Software · head to head
Google Data Studio vs Grow
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.; Grow the pricing URL serves marketing content with no plan, rate, minimum or cost driver published anywhere on it
- They diverge on capability: Google Data Studio covers Free Platform, Grow covers No-code Setup.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Google Data Studio and Grow actually diverge.
| Attribute | Google Data Studio | Grow |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $500/month |
| Pricing model | free | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Mobile, Tv |
| Founded | 1998 | 2014 |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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
- Sharing
- BigQuery
- Google Sheets
- YouTube
- Google Ads
Only in Grow
- No-code Setup
- Unlimited Dashboards
- Alerts
- Embedding
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- QuickBooks
- Stripe
Both cover
- Data Blending
- Google Analytics
- MySQL
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Google Data Studio
- Self-service analyticsnot Grow
- Data explorationnot Grow
- Ad-hoc reportingnot Grow
- Collaborative analysisnot Grow
- Embedded analyticsnot Grow
Grow
- No-code dashboards and business intelligence for teams without analystsnot Google Data Studio
- Blending data from more than 100 sources including BigQuery, PostgreSQL, Salesforce and HubSpotnot Google Data Studio
- ETL, warehousing and visualisation in a single platformnot 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.
Grow
- The pricing URL serves marketing content with no plan, rate, minimum or cost driver published anywhere on it
- The only calls to action are Get Started Now and Watch Demo; there is no self-serve rate card
- The vendor advertises unlimited users with no per-seat charges, which means the price driver is not disclosed at all
Pricing, plan by plan
Google Data Studio
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited Reports
- Data Connectors
- Collaboration
Grow
$500/month- Starter$500/month
- Unlimited Users
- 75+ Integrations
- Support
- Pro$1000/month
- Advanced Features
- Custom Integrations
- Training
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 Grow if
- You need no-code setup.
- You work on Web, Mobile, Tv.
- You also want unlimited dashboards.
Questions people ask
- Is Google Data Studio or Grow better?
- Neither clearly leads. Google Data Studio starts at Free and Grow at $500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Google Data Studio or Grow?
- Google Data Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Data Studio and $500/month for Grow.
- Does Google Data Studio or Grow run on more platforms?
- Google Data Studio runs on Web. Grow runs on Web, Mobile, Tv.
- Can I use Google Data Studio for free?
- Yes. Google Data Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Grow starts at $500/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 Grow is typically brought in for.
- What can Google Data Studio do that Grow cannot?
- Google Data Studio covers Free Platform, Real-time Collaboration, Custom Visualizations, Sharing. Grow covers No-code Setup, Unlimited Dashboards, Alerts, Embedding. Both handle Data Blending, Google Analytics, MySQL, Web support.