# Cube vs Looker

**Leader by Vioscale score:** Cube

| Attribute | Cube | Looker |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 74.2 (73% (medium)) | 47.1 (56% (medium)) |
| adoption.stackoverflow_questions | - | 2,000 |
| content.faq | - | `[{"answer":"Looker is a business intelligence and embedded analytics platform owned by Google Cloud that helps organizations explore, visualize, and analyze data to support decision-making. It serves business analysts, data teams, and enterprises seeking to build dashboards, create reports, and embed analytics capabilities into custom applications.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/looker","question":"What is Looker and what is it used for?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"LookML is Looker's proprietary data modeling language that allows developers to define semantic layers, transformations, and business logic on top of raw data. It enables organizations to create a governed, reusable data model that ensures consistent definitions and metrics across all analytics within the platform.","source":"https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/intro","question":"What is LookML and why does Looker use it?","confidence":0.9},{"answer":"Looker uses a subscription-based pricing model with three platform editions (Standard, Enterprise, and Embed) requiring annual commitments. Pricing includes both a platform fee and per-user licensing costs based on user type (Developer, Standard, or Viewer). New customers can access a free trial with 300 dollars in Google Cloud credits.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/looker/pricing","question":"What is the pricing model for Looker?","confidence":0.92},{"answer":"Looker does not offer a permanent free tier, but new users can start with a free trial that includes 300 dollars in Google Cloud credits to explore the platform's capabilities. After the trial period, a paid subscription is required to continue using the platform.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/looker/pricing","question":"Can you use Looker for free?","confidence":0.9},{"answer":"No, Looker is a commercial, proprietary software product owned by Google Cloud. The platform is not open source and requires a paid subscription license to use. Google acquired Looker in 2019 and integrates it as part of its cloud analytics offerings.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/looker","question":"Is Looker open source?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Embedded analytics refer to integrating Looker dashboards and visualizations directly into third-party applications or custom software, rather than accessing analytics through a separate analytics interface. Organizations use this capability to provide analytics features to end users without requiring them to log into Looker directly, enabling analytics to be embedded in customer-facing applications or internal business systems.","source":"https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/intro","question":"What are embedded analytics in Looker and when would you use them?","confidence":0.88},{"answer":"Looker provides REST APIs that developers can use to build custom applications, automate workflows, and integrate Looker functionality with other tools. Developers can work with LookML for data modeling and use the SQL Runner tool to write custom SQL queries. The APIs enable programmatic access to dashboards, queries, and user management features.","source":"https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs","question":"What programming languages and APIs does Looker support for developers?","confidence":0.87},{"answer":"Looker is primarily deployed as a cloud-based service (SaaS) running on Google Cloud Platform, with customers accessing it through web browsers and mobile applications. The platform is not designed for traditional on-premises self-hosting, positioning it as a fully managed cloud solution.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/looker","question":"Is Looker cloud-only or can it be self-hosted?","confidence":0.9}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true}` |
| description.long | AI-native analytics platform combining business intelligence and embedded analytics. Grounds all answers in a governed semantic model to ensure consistency and reliability across chat, workbooks, dashboards, and AI agents. | Looker transforms static dashboards into governed, agentic analytics experiences. It combines natural language interactions powered by Gemini with a semantic layer to enable organizations to explore data conversationally and automate business decisions through AI agents. |
| features.capabilities | `{"nlq_ai":true,"rls_sso":true,"paradigm":"semantic_layer","free_tier":true,"dbt_native":true,"managed_cloud":true,"self_hostable":true,"semantic_layer":"built_in","warehouse_native":true,"connector_breadth":"50+ data sources plus MCP connectors","scheduled_reports":true,"embedded_analytics":true,"transparent_pricing":true}` | `{"nlq_ai":true,"paradigm":"nlq_search","free_tier":true,"managed_cloud":true,"semantic_layer":"built_in","warehouse_native":true,"connector_breadth":"Cloud data warehouses (Snowflake confirmed), OAuth-authenticated data sources","scheduled_reports":true,"embedded_analytics":true,"transparent_pricing":false}` |
| integrations.count | 9 | 1 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Notion"},{"name":"Linear"},{"name":"Sentry"},{"name":"Attio"},{"name":"Google Sheets"},{"name":"Excel"},{"name":"dbt"},{"name":"Okta"},{"name":"Power BI"}]` | `[{"name":"Snowflake"}]` |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"source":"https://cloud.google.com/looker","hqCountry":"US","confidence":0.85,"primaryMarkets":["US","GB","DE","JP","AU"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","summary":"Free forever","features":["Connect any data source","Model in semantic layer IDE","Explore data in workbooks","Publish workbooks as dashboards","Semantic model agent","Workbooks and dashboards agent","Analytics chat"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For hobbyists completing small projects and showcasing work","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"queries_daily":"1,000"}},{"free":false,"name":"Starter","summary":"$40/developer/month","features":["Everything in Free","Extended limits on agents","Use premium LLMs","Unlimited workbooks","Production deployment compute","Cube Store caching","Semantic Layer Sync","Observability & high-availability"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"developer","amount":40,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For professionals streamlining data workflows","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"queries_daily":"10K-Shared or 50K Dedicated"}},{"free":false,"name":"Premium","summary":"$80/developer/month","features":["Everything in Starter","Explorer and Viewer roles","Embedded dashboards","Embedded analytics chat","Unlimited queries","99.950% Uptime SLA","Custom Domains","Multi-cluster Deployment","Performance Insights"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"developer","amount":80,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For teams scaling analytics and collaboration","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"queries":"Unlimited"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Custom pricing","features":["Everything in Premium","99.990% Uptime SLA","Dedicated single tenant installation","Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC)","Bring Your Own LLM (BYOLLM)","SSO with SAML 2.0","Workspace Access Control","DAX API for Power BI"],"description":"For enterprises demanding security and support","contactSales":true}],"addOns":[{"name":"Dedicated Deployment","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0.6,"period":"hour","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Multi-cluster Deployment","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":1.2,"period":"hour","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"API Instances","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0.15,"period":"hour","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Cube Store Caching","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0.15,"period":"hour","currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"From $40/developer/month. Free tier available.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://cube.dev/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T20:44:25.685Z","startingPrice":{"amount":40,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` | - |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | no |
| pricing.model | freemium | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | mid | - |
| pricing.transparent | yes | no |
| release.cadence_days | - | 30 |
| reliability.sla_pct | 99.95 | 99.9 |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.gdpr | yes | yes |
| security.hipaa | yes | - |
| security.iso27001 | - | yes |
| security.soc2 | yes | yes |

## Capabilities (BI Software)

| Capability | Cube | Looker |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| BI paradigm | Semantic layer | NLQ / search |
| Semantic / modelling layer | Built-in | Built-in |
| **Engine** |  |  |
| Warehouse-native (SQL push-down) | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Self-hostable / OSS core | ✓ | - |
| Managed cloud available | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Intelligence** |  |  |
| Natural-language query / AI copilot | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Delivery** |  |  |
| Embedded / white-label analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Scheduled reports / alerting | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Governance** |  |  |
| Row-level security & SSO/SAML | ✓ | - |
| **Commercial** |  |  |
| Per-seat pricing published | ✓ | ✗ |
| Free tier / free desktop | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Ecosystem** |  |  |
| dbt-native integration | ✓ | - |
| Data-source connector breadth | 50+ data sources plus MCP connectors | Cloud data warehouses (Snowflake confirmed), OAuth-authenticated data sources |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T14:38:57.197Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*