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Technology · head to head

Amplitude vs Looker

Amplitude logo

Amplitude

Technology

The digital analytics platform to understand your users

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Looker logo

Looker

Spreadsheet & Data

Modern business intelligence platform by Google

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Amplitude has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amplitude metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow; Looker requires annual commitment with no month-to-month billing option
  • They diverge on capability: Amplitude covers Event tracking, Looker covers LookML Data Modeling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amplitude and Looker actually diverge.

Attributes where Amplitude and Looker differ
AttributeAmplitudeLooker
Starting priceFreeOn request
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Cloud (Google Cloud Platform)
CategoryTechnologySpreadsheet & Data
Founded20122008

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Amplitude

  • Event tracking
  • User segmentation
  • Funnel analysis
  • Retention analysis
  • Cohort analysis
  • A/B testing
  • Revenue analytics
  • Predictive analytics

Only in Looker

  • LookML Data Modeling
  • Embedded Analytics
  • API Access
  • Version Control
  • Data Actions
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • Web support

Both cover

  • Snowflake
  • BigQuery
  • Redshift
  • Salesforce

What people use each for

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

Amplitude

  • User behavior analysisnot Looker
  • Feature adoption trackingnot Looker
  • Conversion rate optimizationnot Looker
  • Customer journey mappingnot Looker
  • Retention improvementnot Looker

Looker

  • Business intelligence and interactive dashboards for data-driven decision makingnot Amplitude
  • Embedded analytics for integrating BI capabilities into third-party applicationsnot Amplitude

Where each one falls short

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

Amplitude

  • Metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow
  • The free plan covers 2M events a month
  • The Plus plan scales to 70M events, above which pricing is custom
  • Growth and Enterprise pricing is not published

Looker

  • Requires annual commitment with no month-to-month billing option
  • Conversational analytics will incur token overage charges ($3.00 per 1M input tokens, $20.00 per 1M output tokens) after October 1, 2026

Pricing, plan by plan

Amplitude

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 2 million events per month
  • Plus$49/month
    • $0.049 per MTU
    • Up to 300k MTUs
    • Advanced analytics
  • GrowthFree
    • Causal insights
    • Feature experimentation
    • Real-time streaming
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Cross-product analysis
    • Advanced permissions
    • Dedicated account manager

Looker

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Looker review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Amplitude if

  • You need event tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want user segmentation.
Amplitude review

Choose Looker if

  • You need lookml data modeling.
  • You work on Web, Cloud (Google Cloud Platform).
  • You also want embedded analytics.
Looker review

Questions people ask

Is Amplitude or Looker better?
Neither clearly leads. Amplitude starts at Free and Looker at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amplitude or Looker?
Amplitude has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Amplitude and On request for Looker.
Does Amplitude or Looker run on more platforms?
Amplitude runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Looker runs on Web, Cloud (Google Cloud Platform).
Can I use Amplitude for free?
Yes. Amplitude has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Looker starts at On request.
What is Amplitude best used for?
Amplitude is most often used for user behavior analysis, feature adoption tracking, conversion rate optimization, customer journey mapping. Of those, user behavior analysis and feature adoption tracking are not what Looker is typically brought in for.
What can Amplitude do that Looker cannot?
Amplitude covers Event tracking, User segmentation, Funnel analysis, Retention analysis. Looker covers LookML Data Modeling, Embedded Analytics, API Access, Version Control. Both handle Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Salesforce.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amplitude: Does Amplitude have a free plan?

Yes, Amplitude offers a free Starter plan with 2 million events per month and access to the entire platform including analytics, session replay, and experimentation features.

Source
Amplitude: What is Amplitude's pricing based on?

Amplitude's pricing is based on the number of monthly tracked users (MTUs), data volume, and advanced features selected. The Plus plan starts at $49 per month with a rate of $0.049 per MTU.

Source
Amplitude: What analytics features does every Amplitude plan include?

Every plan includes access to the full platform: analytics, session replay, feature experimentation, web experimentation, guides and surveys, activation, and AI tools like AI Feedback and AI Assistant.

Source
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Related pages

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