Are you considering Power BI or Google Looker Studio for your business intelligence needs? Read on to discover the pros and cons of each platform based on functionality, user experience, development time, charting features, building custom measures, and product roadmap.
Business intelligence platforms are essential for data-driven decision-making. Power BI and Google Looker Studio are two of the most popular platforms on the market. Both platforms offer a range of features and benefits, but which one is the best for your business? In this post, we’ll compare the two platforms across six key areas and give each platform a score out of 5 for each test.
Functionality
Power BI: 4/5
Power BI offers a broad range of data connectors, allowing users to connect to a wide variety of data sources. The platform also offers advanced analytics capabilities, including machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Google Looker Studio: 3/5
Google Looker Studio has a narrower range of data connectors compared to Power BI, but the platform’s SQL-based language allows for more complex data modeling. The platform also offers a range of pre-built templates and visualizations.
User Experience
Power BI: 4/5
Power BI’s user interface is intuitive and easy to use. The platform offers a drag-and-drop interface, making it easy to create dashboards and reports. Power BI also offers a mobile app for on-the-go access to reports.
Google Looker Studio: 4/5
Google Looker Studio offers a clean and modern user interface, with intuitive navigation and a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface. The platform also offers a mobile app for on-the-go access to reports.
Development Time
Power BI: 4/5
Power BI’s drag-and-drop interface makes it quick and easy to create reports and dashboards. The platform also offers a range of pre-built templates and visualizations, further reducing development time.
Google Looker Studio: 3/5
Google Looker Studio’s SQL-based language requires more technical knowledge and can be more time-consuming to develop. However, the platform offers a range of pre-built templates and visualizations.
Charting Features
Power BI: 5/5
Power BI offers a broad range of charting features, including custom visualizations from the Power BI community. The platform also offers advanced analytics capabilities, including machine learning and artificial intelligence.
Google Looker Studio: 4/5
Google Looker Studio offers a range of charting features, including pre-built templates and visualizations. The platform also allows users to create custom visualizations using the Looker API.
Building Custom Measures
Power BI: 4/5
Power BI offers a range of advanced analytics capabilities, including the ability to create custom measures using DAX. The platform also offers a range of pre-built templates and visualizations.
Google Looker Studio: 4/5
Google Looker Studio’s allows you to blended data sources through joining of tables. The custom measures and calculated fields are somewhat nuanced to implement but powerful none-the-less.
Product Roadmap
Power BI: 5/5
Microsoft has a clear and comprehensive product roadmap for Power BI, with regular updates and new features. The platform also benefits from Microsoft’s wider suite of business intelligence tools.
Google Looker Studio: 4/5
Google has a clear and comprehensive product roadmap for Looker Studio, with regular updates and new features. The platform also benefits from Google’s wider suite of cloud-based tools.
In conclusion, both Power BI and Google Looker Studio offer a range of features and benefits for business intelligence. While Power BI excels in functionality, charting features, and product roadmap.
