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Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) vs. Microsoft Power BI

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)

    Score8.2 out of 10
    N/AGoogle Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) is a data visualization platform that transforms data into meaningful presentations and dashboards with customized reporting tools.

    $9

    per month per user per project

    Microsoft Power BI

    Score8.5 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Power BI is a visualization and data discovery tool from Microsoft. It allows users to convert data into visuals and graphics, visually explore and analyze data, collaborate on interactive dashboards and reports, and scale across their organization with built-in governance and security.

    $168

    per year per user

    Pricing
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)Microsoft Power BI
    Editions & Modules
    Looker Studio Pro
    $9
    per month per user per project
    Looker Studio
    No charge
    Power BI Pro
    $14
    per month (billed annually) per user
    Power BI Premium
    $24
    per month (billed annually) per user
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)Microsoft Power BI
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    YesYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details—Power BI Desktop is the data exploration and report authoring experience for Power BI, and is available as a free download.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)Microsoft Power BI
    Considered Both Products
    Google
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    Looker Studio is great for free, simple Google-centric dashboards, while Power BI offers strong Microsoft integration, AI, and deep data prep (Power Query/DAX) for corporate users. Tableau excels in advanced visual exploration for complex data, though often much pricier. Fullst…
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    We have evaluated Power BI, Looker Studio, and Tableau for a short period. Looker Studio is easy to deploy and helpful for creating quick reports. However, for better performance, scale, and deeper analysis, we found Power BI.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    Looker Studio is easy to use and provides sufficient capabilities for setting up basic reporting. It's especially good for a marketing environment. We also use other tools for complex reporting, but when it comes to value for money, Looker Studio is one of the best BI tools on …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    Very good imo, and really cost-effective. With Salesforce, there is too much stubbornness when importing data from Microsoft suite applications, and Power BI is really expensive for a mid-sized organisation. Hence, I feel Looker Studio is actually worth the investment for …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    The main reason why Looker Studio was selected is because it was already integrated into the google ecosystem. But it actually once you start working with it, is really easy to get into. For really complex reports you will have to focus in building a good model in the database …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    We selected Looker Studio because we are Google Workspace users, and Looker Studio is natively integrated with it.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    Easy availability and accessible with Google suits. Sharing is smooth.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    We selected Google Data Studio because it is easier to make connections with third-party data sources. Also Google Data Studio can understand connections between different tables and databases better that its competitors such as Power BI. Compared to Power BI you do not need to …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    Google holds it's own against these competitors as they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. While Tableau provides user-interactive reporting, its formatting options can be quickly rigid and frustrating.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    Google Data Studio provides a great feature set considering its price point, especially when compared to commercial options from Microsoft and Tableau. While it may not be as versatile when it comes to working with and developing complex datasets, there is enough charm in its …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    Compared with Tableau and Power BI, I would say Google Data Studio is fairly placed or a pretty decent tool. We need to understand, this is a free tool and it will have its own limitations - apart from that this is a pretty decent tool compared to the biggies in the market.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    Officially we are still on Tableau Desktop. We are nearing the end of our "exploration" phase with Google Data Studio. Tableau's products are expensive, especially for a small organization like us. There are many better uses of the software budget than Tableau. Google Data …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    I selected Google Data Studio because it was free. In general it compares favorably against BIME but less against PowerBI and Tableau. I was looking for a free tool to help surface metrics company-wide and this tool was perfect for me. PowerBI and Tableau have much more data …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    Google Data Studio provides basic functionalities for visualizing data and creating simple reports, but it certainly does not provide the advanced visualizations and features that Tableau and Power BI offer.
    Moreover, Tableau offers built-in advanced functions and data …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    Google Data Studio is widely available and accessible, can be shared easily, and it only takes 20-30 min to build a rudimentary dashboard. It has very little setup and does not rely on internal data architecture and development. For later development purposes, Tableau, Power …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    The only benefit to Data Studio compared to Klipfolio is being free. In any other aspect or function that I've used, Klipfolio is far better.
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    Google Data Studio is much more intuitive to pick up and start using immediately. There was very little need for formal training or onboarding to start using the tool quickly. Power BI was much more difficult to start using.

