Analytics & BI · by Google
Looker Studio
Looker Studio builds interactive reports and dashboards from many data sources, including Google Sheets, Google Ads, Google Analytics and BigQuery. The self-service version is free for creators and viewers. The Pro tier adds team content management, Google Cloud support and admin features. As of this review Google's product page uses the name Data Studio, and the old Looker Studio URL redirects there.
- Paid plans from
- $9/seat/mo
- Free plan
- Yes
- Data portability
- moderate
- Last reviewed
- Oct 13, 2026
Plans & pricing
Google's page now uses the Data Studio name for what was Looker Studio. Some third-party connectors charge their own fees.
| Plan | Price (USD) | Highlights | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Studio (self-service) | $0/mo |
| Verified· Oct 13, 2026Source |
| Data Studio Pro | $9/seat/mo Per user per project per month; Google says Pro pricing varies with subscription length. |
| Verified· Oct 13, 2026Source |
What Looker Studio does
4 capabilities mapped. Click one to compare every tool that does it.
| Capability | Fit | Quality | Ease | Precision | Team | Plans | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Build dashboards from spreadsheets and data | Core feature | All plans | Can be slow on large or blended data sources · Less calculation depth than Tableau or Power BI | ||||
| Sales and CRM reporting | Strong | All plans | CRM data often needs a paid third-party connector | ||||
| Analyse data and spreadsheets | Partial | — | All plans | Not built for ad-hoc data cleaning or modelling | |||
| General-purpose AI assistant | Workaround | — | — | All plans | Needs BigQuery and technical setup · Only answers questions about connected data |
Fit and scores (1–5) are editorial judgements. How we score
Why people pay for it
- Pro adds team workspaces so reports are owned by the organisation, not individuals
- Google Cloud support and administration
- Enterprise security such as customer-managed encryption keys on Pro
Reasons to keep paying
The honest case for Looker Studio. If these matter to you, don't switch.
- Free native connectors for Google Ads, Analytics, Sheets and BigQuery
- Existing client and marketing reports built on Looker Studio templates
Risks to know about
- mediumcollaboration
On the free tier, reports are owned by individual accounts; staff departures can orphan reports (Pro's team content management addresses this).
- lowreliability
Free tier has no SLA or formal support.
- data portability: moderate
Data stays in your sources; charts can be exported to CSV, Sheets or PDF. Report layouts cannot be exported to other BI tools.
Get more from Looker Studio
Workflows where Looker Studio replaces something else you pay for.
Overlaps with
Tools that share capabilities with this one — the first place to look for duplicate spend.
Sources & freshness
- Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) – Google Cloud — accessed Oct 13, 2026 · cloud.google.com/looker-studio redirects here; page includes pricing section.