Looker Studio vs SAP Crystal Reports comparison

Why PeerSpot?

Google and SAP are both solutions in the Reporting category. Google is ranked #9 with an average rating of 7.8, while SAP is ranked #14 with an average rating of 8.0. Google holds a 2.5% mindshare in RT, compared to SAP’s 2.4% mindshare. Additionally, 83% of Google users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of SAP users who would recommend it.

Looker Studio

Read 16 Looker Studio reviews

4,439 Views
2,930 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

SAP Crystal Reports

Read 52 SAP Crystal Reports reviews

4,724 Views
4,110 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Looker Studio

SAP Crystal Reports

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 3, 2026

SAP Crystal Reports and Looker Studio are prominent in the data reporting category. SAP Crystal Reports stands out due to its advanced report customization and robust features, giving it an advantage in generating detailed reports, while Looker Studio excels in quick data visualization, primarily benefiting from its seamless integration with Google services.

Features: SAP Crystal Reports provides dynamic custom report design, advanced data connectivity, and sophisticated formula integration, offering flexibility with connections to SQL and Excel. Looker Studio is renowned for its strong data visualization capabilities, integration with the Google ecosystem, and an accessible interface that enhances trend analysis and reporting.

Room for Improvement: SAP Crystal Reports needs better graphical visualization and enhanced platform support. Improvements in simplifying its user interface could also benefit users. Looker Studio could improve its data modeling features and address report loading times. Better integration with advertising systems and advanced real-time data processing are also desired.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SAP Crystal Reports supports primarily on-premises deployment, with mixed user feedback on customer support, often relying on community resources. Looker Studio supports public and hybrid cloud deployment, utilizing Google's infrastructure but could enhance user training and support clarity.

Pricing and ROI: SAP Crystal Reports is perceived as costly but delivers high ROI for enterprises needing comprehensive reporting abilities. Meanwhile, Looker Studio offers a cost-effective approach within the Google Suite, appealing to budget-conscious users with its free tier.

To learn more, read our detailed Looker Studio vs. SAP Crystal Reports Report (Updated: September 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Looker Studio vs. SAP Crystals

September 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 920,929 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Looker Studio

Ranking in Reporting

9th

Average Rating

7.6

Reviews Sentiment

5.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SAP Crystal Reports

Ranking in Reporting

14th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Reporting category, the mindshare of Looker Studio is 2.5%, down from 2.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP Crystal Reports is 2.4%, down from 2.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Reporting Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Looker Studio	2.5%
SAP Crystal Reports	2.4%
Other	95.1%

Reporting

Featured Reviews

Heron Ziegel

Project Engineer at Quartz Consulting Group

Has supported quick dashboard creation and data sharing but lacks tools for managing multiple reports efficiently

We integrated Looker Studio with other platforms in our data ecosystem; we tried integrating with Sheets, and that went okay, but it could have been better. It could have been better because it needed a very specific format to read the data, so we had to reformat the sheet file. Looker Studio was mostly just helpful in that it provided live updating charts for tracking performance indicators in the organization. Integrating with a database was very difficult because there wasn't a lot of feedback for what was going wrong with the connection. I don't remember if we reached out to support. I didn't personally reach out, but my boss may have. I didn't reach out to support, so I do not have experience with it to rate it. We worked with the free version of Looker Studio initially, and we upgraded at some point to the pro version; I don't remember if we actually paid for it or if it was just a free trial. The pricing was reasonable. I remember doing a price comparison, and it was pretty reasonable, but it did have fewer features than a lot of other software, which was okay for a comparable price but a little cheaper.

Read full review

Salman Mukhtar Baig

SAP Technical Manager at VS Furniture Middle East

Unlock data insights with seamless integration and robust reporting features

I assess the impact of SAP Crystal Reports' dynamic parameters on the customization and flexibility of my reports as very good. Sometimes it creates a problem when it suddenly closes during work due to improper shutdowns, but most of the time it's beneficial since I can fetch the data in one report very efficiently, which is great for the company. The sub reports in SAP Crystal Reports help me enhance the depth and detail of my reports by allowing me to use multiple sets of records, especially when I have very large requirements, such as company dashboards that show what sales, purchases, productions, and HR are doing. Using sub reports as the main report is very beneficial because I can pull multiple department data into the main report. Over the years, SAP Crystal Reports has had a very positive impact and benefits. It's a powerful tool to design any kind of report if you have knowledge of the database, and it can attach to both HANA and SQL databases. I can also connect this data with Excel, which makes it a very powerful tool for me.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable features of this solution are its ease of use and the plethora of query sources."

"The ability to design complex data models and equations."

"The company dashboard is useful because we could share it via a link as a reminder for everyone to check it weekly. We observed the progress of our portfolio from last week to the current week, allowing us to compare revenues."

"Valuable features include advanced integrated analysis and easy implementation."

"I would rate this solution eight or nine out of ten."

