# Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) vs Microsoft Power BI — Business Intelligence & Dashboards

As of 1 Nov 2026, the panel rates [Google Data Studio (Looker Studio)](https://whats-best.ai/software/business-intelligence/looker-studio) 2.5/5 and [Microsoft Power BI](https://whats-best.ai/software/business-intelligence/microsoft-power-bi) 2/5 in Business Intelligence & Dashboards. Weighted by what each judge cares about, 5 of the 6 judges pick Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) and 0 pick Microsoft Power BI, 1 calls it a tie. Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) scores higher on 3 of 6 criteria (Data sources, connectors & refresh, Self-service analysis & shared metrics and European sovereignty). Microsoft Power BI scores higher on 1 of 6 criteria (Access control, administration & portability). Provenance — Google Data Studio (Looker Studio): Rest of world; Microsoft Power BI: Rest of world. Ratings are the AI panel’s opinion, formed from public evidence: [how scores are made](https://whats-best.ai/methodology#ordering).

- Canonical page: https://whats-best.ai/compare/looker-studio-vs-microsoft-power-bi
- Google Data Studio (Looker Studio): https://whats-best.ai/software/business-intelligence/looker-studio ([md](https://whats-best.ai/software/business-intelligence/looker-studio.md))
- Microsoft Power BI: https://whats-best.ai/software/business-intelligence/microsoft-power-bi ([md](https://whats-best.ai/software/business-intelligence/microsoft-power-bi.md))
- Category: [Business Intelligence & Dashboards](https://whats-best.ai/software/business-intelligence.md)
- Data as of: 2026-11-06

**AI-generated.** Both products were evaluated from public evidence by the same panel of AI judges under the same rubric; without that, no comparison is published. Not a hands-on test; no score can be bought, on either side. How scores are made: https://whats-best.ai/methodology

## The short answer

The benches split, and the split is the answer. Microsoft Power BI takes governance and portability, 5.5 to 4.0, 6 judges lean its way on Report Server, a documented on-premises edition. Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) takes data connectivity, 6.8 to 4.0, and pricing transparency, 5.7 to 2.5, 6 judges lean its way on each — pricing was not weighted for Power BI in the verdicts, which record its product page showing only a "Preise anzeigen" link. Dashboards tie at 4.0 with 6 ties; sharing and embedding tie at 4.7, one lean each way. Self-service and modelling goes 5 judges to Looker Studio, 3.8 to 3.0; sovereignty goes 3 to 1 with 2 ties, 5.2 to 4.7. Totals: finance controller 5 to 4.4, data analyst 5 to 4.3, IT administrator 4.6 to 4.5, skeptic 4.8 to 3.9 for Looker Studio; the SaaS product lead ties 5 to 5. No overall winner.

**Choose Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) if:**
- You need connectors from day one: data connectivity leans 6 judges to Google Data Studio (Looker Studio), 6.8 to 4.0, on a connector gallery claiming over 1,470 connectors.
- You must see a published price before committing: pricing transparency leans 6 judges to Looker Studio, with a free tier plainly stated and a Pro edition at $9 per user per project per month.
- Your analysts author reports themselves and on-premises deployment is not a requirement: self-service and modelling leans 5 judges to Looker Studio, 3.8 to 3.0.
- You contract in the EEA and want a Dublin counterparty: EEA users contract with Google Ireland Limited in Dublin under a published processing addendum, and sovereignty leans 3 judges to 1 toward Looker Studio.

**Choose Microsoft Power BI if:**
- You must keep reporting behind your own firewall: governance and portability leans 6 judges to Microsoft Power BI, 5.5 to 4.0, on a documented on-premises Report Server edition.
- Your administrators automate platform management: Power BI documents a REST API covering administration, users, gateways, pipelines and service principals.
- You embed analytics into.NET applications: Power BI shows embedding endpoints and tokens plus a.NET SDK, with 1 judge leaning its way on sharing and embedding.
- Your residency review needs named European datacentre countries: the verdict records the EU Data Boundary's fifteen named European datacentre countries and a published data processing addendum.

## Overall

| | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) | Microsoft Power BI |
|---|---|---|
| Panel rating | 2.5/5 | 2/5 |
| Provenance | Rest of world | Rest of world |
| Sovereignty | not determined | not determined |

## The bench's picks

| Judge | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) | Microsoft Power BI | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Finance Controller | 2.5/5 | 2/5 | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) |
| The Managing Director | 2.5/5 | 2/5 | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) |
| The Data Analyst | 2.5/5 | 2/5 | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) |
| The IT Administrator | 2.5/5 | 2.5/5 | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) |
| The SaaS Product Lead | 2.5/5 | 2.5/5 | tie |
| The Skeptic | 2.5/5 | 2/5 | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) |

## Criterion by criterion

Bench average per criterion, out of 5; the lean counts which product each judge scored higher.

| Criterion | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) | Microsoft Power BI | The bench leans |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data sources, connectors & refresh | 3.5/5 | 2/5 | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio), 6 of 6 judges |
| Dashboards, charts & interactivity | 2/5 | 2/5 | split 0–0 |
| Self-service analysis & shared metrics | 2/5 | 1.5/5 | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio), 5 of 6 judges |
| Sharing, scheduled reports & embedding | 2.5/5 | 2.5/5 | split 1–1 |
| Access control, administration & portability | 2/5 | 3/5 | Microsoft Power BI, 6 of 6 judges |
| European sovereignty | 2.5/5 | 2.5/5 | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio), 3 of 6 judges |
| Pricing transparency | 3/5 | no published price | not comparable |

## Sovereignty, side by side

| Dimension | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) | Microsoft Power BI |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Not determined | Not determined |
| Hosting location | Not determined | Not determined |
| Hosting options | Not determined | Not determined |
| Open source | Not determined | Not determined |
| Data processing agreement | Not determined | Not determined |
| Transfer impact assessment | Not determined | Not determined |

## Facts, side by side

Only facts both products carry under the same definition; each is the vendor's own dated statement ([S*n*] → Sources).

| Fact | Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) | Microsoft Power BI |
|---|---|---|
| Legal · Provider | Google Ireland Limited · Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Irland [S1] | Microsoft Corporation · One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399, USA [S2] |

## Sources

- [S1] Legal notice: https://www.google.de/contact/impressum.html (checked 2026-11-01)
- [S2] Legal notice: https://www.microsoft.com/de-de/rechtliche-hinweise/impressum (checked 2026-11-01)

## Questions

### Which is better, Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) or Microsoft Power BI?

As of 1 Nov 2026, the panel rates Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) higher: 2.5/5 against 2/5. Weighted by what each judge cares about, 5 of the 6 judges pick Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) and 0 pick Microsoft Power BI, 1 calls it a tie. Which one fits depends on the criteria that matter to you; the table on this page shows both side by side, and each judge’s reading has its own page. Both were scored by the same AI bench under the same rubric, from public evidence only, [as the methodology describes](https://whats-best.ai/methodology).

### Is Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) or Microsoft Power BI European?

Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) is not European by provenance (Rest of world). Microsoft Power BI is not European by provenance (Rest of world). Provenance is read from each company’s own legal pages: who builds it and who owns it.

### Do Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) and Microsoft Power BI have a free plan?

As of 1 Nov 2026, Google Data Studio (Looker Studio)’s own pages state a free plan; Microsoft Power BI’s pages as captured do not. Each product page links the pricing page it was read from.

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Cite as: whats-best.ai, "Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) vs Microsoft Power BI", AI panel comparison, as of 2026-11-06. https://whats-best.ai/compare/looker-studio-vs-microsoft-power-bi