Business Intelligence · head to head
Google Data Studio vs Periscope Data

Google Data Studio
Business Intelligence
Free data visualization by Google
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -

Periscope Data
Business Intelligence
SQL and Python analytics platform
- From
- $1000/month
- 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.; Periscope Data the periscopedata.com domain now redirects to sisense.com, so Periscope Data is no longer sold as a standalone product
- They diverge on capability: Google Data Studio covers Free Platform, Periscope Data covers SQL Editor.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Google Data Studio and Periscope Data actually diverge.
| Attribute | Google Data Studio | Periscope Data |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $1000/month |
| Pricing model | free | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web, Cloud |
| Founded | 1998 | 2012 |
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
- Data Blending
- Sharing
- Google Analytics
- Google Sheets
- YouTube
Only in Periscope Data
- SQL Editor
- Python/R Integration
- Version Control
- Caching
- Dashboards
- Redshift
- Snowflake
- PostgreSQL
Both cover
- BigQuery
- 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 Periscope Data
- Data explorationnot Periscope Data
- Ad-hoc reportingnot Periscope Data
- Collaborative analysisnot Periscope Data
- Embedded analyticsnot Periscope Data
Periscope Data
- SQL-based analytics and dashboards over a data warehousenot Google Data Studio
- Python and R analysis alongside SQL in one workflownot Google Data Studio
- Shared dashboards for data teamsnot 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.
Periscope Data
- The periscopedata.com domain now redirects to sisense.com, so Periscope Data is no longer sold as a standalone product
- No Periscope Data pricing, plan or seat rate remains published at the original domain
- Buyers must now purchase through Sisense, whose own pricing is not published as a rate card
Pricing, plan by plan
Google Data Studio
Free- FreeFree
- Unlimited Reports
- Data Connectors
- Collaboration
Periscope Data
$1000/month- Team$1000/month
- SQL Analytics
- Python/R
- Dashboards
- EnterpriseFree
- Advanced Features
- Custom Integrations
- Premium 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 Periscope Data if
- You need sql editor.
- You work on Web, Cloud.
- You also want python/r integration.
Questions people ask
- Is Google Data Studio or Periscope Data better?
- Neither clearly leads. Google Data Studio starts at Free and Periscope Data at $1000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Google Data Studio or Periscope Data?
- Google Data Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Google Data Studio and $1000/month for Periscope Data.
- Does Google Data Studio or Periscope Data run on more platforms?
- Google Data Studio runs on Web. Periscope Data runs on Web, Cloud.
- Can I use Google Data Studio for free?
- Yes. Google Data Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Periscope Data starts at $1000/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 Periscope Data is typically brought in for.
- What can Google Data Studio do that Periscope Data cannot?
- Google Data Studio covers Free Platform, Real-time Collaboration, Custom Visualizations, Data Blending. Periscope Data covers SQL Editor, Python/R Integration, Version Control, Caching. Both handle BigQuery, MySQL, Web support.
Related pages
More on Google Data Studio
More on Periscope Data
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