Data Studio
Google's free report and dashboard builder, formerly Looker Studio
Our verdict
First of our top three marketing reporting and call tracking tools
For: Most small businesses and freelancers
Data Studio, Google's report builder once called Looker Studio, turns data from Google Analytics, Google Ads, Sheets, BigQuery and databases into interactive reports you can share, edit together and embed on any web page. The editor, Google connectors and 1,300+ community connectors are free for creators and viewers, and Pro is $9 per user a month per project for team workspaces, up to 200 delivery schedules per report and Gemini. Know the limits: it is built for teams in general rather than agencies, you build each report yourself, most non-Google ad platforms connect through third-party connectors, and support needs Pro plus a Google Cloud support plan.
See all three and how we rankData Studio report card
Very good · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 18, 2026
Best for free reports on Google Analytics and Ads data
Data Studio, the product Google used to call Looker Studio, builds shareable, interactive reports from Google Analytics, Google Ads, Sheets, BigQuery and more, and the whole editor is free. It's the obvious place to start. Just know it's a report builder, not an agency tool, and most non-Google sources come in through connectors built by third parties.
Who Data Studio is for
- Great if your numbers mostly live in Google Analytics, Google Ads and Sheets
- Handy when you need a live report embedded on a website
- Good for freelancers who want client reports without a monthly bill
Who Data Studio is not for
- Skip it if most of your data sits in non-Google ad platforms, which need third-party connectors
- Not for you if you want help from Google, which needs Pro and a separate Cloud support plan
Why Data Studio gets a 3.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- AValue for moneyFree for creators and viewers: the report editor, Google connectors, 1,300+ community connectors, sharing and embedding. A small agency can report on 5 clients for $0. Pro, at $9 per user per project a month, adds team workspaces, more scheduling, Gemini and support.
- AFree plan and trialData Studio itself costs nothing, and the free version is the real product: the editor, connectors, sharing, editing together live and embedding, with no cap a normal person would reach. There's a 30-day trial of Pro as well.
- CFeaturesA flexible drag-and-drop report builder with 1,400+ sources and embedding. But it's a general report tool, not an agency one: most non-Google sources, such as other ad platforms, come through third-party community connectors, and team workspaces need Pro.
- CEase of useNo rating on record. Pulling in GA4 with a Google account is quick, but you build every report yourself on the canvas, and that takes some learning.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, plus Google's Looker app on iPhone and Android, though it only opens Data Studio content for Pro users. It connects to Google Analytics, Ads, Sheets, BigQuery, Excel, MySQL, PostgreSQL and Redshift, and reports embed on any web page.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Google's own pages on 18 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Data Studio? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/looker-studio#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/looker-studio.svg" alt="Data Studio: 3.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Data Studio stands among marketing reporting and call tracking tools
Data Studio's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 13 of the 13 other marketing reporting and call tracking tools we grade.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 13 of 13) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $9 a month for each person, against a middle price of $63.50 for the category: 0 of the 13 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 14 marketing reporting and call tracking tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Data Studio’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 13 of 13
- AFree plan and trialAbove 13 of 13
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 13, level with 4
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 13, level with 13
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 13, level with 13
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 14 marketing reporting and call tracking tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Data Studio, or make your own?
Keep it
The plain part of Data Studio you could make: reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 13 of the 13 other marketing reporting and call tracking tools we grade. It costs $108 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Connections that pull numbers from dozens of other services.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- It plugs into other products, Google Analytics, Google Ads and Google Sheets among them.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Data Studio’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Data Studio?
Data Studio, Google's free reporting dashboard tool and the product previously called Looker Studio, turns data from Google Analytics, Google Ads, Sheets, BigQuery and other sources into shareable, interactive reports. It is built for individuals and teams in general rather than agencies in particular. Data Studio Pro is the paid version, adding organization-owned content, team workspaces, more scheduling and Google Cloud support.
Data Studio has a free plan. Paid plans start at $9 per user / month, per project. See every plan
Good for
- Marketers building free reports on Google Analytics and Google Ads data
- Teams whose data already lives in Google Sheets or BigQuery
- Anyone who needs to embed a live report on a website
Worth knowing
- Pro costs $9 per user per project a month; Google says the per-user price varies with the length of the subscription.
