How Many Data Connectors in Power BI?

Power BI’s biggest strength is its ability to connect to almost any data source you can imagine, bringing all your scattered business information into one place. This article breaks down exactly what data connectors are, explores the vast library of options available, and guides you through the process of connecting your data so you can start building meaningful reports.

Graphed

Still Building Reports Manually?

Watch how growth teams are getting answers in seconds — not days.

Watch the Demo

What Exactly is a Power BI Data Connector?

Think of a data connector as a bridge. On one side, you have your data source (like an Excel file, a Google Analytics account, or a Salesforce database). On the other side, you have Power BI. The connector is the specialized bridge that allows Power BI to securely access, read, and understand the data from that specific source.

Each connector is tailor-made for the source it connects to. The connector for Shopify understands Shopify’s product and sales data structure, while the connector for SQL Server knows how to speak the language of that database. Without these connectors, Power BI would just be an empty canvas.

Three Ways to Connect: Import, DirectQuery, and Live Connection

When you use a connector, Power BI typically gives you a few ways to access the data. Understanding the difference is important for managing your report's performance and data freshness.

• Import: This is the most common method. Power BI takes a copy of your data from the source and stores it within your Power BI file (.pbix). Reports are super fast because the data is held in-memory. The downside is that you need to schedule a refresh to get updated data, and there are size limits on the dataset.
• DirectQuery: Instead of importing a copy, Power BI queries the data source directly every time a user interacts with a report (like changing a filter). This is great for analyzing very large datasets or when you need real-time data. The trade-off is that report performance depends on how fast the underlying data source is.
• Live Connection: This is similar to DirectQuery but is specifically used for connecting to database models like SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), Azure Analysis Services (AAS), and Power BI datasets. It creates a live link to the entire data model, not just individual tables.

Graphed

Still Building Reports Manually?

Watch how growth teams are getting answers in seconds — not days.

Watch the Demo

So, How Many Data Connectors Does Power BI Have?

Answering this question is like trying to hit a moving target. Microsoft is constantly adding new connectors and updating existing ones. As of today, Power BI has hundreds of native data connectors, with the official number evolving every month.

Rather than focusing on a specific number that will be out of date next week, it’s more useful to understand the sheer breadth of categories and functionality covered. The goal of Power BI is to connect to virtually any kind of business data, wherever it lives. You can always find the most current, exhaustive list on the official Microsoft Power BI documentation page.

The real story isn’t the exact count, but the fact that you can connect everything from a simple CSV file on your desktop to a massive cloud data warehouse, and from your Shopify store admin to your HubSpot CRM, all within the same tool.

The Major Categories of Power BI Connectors

Power BI organizes its vast library of connectors into several logical groups. Here are the most important ones you'll encounter, along with a few popular examples in each.

1. Files

This is where almost everyone starts their data journey. File-based connectors are for pulling data from static files stored on your computer or a shared network like SharePoint.

• Excel Workbook: The most popular connector, hands down. Power BI can easily connect to data in Excel tables.
• CSV/Text: For comma-separated value files, a universal format for data exports.
• JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): A common format for data from web APIs.
• PDF: Power BI can actually extract tables of data directly from PDF documents.
• SharePoint Folder: Incredibly useful for combining multiple files of the same format (e.g., monthly sales reports in Excel) into a single dataset.

2. Databases

For more established businesses, data often lives in a structured database. Power BI has robust, enterprise-grade connectors for nearly every major database technology on the market.

• SQL Server Database: Microsoft's flagship database product.
• MySQL Database: A hugely popular open-source database.
• PostgreSQL Database: Another powerful open-source favorite.
• Oracle Database: A staple in large enterprise environments.
• Amazon Redshift: A popular cloud data warehouse on AWS.
• Google BigQuery: Google Cloud's rival to Redshift.
• Snowflake: A modern cloud data platform that has become wildly popular.

Graphed

Still Building Reports Manually?

Watch how growth teams are getting answers in seconds — not days.

Watch the Demo

3. Online Services & SaaS Applications

This category is a game-changer for marketing, sales, and operations teams. These connectors let you pull data directly from the cloud-based apps you use every day, eliminating the need to manually export CSVs.