"The best thing about the tool is that it allows you to share information easily and dashboards with colleagues and teammates because it's all online. No matter where you are, as long as you have the Internet, you can connect and use these dashboards. Google made good documentation for this tool. There are many examples of how to use and create dashboards and videos on YouTube. So, I think it's easy to learn."

"The product's initial setup phase is very simple."

"The fact that Looker Studio is free and has a free tier was probably the biggest benefit; it is very accessible and not too difficult to use."

More Looker Studio pros

"Ease of extracting data from various sources and displaying in such a way that user can’t tell the difference."

"Rapid report development, since the design interface makes coding easier."

"The ability to create reports via the GUI with click and drag at the table level as well as from SQL via Command objects."

"Users have learned to write their own reports, reducing the load on our IT department."

"The most valuable feature is the ability to create reports easily."

"Using SAP Crystal Reports had a strong impact on our organization; it saves significant time by automating routine reporting tasks and reduced manual effort in preparing customer letters and reports."

"The most valuable feature is that from a user's point of view, it is easy to use and requires just a simple click to generate a report."

"Crystal Reports has a great deal of flexibility in how you display your company data."

More SAP Crystal Reports pros

Cons

"Looker Studio did not fit our needs for scalability."

"Other tools might be worth considering if you need more advanced features or support for a larger user base."

"Stability and scalability an be improved for a full ten."

"The challenges with Google Data Studio are associated with the security part, making it an area where improvements are required."

"It's not yet a replacement for a complete BI tool."

"When you physically install a product on one machine instead of the cloud, you have a better visibility, best icon quality, etc.. It's more of an issue with how we are adapting to the transition. We are still in the early moments of using this tool, and we need to go deeper to discover some improvements."

"There is a significant degree of sophistication required to compete with Tableau or Cognos."

"Panels are not as easy to use as other data extraction UIs."

More Looker Studio cons

"SAP Crystal Reports should provide better support for dynamic connectors."

"I believe SAP Crystal Reports could be improved or enhanced because one of the problems I am facing with it is that sometimes it hangs and uses too much memory, which is frustrating."

"Some of the graphic displays are dodgy."

"There could be improvements made to the analytics capabilities."

"It's always been known to crash unexpectedly, so get in the habit of frequent saving."

"It's been difficult to scale for our needs."

"When we first started using Crystal Reports 2008, we had multiple stability issues. It seemed like at least once a day (usually more than that), it would crash on us."

"I would like to be able to summarize formulas."

More SAP Crystal Reports cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The cost is quite affordable based on feature analysis."

"The tool is free."

"I think the tool is cheap because you don't need to pay anything for using the tool. However, when connecting and analyzing other data sources, you should consider where to analyze this information because Google Data Studio doesn't handle much data well. You must also consider how you will connect this data to it. In this case, you might need to hire DevOps or a data team to help with these issues."

"The product is available for free."

"The solution is free but the Google Looker is expensive."

"This product costs a lot of money."

"I feel that SAP Crystal Reports is a reasonably priced product."

"We pay fifteen hundred dollars as licensing fee."

"SAP Crystal Reports is a very expensive solution."

"The cost of licensing can be a significant factor to consider when upgrading or transitioning to a new version of SAP Crystal Reports. It's important to evaluate the benefits and features offered by the new version against the associated costs to ensure it aligns with your organization's needs and budget."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

11%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

15%

Outsourcing Company

11%

Construction Company

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	7
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	6

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	18
Midsize Enterprise	15
Large Enterprise	22

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Google Data Studio?

I would appreciate improvements in the data modeling features, as it's not straightforward, and it's not what people in analytics are used to. Specifically, most people using this visualization too...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Google Data Studio?

I used Looker Studio mainly for reporting, where I created multiple dashboards on it. I wouldn't say I made the most of the usage of the connections because all the connections were based on flat f...

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What advice do you have for others considering Google Data Studio?

I confirm that we have a call regarding my experience with Zoho. Looker Studio is a good visualization tool, but I wouldn't say there's a specific feature that stands out in terms of tracking metri...

See all answers

What needs improvement with SAP Crystal Reports?

SAP Crystal Reports could be improved with more modern user-friendly interfaces and better integration with cloud platforms and AI tools. It would be beneficial to have easier integration with Azur...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for SAP Crystal Reports?

I have been using SAP Crystal Reports for six months. I am using SAP Crystal Reports to develop data-driven reports and use customer data printing. When I use SAP Crystal Reports for customer data ...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP Crystal Reports?

