Datplan local files
Best when scheduled snapshots are sufficient, local control is important and the team can create and maintain its own Power BI model.
See the BI export package →Power BI connector alternatives
Prepare Xero, QuickBooks and HubSpot data for Power BI without relying on an obsolete native connector
Datplan DataPull uses authorised API connections to refresh supported business data on Windows, prepares documented reporting tables and writes stable files for a Power BI model controlled by your organisation.
What replaced the old Xero and QuickBooks Power BI connectors?
There is no single universal replacement. The practical choices are a third-party live connector, a hosted integration or warehouse, a custom API pipeline, or a controlled file-based workflow. Datplan provides the last option: it refreshes the supported provider data separately, prepares consistent local tables and lets Power BI read the resulting files.
Current Microsoft position
Do not design a new report around connectors that are no longer supported
The relevant dates and migration consequences differ between Xero and QuickBooks.
| Accounting source | Microsoft connector position | Datplan alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Xero | Microsoft's Xero content pack was deprecated on 28 May 2019. Microsoft advised users to remove it, and Xero is absent from the current Power Query connector catalogue. | Pull supported Xero data in Datplan and refresh stable local financial, invoice, payment and ledger reporting files. |
| QuickBooks Online | Microsoft announced that its QuickBooks Online connector would not be supported after March 2026; new connections cannot be created and existing connections might stop working. | Connect the QuickBooks company through Intuit in Datplan, prepare local accounting tables and rebuild the Power BI queries against those exports. |
| HubSpot | HubSpot is not listed as a current built-in Power Query connector. Several third-party and custom integration approaches are available. | Refresh supported companies, contacts, deals and activities in Datplan and write separate reporting grains for Power BI. |
Checked against Microsoft's public Power BI and Power Query information on 12 August 2026. Microsoft and provider capabilities can change.
Microsoft's Xero deprecation notice → Microsoft's QuickBooks retirement notice → Current Power Query connector catalogue →
The Datplan route
Separate source refresh from report refresh
Two visible stages make it easier to identify whether a stale report is caused by the provider pull, the exported files or Power BI.
- Authorise the provider in DatplanUse Xero, Intuit or HubSpot's browser consent flow and select only a company or portal you are permitted to access.
- Refresh the source dataRun the supported pull manually or use a Datplan schedule available on the selected plan.
- Review the Datplan resultCheck status, timestamps, endpoint results and relevant reconciliation information before refreshing the report.
- Write stable reporting filesExport fact and dimension tables to a consistent location without changing the names used by Power Query.
- Refresh Power BI separatelyPower BI Desktop can reread the files. Published Power BI reports require their own storage access or gateway and refresh configuration.
- Validate accounting totalsCompare the refreshed model with the source reports before relying on management, audit or client output.
Choose by reporting requirement
File refresh and live query solve different problems
Hosted connector or OData
Better when Power BI must query a continuously available endpoint and the organisation accepts the provider's hosted processing and service dependency.
Compare architectures →Cloud warehouse
Appropriate for large shared models, many sources, central governance or transformations that need managed server infrastructure.
Custom API pipeline
Appropriate when engineering teams need full control and can maintain OAuth, pagination, rate limits, schema changes, reconciliation and monitoring.
Xero
Xero to Power BI
Prepare financial summaries, invoice and payment reporting and other documented Xero grains through a local file workflow.
Review the Xero alternative →QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks to Power BI
Replace the retired Microsoft connection with authorised QuickBooks pulls and stable local accounting tables.
Review the QuickBooks alternative →HubSpot
HubSpot to Power BI
Keep companies, contacts, deals and activities in separate reporting grains before building the semantic model.
Review the HubSpot workflow →Power BI Service
A local source still needs a bridge to Microsoft's cloud service
Power BI Desktop can read files on the same computer. Power BI Service runs elsewhere, so it needs a supported route back to the organisation's files. Microsoft's on-premises data gateway can bridge supported local sources, including files, folders, OData, web and ODBC data sources.
The gateway, Windows device, source files, credentials and network must remain available. A successful Datplan export does not by itself prove that the later Power BI Service refresh succeeded.
Datplan is not currently a drop-in native connector
Existing Xero or QuickBooks Power BI queries will not automatically change to Datplan tables. Map the old queries to the new reporting grains, rebuild relationships where required and reconcile the replacement model before retiring the previous connection.
Power BI connector questions
Know what refreshes, where it runs and who controls it
Does Power BI still have a built-in Xero connector?
Microsoft's Xero content pack was deprecated on 28 May 2019, and Xero does not appear in Microsoft's current Power Query connector catalogue. Current workflows normally use an API, files, a database or a third-party service.
What happened to the Power BI QuickBooks Online connector?
Microsoft announced that the QuickBooks Online connector would not be supported after March 2026. New connections cannot be created after retirement and Microsoft warned that existing connections might stop working.
Is Datplan a live or DirectQuery Power BI connector?
No. Datplan currently refreshes authorised source data in its Windows app and writes stable local reporting files. Power BI then imports or refreshes those files. It is not a live DirectQuery, OData or native Power Query connector.
Can Power BI Service refresh Datplan files?
Yes, after the organisation configures a Microsoft-supported route to the files, such as an appropriate on-premises data gateway or an accessible organisation-controlled storage location. Datplan and Power BI refreshes remain separate jobs.
Do I need a separate Datplan plan for Xero and QuickBooks?
Yes. Live-source access is purchased by source because Xero and QuickBooks connections, API usage and plan allowances are managed independently. The free app and Datplan Demo can be used before connecting live data.
Test the local Power BI preparation workflow
Download Datplan free and use the included demo data to inspect reporting grains, files and relationship guidance before connecting a live source.