6/5/2024
Explore the key differences between two popular business intelligence tools: Looker Studio and Power BI. Determine which one is best fit for your needs.
Remember Google Data Studio? It's now Looker Studio, an integral part of the Google Cloud suite. The change is not just in the tool's name: Looker Studio users now have access to a variety of exciting new features.
It's now fair to compare Looker Studio to Power BI. In this article, we'll explore the similarities and significant differences between Looker Studio and Power BI so you can determine which tool is right for you as a data professional. Both tools have their strengths and weaknesses, as you will see, and these differences reflect the distinct ecosystem of their parent companies, Google and Microsoft. Let's take a look.
What are Business Intelligence Tools?
Let's begin by learning more about what business intelligence tools are. These tools transform raw data into actionable insights through data visualization and analysis. They help organizations make informed decisions by interpreting vast amounts of data.
Looker Studio and Power BI dashboard examples
Many BI tools are available, but Power BI and Looker Studio stand out prominently. Power BI, which was developed by Microsoft, is renowned for its strong data modeling capabilities and integration with other products in the Microsoft ecosystem. Looker Studio, which was acquired by Google, modernizes BI with its browser-based interface and its strong emphasis on real-time data exploration and analytics.
What is Power BI?
Power BI was initially conceived by the SQL Server Reporting Services team at Microsoft and released to the public in 2015. Since then, it has evolved significantly, integrating tightly with other Microsoft products like Excel and Azure.
Power BI has established itself as one of the leading business intelligence tools on the market. Power BI converts your data into insightful and interactive visual reports. It makes it easy to connect to various data sources and create visualizations that can be shared across your organization. It's widely used by organizations of various sizes to gain insights from their data, monitor business performance, and make better data-driven decisions.
What is Looker Studio?
Looker Studio has a somewhat complicated history: Originally launched as Google Data Studio in 2016, it was rebranded in 2022 after Google acquired Looker, a separate company, in 2020. This rebranding unified Google's data visualization tools under the Looker brand while Google simultaneously upgraded its capabilities.
Looker Studio can now be thought of as a brand comparable to Power BI. Just like Power BI, it's a user-friendly web-based tool that can turn raw data into visually compelling and interactive reports. Users can quickly build informative dashboards using a drag-and-drop interface without any technical background.
Key Features We Expect from both Looker Studio and Power BI
Data analysts have high expectations from business intelligence platforms like Looker Studio and Power BI. So, what features make a business intelligence tool the right fit? Common features include data integration, transformation, aggregation, and so much more. Let's take a look.
Looker Studio vs. Power BI: A Detailed Comparison
Now that we have taken a look at the features we expect from business intelligence tools, let's evaluate Looker Studio and Power BI and figure out which tool is most suited for different business needs.
Feature |
Looker Studio |
Power BI |
Winner |
|||||
Ecosystem integration | Integrates with Google Cloud services like BigQuery, Google Analytics, and Google Ads, suitable for businesses using the Google ecosystem. | Integrates with Microsoft products like Excel, Azure, and Dynamics 365, making it ideal for organizations using Microsoft's suite. | It's a tie, as both tools excel in their respective ecosystems. | |||||
User interface | Offers a clean web-based interface with real-time data exploration and custom report creation using LookML. | Has a Microsoft Office-like interface with many built-in visualizations, requiring some BI expertise. | Looker Studio, for its seamless drag-and-drop interface, which makes visualizations quicker and easier. | |||||
Data manipulation | Uses LookML for powerful, reusable data transformations and real-time querying. | Power Query Editor and DAX language provide extensive data manipulation capabilities. | Power BI, for its advanced data manipulation features including DAX. | |||||
Real-time data analysis | Excels in real-time data exploration with instant query results and faster updates. | Supports real-time data streaming and integrates with Microsoft Stream Analytics. | Looker, because it loads large datasets faster and connects with data feeds like Google Analytics. | |||||
Data visualizations | Both offer a wide range of built-in visualizations and interactive dashboard templates. | Looker, it allows users to create visualizations with nearly zero coding skills, which is impressive. | ||||||
Collaboration | Integrates with Microsoft products like Teams and SharePoint, supporting real-time collaboration. | Integrates with cloud-based services, allowing easy sharing and scheduling. | Power BI, for tighter integration with Microsoft apps. Enterprises do tend to use Microsoft apps more often. | |||||
Data integration | Integrates with Google Cloud sources and custom data sources via community connectors. | Connects to over 100 data sources, both on-premises and cloud-based. | Power BI, it has extensive data connectivity options, which makes it more versatile. | |||||
Data modeling | Requires more technical expertise for setup and data modeling. | Offers features like Power Pivot and DAX for advanced data modeling. | Power BI, because Power Pivot helps a lot with advanced data modeling. | |||||
Pricing | Free for all Google account users, with a pro version costing $9 per user. | Offers a free version but with limited features; paid plans start at $9.99 per user. | Looker, for more affordable pricing. | |||||
Community and support | Has a growing community and support from Google. | Has a large user community with extensive online resources and Microsoft support. | Power BI, for its established community and support network. |
Final Considerations
There's tough competition between Looker Studio and Power BI. Both are proving to be excellent business intelligence tools.
If you are comfortable with Power BI's advanced capabilities and are comfortable with the pricing, go for it. And if you want a more simple way to connect your Google tools, and value real-time updates, choose Looker Studio.
Ultimately, the choice is yours which tool to use, and its best to consider your business context, and which business intelligence tool aligns with your existing workflow and your specific data needs. You can't go wrong: Both Looker Studio and Power BI are effective for turning data into insights.
Source: datacamp.com
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