I am aware that the pricing of SAP Crystal Reports gradually changes. When I bought it last time, I don't remember the exact price, and I need to check the current price on the portal. SAP Crystal ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Power BI vs Looker Studio

Compared 11% of the time

Tableau Enterprise vs Looker Studio

Compared 10% of the time

Amazon QuickSight vs Looker Studio

Compared 7% of the time

RStudio Connect vs Looker Studio

Compared 6% of the time

Zendesk vs Looker Studio

Compared 5% of the time

More Looker Studio Competitors

Microsoft Power BI vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 11% of the time

Windward Core vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 8% of the time

OZ Report vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 7% of the time

Tableau Enterprise vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 6% of the time

QlikView vs SAP Crystal Reports

Compared 2% of the time

More SAP Crystal Reports Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Looker Studio

October 2026

Download Looker Studio product report

Buyer's Guide

SAP Crystals

October 2026

Download SAP Crystal Reports product report

Also Known As

Data Studio

No data available

Overview

Looker Studio offers seamless integration with Google products, supporting business visualization and collaboration through efficient data management and analytics, catering to teams aiming for quick analytics solutions.

Looker Studio combines diverse data source integration including SQL and MongoDB with powerful visualization and custom filter creation. Users find its visuals clean and its platform user-friendly, enhanced by collaboration features and pricing. It aids decision-making and is popular for tracking metrics and analyzing sales funnels. Despite its strengths, users seek faster report loading, simpler data modeling, and better interface usability. Advertising system limitations, delayed data reflections, and integration challenges affect performance. Security and stability improvements alongside a richer data modeling layer are desirable, with pricing impacting large organizations.

What are the most important features of Looker Studio?

Google Integration: Easily integrates with Google products for efficient workflow.
Diverse Data Sources: Connects to databases like SQL and MongoDB.
Custom Filters: Offers flexible filter options for tailored analyses.
Data Visualization: Enables powerful, clear visual data representation.
Collaboration: Supports team collaboration for shared insights.

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Ease of Use: Accessibility and user-friendly operation for teams.
Decision-Making Support: Facilitates informed business decisions.
Flexibility: Adapts to different business analytics needs.
Cost-Effectiveness: Competitive pricing for budget-conscious teams.

Looker Studio supports business visualization for different industries, creating dashboards and reports for sales and marketing analysis. It's used to track metrics and sales funnels from sources like Google Sheets and BigQuery. Many companies integrate Looker Studio within web apps, providing data insights tailored to sectors such as e-commerce, finance, and more.

Google

SAP Crystal Reports provides flexible report generation with strong data connectivity, dynamic parameters, and customizable design features, facilitating interactive, insightful reporting. Users benefit from its comprehensive formula capabilities and seamless integration to create detailed reports.

SAP Crystal Reports stands out for its robust functionalities, including dynamic parameters and extensive formula capabilities, which offer flexibility in report customization. It connects efficiently to SQL, Excel, XML, and other formats, ensuring ease of data interaction. The tool's ability to handle sub-reports and customizable design options enhance its usability for diverse reporting needs. Clients appreciate the option to export in multiple formats and its seamless integration with business software. However, improvements in analytics, memory usage, finance features, and visualization are needed. There is a demand for advanced graphical options and a desktop version for editing references, better integration with Hadoop, and improved formula debugging. Enhancements in chart capabilities, report consistency across upgrades, and cross-tab interfaces are also anticipated. Efforts to support modern file formats, cloud platform integration, and a more intuitive interface akin to modern BI tools would be beneficial.

What are the key features of SAP Crystal Reports?

Dynamic Parameters: Offers flexibility in report customization:
Robust Data Connectivity: Connects to SQL, Excel, XML, and more:
Sub-report Handling: Facilitates complex, detailed reports:
Customizable Design Features: Enhances report personalization:
Extensive Formula Capabilities: Allows complex calculations and formatting:

What benefits should users look for in reviews?

Ease of Report Creation: Streamlines the reporting process:
Precise Formatting: Ensures detailed, accurate presentation:
Seamless Business Integration: Integrates smoothly with existing systems:
Multiple Export Formats: Enhances flexibility for sharing and analyzing:

Industries utilize SAP Crystal Reports for designing layouts, templates, dashboards, and fixed reports. It is employed for financial and management reporting, including profit and loss and administrative purposes. Businesses opt for SAP Crystal Reports to integrate with other SAP applications, generating customer invoices, conducting business analysis, and facilitating data interaction and backend reporting through multiple report merging and customized dashboards.

SAP

Sample Customers

Genesys, Shueisha

City of Buenos Aires, ASR Group, Citrix, EarlySense, Usha International Limited, Automotive Resources International (ARI), LivePerson, Coelba (Grupo Neoenergia), RZD Russian Railways, National Basketball Association - NBA, TALLY WEiJL, El Machetazo, Young Heroes, Mozzart, Mitsui Knowledge Industry (MKI) , Surgutneftegas Open Joint Stock Company, The VELUX Group, AOK Bundesverband, AL-KO KOBER GROUP

Buyer's Guide

Looker Studio vs. SAP Crystals

September 2026

Free Report: Looker Studio vs. SAP Crystal Reports

Find out what your peers are saying about Looker Studio vs. SAP Crystal Reports and other solutions. Updated: September 2026.

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