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Business Intelligence · head to head

Amazon QuickSight vs BigQuery ML

Amazon QuickSight logo

Amazon QuickSight

Business Intelligence

Scalable, serverless BI by AWS

From
$3/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
BigQuery ML logo

BigQuery ML

Machine Learning

Machine learning in BigQuery using SQL

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only BigQuery ML has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amazon QuickSight reader and Reader Pro roles charged separately at $3 and $20/month; BigQuery ML not available in BigQuery's Standard edition, so the cheapest tier cannot use it
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon QuickSight covers SPICE In-memory Engine, BigQuery ML covers SQL-based ML.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon QuickSight and BigQuery ML actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon QuickSight and BigQuery ML differ
AttributeAmazon QuickSightBigQuery ML
Starting price$3/monthFree
Pricing modelper-userusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAWSWeb
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceMachine Learning
Founded20062008

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amazon QuickSight

  • SPICE In-memory Engine
  • ML Insights
  • Natural Language Queries
  • Embedded Analytics
  • Pay-per-session
  • Redshift
  • S3
  • Athena

Only in BigQuery ML

  • SQL-based ML
  • AutoML Tables
  • Model export
  • Prediction functions
  • Feature preprocessing
  • BigQuery
  • Vertex AI
  • TensorFlow

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amazon QuickSight

  • Business intelligencenot BigQuery ML
  • Dashboard creationnot BigQuery ML
  • Data visualizationnot BigQuery ML

BigQuery ML

  • Training models in SQL without exporting datanot Amazon QuickSight
  • Linear and logistic regression on warehouse datanot Amazon QuickSight
  • K-means clustering and matrix factorisation for recommendationsnot Amazon QuickSight
  • Time series forecasting with ARIMA_PLUSnot Amazon QuickSight
  • Running imported ONNX, TensorFlow or XGBoost models against BigQuery datanot Amazon QuickSight

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon QuickSight

  • Reader and Reader Pro roles charged separately at $3 and $20/month
  • Author and Author Pro roles charged at $24 and $40/month
  • $250/month infrastructure fee required if Pro users or Q&A enabled
  • SPICE storage charged at $0.38/GB monthly (10 GB included)
  • Pixel-perfect reports start at $500/month for 500 monthly units
  • Alerts charged at $0.05-$0.50 per 1,000 metrics evaluated

BigQuery ML

  • Not available in BigQuery's Standard edition, so the cheapest tier cannot use it
  • Billed through BigQuery compute and storage rather than as its own product, so training cost tracks data scanned
  • Remote models incur extra Agent Platform charges on top
  • Externally trained model types such as boosted trees and AutoML run through Agent Platform rather than inside BigQuery

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon QuickSight

$3/month
  • Reader$3/month
    • Dashboard viewing only
  • Reader Pro$20/month
    • Enhanced reader capabilities
  • Author$24/month
    • Dashboard creation and editing
  • Author Pro$40/month
    • Advanced authoring features

BigQuery ML

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 10GB storage
    • 1TB queries
  • On-Demand$5/TB
    • Pay per TB scanned
    • ML training costs

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon QuickSight if

  • You need spice in-memory engine.
  • You work on AWS.
  • You also want ml insights.
Amazon QuickSight review

Choose BigQuery ML if

  • You need sql-based ml.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want automl tables.
BigQuery ML review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon QuickSight or BigQuery ML better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon QuickSight starts at $3/month and BigQuery ML at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon QuickSight or BigQuery ML?
BigQuery ML has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3/month for Amazon QuickSight and Free for BigQuery ML.
Does Amazon QuickSight or BigQuery ML run on more platforms?
Amazon QuickSight runs on AWS. BigQuery ML runs on Web.
Can I use BigQuery ML for free?
Yes. BigQuery ML has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Amazon QuickSight starts at $3/month.
What is Amazon QuickSight best used for?
Amazon QuickSight is most often used for business intelligence, dashboard creation, data visualization. Of those, business intelligence and dashboard creation are not what BigQuery ML is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon QuickSight do that BigQuery ML cannot?
Amazon QuickSight covers SPICE In-memory Engine, ML Insights, Natural Language Queries, Embedded Analytics. BigQuery ML covers SQL-based ML, AutoML Tables, Model export, Prediction functions. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon QuickSight: What does Amazon QuickSight cost per user?

QuickSight pricing varies by user role. Readers start at $3/month, Reader Pro at $20/month, Authors at $24/month, and Author Pro at $40/month. All prices are per user per month.

Source
BigQuery ML: How much does Google Cloud BigQuery ML cost?

BigQuery ML pricing is not specified separately on Google Cloud's pricing page. It follows the same pay-as-you-go model as BigQuery, charging per terabyte of data scanned during analysis. Customers receive $300 in free credits and can use 20+ products free up to monthly limits.

Source
Amazon QuickSight: Does QuickSight charge an infrastructure fee?

Yes, QuickSight charges an infrastructure fee of $250/month per account if the account has at least one Pro user, has Q&A enabled via topics, or has dashboard Q&A enabled.

Source
BigQuery ML: Does Google Cloud offer a free trial?

Yes, new customers get $300 in free credits and all customers can use 20+ Google Cloud products free up to their monthly usage limits.

Source
Amazon QuickSight: What are QuickSight's session capacity pricing options?

Session capacity pricing starts at $250/month for 500 sessions. Annual plans range from $20,000/year for 50,000 sessions to $258,000/year for 1,600,000 sessions, with volume discounts reducing unit costs from $0.50 to $0.16 per additional session.

Source
Amazon QuickSight: How much does additional SPICE storage cost?

Additional SPICE storage beyond the included 10 GB costs $0.38 per GB per month. Authors receive 10 GB included, but Readers do not.

Source
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