Slicers & filters · Microsoft
Text Filter: pricing, limits and alternatives
Text Filter is Microsoft's free, certified custom visual that adds a search box: readers type text and the report filters to matching values of a column. Since the native input slicer reached general availability, most reports can do this without a custom visual.
By Nawaf Sharaf · Founder & Reliability Engineer · Updated
Facts as of November 4, 2026
| Listing name | Text Filter (Microsoft Marketplace) |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Microsoft |
| Category | Slicers & filters |
| Licence model | Free |
| Price | Free (MIT) |
| Certified | Yes |
| Latest version | 2.2.9.0 · released December 23, 2024 |
| Source code | github.com/microsoft/PowerBI-visuals-TextFilter |
| Native alternative | Input slicer (GA) |
Pricing
Text Filter is free: the listing has no paid plan.
Checked on November 4, 2026. Prices change; confirm with the vendor before you buy.
Strengths
- Free, certified and open source (MIT).
- One field, one search box: very simple to set up.
Limits
- Marketplace build last released December 2024.
- A single search box on one field.
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 input slicer (GA) filters on free text with operators such as contains any, contains all, starts with and is any. For new reports, start there.
Closest built-in visual as of Nov 2026: Input slicer (GA). Free-text filtering with operators (contains any/all, starts with, is any). Called “text slicer” during preview.
Alternatives to Text Filter
- Smart Filter by OKVIZOKVIZ · Free; Pro paid per user · certified
Search with dropdown and hierarchy modes in the Pro edition.
- Inforiver Super FilterLumel (Inforiver) · Free · certified
Free all-in-one slicer with mass-paste filtering.
- Chiclet SlicerMicrosoft · Free (MIT) · certified
Button-style selection instead of typing.
- Generate your own 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 Text Filter 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 Text Filter is used for; edit it to match your report, then send it to the generator.
213/2,000 characters
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.
Text Filter 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.
- Rarely worth generating: the native input slicer is free and supported. Only consider it for unusual search behaviour.
FAQ
What replaced the Text Filter visual?
Power BI's input slicer, which is generally available. It supports text operators such as contains any, contains all and starts with.
Is Text Filter still available?
Yes, it is still listed on Microsoft Marketplace and certified; its last Marketplace release was December 2024.
Sources
- Microsoft Marketplace listing: Text Filter
- 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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