Softwr

Business Intelligence · head to head

Google Data Studio vs Redash

Google Data Studio logo

Google Data Studio

Business Intelligence

Free data visualization by Google

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Redash logo

Redash

Spreadsheet & Data

Connect and visualize your data

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; Redash a basic self-hosted deployment needs a minimum of 4GB of RAM, and more RAM and CPU as background workers and API processes grow
  • They diverge on capability: Google Data Studio covers Free Platform, Redash covers SQL Query Editor.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Google Data Studio and Redash differ
AttributeGoogle Data StudioRedash
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Self-hosted, Cloud
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceSpreadsheet & Data
Founded19982013

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Redash

  • SQL Query Editor
  • Multiple Data Sources
  • Visualizations
  • Dashboards
  • Alerts
  • PostgreSQL
  • Redshift
  • Presto

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 Redash
  • Data explorationnot Redash
  • Ad-hoc reportingnot Redash
  • Collaborative analysisnot Redash
  • Embedded analyticsnot Redash

Redash

  • Self-hosted SQL query editor and dashboarding over existing databasesnot Google Data Studio
  • Sharing scheduled query results with a team without buying a BI licencenot 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.

Redash

  • A basic self-hosted deployment needs a minimum of 4GB of RAM, and more RAM and CPU as background workers and API processes grow
  • The official Docker images were not updated for V10, so the documented route is to deploy a V8 instance and then upgrade it
  • Anyone not using a provided cloud image has to configure the environment variables and secrets by hand

Pricing, plan by plan

Google Data Studio

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited Reports
    • Data Connectors
    • Collaboration

Redash

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Full Features
    • Self-hosted
    • Community Support
  • Cloud$49/month
    • Managed Hosting
    • Automatic Updates
    • 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 Redash if

  • You need sql query editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud.
  • You also want multiple data sources.
Redash review

Questions people ask

Is Google Data Studio or Redash better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Data Studio starts at Free and Redash at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Google Data Studio or Redash?
Google Data Studio starts at Free and Redash at Free.
Does Google Data Studio or Redash run on more platforms?
Google Data Studio runs on Web. Redash runs on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud.
Can I use Google Data Studio for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
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 Redash is typically brought in for.
What can Google Data Studio do that Redash cannot?
Google Data Studio covers Free Platform, Real-time Collaboration, Custom Visualizations, Data Blending. Redash covers SQL Query Editor, Multiple Data Sources, Visualizations, Dashboards. Both handle BigQuery, MySQL, Web support.
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Related pages

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