Power BI and Google Data Studio are among the leaders in data visualization tools. Both tools have their strengths and weaknesses, so it is important to consider the user’s specific needs before making a decision.
Google Data Studio, an integral component of the Google Marketing Platform (GMP), empowers users to establish connections with data sources. It facilitates the creation of interactive dashboards and compelling reports, enhancing the decision-making process for business users.
Microsoft Power BI, on the other hand, is a data visualization and Business Intelligence tool crafted by Microsoft. It enables users to design interactive, shareable dashboards employing a diverse range of data sources.
Table of content
- Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Data Sources
- Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Pricing
- Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Deployment (Installation)
- Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Ease of Use
- Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Data Modelling
- Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Data Transformation
- Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Limitations
- Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Data Security
- Summary
- FAQ
In this article, our attention will be centered on the comparison between Microsoft Power BI and Google Data Studio. We will assess these two business intelligence tools based on main key criteria, providing you with valuable insights to aid in your decision-making process regarding which BI tool aligns better with your business goals.
Let’s take a look!
Power BI vs Looker Studio: Summarized Comparison Table
Features | Google Data Studio | Power BI |
Price | Free | From 15$ user/month |
| Free Version | Yes | Yes |
Cloud-hosted option | Yes | Yes |
Highly customisable dashboards | Yes | Yes |
API Access | Yes | Yes |
Advanced Data Modeling | Yes | Yes |
Custom Visualization | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted option | No | Yes |
1. Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Data Sources
Power BI
Power BI has integrations with Microsoft products such as Azure, Sharepoint, MS Office, Excel, etc. along with marketing applications such as Google Analytics 4, Google Ads, Salesforce, Zendesk, Hubspot, Facebook Ads, Shopify, Tik Tok Ads, Klaviyo, Instagram, and several others.
You can also connect to databases, JSON/CSV files and other types of files.
Read also: How to Connect to Data Sources in Power BI
Google Data Studio
Google Data Studio integrates with Google products such as Google Analytics 4, Google Ads, BigQuery, Sheets, etc. But it does not natively support many other cloud-based sources which is one reason why people seek out alternatives to Data Studio.
Google lets its partners create connectors, but they’re normally for a fee.
2. Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Pricing
Power BI
The cost of Power BI depends on the type of license you choose.
- Basic version: free
- Pro version: $15 user/month
- Premium Version: $29.90 user/month; (Power BI Premium SKUs – from $7475.30 capacity/month and Fabric SKUs – $360.80 capacity/month)
With Premium and Pro Power BI accounts, you may share reports with others.
Google Data Studio
Google Data Studio is completely free. All you need is a Google account to get started.
But, if you’re looking to fetch data from non-Google platforms, you may have to pay for a third-party connector provider.
3. Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Deployment (Installation)
Power BI
There are three types of Power BI available. Power BI Desktop is the free version of Power BI that can be installed on your desktop.
The paid editions of Power BI are Pro and Premium.
Google Data Studio
Google Data Studio, being a cloud-based tool, streamlines collaboration and sharing processes. Reports can be easily shared with others with just a few clicks, and multiple users can work on the same report simultaneously.
It’s a browser-based application that only requires your Google Account to utilize.
4. Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Ease of Use
Power BI
If you’re familiar with Excel, you might find Power BI to be a breeze to learn. As a result, the newbie may find it difficult to link and integrate with your sources.
In addition, Power BI includes more features than Google Data Studio. Still, Power BI lets you create reports easily with its drag-and-drop feature.
Google Data Studio
Data Studio is very easy to navigate and the learning curve is minimal.
The interface is highly user-friendly, and as long as you have clean data, all you have to do is drag-and-drop to rapidly build a professional-looking report.
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5. Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Data Modelling
Google Data Studio
Looker Studio offers an uncomplicated and user-friendly interface for data modeling and visualization. It enables users to link to diverse data sources and merge data from multiple origins into a unified report.
Power BI
Power BI, in contrast, boasts a more extensive suite of data modeling features. It provides advanced capabilities for data modeling and transformation, such as the creation of calculated columns, tables, and measures. Power BI also enables users to establish relationships between tables, enabling the construction of more intricate data models.
6. Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Data Transformation
Power BI
Data is rarely available in the format that you require. Cleaning and converting data are crucial aspects of the research process.
Power BI has the features of Power Query, which is a data connection technology that lets you clean your data. It’s an ETL tool that can connect to a variety of data sources. Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) can also be used to create formulas and expressions.
Power BI has the capability to perform a lot of complex data transformations.
Google Data Studio
Google Data Studio lags behind in this regard. The only actual transformation you can perform is to use a JOIN key to combine data from various sources.
So, Data Studio assumes that you have clean data that is ready for visualization.
7. Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Limitations
Power BI
- A non-tech marketer may require a team of DAX experts to utilize the platform effectively.
- Processing time increases significantly as data volume grows.
- Using Power BI’s desktop version on macOS requires a virtual machine setup, which can be less convenient.
- Sharing assets outside the organization requires a Premium license.
Google Data Studio
- Does not support raw data, necessitating the setup of LookML and support from engineers.
- Users unfamiliar with data modeling and warehousing concepts may face a steeper learning curve.
- Limited availability of online communities, forums, and resources due to its relatively low market share.
- Customization options for visualization are restricted.
8. Power BI vs Google Data Studio: Data Security
Power BI
Power BI provides robust data protection measures, including end-to-end encryption, precise access permissions, real-time access monitoring, and restrictions on publicly accessible data.
Google Data Studio
Google Data Studio operates in conjunction with Google’s comprehensive data security and email-based authentication protocol. Google employs the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm and has recently introduced the ability to filter permissions at the row level. However, for organizations with stringent data governance and security requirements, it may not be the optimal choice due to the absence of an on-premises desktop option, necessitating all data storage and retrieval to be done in the cloud.
How to connect data to Power BI or Looker Studio using Windsor.ai
- Power BI
2) Looker Studio
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Access all your data from your favorite sources in one place.
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Summary
Both Power BI and Google Data Studio stand out as potent data visualization tools, each offering an array of robust features. The decision between the two primarily hinges on your organization’s distinct needs and preferences.
Power BI is well-suited for organizations entrenched in the Microsoft ecosystem, seeking advanced data modeling and transformation capabilities.
Conversely, Google Data Studio may be the preferable choice for organizations integrated with Google’s suite of products, desiring a no-cost data visualization tool with a more straightforward learning curve.
In just a few clicks, Windsor.ai integrates all of your marketing data to Power BI, Google Data Studio and other BI tools. Simply select and authenticate the connectors you want to use. You can blend and visualize your marketing data in your preferred reporting platform after a few minutes of setup. You can start a free 30-day trial with Windsor.ai!
- Connect all your marketing, CRM, and analytics data from 75+ platforms and stream it to Power BI, Looker Studio and any spreadsheet tool, BI platform, or data warehouse.
- The setup is done in minutes. No coding is required.
- Currently, we support more than 3000 dimensions and metrics.
- See the value and return on every marketing touchpoint.
- Our marketing attribution software platform provides marketers with a 15-44% increase in marketing ROI.
FAQ:
Can Power BI connect to Looker Studio?
Yes, it is possible to sync data from various sources, including Looker Studio, to Power BI using a pipeline. This allows for real-time data synchronization, enabling you to have access to updated and integrated data across both platforms for analysis and reporting purposes.
Can I use Looker Studio and Power BI Offline?
Data Studio is primarily a web-based service and requires an internet connection to work. However, it does offer the capability to export data into CSV and Excel formats, which can be accessed offline once downloaded.
Power BI allows you to access and interact with dashboards you have accessed previously from the Power BI mobile app.
The mobile app is supported by iOS, Android, and Windows 10. This means you can view and interact with reports and dashboards on your mobile device even when offline, provided you have previously accessed them.
How many features are there in Power BI?
Descriptive Reports
A report in Power BI is a multi-perspective view of the data where the visualizations represent different findings and insights from the data report that may contain a single or multiple visualizations.
Dataset Filtration
The datasets, which can be from one or more sources, can be filtered to form different subsets of the same data containing only the contextually relevant data.
Personalized Dashboards
Dashboards are a collection of visualizations that offers meaningful and relevant information into data. A Power BI dashboard contains multiple visualizations as tiles.
Get Data Feature
The “Get Data” feature allows the users of Power BI to choose from a range of sources. These can be anywhere in the spectrum from on-premise to cloud-based, unstructured to structured.
Attractive Visualizations
Data Visualization plays a central role in Power BI. Power BI contains a wide range of detailed and attractive visualizations to create reports and dashboards.
Navigation Pane
The navigation pane has options for datasets, dashboards, and reports. Users can effortlessly navigate between datasets, the dashboard they are working on, and reports they are creating.
Natural Language Q&A Box
The Natural Language Q&A box is a unique feature of Power BI. This feature allows a user to ask questions in natural language.
Flexible Tiles
A tile represents a block containing a data visualization in the Power BI dashboard. Tiles, which can be adjusted and resized, separate each visualization and provide a clearer view. They can also be placed anywhere on the dashboard as per user convenience.
DAX Function
The DAX functions are the Data Analysis Expressions in Power BI. These are predefined codes to perform analytic functions on data.
Try Windsor.ai today
Access all your data from your favorite sources in one place.
Get started for free with a 30 - day trial.
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