Business Intelligence · head to head
Amazon QuickSight vs Google Data Studio

Amazon QuickSight
Business Intelligence
Scalable, serverless BI by AWS
- From
- $3/month per user
- Rated
- -

Google Data Studio
Business Intelligence
Free data visualization by Google
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Google Data Studio 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; Google Data Studio google Data Studio has been renamed Looker Studio; the vendor's own landing page states it is free to use ("It's easy and free"), with no enterprise pricing tier visible on the consumer product itself.
- They diverge on capability: Amazon QuickSight covers SPICE In-memory Engine, Google Data Studio covers Free Platform.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Amazon QuickSight and Google Data Studio actually diverge.
| Attribute | Amazon QuickSight | Google Data Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $3/month per user | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | free |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | AWS | Web |
| Founded | 2006 | 1998 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Business Intelligence).
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 Google Data Studio
- Free Platform
- Real-time Collaboration
- Custom Visualizations
- Data Blending
- Sharing
- Google Analytics
- BigQuery
- Google Sheets
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Amazon QuickSight
- Business intelligence dashboards and analyticsnot Google Data Studio
- Scalable embedded analytics for applicationsnot Google Data Studio
Google Data Studio
- Self-service analyticsnot Amazon QuickSight
- Data explorationnot Amazon QuickSight
- Ad-hoc reportingnot Amazon QuickSight
- Collaborative analysisnot Amazon QuickSight
- Embedded analyticsnot 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
Google Data Studio
- Google Data Studio has been renamed Looker Studio; the vendor's own landing page states it is free to use ("It's easy and free"), with no enterprise pricing tier visible on the consumer product itself.
Pricing, plan by plan
Amazon QuickSight
$3/month per userNo published plan breakdown. See the Amazon QuickSight review.
Google Data Studio
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited Reports
- Data Connectors
- Collaboration
Which should you pick?
Choose Amazon QuickSight if
- You need spice in-memory engine.
- You work on AWS.
- You also want ml insights.
Choose Google Data Studio if
- You need free platform.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want real-time collaboration.
Questions people ask
- Is Amazon QuickSight or Google Data Studio better?
- Neither clearly leads. Amazon QuickSight starts at $3/month per user and Google Data Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Amazon QuickSight or Google Data Studio?
- Google Data Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3/month per user for Amazon QuickSight and Free for Google Data Studio.
- Does Amazon QuickSight or Google Data Studio run on more platforms?
- Amazon QuickSight runs on AWS. Google Data Studio runs on Web.
- Can I use Google Data Studio for free?
- Yes. Google Data Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Amazon QuickSight starts at $3/month per user.
- What is Amazon QuickSight best used for?
- Amazon QuickSight is most often used for business intelligence dashboards and analytics, scalable embedded analytics for applications. Of those, business intelligence dashboards and analytics and scalable embedded analytics for applications are not what Google Data Studio is typically brought in for.
- What can Amazon QuickSight do that Google Data Studio cannot?
- Amazon QuickSight covers SPICE In-memory Engine, ML Insights, Natural Language Queries, Embedded Analytics. Google Data Studio covers Free Platform, Real-time Collaboration, Custom Visualizations, Data Blending. Both handle Web support.
Related pages
More on Amazon QuickSight
More on Google Data Studio
Other head to heads
- Amazon QuickSight vs Power BI
- Amazon QuickSight vs Sisense
- Amazon QuickSight vs MicroStrategy
- Amazon QuickSight vs Qlik Sense
- Amazon QuickSight vs Domo
- Amazon QuickSight vs GoodData
- Amazon QuickSight vs ThoughtSpot
- Amazon QuickSight vs IBM Cognos Analytics
- Amazon QuickSight vs Mode
- Amazon QuickSight vs Periscope Data
- Amazon QuickSight vs Baremetrics
- Amazon QuickSight vs Celonis
- Amazon QuickSight vs Chartio
- Amazon QuickSight vs ChartMogul
- Amazon QuickSight vs Cyfe
- Amazon QuickSight vs Databox
- Amazon QuickSight vs Dundas BI
- Google Data Studio vs Power BI
- Google Data Studio vs Sisense
- Google Data Studio vs MicroStrategy
- Google Data Studio vs Qlik Sense
- Google Data Studio vs Domo
- Google Data Studio vs GoodData
- Google Data Studio vs ThoughtSpot
- Google Data Studio vs IBM Cognos Analytics
- Google Data Studio vs Mode
- Google Data Studio vs Periscope Data
- Google Data Studio vs Baremetrics
- Google Data Studio vs Celonis
- Google Data Studio vs Chartio
- Google Data Studio vs ChartMogul
- Google Data Studio vs Cyfe
- Google Data Studio vs Databox
- Google Data Studio vs Dundas BI
