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Business Intelligence · head to head

Amazon QuickSight vs Google Data Studio

Amazon QuickSight logo

Amazon QuickSight

Business Intelligence

Scalable, serverless BI by AWS

From
$3/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Data Studio logo

Google Data Studio

Business Intelligence

Free data visualization by Google

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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 limited to free offering with no paid tiers or premium features
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon QuickSight covers SPICE In-memory Engine, Google Data Studio covers Free Platform.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon QuickSight and Google Data Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon QuickSight and Google Data Studio differ
AttributeAmazon QuickSightGoogle Data Studio
Starting price$3/monthFree
Pricing modelper-userfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsAWSWeb
Founded20061998

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 intelligencenot Google Data Studio
  • Dashboard creationnot Google Data Studio
  • Data visualizationnot 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

  • Limited to free offering with no paid tiers or premium features
  • Advanced integrations may require Google Workspace subscriptions

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

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.
Amazon QuickSight review

Choose Google Data Studio if

  • You need free platform.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
Google Data Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon QuickSight or Google Data Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon QuickSight starts at $3/month 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 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.
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 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.

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
Google Data Studio: Is Google Data Studio free?

Yes, Google Data Studio is completely free to use. The platform states it is easy and free to build interactive dashboards and reports.

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
Google Data Studio: Are there paid versions of Google Data Studio?

No, Google Data Studio does not offer paid tiers or premium plans. It remains free for all users.

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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