KPI & cards · Microsoft
Bullet Chart (Microsoft): pricing, limits and alternatives
Microsoft's Bullet Chart shows one featured measure against a comparative target and qualitative bands (poor, satisfactory, good), in four orientations. It is free, certified and open source, and is the classic replacement for gauges on dense KPI pages.
By Nawaf Sharaf · Founder & Reliability Engineer · Updated
Facts as of November 4, 2026
| Listing name | Bullet Chart (Microsoft Marketplace) |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Microsoft |
| Category | KPI & cards |
| Licence model | Free |
| Price | Free (MIT) |
| Certified | Yes |
| Latest version | 2.4.2.0 · released December 23, 2024 |
| Source code | github.com/microsoft/powerbi-visuals-bulletchart |
| Native alternative | KPI visual (GA) |
Pricing
Bullet Chart (Microsoft) is free: the listing has no paid plan.
Checked on November 4, 2026. Prices change; confirm with the vendor before you buy.
Strengths
- Stephen Few's bullet design: measure, target and bands in a small footprint.
- Horizontal or vertical, stackable for several KPIs.
- Free, certified, MIT-licensed.
Limits
- Marketplace build last released December 2024; the GitHub repository has newer fixes.
- A few customisation options only.
Certification and tenant notes
Microsoft-certified on the check date.
Microsoft certifies visuals whose code it has reviewed and that make no external calls; certified visuals work in PowerPoint/PDF export and email subscriptions, and admins can restrict a tenant to certified visuals only (Microsoft Learn). To see whether your tenant allows it in the service, Desktop, exports and subscriptions, run the free custom visual tenant check.
When native Power BI is enough
Our take: The native KPI visual shows value vs target with a trend, one indicator per visual; it has no qualitative bands. A clustered bar with an error bar or target line can approximate a bullet chart.
Closest built-in visual as of Nov 2026: KPI visual (GA). Value vs target with a trend axis. One indicator per visual.
Alternatives to Bullet Chart (Microsoft)
- Bullet Chart by OKVIZOKVIZ · Free tier; paid per user · certified
Multiple targets and variances; free tier, paid per user.
- Linear Gauge (xViz)Lumel (xViz) · From $9.99/user/year · certified
Gauge-style KPI vs ranges; from $9.99/user/year.
- Power KPIMicrosoft · Free (MIT) · certified
KPI header plus trend chart, free.
- Generate your own bullet chart with VizForgeOne-off credits · you own the code · not certified
A visual built to your brief from a plain-English prompt. Trade-offs are listed in the panel below.
Build your own version
Generate a visual that does the part of Bullet Chart (Microsoft) you need
VizForge writes a Power BI custom visual from a plain-English brief and gives you the .pbiviz and its TypeScript source. The brief below is a starting point based on what Bullet Chart (Microsoft) is used for; edit it to match your report, then send it to the generator.
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What it costs
One generated visual costs 1–5 credits, once. The smallest pack that covers it is the Starter Pack: $9.99 for 10 credits, which leaves room for a few refinements. No per-user or annual fee: the file is yours.
Bullet Chart (Microsoft) itself is free, so generate only if you need something it doesn't do.
Honest trade-offs
- Not Microsoft-certified: Power BI only shows certified custom visuals in PowerPoint/PDF exports and email subscriptions, and tenants that allow certified visuals only will block it unless an admin deploys it as an organizational visual.
- You own the .pbiviz and its TypeScript source, so there is no per-user licence and nothing expires; you also maintain it yourself when Power BI changes.
- Useful when you need what the free visual lacks, such as variance labels, multiple targets or conditional colours, without a per-user licence.
FAQ
Is there a free bullet chart for Power BI?
Yes: Microsoft's Bullet Chart (free, certified, MIT) and the free edition of OKVIZ Bullet Chart, which limits targets and leaves out variances.
Does Power BI have a native bullet chart?
No. The KPI visual and gauge are the closest native options.
Sources
- Microsoft Marketplace listing: Bullet Chart
- Bullet Chart README and changelog (GitHub)
- DataChant Power BI Visuals Marketplace tracker (version, date, certification)
All sources read on November 4, 2026. VizForge is not affiliated with Microsoft; product names identify the products only. Corrections are welcome.
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