Microsoft Power BI vs Looker: Which is better in 2026?
A side-by-side comparison of pricing, features, and use cases to help you decide between Microsoft Power BI and Looker.
Business analytics tool by Microsoft
Business intelligence platform by Google Cloud
Head-to-head comparison
| Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Looker |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $10/mo | Free/mo ✓ Cheaper |
| Free plan | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Pricing model | freemium | paid |
| G2 rating | 4.5/5 ↑ | 4.4/5 |
| Capterra rating | 4.6/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Founded | 2015 | 2012 |
Microsoft Power BI: pros & cons
- ✓Included in Microsoft 365
- ✓Very affordable Pro tier
- ✓Massive connector library
- ✓Strong Excel users will adapt quickly
- ✗Steep learning curve (DAX)
- ✗Desktop app required for authoring
- ✗Sharing requires Pro licence for recipients
- ✗UI less polished than Tableau
Looker: pros & cons
- ✓Best semantic modelling layer
- ✓Governed metrics
- ✓Strong BigQuery/GCP integration
- ✓Scales to enterprise
- ✗LookML has significant learning curve
- ✗Expensive
- ✗Requires dedicated data engineering
- ✗Overkill for small teams
Choose Microsoft Power BI if...
- →Your organisation already uses Microsoft 365 and wants BI dashboards without paying for a separate Tableau or Looker licence
- →Your analysts are heavy Excel users who want to graduate to interactive dashboards while reusing their existing data models and formulas
- →You need to connect to 300+ data sources — including Azure SQL, SharePoint, and Dynamics — with first-party connectors built in
Choose Looker if...
- →Your data team wants a governed semantic layer so every team queries the same definitions for metrics like revenue or churn
- →You're on Google Cloud and want a BI tool that integrates natively with BigQuery
- →You need to embed analytics dashboards directly inside your own product or customer portal
Our verdict
Microsoft Power BI and Looker are closely matched on user ratings. Looker is the more affordable option. Microsoft Power BI offers a free plan — a lower-risk way to test before committing. The right pick depends on your team size and workflow.
Microsoft Power BI vs Looker: frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft Power BI better than Looker?
Microsoft Power BI has a higher G2 score (4.5/5 vs 4.4/5). The best tool depends on your specific use case and budget.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Power BI or Looker?
Looker is cheaper, starting at Free/mo.
What is the main difference between Microsoft Power BI and Looker?
Microsoft Power BI focuses on interactive dashboards, 300+ data connectors, dax formula language. Looker focuses on lookml semantic layer, data modelling, dashboards. Both serve similar use cases but differ in approach and pricing model.
Can I migrate from Microsoft Power BI to Looker?
Most teams migrate between Microsoft Power BI and Looker within a day or two. Export your data from Microsoft Power BI (typically as CSV or via API), then use Looker's import wizard to bring it across. Check each tool's help centre for a step-by-step migration guide before switching.