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Looker Studio pros and cons

Vendor: Google
3.9 out of 5

Pros & Cons summary

Buyer's Guide

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

Looker Studio offers valuable features such as advanced integrated analysis and easy implementation.
It seamlessly integrates with a variety of data sources and supports designing complex data models and equations.
The tool improves organizational capability by enabling users to visualize and share data effortlessly.
The scheduling and refresh mechanisms, along with diverse chart options, impress users significantly.
Looker Studio benefits from strong integration with Excel and Google Sheets, aiding in data access and visualization.

CONS

Looker Studio is not yet a replacement for a complete BI tool, lacking the sophistication to compete with platforms like Tableau or Cognos.
It requires significant improvements in its stability, scalability, and report loading times, which are crucial for business users.
Issues with integration and support for larger user bases might lead users to consider other tools for more advanced features.
Security challenges are a notable area in Looker Studio that needs addressing for better performance and reliability.
The tool restricts customization options and lacks a comprehensive data modeling layer and calculation-based language like Power BI's DAX, limiting its suitability for professional use.
 

Looker Studio Pros review quotes

Srini-Dhanaraj - PeerSpot reviewer
May 28, 2024
The product's initial setup phase is very simple.
JG
Jun 5, 2025
I would rate this solution eight or nine out of ten.
Dmitriy Yugin - PeerSpot reviewer
Jul 8, 2024
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.
Learn what your peers think about Looker Studio. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
867,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.
SM
Nov 10, 2023
I find it favorable regarding speed of development, ease of building, and flexibility.
Vijay Subramanyam - PeerSpot reviewer
Nov 26, 2024
Looker's ability to perform aggregation before visualization allows for effective data slicing and dicing.
FabianoMachado - PeerSpot reviewer
May 31, 2022
Data Studio integrates seamlessly with other Google products, and we can use it with other APIs if we like.
reviewer2387007 - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 4, 2024
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.
Jayabarath S - PeerSpot reviewer
Dec 24, 2024
The integration with Excel and Google Sheets is a valuable feature, making it easy to access and visualize data.
SD
Jun 12, 2023
I am impressed with the tool's scheduling mechanism, refresh mechanism, and different types of charts.
Thee Sritabtim - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 23, 2023
The solution is free so that is a good feature.
 

Looker Studio Cons review quotes

Srini-Dhanaraj - PeerSpot reviewer
May 28, 2024
The challenges with Google Data Studio are associated with the security part, making it an area where improvements are required.
JG
Jun 5, 2025
From the perspective of infrastructure, I cannot provide a valuable opinion on the ease of use and customization options of Looker Studio.
Dmitriy Yugin - PeerSpot reviewer
Jul 8, 2024
The tool has a lot of room for improvement. It's not very professional and allows for only simple tasks like indicating KPIs or quick calculations. It lacks a good calculation-based language like Power BI's DAX, making it less suitable for professional use. Additionally, the variety of visualization tools is limited, and customization options are restricted.
Learn what your peers think about Looker Studio. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2025.
867,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.
SM
Nov 10, 2023
There are issues with integration and I encountered limits and warnings, especially with my pivot table size.
Vijay Subramanyam - PeerSpot reviewer
Nov 26, 2024
The performance of Looker needs improvement, particularly the report loading time, which is critical for business users.
FabianoMachado - PeerSpot reviewer
May 31, 2022
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.
reviewer2387007 - PeerSpot reviewer
Apr 4, 2024
Other tools might be worth considering if you need more advanced features or support for a larger user base.
Jayabarath S - PeerSpot reviewer
Dec 24, 2024
The tool should improve on live data integration for quicker data reflection.
SD
Jun 12, 2023
The tool should come up with data modeling layer features that are present in other products like Power BI.
Thee Sritabtim - PeerSpot reviewer
Aug 23, 2023
Stability and scalability an be improved for a full ten.