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Spreadsheets · head to head

Looker vs Yellowfin

Looker logo

Looker

Spreadsheets

Modern business intelligence platform by Google

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Yellowfin logo

Yellowfin

Business Intelligence

Action-based business intelligence

From
$50/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Looker no pricing published on website; quote-based model requires contacting Google Cloud sales; Yellowfin the pricing page publishes no rate, no minimum and no per-user price; every model ends in a Get Pricing form
  • They diverge on capability: Looker covers LookML Data Modeling, Yellowfin covers Automated Analysis.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Looker and Yellowfin actually diverge.

Attributes where Looker and Yellowfin differ
AttributeLookerYellowfin
Starting priceOn request$50/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Cloud (Google Cloud Platform)Web, Mobile, Embedded
CategorySpreadsheetsBusiness Intelligence
Founded20082003

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Looker

  • LookML Data Modeling
  • API Access
  • Version Control
  • Data Actions
  • BigQuery
  • Snowflake
  • Redshift
  • Api support

Only in Yellowfin

  • Automated Analysis
  • Data Stories
  • Collaboration
  • Signals
  • Google Analytics
  • SQL Server
  • Oracle
  • Embedded support

Both cover

  • Embedded Analytics
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • Salesforce
  • Web support
  • Mobile support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Looker

  • Business intelligence and interactive dashboards for data-driven decision makingnot Yellowfin
  • Embedded analytics for integrating BI capabilities into third-party applicationsnot Yellowfin

Yellowfin

  • Embedding white-labelled dashboards and analytics into a software productnot Looker
  • Enterprise reporting with automated business monitoring and alertingnot Looker
  • Data storytelling and guided natural language querying for business usersnot Looker

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Looker

  • No pricing published on website; quote-based model requires contacting Google Cloud sales
  • Pricing typically based on user count, deployment type, and feature requirements with no transparency

Yellowfin

  • The pricing page publishes no rate, no minimum and no per-user price; every model ends in a Get Pricing form
  • One of the three embedded models is a revenue share, so Yellowfin takes a cut of the revenue your analytics module earns
  • Another model prices by server core, so scaling deployment hardware raises the licence cost independently of users
  • Getting a quote requires submitting a form with a marketing consent checkbox and a user-count band rather than seeing a rate card

Pricing, plan by plan

Looker

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Looker review.

Yellowfin

$50/month
  • Team$50/month
    • Dashboards
    • Stories
    • Collaboration
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Advanced Features
    • Embedding
    • Custom SLA

Which should you pick?

Choose Looker if

  • You need lookml data modeling.
  • You work on Web, Cloud (Google Cloud Platform).
  • You also want api access.
Looker review

Choose Yellowfin if

  • You need automated analysis.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Embedded.
  • You also want data stories.
Yellowfin review

Questions people ask

Is Looker or Yellowfin better?
Neither clearly leads. Looker starts at On request and Yellowfin at $50/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Looker or Yellowfin?
Looker starts at On request and Yellowfin at $50/month.
Does Looker or Yellowfin run on more platforms?
Looker runs on Web, Cloud (Google Cloud Platform). Yellowfin runs on Web, Mobile, Embedded.
What is Looker best used for?
Looker is most often used for business intelligence and interactive dashboards for data-driven decision making, embedded analytics for integrating bi capabilities into third-party applications. Of those, business intelligence and interactive dashboards for data-driven decision making and embedded analytics for integrating bi capabilities into third-party applications are not what Yellowfin is typically brought in for.
What can Looker do that Yellowfin cannot?
Looker covers LookML Data Modeling, API Access, Version Control, Data Actions. Yellowfin covers Automated Analysis, Data Stories, Collaboration, Signals. Both handle Embedded Analytics, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Salesforce.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Looker: How much does Looker cost?

Looker does not publish pricing on its website. The platform uses a custom quote model where organizations contact Google Cloud sales for personalized pricing. Pricing is typically based on factors including user count, deployment type (cloud-hosted versus self-hosted), and required feature set.

Source
Yellowfin: What pricing models does Yellowfin offer?

Yellowfin offers three flexible models for embedded analytics: Aligned Utility Model (price per unit), Revenue Share Model (based on analytics revenue value), and Server Core (fixed price based on server deployment).

Source
Looker: What are Looker's pricing tiers?

Looker offers subscription-based tiers typically including Standard with core BI capabilities, Advanced with enhanced features and integrations, and Premium with enterprise-grade features. Specific pricing and feature distinctions require contacting Google Cloud sales.

Source
Yellowfin: Is Yellowfin pricing predictable and scalable?

Yes, Yellowfin pricing is simple, predictable and scalable with no hidden costs or surprises.

Source
Yellowfin: Are there limits on user access or development environments?

No limitations exist on access to functionality across users. There are also no limits on dev and test licenses, ensuring DevOps is covered.

Source
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