kitio.aiMicrosoft Power BI vs Looker
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Microsoft Power BI starts at $14/mo and Looker starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Power BI Desktop
- Copilot report creation
- DAX measures
- Scheduled refresh
- Microsoft Fabric integration
- LookML semantic model
- Gemini conversational analytics
- Dashboards and explores
- Embedded analytics
- API access
| Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Looker |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Microsoft's BI tool with Copilot for reports and data questions | Google Cloud's semantic-layer BI with Gemini conversational analytics |
| Category | Data & analytics | Data & analytics |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid |
| Starting price | $14/mo | See pricing page |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Made by | Microsoft | |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Microsoft Power BI starts at $14/mo and Looker starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free
Free
- Power BI Desktop
- Personal reports
Pro
$14/mo
- Per user
- Share and collaborate on reports
Premium Per User
$24/mo
- Per user
- Larger models and AI features
- Paginated reports
Fabric capacity
Usage-based
- Organization-wide capacity
- Pay as you go or reserved
3 plans
Standard
Contact sales
- Entry edition for smaller teams
- Semantic modeling layer
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Advanced security and governance
- For larger internal BI deployments
Embed
Contact sales
- Embedded analytics in your apps
- For external-facing deployments
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Microsoft Power BI
- Low cost per user
- Deep Microsoft integration
- Free desktop authoring
- Copilot needs higher capacity licenses
- DAX has a learning curve
- Desktop app is Windows only
Looker
- Consistent governed metrics
- Strong for embedded analytics
- Native BigQuery integration
- LookML requires developers
- Pricing only through sales
Which one should you choose?
Choose Microsoft Power BI if you want:
- Low cost per user
- Deep Microsoft integration
- Free desktop authoring
Watch out: copilot needs higher capacity licenses.
Choose Looker if you want:
- Consistent governed metrics
- Strong for embedded analytics
- Native BigQuery integration
Watch out: lookml requires developers.
Microsoft Power BI vs Looker FAQ
What is the difference between Microsoft Power BI and Looker?
Microsoft Power BI: Microsoft's BI tool with Copilot for reports and data questions. Looker: Google Cloud's semantic-layer BI with Gemini conversational analytics. Both are data & analytics tools.
Is Microsoft Power BI or Looker cheaper?
Microsoft Power BI starts at $14/mo and Looker starts at See pricing page. Check both pricing pages for current plans.
Do Microsoft Power BI and Looker have free plans?
Microsoft Power BI: Yes. Looker: No.
Who makes Microsoft Power BI?
Microsoft Power BI is made by Microsoft, based in United States.
Who makes Looker?
Looker is made by Google, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Microsoft Power BI or Looker?
Choose Microsoft Power BI if you value low cost per user and deep microsoft integration. Choose Looker if you value consistent governed metrics and strong for embedded analytics.