Today, let's discuss the next important Power BI topic: 📊 *Power BI: Import Mode vs DirectQuery Mode* Understanding the difference between Import and DirectQuery is crucial because it affects performance, data freshness, and report interactivity. 🔁 *1. Import Mode* ✅ *What it is:* - Data is stored in Power BI’s in-memory engine (VertiPaq) - Reports run on cached data, *not the live source* ⚙️ *Key Features:* - Super fast performance - Supports complex DAX & full feature set - Works offline after load ⚠️ *Limitations:* - Not real-time (requires scheduled refresh) - Not ideal for fast-changing data 🧠 *Use When:* - Speed is a priority - Dataset is manageable in size - You don’t need real-time updates 🌐 *2. DirectQuery Mode* ✅ *What it is:* - No data is stored in Power BI - Sends *live queries* to the data source on every interaction ⚙️ *Key Features:* - Real-time data (always fresh) - Low local storage usage - Source performance matters ⚠️ *Limitations:* - Slower due to live queries - Limited DAX functions & modeling - Heavy load on database 🧠 *Use When:* - Real-time data is required - Data is too big to import - Source system is highly optimized (e.g. Azure SQL) 🔄 *Hybrid Mode (Composite Models)* - Combine *Import* & *DirectQuery* - Example: Import historic data + DirectQuery for recent activity - Gives you flexibility to optimize both performance and freshness *React ❤️ for the next topic explanations* Power BI complete topics: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vai1xKf1dAvuk6s1v22c/769