Starting price$9/user/moData Studio Pro, per user per project; the standard version is free
Free trial / planFree plan (no charge for creators and report viewers)
Vettlo score78/100
G2 user rating4.4/5477 reviews
Data Studio Review (2026): Pricing, Pros and Cons
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Short answer
Data Studio ranks #6 of 7 in our business intelligence tools ranking (78/100). Best free tool for Google Analytics, Ads and Sheets reporting. Paid plans start at $9/user/mo (Data Studio Pro, per user per project; the standard version is free).
What is Data Studio?
Data Studio, called Looker Studio until 2026, is Google's report and dashboard builder. The standard version is free for creators and report viewers and connects to Google Sheets, Google Ads, BigQuery and Google Analytics, plus over 1,300 community connectors. Data Studio Pro ($9 per user per project a month) puts content in a Google Cloud project owned by your organization, with team workspaces, project-level permissions, Google Cloud support and customer-managed encryption keys.
Who it's best for
Marketing teams and small businesses that report on Google Analytics, Ads and Sheets data and want free shareable dashboards.
Why we rank it
It's free for any number of creators and viewers, and it's the easiest tool here to start with.
Pros and cons
Strengths
- Free for creators and report viewers
- Native Google Analytics, Ads, Sheets and BigQuery connectors
- Pro adds organization-owned content and team workspaces for $9 a user
Watch-outs
- Limited data modeling compared with Power BI or Tableau
- Many non-Google sources rely on community connectors
- Admin controls and Google Cloud support need Pro
Skip it if: You need a governed data model shared across many departments.
Data Studio pricing
Paid plans start at $9/user/mo (Data Studio Pro, per user per project; the standard version is free). Free plan or trial: Free plan (no charge for creators and report viewers).
From Data Studio's pricing page, checked on the date at the top of this review. See how it compares on price in our business intelligence tools pricing overview.
How we scored Data Studio
Business intelligence score: 78/100
Data connectivity & modeling (20%)3.5/5
Visualization & dashboards (20%)4/5
Self-serve analysis & AI (15%)3/5
Sharing, embedding & governance (15%)3/5
Ease of use (15%)5/5
Price & value (15%)5/5
Each criterion is rated 0 to 5 and weighted for the category. See our methodology.
How Data Studio compares
| # | Tool | Best for | Starting price | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Microsoft Power BI | Best overall and best value for most companies | $14/user/mo | 92/100 |
| 2 | Tableau | Visual analysis and dedicated analyst teams | $15/user/mo | 83/100 |
| 3 | Qlik Cloud Analytics | Large audiences priced by data, not seats | $300/mo | 82/100 |
| 4 | Metabase | Best open-source option for SQL-friendly teams | $100/mo | 81/100 |
| 5 | Zoho Analytics | Small businesses that report on their business apps | $24/mo | 80/100 |
| 6 | Data Studio | Best free tool for Google Analytics, Ads and Sheets reporting | $9/user/mo | 78/100 |
Alternatives and comparisons
Data Studio FAQ
How much does Data Studio cost?
Paid plans start at $9/user/mo (Data Studio Pro, per user per project; the standard version is free). Free plan or trial: Free plan (no charge for creators and report viewers).
Is Data Studio worth it?
Data Studio scores 78/100 in our business intelligence tools ranking, where it is best free tool for Google Analytics, Ads and Sheets reporting. It's a weaker fit if: you need a governed data model shared across many departments.
Does Data Studio have a free plan or trial?
Free plan (no charge for creators and report viewers).
What are the best Data Studio alternatives?
In our business intelligence tools ranking, the closest alternatives are Microsoft Power BI, Tableau and Qlik Cloud Analytics.