• Salesforce: Connect directly to your Salesforce Objects (like Accounts, Opportunities, etc.) and run reports on your sales pipeline.
• HubSpot: Pull in data about your contacts, deals, and marketing activities.
• Google Analytics: Analyze website traffic, user behavior, conversion goals, and much more.
• Shopify: Access your store’s data on products, inventory, orders, and customers to build a comprehensive e-commerce dashboard.
• Stripe: Monitor payments, subscriptions, and revenue data.
• QuickBooks Online: Pull financial data for analysis and reporting.

4. Azure

For businesses invested in the Microsoft cloud ecosystem, Power BI offers seamless and highly optimized connectors for various Azure services.

• Azure SQL Database: The cloud version of SQL Server.
• Azure Synapse Analytics: Microsoft's limitless enterprise analytics service.
• Azure Blob Storage: For connecting to unstructured data and files stored in the cloud.

Step-by-Step: Connecting to a Data Source in Power BI

Connecting to your first data source is refreshingly straightforward. Let’s walk through a common example: connecting to an Excel file.

1. Open Power BI Desktop. From the main screen, go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
2. Click on the Get Data icon. A drop-down will appear showing the most common sources. You can select one from here or click "More..." at the bottom to see the full list.
3. The Get Data window opens, showing all available connectors organized by category. You can use the search bar at the top to quickly find what you need. Type "Excel" and select "Excel Workbook."
4. Click Connect. A file browser window will pop up. Navigate to and select the Excel file you want to analyze.
5. The Navigator window appears next. It shows you all the available tables and sheets within your Excel file. Check the box next to the table(s) you want to import. A preview will display on the right.
6. At the bottom right, you have two key choices:

That's it! Once loaded, your data will appear in the "Data" pane on the right side of Power BI Desktop, ready for you to start dragging and dropping to create visualizations.

What If Power BI Doesn't Have a Native Connector?

While Power BI's library is massive, you might occasionally work with a niche application or internal tool that doesn’t have a dedicated connector. Don't worry, you still have excellent options.

1. Universal Connectors (ODBC/OData)

Power BI includes generic connectors that can work with a wide range of sources.

• ODBC (Open Database Connectivity): A standard interface for accessing almost any database system. If your database has an ODBC driver, you can connect it to Power BI.
• OData (Open Data Protocol): An open standard for building and consuming RESTful APIs. If your app offers an OData feed, Power BI can tap into it.

2. The Web Connector

This is a surprisingly powerful option. You can point the Web connector at a URL, and Power BI will attempt to find and extract any tables of data it finds on that page. It’s perfect for scraping data from simple HTML tables.

Graphed

Still Building Reports Manually?

Watch how growth teams are getting answers in seconds — not days.

Watch the Demo

3. Export and Connect

The simplest workaround is often the best. Most applications allow you to export your data as a CSV or Excel file. You can simply export the data you need and then use Power BI's file connectors to analyze it. The only catch is that this data is static, to update it, you'll have to repeat the export and refresh process.

4. Use a Middle Layer

For services without a connector and no easy export, you can often use an automation tool as a go-between. Tools like Zapier or Make.com can connect to thousands of apps via APIs. You can create a workflow that automatically pulls data from your source app and puts it into a Google Sheet or an Excel file in OneDrive. From there, it's easy to connect Power BI to that file, which now serves as a live, updating data source.

Final Thoughts

Power BI's real strength lies in its hundreds of data connectors, which allow it to serve as a central hub for all your business analytics. By providing a bridge to everything from simple spreadsheets to massive cloud databases and the SaaS apps you use every day, it gives you the power to see the full picture.

While Power BI provides incredible depth, getting started requires learning a new, complex piece of software and spending hours connecting all your sources and building dashboards from scratch. We built Graphed because we believe getting insights shouldn't be so manual. It lets you connect all your marketing and sales platforms in seconds and then simply use natural language to build the real-time dashboards you need, giving you back time to focus on strategy, not just reporting.