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Business Intelligence · head to head

Google Data Studio vs Periscope Data

Google Data Studio logo

Google Data Studio

Business Intelligence

Free data visualization by Google

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Periscope Data logo

Periscope Data

Business Intelligence

SQL and Python analytics platform

From
$1000/month
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: Google Data Studio limited to free offering with no paid tiers or premium features; 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.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Google Data Studio and Periscope Data differ
AttributeGoogle Data StudioPeriscope Data
Starting priceFree$1000/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Cloud
Founded19982012

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

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

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.
Google Data Studio review

Choose Periscope Data if

  • You need sql editor.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want python/r integration.
Periscope Data review

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.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Periscope Data: Does Sisense offer a free trial?

Yes. Sisense offers a free trial of their Self-Serve plan. You can try features like data warehouse connectivity, built-in AI for natural-language queries, auto-narratives, and customer assistant features.

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
Periscope Data: What is the difference between Sisense Self-Serve and Enterprise plans?

The Self-Serve plan is for startups and teams and includes basic connectivity and AI features with iframe embedding. The Enterprise plan is for regulated industries and includes multi-tenant architecture, HIPAA readiness, column-level security, single sign-on, on-premise deployment options, 99.99% SLA, and 30-day backups.

Source
Periscope Data: How do I access the Sisense Enterprise plan?

The Enterprise plan requires contacting Sisense for a demo and custom quote. There is no self-service signup for this tier.

Source
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