How to Budget for Google Looker Studio in 2024

Numbers, charts, data, and reports are an inevitable part of modern-day business and marketing. It has become increasingly important for Organizations to make data-driven decisions to gain a competitive edge in the market. However, collecting raw data alone will not serve the purpose. This data undergoes rigorous processing and analysis to derive informative insights. Google Looker Studio is an effective tool to transform these data into insights.

With Looker Studio, organizations can gain a better understanding of their data and make decisions based on key indicators like customer behavior and future market trends. In this article, we will understand Looker Studio features and Google Looker Studio pricing structure.

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What is Google Looker Studio?

Google Looker Studio is a comprehensive, cloud-based Business Intelligence (BI) tool designed to transform raw data into visually compelling dashboards and reports. It offers powerful data visualization capabilities enabling users to explore data from around 800 sources and create custom metrics and dimensions. It also integrates seamlessly with other tools and platforms such as Google Analytics, BigQuery, Google Search Console, etc.

Creating reports in Looker Studio involves using powerful tools to simplify data presentation and analysis. Users can start by browsing report templates, including Looker Studio marketing templates, or preconfigure reports for specific use cases such as e-commerce datasets. The drag-and-drop report editor allows for quick customization of reports, while the ability to embed a report and collaborate on reports in team workspaces supports collaborative efforts. Users can link their Google Cloud projects to integrate relevant data and publish their work to share informative dashboards. Sample reports are also available to provide insights into best practices for creating effective, data-driven visualizations.

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Key Features of Google Looker Studio

Easy-to-use Web Interface

• Google Looker Studio is an easy-to-use data visualization platform that offers a wide range of charts, graphs, and other data visualization elements. With its simple drag-and-drop features, it can create custom dashboards and reports that cater to your specific needs.

Report Templates

• Looker Studio is equipped with a diverse library of pre-designed templates to choose from. These pre-defined templates help you to create customized reports and visualize your data quickly and easily. These templates are designed to help businesses save time and effort.

Data Connectors

• With 600+ prebuilt connectors and partner connectors, Google Looker Studio simplifies the process of linking data sources with well-known platforms like Salesforce, Facebook Ads, and databases like MySQL and Oracle. These connectors allow users to pull data from multiple sources, turning underlying data into actionable insights through customizable dashboards. The ability to connect data sets from over 800 sources ensures that users can fully visualize information.

Looker Studio API

• The Looker Studio API enables developers to automate tasks and programmatically interact with the Looker Studio platform, simplifying the management and migration of Looker Studio assets, such as reports and dashboards. By integrating with Google Workspace and Cloud Identity, the API supports embedding data stories into intranet or web pages for streamlined collaboration. This API is ideal for applications requiring seamless management of Looker Studio reports, simplifying data workflows.

Report Embedding

• This feature allows you to integrate your Looker Studio report into websites, web applications, or internal documents. This is an efficient way for teams to collaborate and share information across different platforms. This increases report visibility which helps to streamline the workflow and improve productivity.

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Google Looker vs Google Looker Studio Pro

While both Google Looker Studio and Looker Studio Pro offer powerful data visualization features, their usage varies depending on the needs of the user. It is also important to note that Looker Studio is a free tool while Looker Studio Pro is its paid version with some enhanced features.

Google Looker Studio:

Looker Studio is a free tool designed for individual users small businesses and teams. It helps you to create basic visualizations and reports by connecting to various data sources. Any support for the free version can be availed from public Help centers and other Looker Studio user communities.

While the free version provides essential features for data reporting and dashboard creation, support is limited to public Help Centers and Looker Studio user communities. However, it’s ideal for those who need an accessible, user-friendly way to present data, collaborate with others, and share insights across their organization. Larger organizations may consider upgrading to Looker Studio Pro for added functionalities, such as enterprise-grade support and team-level management tools.

Looker Studio Pro:

Looker Studio Pro is the premium version of the Looker Studio platform, designed specifically for enterprise customers seeking enhanced administration features and enterprise-grade collaboration. With advanced team content management capabilities, creators can seamlessly manage reports and dashboards, while report viewers benefit from improved access and interaction.

Looker Studio Pro also integrates with Google Cloud Customer Care, ensuring enterprises receive dedicated support for their specific needs. This platform is ideal for organizations looking to scale their data-driven workflows while maintaining control and security, making it a valuable tool for IT professionals and decision-makers in the cloud environment.

