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Looker Studio vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services comparison

Google and Microsoft are both solutions in the Reporting category. Google is ranked #11 with an average rating of 7.6, while Microsoft is ranked #6 with an average rating of 7.6. Google holds a 2.5% mindshare in RT, compared to Microsoft’s 3.5% mindshare. Additionally, 85% of Google users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 84% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.
Looker Studio
Read 12 Looker Studio reviews
  • 1,051 Views
  • 1,158 Comparison Views
85% willing to recommend
Microsoft SQL Server Report...
Read 20 Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services reviews
  • 2,819 Views
  • 1,843 Comparison Views
84% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Mar 4, 2025

Looker Studio and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services are both focused on data visualization and reporting. Looker Studio appears to have an advantage in cloud-based reporting, while Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services offers superior on-premises capabilities.

Features: Looker Studio offers rich visualization options, seamless integration with cloud services, and dynamic environment adaptability. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services provides in-depth reporting, strong SQL Server database integration, and powerful data manipulation.

Room for Improvement: Looker Studio could improve in handling complex legacy systems, enhance on-premises capabilities, and provide more robust offline features. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services may benefit from making its interface more intuitive, reducing deployment complexity, and improving cloud integration.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Looker Studio offers straightforward deployment with extensive online resources and effective cloud-based support. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services requires more technical expertise for on-premises deployment but provides extensive documentation and enterprise-level support.

Pricing and ROI: Looker Studio is competitively priced with flexible subscription models, offering attractive ROI for cloud-centric businesses. In contrast, Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services might have higher upfront licensing and maintenance costs but provides excellent long-term value for enterprises using the Microsoft technology stack.

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To learn more, read our detailed Looker Studio vs. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Report (Updated: April 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Looker Studio vs. Microsoft SQL Servering Services
April 2025
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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

Looker Studio
Ranking in Reporting
11th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.1
Number of Reviews
12
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Microsoft SQL Server Report...
Ranking in Reporting
6th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
20
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Reporting category, the mindshare of Looker Studio is 2.5%, down from 2.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is 3.5%, down from 4.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Reporting
 

Featured Reviews

Srini-Dhanaraj - PeerSpot reviewer
Available for free and can help businesses resolve their data migration problems
It is a stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten. Google Data Studio is a cloud-based tool. With cloud-based tools, there can be two challenges, the first one being associated with the bandwidth of your data strength. If I run a report from my home because of the wi-fi connection, it may give an excellent response. When I run the reports, Google Data Studio develops reports from my home, and because of wi-fi, it works in an excellent manner. When I am on the road or at the wheel, if I use the internet data from my mobile to browse my reports, the performance may not be good, and this issue is not because of the product but because of the bandwidth. The second issue arises when you connect Google Data Studio to a source system to extract the data to do the visualization. If the source system is not responding as quickly as expected, it could be the reason why the report may be printed slowly. Considering the aforementioned aspects, the problem may not be because of Google Data Studio but because of the source system.
Read full review
Gnanavel-Chakkarapani - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers useful templates but needs to improve the connectivity offered
In Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, not much of the interface part is used. With Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, its users face issues with the interface after they use Excel or create Microsoft SSIS Packages. The tool's interface is an area of concern requiring improvement. There needs to be an improvement in the product's connectivity so that the tool can connect easily with other third-party databases. In the dashboard, drag and drop functionality needs to improve, especially when compared to other tools like IBM Cognos Analytics and Qlik Sense. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is useful only for standard reports. In IBM Cognos Analytics, query studio can be used by users to drag the data and simply download the reports, so the user doesn't need to have any technical knowledge like developers. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is to be improved to offer features like query Studio, which is provided in IBM Cognos Analytics.
Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The integration with Excel and Google Sheets is a valuable feature, making it easy to access and visualize data."
"I am impressed with the tool's scheduling mechanism, refresh mechanism, and different types of charts."
"The product's initial setup phase is very simple."
"The ability to design complex data models and equations."
"The company dashboard is useful because we could share it via a link as a reminder for everyone to check it weekly. We observed the progress of our portfolio from last week to the current week, allowing us to compare revenues."
"The ability to integrate with a great variety of data sources."
"Valuable features include advanced integrated analysis and easy implementation."
"The solution is free so that is a good feature."
More Looker Studio pros
"Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services has been functional whenever I needed to use it."
"We were able to embed the report builder within our internal proprietary systems, improving our reporting capabilities."
"The solution's features are all just wrapped up in one nice easy package. I don't need a lot of toolsets to get everything I need done."
"Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is reliable for management dashboard and reporting purposes. It is helpful for user reporting and administrative tasks, such as monitoring progress. It is easy to use since it is lightweight and integrates well with the SQL Server database, making reporting straightforward. The visualization capabilities enhance our reporting needs with good pagination and KPI features. It integrates well with data servers and workbooks, allowing us to publish reports on mobile applications and tablets easily. Integrating other tools and platforms in our tech ecosystem is generally straightforward. However, if we need to perform something very specialized, we might have to use third-party tools rather than inbuilt options."
"The tool's valuable features are its drill-down feature, graphs, and charts."
"I am impressed with the product's seamless integration. It can work with different databases like Oracle."
"The solution is known for its robust security features."
"The initial setup is easy."
More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services pros
 

