRS environment, this guide covers the key differences and a practical migration path.
Watch: SSRS vs Power BI Report Server
SSRS vs Power BI Report Server: Quick Comparison
| Area | SSRS Report Server | Power BI Report Server |
|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | Paginated and operational reporting | Paginated + Power BI reporting |
| RDL / paginated reports | Yes | Yes |
| Power BI reports | No | Yes |
| On-premises deployment | Yes | Yes |
| Interactive Power BI visuals | No | Yes |
| Report Builder / Visual Studio | Yes | Yes, for paginated reports |
| Power BI Desktop for Report Server | No | Yes |
Microsoft describes Power BI Report Server as a superset of Reporting Services because it supports traditional paginated reporting while also supporting Power BI reports. It is important, however, not to confuse PBIRS with the Power BI Service: the two products have significant functionality differences.
What Is SSRS Report Server?
SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) Report Server is Microsoft’s established platform for creating and delivering paginated reports. It is commonly used for operational reporting, invoices, statements, parameterized reports, scheduled delivery, and pixel-precise exports.
SSRS remains relevant for organizations with existing reporting estates. SSRS 2022 continues through its published support lifecycle, but Microsoft has stated that there will be no new SSRS versions after SSRS 2022.
What Is Power BI Report Server?
Power BI Report Server is Microsoft’s on-premises report-server platform for organizations that need both traditional paginated reports and Power BI reports.
It allows an organization to keep RDL-based reporting while introducing interactive Power BI reports into the same on-premises reporting environment. Power BI Report Server uses the Power BI Desktop for Report Server release for authoring supported Power BI reports.
What Changed with SQL Server 2025?
SQL Server 2025 marks an important change in Microsoft’s reporting strategy. Microsoft has consolidated on-premises reporting services under Power BI Report Server, and no new SSRS versions will be released.
This does not mean an existing supported SSRS 2022 installation has to be replaced immediately. Instead, organizations can continue to operate their existing environment while evaluating PBIRS as part of their longer-term on-premises reporting plans.
Microsoft’s Reporting Services consolidation FAQ provides the current details.
Which One Fits Your Scenario?
The decision usually comes down to the reporting capabilities you need rather than simply the product name.
- Existing SSRS environment with stable paginated reports: SSRS can continue to serve those workloads within its support lifecycle.
- New on-premises reporting with both RDL and Power BI reports: Power BI Report Server supports both reporting styles.
- Pixel-perfect operational documents: SSRS-style paginated reports remain appropriate and are also supported on PBIRS.
- Interactive Power BI reporting on-premises: Power BI Report Server provides the report-server platform for supported Power BI reports.
- Full cloud Power BI capabilities: evaluate the Power BI Service separately because PBIRS does not provide full feature parity.
Migration Path: SSRS to Power BI Report Server
If you are moving from SSRS to Power BI Report Server, it is useful to separate report-content migration from report-server infrastructure migration.
If your primary requirement is to migrate reports and related content, SSRS Reports Migration Wizard can simplify the repetitive parts of the process.
The wizard can help with selected reports and related objects such as shared datasets, data sources, subscriptions, and folder structures. It also provides comparison and review capabilities and supports export/import using an .SRMW file.
A typical workflow is:
- Connect to the source SSRS environment.
- Select the reports and related content to migrate.
- Map folders, data sources, and other dependencies.
- Review the proposed changes.
- Run the migration and validate the target environment.
See the SSRS Reports Migration Wizard documentation or the detailed SSRS to Power BI Report Server migration guide.
Power BI Report Server vs Power BI Service
One common source of confusion is treating Power BI Report Server as the on-premises version of the Power BI Service. They are different products.
PBIRS is designed around the report-server model and supports paginated and Power BI reports. The Power BI Service is Microsoft’s cloud analytics platform and offers capabilities that are not available in PBIRS.
If your requirement is specifically on-premises reporting with both paginated and Power BI reports, PBIRS is the relevant Microsoft platform to evaluate. If you require cloud-native Power BI capabilities, evaluate the Power BI Service separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Power BI Report Server replacing SSRS?
Microsoft has consolidated new on-premises reporting under Power BI Report Server and will not release new SSRS versions after SSRS 2022. Existing supported SSRS environments can continue through their support lifecycle.
Can Power BI Report Server run SSRS reports?
Yes. PBIRS supports paginated reports in the RDL format used by SSRS-style reporting.
Can Power BI Report Server run Power BI reports?
Yes. PBIRS supports Power BI reports using the supported Power BI Desktop for Report Server authoring release.
Can I migrate selected SSRS reports instead of the entire server?
Yes. A content-focused migration is a different scenario from moving the complete report-server infrastructure. The AzureOps SSRS Reports Migration Wizard is designed to help with report-content migration and related objects.
Conclusion
SSRS remains relevant for existing paginated reporting environments, while Power BI Report Server represents Microsoft’s current direction for on-premises reporting and adds support for Power BI reports.
Related: Migrate SSRS Reports to Power BI Report Server · SSRS Reports Migration Wizard Documentation
References
- Microsoft Learn: What is Power BI Report Server?
- Microsoft Learn: Reporting Services Consolidation FAQ
- Microsoft Learn: Migrate a report server installation
- Microsoft Learn: Compare Power BI Report Server and Power BI Service
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Kunal Rathi
With over 15 years of experience in data engineering and analytics, I've assisted countless clients in gaining valuable insights from their data. As a dedicated supporter of Data, Cloud and DevOps, I'm excited to connect with individuals who share my passion for this field. If my work resonates with you, we can talk and collaborate.
