Exploring Looker (Google), Microsoft Power BI & Visivo

Looker (Google) vs. Microsoft Power BI vs. Visivo

Compare key features, capabilities, and differentiators between Looker (Google), Microsoft Power BI, Visivo. This comprehensive analysis will help you make an informed decision for your data visualization needs.

Quick Comparison

Key features and capabilities at a glance

FeatureLooker (Google)Microsoft Power BIVisivo
Deployment ModelCloud-hosted (Google Cloud)Desktop + Cloud Service (PowerBI.com), on-prem Report ServerOpen-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted
PricingCommercial (Proprietary); enterprise pricing (no free tier)Free desktop for windows; Pro $10/user/mo for sharing; Premium by capacity. Proprietary license.Open source (GPL-3.0)
Cost$$$$$$$$$
Git Integration
CI/CD & Testing
Real-time
AI Features
Visual to Code
DAG-Based

Target Users & Use-Cases

Each BI tool is designed with specific user personas in mind.

Looker (Google)

Enterprise OrganizationsGoogle Cloud Accounts

Microsoft Power BI

Business analystsExcel power usersenterprise BI teamsBusiness analysts

Visivo

Analytics EngineersData teamsBusiness usersEngineers

Ease of Development & Deployment

Development experience directly impacts team productivity and time-to-value.

Looker (Google)

2/5

Microsoft Power BI

3/5

Visivo

5/5

Key Integrations & Ecosystem

A robust ecosystem of integrations is essential for modern BI tools.

Looker (Google)

Google CloudGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Sheets

Microsoft Power BI

100+ connectors (SQL DBs, Spark, Snowflake, Excel, Salesforce, etc.)Azure ML and Python/R integrationPower BI Gateway for custom integrations

Visivo

dbt coreAll major databasesCustom connector frameworkSlack for alertsGithub

Visualization Capabilities

The ability to create compelling visualizations is key to data storytelling.

Looker (Google)

Robust web dashboards and exploratory interface. Good selection of chart types; custom visualizations via plugins or custom code. Highly customizable via LookML for data logic, but visual formatting is UI-driven (some limitations vs. Tableau).

Microsoft Power BI

Rich library of visuals (bar, line, maps, etc.) plus custom visuals marketplace. Highly customizable formatting. Dashboard-style layouts with interactive tiles. Advanced calculations via DAX formula language.

Visivo

Highly custom UI with easy defaults

Detailed Differentiators

Each platform's unique strengths and limitations.

Looker (Google)

LookML semantic layer – centralized metrics definitions ensure a 'single source of truth'. Strong governance (row-level security, permissions) and embedded analytics support.
Requires upfront modeling (learning LookML); expensive. Visual customization and ad-hoc analysis flexibility less than Tableau/PowerBI.

Microsoft Power BI

Tight integration with Microsoft ecosystem (Excel, Azure). Easy to start for Excel users. AI features like Natural Language Q&A and Quick Insights built-in.
Desktop Windows-only; complex on very large datasets without Premium. DAX formulas have steep learning curve for some.

Visivo

BI-as-code approach enables version control, collaboration, and CI/CD workflows. DAG-based architecture provides powerful data transformation capabilities and dependency management. Seamless visual-to-code workflow allows both technical and non-technical users to build dashboards effectively.
Requires understanding of data concepts; not a pure drag-and-drop tool like Tableau. Initial setup requires technical knowledge for optimal configuration.

Security & Architecture

Critical considerations for enterprise deployments.

Looker (Google)

DB Access: Yes (direct read queries to DB with cached results). Virtualization: No internal engine – relies on source DB ('in-database' analytics). Push: No, pull-based queries (though persistent derived tables can be pushed into DB). Other: Fine-grained RBAC; row-level security; SSO/SAML support.

Microsoft Power BI

DB Access: Import mode stores data in in-memory caches (no DB needed at view time); DirectQuery mode requires DB connection for each view. Virtualization: DirectQuery and live connect act as virtualization (query on demand). Push: Supports push data via streaming API for real-time dashboards. Other: Robust security with Azure AD; row-level security definable in reports; data encryption on cloud.

Visivo

No db access required. Very strong security features due to the DAG-based access controls and the push based deployment model.

Why Visivo Stands Out

While each platform has its strengths, Visivo offers unique advantages for modern data teams.

DAG-Based Architecture for complex data transformations
Visual to Human-readable Code conversion
Multiple development approaches for all skill levels
AI-Powered dashboard creation
Full Git integration and version control
Open-source with enterprise features

Ready to Experience Modern BI?

Try Visivo today and see how it transforms your data analytics workflow.

$ curl -fsSL https://visivo.sh | bash
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