Comparison

Looker Studiovs Better Analyst

Looker Studio, now called Data Studio again, is a free drag-and-drop report builder. Better Analyst builds the report from a question and answers the follow-up.

Try Better Analyst free

  • Looker Studio

    A free report builder

    • Drag-and-drop editor for charts, tables and filters
    • Free Google-built connectors for Google Ads, Analytics and Sheets
    • Pro adds team workspaces, chart alerts and Gemini questions

    Best for: Hand-built reports on Google data, at no cost.

  • Better Analyst

    An AI analyst that builds the report

    • Describe the dashboard in a sentence and edit any card in chat
    • Google Ads, GA4 and databases connect directly; Meta Ads is coming soon
    • Free plan; Pro from $20/mo billed yearly

    Best for: Teams that want answers and dashboards without building each chart.

Looker Studio details verified on its own public pages in . Better Analyst prices come from our live plan catalog.

Side by side

At a glance

FeatureBetter AnalystLooker Studio
Building reports
How a report is madeDescribe it in chat; edit any card with AIDrag-and-drop editor
Ask questions in plain EnglishEvery planGemini, for Pro users
Marketing data
Google Ads, Google Analytics, Google SheetsFree Google-built connectors
Meta AdsComing soon: built-in, read-only connectorPartner connectors, which may cost money
Delivery
Scheduled emailTasks by email or Slack on paid plansPDF by email; daily at most, hourly on Pro
AlertsEmail or Slack on paid plansAlerts on charts, with Pro
Cost
Free tierFree plan, no cardFree to build and share reports
Paid tier$30/mo Pro ($20/mo billed yearly); $149/mo Team for 5 peopleData Studio Pro subscription

Fair is fair

Where Looker Studio is the better pick

Price
Building and sharing reports costs nothing, and the Google-built connectors are free.
Layout control
You place every chart, filter and label yourself in the drag-and-drop editor.
Partner catalog
Partner connectors reach platforms Google does not cover, often for a fee.
Google Workspace fit
Pro adds team workspaces, organization-owned content and delivery to Google Chat.

One workspace

Analysis, dashboards and delivery together

Chat with your data, build dashboards, keep tables current with Data Flows, and send reports to email or Slack.

Better Analyst - Data Visualization
Charts from a questionAsk for an exploratory analysis of a sales file and the charts come back in the chat, ready to download or make interactive.

FAQ

Common questions

Is Looker Studio now called Data Studio?
Yes. Google’s documentation says “Looker Studio is now called Data Studio.” The product and its free and Pro tiers are the same; only the name changed back.
Is Better Analyst a Looker Studio alternative?
For marketing reporting, yes. Instead of building each chart, you describe the dashboard and Better Analyst builds it from Google Ads, GA4 or your database (Meta Ads is coming soon), then answers follow-up questions about the numbers. If you want a free tool and are happy building reports by hand, Looker Studio is hard to beat on price.
How do I get Meta Ads data into a report?
In Looker Studio, Meta Ads comes in through partner connectors, which Google notes may cost money. Better Analyst’s built-in, read-only Meta Ads connector is coming soon and will let you ask about Facebook and Instagram spend, conversions and ROAS and chart the answer. Until then, you can bring Meta Ads data in through Google Sheets or a warehouse.
Can I keep my Looker Studio reports and use Better Analyst?
Yes. Use Better Analyst for questions and analysis, and save a prepared table as a Data Flow that keeps a Google Sheet current. Your existing Looker Studio report can read that sheet with Google’s free Sheets connector.
Which is cheaper?
Looker Studio is free unless you need Pro features. Better Analyst has a free plan with a monthly message allowance, and Pro from $20/mo billed yearly for unlimited chat, scheduled tasks, Data Flows and alerts.

Looker Studio and Data Studio are trademarks of Google LLC, which is not affiliated with Better Analyst. Out of date? Tell us. See also Supermetrics vs Better Analyst, Cross-channel marketing dashboard and Meta Ads reporting.

Describe the report instead of building it.

Free plan, no credit card. Connect Google Ads or GA4 and ask for the dashboard you would have built by hand.

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