Power BI Vs Looker: Which Suits You Better?

Power BI vs Looker is one of the most anticipated comparisons we got to see for a seamless, cost-effective, and interactive data visualisation as well as analysis tool. Before proceeding with the comparison, let’s understand the value of data analysis among modern businesses.

Each of these industry-leading tools offers compelling features that cater to modern data analytics demands.

You may have heard the quote, “Data is everything”. But do you understand the concept behind it? 

We are living in a world where our data is being tracked, regardless of whether it is personal or professional, and with or without our consent. Yes, it is a bit harsh, but it is the unspoken truth. 

From a business perspective, how are they going to manage such a huge amount of data? How are they going to visualise it? How are they going to analyse the data and filter out the useful ones? 

Here comes the role of data visualisation and analysis tools that perform such important tasks using the power of business intelligence and artificial intelligence. 

I have shown you the general scenario of small, medium, and large industries where they practise data collection and visualisation using refined business applications. 

When it comes to offering business applications to aid core operations, no one is better than Microsoft and Google. After all, we are used to availing ourselves of the services of these two giant companies in our daily lives. like the search engine by Google and Windows by Microsoft. 

These companies also offer data analysis tools, which are Power BI by Microsoft and Looker by Google. 

In this blog, we are going to compare these two tools and find out which is the best solution for you. 

Power BI vs Looker: Most Detailed Comparison 

Businesses are transforming the way they used to do business by leveraging the power of data analytics, data mining, data relationships, and interactive visualisations. 

Looker and Power BI are two of the top data analytics tools that can help such businesses understand the data and take actions accordingly. Irrespective of the department, whether it is marketing, sales, or production, all can utilise the data for enhanced output using the same resources.

Based on the below parameters, we are going to do a proper Power BI vs Looker comparison and find out the perfect solution for your business. 

1. Ease of Use

• Microsoft Power BI:  Beginner and experienced users found this simple, interactive, and easy to use when compared to similar other tools. 
• Google Looker: Users with a bit of technical knowledge consider this tool over Power BI because of the LookML language. For users without any coding knowledge, consider Power BI as a handy and convenient option. 

2. Data Analysis

• Power BI: It comes with a drag-and-drop feature that lets the users analyse the data accordingly by availing of the pre-built templates. Users with a basic knowledge of data relationships can easily analyse the data using custom reports and dashboards. 
• Looker: Over a period of time, once you have a decent knowledge of SQL and a bit of coding, you will be able to analyse the data. But for beginners, you can go with Power BI. 

3. Mode of Deployment

• Power BI: Microsoft offers two different types of deployment options, cloud and on-premises. You can choose one based on your requirements. If you want to go with the cloud, you will get a SaaS platform available using Microsoft Azure (cloud deployment). You can also get Power BI for free by using the Power BI Desktop version (which has limited capabilities). 
• Looker: Google offers a cloud option for Looker only that makes it accessible from anywhere without any restriction. But businesses with the need for on-premises deployment choose Power BI implementation over it. 

4. Integration Capabilities

• Power BI: It comes with Microsoft business solutions where you can integrate a number of applications to enhance the overall efficiency of analysing data. You can integrate Power BI with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, D365 Business Central, Power Query Editor, and other Microsoft applications as well. 
• Looker: Google doesn’t offer an ecosystem for business applications resulting in integrations using APIs or third-party applications. When compared with Power BI, Looker allows a limited number of data sources to establish a connection with it. 

5. Business Transparency

• Power BI: It offers real-time insights across all business operations to offer the transparency you need to accelerate business. Power BI collects the datasets, analyses them, and shows you the transparent data in real-time. 
• Looker: It offers limited transparency across different business operations due to the dependency on SQL. Also, in case of help, you will need to consult the support, whereas Power BI works with natural language, which lets you get help whenever required using the search tool. 

6. Cost-effectiveness (Looker vs Power BI cost)

• Power BI: Microsoft Power BI pricing starts from £8.20 per user/month (Power BI Pro) to £4,105.60 per capacity/month for Power BI Premium. Based on your requirements, you can choose the Power BI licence accordingly. 
• Looker: Google offers customised pricing for Looker based on business requirements. For small businesses, it can cost you between $500 and $1000, and for big businesses, there is no limit. 

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