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How much does Google Looker Studio cost?

Google Looker Studio pricing varies depending on the length of your subscription. A basic plan or subscription containing department-level Business Intelligence with Google Cloud Support and System Administration starts from $9 per user per project per month.

Every Looker Studio instance has a billing account attached to it. Any charges incurred for creating new instances or adding users to the instances are billed to the respective billing account.

Basically, Google Looker Studio pricing (Google Cloud Core) has two main components.

• Platform pricing: It is the cost to run Looker instances along with platform administration, integration, semantic modeling, etc.
• User pricing: It is the cost of licensing individuals to access the Looker platform, The cost varies based on the type of user and their permissions within in Looker platform.

Platform Pricing

Google Looker Studio Pro (Google Cloud Core) offers three platform pricing tiers.

Standard Edition

A Standard Edition is for small organizations or teams with fewer than 50 users. This edition includes 1 production instance, 10 Standard Users, 2 Developer Users, and upgrades. It can handle up to 1,000 query-based API calls per month and up to 1,000 administrative API calls per month. You can either follow a pay-as-you-go model or work with the Google sales team and come up with an annual commitment price.

The cost of a standard edition is as follows

Enterprise Edition

The Enterprise edition consists of enhanced security features for a wide range of internal BI and analytics uses. It includes 1 production instance, 10 Standard Users, upgrades up to 100,000 query-based API calls per month, and up to 10,000 administrative API calls per month.

The cost of your Enterprise Edition can be calculated with the help of the Google Sales team

Embed Edition

The Embed Edition is used for deploying and maintaining external analytics and custom applications at scale. It includes 1 production instance, 10 Standard Users, 2 Developer Users, upgrades, up to 500,000 query-based API calls per month, and up to 100,000 administrative API calls per month.

The cost of the Embed platform is as follows.

The annual subscriptions are available in one, two, and three-year terms.

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Google Looker Studio User Pricing

There are three types of user licensing for Looker Studio

Developer User

A Developer user has access to any combination of Looker interfaces including Administration, LookML Models (including Development Mode), Folders, Boards, Dashboards, Looks (individual reports and charts), Explore, SQL Runner, Scheduling, the Looker API interface, and access to support.

Standard User

It is an end user who can access Folders, Boards, Dashboards, Looks (individual reports and charts), Explore, SQL Runner, and Scheduling Looker interfaces. Standard user privileges include data filtering, data downloads, Dashboard or Lock creation, drill-to-row-level detail, data downloads, and view-only access to LookML. It does not include access to Development mode, Administration, Looker API interface, or Support.

Viewer User

The Viewer user has access to Folders, Boards, Dashboards, and Looks (individual reports and charts) Looker interfaces. It also includes data filtering, drill-to-row-level detail, data downloads, Scheduling, and view-only access to LookML. It does not include Dashboard or Look creation, or Development mode, Administration, Looker API interface, or Support.

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Conclusion

By understanding the Google Looker Studio pricing structure and its various features, it is easier for organizations to decide the most relevant subscriptions suitable for their organization. Whether opting for a basic version or the advanced features of Looker Studio Pro, understanding their pricing structure helps organizations maximize their investment in the cloud.

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FAQs:

Q. Is Google Looker Studio free?
A. Yes, Google Looker Studio is a free tool that allows users to create data visualizations and reports by connecting to various data sources.

Q. What are the limitations of the Looker Studio free version?
A. The free version of Looker Studio offers basic reporting and dashboard features, but lacks advanced support, team management capabilities, and some premium integrations available in Looker Studio Pro.

Q. Is there a difference between Looker Studio and Looker Studio Pro?
A. Yes, Looker Studio Pro offers additional features like enterprise support, team collaboration tools, and enhanced data governance, which are not available in the free version.

Q. What is Looker Studio used for?
A. Looker Studio is used for creating interactive dashboards and visual reports by connecting and analyzing data from multiple sources, helping businesses gain insights from their data.

Q. What language does Looker use?
A. Looker uses LookML (Looker Modeling Language), a SQL-based language, to define data models and queries.

Q. Is Looker a visualization tool?
A. Yes, Looker is primarily a data visualization tool, enabling users to create interactive charts, graphs, and dashboards from connected data sources.

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