Cons

"The challenges with Google Data Studio are associated with the security part, making it an area where improvements are required."
"The performance of Looker needs improvement, particularly the report loading time, which is critical for business users."
"Insisting on forums, blogs and community outreach in communications, and posting videos on an established calendar would be useful."
"The tool should improve on live data integration for quicker data reflection."
"The tool has a lot of room for improvement. It's not very professional and allows for only simple tasks like indicating KPIs or quick calculations. It lacks a good calculation-based language like Power BI's DAX, making it less suitable for professional use. Additionally, the variety of visualization tools is limited, and customization options are restricted."
"The tool should come up with data modeling layer features that are present in other products like Power BI."
"It's not yet a replacement for a complete BI tool."
"Stability and scalability an be improved for a full ten."
More Looker Studio cons
"They could improve the scalability and stability of SQL Server Reporting Services."
"There are occasions during maintenance runs when the Check Point monitoring system reports a lot of blocked sessions."
"It is not easy to integrate the product with other tools in the market."
"The product should improve its performance."
"Tableau is more user-friendly because it doesn't need to do any extra programming. It has drag-and-drop functionality."
"The complex tuning for report performance is complicated. There is a lack of native support for source code control. We often need to use separate tools like VS Code or other software to manage version control and changes in the database. It would be beneficial if source code management were integrated directly into SSRS, thus eliminating the need to rely on external tools. While CLI-based operations are exemplary, the trend is towards GUI for a better user experience. Integrating both visualization and source code management within SSRS would simplify the process for users."
"It doesn't have quite the flexibility of a Tableau or something like that. Many users are more comfortable with Tableau and I'm not quite sure why that is right now, but it seems to be the case."
"We encounter some barriers while trying to build a report."
More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is free but the Google Looker is expensive."
"The product is available for free."
"I think the tool is cheap because you don't need to pay anything for using the tool. However, when connecting and analyzing other data sources, you should consider where to analyze this information because Google Data Studio doesn't handle much data well. You must also consider how you will connect this data to it. In this case, you might need to hire DevOps or a data team to help with these issues."
"The tool is free."
"The cost is quite affordable based on feature analysis."
"The tool's licensing costs are expensive."
"The solution is expensive."
"The solution is free to use for developers."
"Value-wise, the solution's pricing is good for the price that we pay."
"The solution is cheaper than its alternatives."
"The price is pretty good."
"The product pricing is reasonable in terms of suitable features for business."
"The pricing is high."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Educational Organization
8%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Government
12%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Google Data Studio?
The company dashboard is useful because we could share it via a link as a reminder for everyone to check it weekly. We observed the progress of our portfolio from last week to the current week, all...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Google Data Studio?
The tool should improve on live data integration for quicker data reflection. Currently, changes in Google Sheets take about three to five minutes to reflect in Looker Studio. Overall, the interfac...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for Google Data Studio?
I use Looker Studio primarily for dashboard creation and data analytics. I have integrated it with Google Sheets, and I use it for project plan maintenance and data tracking.
See all answers
What do you like most about Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?
I mainly use the solution for the ease of reporting and for executive dashboards.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?
I don't recall the current pricing as it changes frequently.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?
They could improve the scalability and stability of SQL Server Reporting Services. I haven't used it recently, so I can't provide detailed suggestions on improvements.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Amazon QuickSight vs Looker Studio Logo
Amazon QuickSight vs Looker Studio
Compared 44% of the time
Microsoft Power BI vs Looker Studio Logo
Microsoft Power BI vs Looker Studio
Compared 20% of the time
Tableau vs Looker Studio Logo
Tableau vs Looker Studio
Compared 7% of the time
IBM Cognos vs Looker Studio Logo
IBM Cognos vs Looker Studio
Compared 5% of the time
SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform vs Looker Studio Logo
SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence Platform vs Looker Studio
Compared 3% of the time
More Looker Studio Competitors
TIBCO Jaspersoft vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Logo
TIBCO Jaspersoft vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
Compared 19% of the time
Tableau vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Logo
Tableau vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
Compared 16% of the time
IBM Cognos vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Logo
IBM Cognos vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
Compared 13% of the time
Oracle OBIEE vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Logo
Oracle OBIEE vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
Compared 12% of the time
Pentaho Business Analytics vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Logo
Pentaho Business Analytics vs Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
Compared 3% of the time
More Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Looker Studio
April 2025
Looker Studio reportDownload Looker Studio product report
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft SQL Servering Services
April 2025
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services reportDownload Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services product report
 

Also Known As

Data Studio
SQL Server Reporting Services, Microsoft SSRS, SSRS, MS SQL Server Reporting Services
 

Overview

Google Looker Studio is a free tool designed to help users create visually appealing reports and dashboards, making data easier to understand. It allows you to connect to various data sources such as Google Analytics, Facebook Ads, and spreadsheets. With Looker Studio, you can create charts and graphs to showcase trends and comparisons, build comprehensive dashboards that provide an overview of your data, and customize reports to match your brand or preferences. Additionally, you can share your reports online or export them as PDFs for wider distribution.

Google

At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our mission is grounded in both the world in which we live and the future we strive to create. Today, we live in a mobile-first, cloud-first world, and the transformation we are driving across our businesses is designed to enable Microsoft and our customers to thrive in this world.

We do business in 170 countries and are made up of 114,000 passionate employees dedicated to fulfilling our mission of helping you and your organization achieve more.

Microsoft
 

Sample Customers

Genesys, Shueisha
CMS Wire, The New York Times
Buyer's Guide
Looker Studio vs. Microsoft SQL Servering Services
April 2025
Free Report: Looker Studio vs. Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services
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We monitor all Reporting reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.