Exploring Looker (Google), Redash & Visivo
Looker (Google) vs. Redash vs. Visivo
Compare key features, capabilities, and differentiators between Looker (Google), Redash, 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
| Feature | Looker (Google) | Redash | Visivo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment Model | Cloud-hosted (Google Cloud) | Self-host (open-source), Docker deployment, Community cloud forks | Open-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted |
| Pricing | Commercial (Proprietary); enterprise pricing (no free tier) | Open-source (BSD 2-Clause); acquired by Databricks, maintained community version. | 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)
Redash
Visivo
Ease of Development & Deployment
Development experience directly impacts team productivity and time-to-value.
Looker (Google)
Redash
Visivo
Key Integrations & Ecosystem
A robust ecosystem of integrations is essential for modern BI tools.
Looker (Google)
Redash
Visivo
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).
Redash
Very basic visualizations: each query can be visualized as a table, chart (line, bar, pie, scatter) or pivot. Limited formatting options. Dashboards are grids of query results visualizations and text. Suited for lightweight reporting.
Visivo
Highly custom UI with easy defaults
Detailed Differentiators
Each platform's unique strengths and limitations.
Looker (Google)
Redash
Visivo
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.
Redash
DB Access: Yes, stores DB credentials and queries the source directly for each refresh. Virtualization: No – it's a thin layer over the DB. Push: No, only pull (with caching of recent results). Other: Basic user roles; can embed visualizations via public URLs (security relies on random tokens). Lacks advanced security features like row-level controls.
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.
Ready to Experience Modern BI?
Try Visivo today and see how it transforms your data analytics workflow.
$ curl -fsSL https://visivo.sh | bash
