Should you use Microsoft Purview data quality or TestGen in Microsoft Fabric?

Use both for different jobs: Microsoft Purview to catalog, classify, and govern Fabric alongside the rest of your Microsoft estate, and DataOps TestGen to profile Fabric Lakehouse and Warehouse tables, generate tests from that data profiling, and monitor freshness, volume, and schema. If you only need testing, TestGen alone is enough and is free for one connection.

By Chris Bergh Published November 3, 2026

Key points

Microsoft Purview's data quality supported-sources table, updated April 9, 2026, lists Fabric with data profiling and data quality scans, noting Lakehouse, shortcuts to other file systems, and mirroring; it does not name Fabric Warehouse.
DataOps TestGen reads Fabric Lakehouse and Warehouse tables through the Fabric SQL analytics endpoint, since version 5.92.1 on August 27, 2026, with an Entra ID service principal or managed identity that has Contributor on the workspace.
In Purview, data quality rules are defined or accepted one at a time; TestGen generates tests from 34 test types using a data profile of 55 characteristics per column.
DataKitchen's comparison page estimates Purview at $60,000 to $150,000 a year for 10 users and 1,000 tables, against $12,000 to $36,000 a year for TestGen Enterprise at the same size.
Purview is a Microsoft cloud service; TestGen runs on infrastructure you host and stores only computed results in its own database.

Purview and TestGen get compared because both have “data quality” on the feature list. In Fabric they’re better treated as two layers: one governs the estate, the other tests the tables.

Two pages already cover the parts this one skips. Price: what Purview Data Quality costs. On-prem SQL Server: Purview on on-prem SQL Server. This page is about Fabric.

Who does what in Fabric

Job	Microsoft Purview	DataOps TestGen
Catalog the Fabric estate with lineage into Power BI	Yes	No; it catalogs the tables it tests
Sensitivity labels and access policy	Yes	No
Data profiling of Lakehouse tables	Yes	Yes, through the SQL analytics endpoint
Data profiling of Warehouse tables	Not named in Microsoft’s table	Yes, through the SQL analytics endpoint
Where rules come from	You define or accept each one	Generated from 34 test types, plus business rules you add
Where results live	Purview, in Microsoft’s cloud	A database you host
Pricing	Pay as you go, per processing unit	Free open source; Enterprise per user and per connection

Purview’s Fabric support is from Microsoft’s data quality supported sources, updated April 9, 2026 and checked November 3, 2026. TestGen’s is from its Access Requirements, which say the endpoint takes its schema and data from the underlying Lakehouse or Warehouse.

When to use which

Purview only: your organization already runs Purview for governance, you have a few critical Fabric tables, and stewards are happy writing rules.
TestGen only: you need tests on Fabric tables, nobody is asking for an enterprise catalog, and you want results on your own infrastructure.
Both: Purview is your governance system of record, and you need tests on far more columns than anyone will write rules for.

The third case is the common one in larger Microsoft shops. DataKitchen’s Purview post counted what covering 20 tables and 1,000 columns takes: 2,526 tests, about 1,250 hours by hand at 30 minutes each, or two steps in TestGen.

Running TestGen in Fabric

Create an Entra ID service principal or managed identity with Contributor on the Fabric workspace. For a service principal, enable the tenant setting “Service principals can use Fabric APIs”. The service principal answer has Microsoft’s steps.
Add a Microsoft OneLake connection in TestGen with the workspace’s SQL connection string and the Lakehouse or Warehouse name.
Run data profiling, generate tests, and turn on monitors.
Call TestGen’s REST API from your Fabric or Data Factory pipeline to run tests after each load.

TestGen only runs SELECT. Warehouse specifics are in testing a Fabric Warehouse.

Cost, in one line

DataKitchen’s Purview comparison estimates Purview at $60,000 to $150,000 a year for 10 users and 1,000 tables, against $12,000 to $36,000 a year for TestGen Enterprise at the same size. Open source is free for one user, one connection, and one project.

To run TestGen beside Purview, start at the Purview install page, or the Fabric install page if you don’t use Purview.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the follow-up questions people ask next.

Does Purview data quality cover Fabric Warehouse?

Microsoft's supported-sources table, updated April 2026, lists Fabric with data profiling and data quality scans and names Lakehouse, shortcuts, and mirroring in its note. It doesn't name Fabric Warehouse. Check the current table before you plan on it. TestGen reads Warehouse tables through the Fabric SQL analytics endpoint.

Do Purview and TestGen overlap?

Both can profile Fabric tables and run data quality checks. The difference is how rules come to exist and where results live. Purview asks you to define or accept each rule and keeps scores in Purview. TestGen generates tests from the data profile and keeps results in a database you host.

Can TestGen replace Purview?

Not for governance. TestGen doesn't do lineage into Power BI, sensitivity labels, access policy, or a business glossary, which are Purview's core. It replaces Purview's data quality rules if testing is all you need, and it works beside Purview if you need both.

Which is cheaper in Fabric?

It depends on volume, because the two price on different principles. Purview meters each rule run in processing units. TestGen open source is free for one user and one connection; Enterprise is $100 per user per month plus $100 per connection per month. Our Purview cost answer has a worked example.

Try it on your own data

DataOps TestGen is free and open source. Profile a table and generate its tests this afternoon.

Install Open Source TestGen Request a Demo