Exploring Microsoft Power BI, Looker Studio & Visivo
Microsoft Power BI vs. Looker Studio vs. Visivo
Compare key features, capabilities, and differentiators between Microsoft Power BI, Looker Studio, 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 | Microsoft Power BI | Looker Studio | Visivo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment Model | Desktop + Cloud Service (PowerBI.com), on-prem Report Server | Cloud (Google Cloud), Enterprise deployment, Private cloud | Open-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted |
| Pricing | Free desktop for windows; Pro $10/user/mo for sharing; Premium by capacity. Proprietary license. | Free to use (with Google account); Pro version for enterprise (Looker Studio Pro) introduced with SLAs. | 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.
Microsoft Power BI
Looker Studio
Visivo
Ease of Development & Deployment
Development experience directly impacts team productivity and time-to-value.
Microsoft Power BI
Looker Studio
Visivo
Key Integrations & Ecosystem
A robust ecosystem of integrations is essential for modern BI tools.
Microsoft Power BI
Looker Studio
Visivo
Visualization Capabilities
The ability to create compelling visualizations is key to data storytelling.
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.
Looker Studio
Drag-and-drop report editor. Offers charts like time series, bar, geo maps, tables. Customization is decent (colors, labels), though not as fine-grained as Tableau. Supports community visualizations (bring custom JS charts). Layout is canvas-style – good for dashboards and infographics.
Visivo
Highly custom UI with easy defaults
Detailed Differentiators
Each platform's unique strengths and limitations.
Microsoft Power BI
Looker Studio
Visivo
Security & Architecture
Critical considerations for enterprise deployments.
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.
Looker Studio
DB Access: Yes, live connects to sources using provided credentials (or OAuth tokens). Option to cache query results in Google's cache for performance. Virtualization: Data remains in source or cache – Data Studio doesn't store data persistently (except cached). Push: No, it pulls data when rendering charts. Other: Uses Google account auth for access; you can manage view/edit permissions on reports. Lacks fine security on data level (you'd need separate reports or filters per audience).
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
