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Machine Learning & Data Science · head to head

Databricks vs Looker

Databricks logo

Databricks

Machine Learning & Data Science

Unified analytics platform for data engineering and data science

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 Databricks has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Databricks cloud compute is billed separately by the cloud provider on top of Databricks DBU charges; Looker requires annual commitment with no month-to-month billing option
  • They diverge on capability: Databricks covers Delta Lake, Looker covers LookML Data Modeling.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databricks and Looker actually diverge.

Attributes where Databricks and Looker differ
AttributeDatabricksLooker
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Aws, Azure, GcpWeb, Cloud (Google Cloud Platform)
CategoryMachine Learning & Data ScienceSpreadsheet & Data
Founded20132008

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 Databricks

  • Delta Lake
  • Apache Spark
  • MLflow
  • Unity Catalog
  • Photon Engine
  • Collaborative Notebooks
  • Auto-scaling
  • AWS

Only in Looker

  • LookML Data Modeling
  • Embedded Analytics
  • API Access
  • Version Control
  • Data Actions
  • BigQuery
  • Snowflake
  • Redshift

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Databricks

  • Running Spark data engineering pipelines on managed clustersnot Looker
  • Building a lakehouse over data in cloud object storagenot Looker
  • Training and serving machine learning models alongside the datanot Looker

Looker

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

Where each one falls short

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

Databricks

  • Cloud compute is billed separately by the cloud provider on top of Databricks DBU charges
  • The free trial lasts 14 days
  • Discounts require a Committed Use Contract, with larger commitments needed for larger discounts
  • Azure Databricks pricing is set by Microsoft rather than by Databricks
  • Security and compliance capabilities are sold as separate platform add ons rather than included in the base rate

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

Databricks

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Limited cluster
    • Notebook environment
    • Community support
  • Standard$0.07/DBU
    • Jobs compute
    • SQL compute
    • Standard support

Looker

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Looker review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Databricks if

  • You need delta lake.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp.
  • You also want apache spark.
Databricks 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 Databricks or Looker better?
Neither clearly leads. Databricks 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, Databricks or Looker?
Databricks has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Databricks and On request for Looker.
Does Databricks or Looker run on more platforms?
Databricks runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp. Looker runs on Web, Cloud (Google Cloud Platform).
Can I use Databricks for free?
Yes. Databricks has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Looker starts at On request.
What is Databricks best used for?
Databricks is most often used for running spark data engineering pipelines on managed clusters, building a lakehouse over data in cloud object storage, training and serving machine learning models alongside the data. Of those, running spark data engineering pipelines on managed clusters and building a lakehouse over data in cloud object storage are not what Looker is typically brought in for.
What can Databricks do that Looker cannot?
Databricks covers Delta Lake, Apache Spark, MLflow, Unity Catalog. Looker covers LookML Data Modeling, Embedded Analytics, API Access, Version Control. Both handle Web support.
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