    The formatting in GDS is also very customizable, and …
    Incentivized
    Microsoft
    Chose Microsoft Power BI
    Much more instinctive
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Power BI
    Some of the strengths are 1. User-Friendliness 2. Self-Service BI (Caters to all levels of the employees 3. Cost-effective. 4. Easy integration with Microsoft Suits. 5. DAX Calculations 6. Familiar Interface like traditional Excel. 7. Easier Self-Service platform for …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Power BI
    After several years using Google Looker Studio and BigQuery, Microsoft Power BI is a step-up in terms of visualizations. It is also much more powerful, leading to less errors and has a more intuitive interface. Looker Studio has a focus on Google Analytics whereas Microsoft …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Power BI
    I prefer Power BI because of its affordability and fewer complicated tools than Tableau. It's easy to use and compatible with other Microsoft products, which are mostly used in the IT industry. It's not limited to only one platform like Looker Studio, which is mostly used in …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Power BI
    Overall Microsoft Power BI has more capabilities, it is more customizable and it also has it's own query language DAX which is really powerful for complex calculations and that's something you just don't get in their competitors, also when integrated with the other power apps, …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Power BI
    Complexity: Microsoft Power BI is more powerful and complex, Looker Studio is simpler and easier to use.
    Data: Microsoft Power BI handles complex data modeling and diverse sources, Looker Studio is better for simpler data and Google ecosystem sources.
    Analytics: Microsoft Power …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Power BI
    Due to microsoft user and all the data into excel it was found more feasible from the organization to get Microsoft Power BI. Also due to access of microsoft licence we don't need to survey other vendors and feasibility. Also price wise it was more competitive then Tableau.
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Power BI
    I selected Power BI because it is the best in all because of its ecosystem and its ability to connect with multiple data source like Microsoft Excel, Microsoft SQL Server, web, analysis services etc. Moreover, its available on both Cloud and Desktop with some pro and cons …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    95%
    Would buy again
    40 Answers
    96%
    Would buy again
    110 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    38 Answers
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    103 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    95%
    Happy with the feature set
    40 Answers
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    112 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    97%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    31 Answers
    99%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    69 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    89%
    Implementation went as expected
    33 Answers
    95%
    Implementation went as expected
    73 Answers
    Features
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)Microsoft Power BI
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) and Microsoft Power BI
    Feature
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    7.0
    62 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI
    8.1
    199 Ratings
    1% below category average
    Pixel Perfect reports6.543 Ratings8.0170 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards7.361 Ratings8.5198 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates7.259 Ratings7.7181 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) and Microsoft Power BI
    Feature
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    7.6
    61 Ratings
    3% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.9
    197 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Drill-down analysis6.751 Ratings8.4194 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities7.057 Ratings7.7194 Ratings
    Integration with R or other statistical packages7.229 Ratings7.4144 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration9.759 Ratings8.0192 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) and Microsoft Power BI
    Feature
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    8.1
    60 Ratings
    0% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.9
    190 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Publish to Web8.453 Ratings8.0180 Ratings
    Publish to PDF8.653 Ratings7.6175 Ratings
    Report Versioning8.139 Ratings7.6146 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling7.942 Ratings8.2149 Ratings
    Delivery to Remote Servers7.524 Ratings7.9112 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) and Microsoft Power BI
    Feature
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    6.6
    60 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.7
    190 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)7.160 Ratings8.3184 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization7.757 Ratings8.2169 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics5.330 Ratings7.0139 Ratings
    Pattern Recognition and Data Mining6.46 Ratings7.239 Ratings
    Access Control and Security
    Comparison of Access Control and Security features of Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) and Microsoft Power BI
    Feature
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Power BI
    8.3
    181 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Multi-User Support (named login)00 Ratings8.6170 Ratings
    Role-Based Security Model00 Ratings8.1149 Ratings
    Multiple Access Permission Levels (Create, Read, Delete)00 Ratings8.1161 Ratings
    Report-Level Access Control00 Ratings8.150 Ratings
    Single Sign-On (SSO)00 Ratings8.5142 Ratings
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) and Microsoft Power BI
    Feature
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.8
    163 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Responsive Design for Web Access00 Ratings7.5153 Ratings
    Mobile Application00 Ratings7.4134 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile00 Ratings7.7156 Ratings
    Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding
    Comparison of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) / Embedding features of Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) and Microsoft Power BI
    Feature
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
    -
    Ratings
    Microsoft Power BI
    7.6
    117 Ratings
    2% below category average
    REST API00 Ratings7.7105 Ratings
    Javascript API00 Ratings7.586 Ratings
    iFrames00 Ratings8.055 Ratings
    Java API00 Ratings6.870 Ratings
    Themeable User Interface (UI)00 Ratings7.291 Ratings
    Customizable Platform (Open Source)00 Ratings8.444 Ratings
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    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)Microsoft Power BI
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    Medium-sized Companies
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    Score9.5 out of 10
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    Score8.1 out of 10
    Enterprises
    SAP Lumira Discovery (legacy)
    Score8.5 out of 10
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    Score6.7 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)Microsoft Power BI
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.3
    (63 ratings)
    8.6
    (200 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.6
    (3 ratings)
    Usability
    8.4
    (14 ratings)
    8.3
    (116 ratings)
    Support Rating
    6.7
