Looker Studio vs Power BI: Which Data Intelligence Tool is Right for You?

Large and medium organisations rely more on business intelligence software and data visualization tools to make data-driven decisions. Consulting and Market Research firms know how challenging it is to select the best tool for your organisation’s needs when there are many available.

Looker Studio and Power BI are two industry leaders. Though both provide a wide range of functionality, deciding which one is most appropriate for your particular use case can be tedious.

To help you decide on the best data analysis software, we will compare Looker Studio and Microsoft Power BI in this blog.

Difference Between Looker Studio and Power BI

Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) and Power BI are both powerful data visualization tools, but they cater to different ecosystems and user needs.

Power BI, developed by Microsoft, is well-integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem. It provides comprehensive support for Microsoft 365 apps—Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and SharePoint. Users can connect business intelligence across the data estate and analyse petabytes of Azure data.

Its advanced features include infusing your reports and graph databases in customizable dashboards with AI capabilities. This tool offers Analytics Lakehouse Solution capabilities by integrating with Microsoft Fabric. It allows users to run queries and analyse large datasets stored in a Lakehouse environment using Power BI reports.

Microsoft Power BI

4.3

Starting Price

₹ 850.00 excl. GST

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Looker Studio, on the other hand, is a part of Google Cloud. It is known for simplicity, ease of use, and seamless integration with other Google products such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, and Google BigQuery.

Looker Studio is more focused on making data visualization accessible to a wider audience. Non-technical users can easily use Looker Studio. Its reporting capabilities are somewhat less advanced than Power BI. However, it is efficient at delivering quick and easy insights for businesses that already use Google’s ecosystem.

Looker

4.3

Starting Price

Price on Request

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Comparison between Looker Studio and Power BI

Looker Studio vs Power BI: Key Differences

1. Data Sources and Integration: Power BI has many data connectors, including Microsoft tools (Excel, SharePoint, SQL Server), cloud platforms (Azure), and third-party services like Salesforce and Google Analytics. Looker Studio supports fewer native integrations than Power BI.

However, it shines when it comes to integrating with Google’s suite of tools (Google Analytics, Google Sheets, BigQuery). It is a strong contender for organisations already integrated into the Google ecosystem.

2. Advanced Features and Customization: For more straightforward reporting and visualisations, Looker Studio is perfect. Although it lets users personalise dashboards and reports, Power BI offers more complex analytics and data modelling capabilities.

Power BI is the obvious choice whether your company needs custom data models, complex data analytics, or AI-driven insights. It is appropriate for companies that require more than simple dashboards because of its capacity to generate intricate reports and models.

3. Ease of Use: Looker Studio is renowned for its ease of use and intuitive interface. It is best suited for small organisations or people who have never worked with data visualisation before. Users can quickly and easily produce reports with its drag-and-drop capabilities.

On the other hand, Power BI is more complicated and has a higher learning curve. Especially when working with advanced analytics or data modelling. Even while the UI is easy to use, learning the more complex capabilities may take some time.

4. Collaboration and Sharing: Because Looker Studio connects with Google Workspace, it excels at teamwork. Reports can be worked on in real-time by several people, and sharing dashboards and reports with stakeholders is straightforward and only requires a link.

Strong collaboration features are provided by Power BI, particularly for businesses that use Microsoft products like Teams and SharePoint. Sharing interactive reports with other users is possible with Power BI Pro, but the free edition has fewer sharing options.

5. Security: Looker Studio complies with Google’s security guidelines, guaranteeing data encryption and protection because it is a Google product. However, when it comes to granular data access and control, its security features might not be as strong as those of Power BI.

Advanced encryption, role-based access restrictions, and interaction with Microsoft security standards are just a few of the enterprise-grade security features that Power BI provides. For big companies or organisations handling sensitive data, this makes it a more secure choice.

6. Pricing: Because Looker Studio is free to use, it is very appealing to individuals or small enterprises on a limited budget. Its pricing plan starts from $10.00 per user/month.

Although there is a free version of Power BI, the advanced features require a monthly fee for a Power BI Pro or Power BI Premium membership. Its pricing plans start from $9 per user per project per month. The expenses might mount up for larger organisations or groups that must distribute reports extensively.

When Should You Choose Looker Studio or Power BI?

Conclusion: Which Tool is Right for You?

In summary, Looker Studio is best suited for organizations heavily embedded in the Google ecosystem and looking for a straightforward, cost-effective data visualization tool. On the other hand, Power BI is ideal for businesses needing more complex analytics, integration with Microsoft tools, and enterprise-grade security.

Before buying any software in between Looker Studio vs Power BI, consider your business size, data requirements, and existing ecosystem. Regardless of the tool you choose, both Power BI and Looker Studio can elevate your data-driven decision-making.

Our marketplace offers data intelligence, business intelligence and data warehouse software. You can explore these software and check their reviews and comparisons for a better in-hand experience.