- Technical support needs both a Pro subscription and a separate Google Cloud support plan.
- The mobile app is Google's Looker app and works with Data Studio content only for Pro users.
- Most non-Google sources, such as other ad platforms, connect through community connectors built by third parties.
Key features
- Drag-and-drop report editor
- Build multi-page interactive reports with charts, filters, images and text on a pixel-exact or snap-to-grid canvas.
- 1,400+ data sources
- Built-in connectors for Google Analytics, Google Ads, Sheets and BigQuery, plus databases and over 1,300 community connectors built by others.
- Sharing and embedding
- Share reports with people or groups, edit them together in real time, or embed them on any web page.
- Team workspaces (Pro)
- Pro keeps reports in shared workspaces owned by the organization, so they keep working when their creator leaves.
- Scheduled delivery and alerts (Pro)
- Pro allows up to 200 delivery schedules per report, delivery to Google Chat, and alerts when a chart meets set conditions.
- Gemini and conversational analytics
- Pro users can ask questions about their data in plain language, write calculated fields from prompts and send content to Slides.
Data Studio pricing
- Starts at
- $9 per user / month, per project
- Free plan
- Data Studio itself costs nothing for creators and viewers: the report editor, connectors to Google products and 1,300+ community connectors, sharing, embedding and live collaboration.
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of Data Studio Pro with no limit on users
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Data Studio | $0 | Self-service reports and dashboards at no charge, with built-in Google connectors, community connectors, sharing and embedding. |
| Data Studio Pro | $9per user / month, per project | Content owned by a Google Cloud project, team workspaces, up to 200 delivery schedules per report, Gemini assistance, the mobile app and Cloud support. |
Read from cloud.google.com on Oct 18, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Data Studio before you buy.
Works with
- Google Analytics
- Google Ads
- Google Sheets
- BigQuery
- Microsoft Excel
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- Amazon Redshift
Data Studio alternatives
- Data Studio vs Databox
Free plan · from $71/mo
- Data Studio vs Klipfolio
Free trial · from $120/mo
- Data Studio vs Geckoboard
Free trial · from $79/mo
- Data Studio vs DashThis
Free trial · from $44/mo
- Data Studio vs AgencyAnalytics
Free trial · from $20/mo
Common questions
Is Data Studio free?
Data Studio has a free plan. Data Studio itself costs nothing for creators and viewers: the report editor, connectors to Google products and 1,300+ community connectors, sharing, embedding and live collaboration. Paid plans start at $9 per user / month, per project.
How much does Data Studio cost?
Data Studio lists 2 plans. Data Studio: $0. Data Studio Pro: $9 per user / month, per project. Prices were read from cloud.google.com on Oct 18, 2026.
What platforms does Data Studio work on?
Data Studio is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Data Studio have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Data Studio is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Data Studio have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Data Studio is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Data Studio open source?
Data Studio is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
What does Data Studio integrate with?
Data Studio's listing names Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Sheets, BigQuery, Microsoft Excel, MySQL, PostgreSQL and Amazon Redshift. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Data Studio have a free trial?
Yes. 30-day free trial of Data Studio Pro with no limit on users.
Who makes Data Studio?
Data Studio is made by Google.
What are the alternatives to Data Studio?
The closest alternatives to Data Studio in our directory are Databox, Klipfolio, Geckoboard, DashThis and AgencyAnalytics. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Data Studio.
How does Data Studio compare with other marketing reporting and call tracking tools?
Data Studio's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 13 of the 13 other marketing reporting and call tracking tools we grade. It stands best on value for money (A, above 13 of 13) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Is Data Studio good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Data Studio A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $9 a month for each person, against a middle price of $63.50 for the category: 0 of the 13 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Could I make my own version of Data Studio?
The plain part of Data Studio you could make: reports. What surrounds it you could not. The 5 things listed below take a company, not a weekend. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 13 of the 13 other marketing reporting and call tracking tools we grade. It costs $108 a year. What you could not make: Connections that pull numbers from dozens of other services. A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page. Several people working in it at the same moment. It plugs into other products, Google Analytics, Google Ads and Google Sheets among them. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 18, 2026.