    (10 ratings)
    10.0
    (52 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Data Sharing and Collaboration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.5
    (82 ratings)
    Data Sources
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (81 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Google Cloud Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)Microsoft Power BI
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Google
    Visualizing cross-channel campaign performance can blend data from a few different sources to compare performance metrics like spend, clicks, and conversions side-by-side in a single view, which helps in quick budget reallocation decisions. When dealing with massive volumes of data (millions of rows) or highly complex queries, Looker Studio dashboards can become slow, laggy, or even crash. Performance issues are a frequent complaint when working with large datasets, making it unsuitable for enterprise-level companies
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Has significantly improved collation of data and visualisation especially with business across Europe. Has given me the ability to see the Site availability at the click of a button to see which Site is in the "money" and seize opportunities based on Market data
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Google
    • Breath of data - the number of ways to interrogate the data is endless, and the options to view metrics alongside each other make for comprehensive datasets.
    • Data visualisation and customisation - the options for presenting data and separating out across pages allow for clean visuals and segmented information.
    • Easy shareability/usability - a quick and simple tool to introduce colleagues to, and easy to grant access for them to be able to view the data, without having to understand the setup itself.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Options for data source connections are immense. Not just which sources, but your options for *how* the data is brought in.
    • Constant updates (this is both good and bad at times).
    • User friendliness. I can get the data connections set up and draft some quick visuals, then release to the target audience and let them expand on it how they want to.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Google
    • It needs better handling of complex logic. We often need workarounds to perform complex custom calculations, and it can be really unpleasant at times.
    • Felt it got slow with a larger data set, and in one minor report, we had to set up time filters so that calculations during spikes could be traced more quickly.
    • Compare to competition they need to improve with notification things.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • It would be easier for users could Microsoft Power BI and Excel used the same programming languages.
    • Would like to see the online version of Microsoft Power BI be as powerful as the desktop version.
    • Publishing a Microsoft Power BI file online and then having to save the file is somewhat redundant.
    • Would like to export each page or chart as an image.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Google
    It is the simplest and least expensive way for us to automate our reporting at this time. I like the ability to customize literally everything about each report, and the ability to send out reports automatically in emails. The only issue we have been having recently is a technical glitch in the automatic email report. Sadly, there is almost no support for this tool from Google, but is also free, so that is important to take into consideration
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Power BI is an excellent and scalable tool. It has a learning curve, but once you get past that, the sky is the limit and you can build from the most simple to the most complex dashboards. I have built everything from simple reports with only a few data points to complex reports with many pages and advanced filtering.
    Read full review
    Usability
    Google
    Looker Studio is easy to use, and it offers a sufficient variety of predefined visualizations to choose from. It's easy for us, and anyone can set up basic reporting without extensive data visualization skills. The interface layout is easy to understand, and it doesn't take long to get used to.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Automating reporting has reduced manual data processing by 50-70%, freeing up analysts for higher-value tasks. A finance team that previously spent 20+ hours per week on Excel-based reports now does it in minutes with Microsoft Power BI's automated Real-time dashboards have shortened decision cycles by 30-40%, enabling leadership to react quickly to sales trends, operational bottlenecks, and customer behavior.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Google
    I give it a lower support rating because it seems like our Dev team hasn't gotten the support they need to set up our database to connect. Seems like we hit a roadblock and the project got put on pause for dev. That sucks for me because it is harder to get the dev team to focus on it if they don't get the help they need to set it up.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    It is a fantastic tool, you can do almost everything related with data and reports, it is a perfect substitutive of Power Point and Excel with a high evolution and flexibility, and also it is very friendly and easy to share. I think all companies should have Power BI (or other BI tool) in their software package and if they are in the MS Suite, for sure Power BI should be the one due to all the benefits of the MS ecosystem.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Google
    No answers on this topic
    Microsoft
    It was integrated with our erp easily and was accessible on cloud.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Google
    Looker Studio is far easier to implement, stand up, and learn. The interface is simpler and user-friendly for various levels of data visualization/analysis knowledge and experience. The biggest benefit of Looker Studio, however, is its ease of connection to GA data and speed. Furthermore, since it is an online program/tool, it requires less CPU/battery/storage on the user's device.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Power BI is free. If I didn't want to create a custom platform (i.e. my organization insisted on an existing platform that I *had* to use), I'd use Microsoft Power BI. For any start-up or SMB, I'd just use Claude & Grok to build it quickly, also for free. Would not pay for Tableau or Sigma anymore. Not worth it at all.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Google
    • Free, so the only investment is time
    • Because it doesn't have native support of non-Google sources, it can cost more money than Tableau
    • The time spent formatting the templates or building connectors can have a negative impact on ROI
    • As a agency, charging for the reporting service is profitable after the first month or two after building the dashboard.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Microsoft
    • Power BI usage reduced the effort of analytical reports creation by about 80%
    • Empowered all the level of employee to be more vigilant of the data and business insights, gained the profit of 8% overall.
    • AI-powered predictive analytics improved forecasting accuracy by 17%, that topped the overall sales.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Microsoft Power BI Screenshots

    Screenshot of Microsoft Power BI - Turns insights into impact for business usersScreenshot of Power BI integrates easily with Microsoft 365Screenshot of Microsoft Power BI - AI-Powered CapabilitiesScreenshot of Microsoft Power BI - Copilot can be used to create reportsScreenshot of Microsoft Power BI - Data HubScreenshot of Microsoft Power BI - Scales as organizational needs grow