Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)
Businesses that run on Google Workspace and Google Ads and want to share dashboards with any number of people for free.
Quick overview
- Pricing
- Free; Pro $9/user/project/mo
- Plans
- Data Studio is free for creators and viewers. Data Studio Pro: $9 per user per project per month (Google says the per-user price varies by subscription length), subscribed through a Google Cloud project. Pro adds organization-owned content with IAM, team workspaces, up to 200 delivery schedules per report, Google Chat delivery, alerts, CMEK, data residency and Google Cloud Customer Care. Pro has a 30-day free trial with no user limit; billing starts automatically. Renamed from Looker Studio in April 2026. Looker (separate product) is sold via sales on an annual commitment.
- G2 rating
- Not yet verified
- Comparisons
- Featured in 4 comparisons
Key features
- 1,400+ data sources incl. Google Sheets, Google Ads, Google Analytics, BigQuery
- Interactive multi-page reports with filters and controls
- Real-time collaborative editing
- Pro: Gemini for calculated fields and Slides
- Pro: team workspaces, scheduled delivery and alerts
Pros
- Free with no limit on viewers
- Native Google Sheets, Ads, Analytics and BigQuery connectors
- Browser-based, works on any computer
- Familiar Google sharing makes rollout easy
Cons
- Many non-Google sources rely on partner connectors
- Team ownership and governance need Pro
- Light data modeling for complex blends
Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) in our comparisons
Best BI Tools for Small Business
Zoho Analytics is the best BI tool for most small businesses: a free plan, flat pricing with users included, and native connectors with prebuilt reports for accounting, CRM, ad and ecommerce apps. Data Studio is the best free choice for Google-centric teams.
Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026Best Dashboard Software
Geckoboard is the best dashboard software for teams that want live KPI dashboards and TV displays without a data team. Databox suits marketing teams, Klipfolio suits teams that want custom dashboards for many users, Data Studio is the best free option, and Power BI or Domo fit when you need a full BI platform.
Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026Power BI alternatives
Tableau is the best all-round Power BI alternative, with Mac authoring and a self-hosted option. Choose Data Studio for Google shops, Metabase for open source, or Zoho Analytics on a budget.
Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026Tableau alternatives
Switch to Microsoft Power BI for comparable authoring at a much lower per-user price. Choose Data Studio if you need free, Metabase for open source or self-hosting, and Sisense for embedded analytics.
Emily RodriguezUpdated October 2026