key difference is that the native BigQuery connector uses Google-based authentication options, while the BigQuery (Microsoft Entra ID) connector lets users sign in with Microsoft Entra ID and relies on Workforce Identity Federation/SSO patterns. The Entra ID connector is the better fit when your Power BI identity model is centered on Microsoft Entra groups and you want federated access into Google Cloud.[microsoft +1]
Core difference
The native Google BigQuery connector in Power BI supports Google service account-style authentication and also works with Import or DirectQuery modes. The Microsoft Entra ID connector is a separate connector, marked as beta in Google’s documentation, and is specifically designed for Entra-based sign-in and SSO into BigQuery.
When to choose native
Use the native connector if your analytics platform team already manages Google service accounts and your access patterns are mainly Google-native. It is a practical choice for straightforward reporting pipelines where Power BI connects directly to BigQuery using familiar Google authentication. For airline BI teams, this often fits central reporting models where a data engineering team owns access and publishes curated datasets.[learn.microsoft]
When to choose Entra ID
Use the Entra ID connector if your organization wants users to authenticate with Microsoft identities and apply Entra group-based access controls across Power BI and Google Cloud. Google’s guidance shows the connector is intended to let Entra users access BigQuery data through Workforce Identity Federation and SSO. This is especially attractive in large enterprises where governance, joiner-mover-leaver processes, and conditional access are already managed in Microsoft Entra.[cloud.google]
Practical recommendation
For an enterprise airline environment, I would usually recommend:
1. Native connector for quick adoption, lower setup effort, and teams already operating with Google service accounts.[learn.microsoft]
2. Entra ID connector for governed enterprise deployments where Microsoft identity is the system of record and SSO is a priority.[microsoft +1]
If your Power BI tenant, IAM model, and security operations are Microsoft-centered, the Entra route is usually the cleaner long-term architecture. If your BigQuery platform team owns access and you want the least moving parts, the native connector is simpler.
Architecture note
One important detail is that the Entra connector depends on federation between Microsoft Entra and Google Cloud, so it is not just a Power BI setting; it is an identity architecture choice. That makes it more suitable for standardized enterprise patterns, but also more dependent on coordination across identity, cloud, and BI teams.[cloud.google]