Business Intelligence · head to head
Google Data Studio vs Geckoboard
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: 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.; Geckoboard there is no free plan, only a 14 day trial; the entry Essentials tier is $79 a month
- They diverge on capability: Google Data Studio covers Free Platform, Geckoboard covers Real-time Updates.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Google Data Studio and Geckoboard actually diverge.
| Attribute | Google Data Studio | Geckoboard |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $49/month |
| Pricing model | free | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Tv, Mobile |
| Founded | 1998 | 2010 |
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 Google Data Studio
- Free Platform
- Real-time Collaboration
- Custom Visualizations
- BigQuery
- Google Sheets
- YouTube
- Google Ads
- MySQL
Only in Geckoboard
- Real-time Updates
- TV Mode
- Custom Widgets
- Salesforce
- Zendesk
- Stripe
- Intercom
- Pipedrive
Both cover
- Data Blending
- Sharing
- Google Analytics
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Google Data Studio
- Self-service analyticsnot Geckoboard
- Data explorationnot Geckoboard
- Ad-hoc reportingnot Geckoboard
- Collaborative analysisnot Geckoboard
- Embedded analyticsnot Geckoboard
Geckoboard
- TV wall dashboards for office and operations displaysnot Google Data Studio
- Live KPI monitoring for sales and support teamsnot Google Data Studio
- Sharing read-only metrics widely, since viewers are unlimited on every tiernot Google Data Studio
- Alerting when a metric crosses a thresholdnot Google Data Studio
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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.
Geckoboard
- There is no free plan, only a 14 day trial; the entry Essentials tier is $79 a month
- Essentials includes 2 dashboards, 1 editor and 1 screen, with extras billed at $24 per dashboard and $20 per editor or screen
- Alerts, drilldowns and custom templates need the Performance tier at $319 a month
- SSO, audit logs and dedicated support are Enterprise only
Pricing, plan by plan
Google Data Studio
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited Reports
- Data Connectors
- Collaboration
Geckoboard
$49/month- Essential$49/month
- 1 Dashboard
- 60+ Integrations
- TV Display
- Scale$99/month
- Multiple Dashboards
- Advanced Features
- Priority Support
Which should you pick?
Choose Google Data Studio if
- You need free platform.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want real-time collaboration.
Choose Geckoboard if
- You need real-time updates.
- You work on Web, Tv, Mobile.
- You also want tv mode.
Questions people ask
- Is Google Data Studio or Geckoboard better?
- Neither clearly leads. Google Data Studio starts at Free and Geckoboard at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Google Data Studio or Geckoboard?
- Google Data Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Data Studio and $49/month for Geckoboard.
- Does Google Data Studio or Geckoboard run on more platforms?
- Google Data Studio runs on Web. Geckoboard runs on Web, Tv, Mobile.
- Can I use Google Data Studio for free?
- Yes. Google Data Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Geckoboard starts at $49/month.
- What is Google Data Studio best used for?
- Google Data Studio is most often used for self-service analytics, data exploration, ad-hoc reporting, collaborative analysis. Of those, self-service analytics and data exploration are not what Geckoboard is typically brought in for.
- What can Google Data Studio do that Geckoboard cannot?
- Google Data Studio covers Free Platform, Real-time Collaboration, Custom Visualizations, BigQuery. Geckoboard covers Real-time Updates, TV Mode, Custom Widgets, Salesforce. Both handle Data Blending, Sharing, Google Analytics, Web support.