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.
Microsoft Power BI
Business analytics tool by Microsoft
From $10/mo
Free plan available
Looker
Business intelligence platform by Google Cloud
From Free/mo
No free plan
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
Pros
- ✓Included in Microsoft 365
- ✓Very affordable Pro tier
- ✓Massive connector library
- ✓Strong Excel users will adapt quickly
Cons
- ✗Steep learning curve (DAX)
- ✗Desktop app required for authoring
- ✗Sharing requires Pro licence for recipients
- ✗UI less polished than Tableau
Looker: pros & cons
Pros
- ✓Best semantic modelling layer
- ✓Governed metrics
- ✓Strong BigQuery/GCP integration
- ✓Scales to enterprise
Cons
- ✗LookML has significant learning curve
- ✗Expensive
- ✗Requires dedicated data engineering
- ✗Overkill for small teams