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You can easiliy create a report following this step :
To start exporting your data to Google Sheets, you need to install the Catchr add-on. You currently have two options :
Option A: Via the marketplace:
Option B: Directly within a Google Sheets:
Once you have installed the add-on, you can start making requests.
Also known as Looker Studio, GDS is one of the most widespread BI tools. GDS is often seen as a “starter BI tool”, before moving on to more advanced (and pricier) solutions. On the other hand, Tableau is a well-established competitor that prides itself on its visuals and ease-of-use.
To help you choose which of the two platforms is best suited to your needs in the Google Data Studio vs Tableau battle, please read this comparison article.
As the more advanced tool of the two, Tableau boasts more (and more advanced) functionalities. But the specific situation of your business will ultimately determine how many of those you will make full use of.
The cloud-hosted GDS solution may not be the most powerful BI tool, but it still offers a clean, simple, easy-to-use interface, with built-in templates and interaction filters to create interactive reports and automation tools (for scheduled reporting, updates, etc.). Installing GDS is quick and painless. It’s a simple download followed by a login to a Google account; making it an especially interesting choice for small businesses looking for fast, efficient and robust BI visualizations without a lot of overhead. The downside is that the platform has some size and flexibility limitations. But if you already use other Google Cloud services, such as Google Docs/Sheets/Analytics, you will be pleased by both their seamless integration and the similarity between the controls and overall environment.
But when considering Google Data Studio vs Tableau, unlike GDS, on top of its cloud-based platform, Tableau also offers a local solution (installed on your computers). It however supports many concurrent users and provides fast data processing while consuming marginal system resources. It also offers a great selection of advanced features and functionalities, including data cleansing capabilities, which GDS lacks. Tableau also gives users native connectivity with many different databases, cloud resources, CRM systems like Salesforce, and file types like the very popular Excel.
These Tableau functionalities make it easier to integrate, export files, and process data. The software version can also work without the need for an internet connection, making it perfect for users who occasionally work offline or on the go.
Like most other Google Cloud services, you can easily access or share access to your files on GDS, as well as invite people to cooperate on them at the same time. You can also set up automated PDF reporting. It really is quite similar to, say, a Google Sheets table.
In the Google Data Studio vs Tableau match however, the latter shines thanks to its more advanced possibilities on that front: Developer tools (Tableau Desktop and Tableau Public) are used to create data reports, visualizations, and dashboards. Sharing Tools (Tableau Server, Tableau Online, and Tableau Reader) are used to share reports and dashboards. Speaking of the two, Tableau also offers direct connections to Google Sheets and Excel, so you can use them as a source. Like its competition it can also schedule automated data exports or reports (especially when used in conjunction with Coupler.io).
First off, Tableau offers real-time data, whereas you will need to update Google Data Studio manually every time you want the latest information, all while supporting a variety of data connection (database, application, CRM, etc.). Then, Tableau offers a large library of charts and dashboards that can be modified to suit your needs – and are viewable on multiple devices like tablets, mobiles and laptops – a department in which GDS is sorely lacking. Also, the charting and exploration capabilities of Tableau are more sophisticated than GDS’s.
GDS excels at delivering eye-catching charts of all kinds, like bullet charts, scorecards, graphics, geo maps, heat maps, pie charts, pivot tables, and many more representations.
But on that front, Tableau has many more features and depth when compared to Data Studio. It gives very powerful data exploration and analytics tools. In terms of interactive charts and graphs, in addition to the Data Studio offerings, Tableau also offers infographics, cluster maps, and much more.
On the whole, Tableau is a more complex tool than Google Data Studio, giving users a powerful tool for interactive visual exploration, coupled with a host of dashboards and analytics tools.
If you’re looking for simple, basic data charts, you should use Google Data Studio. But if you want a plethora of complex, detailed representations, you should choose Tableau. Just remember all of Tableau’s fancy functionality comes at a price; it’s a more complicated tool to learn and master.
Tableau’s greatest strength is also its main weakness: while it is beautiful to look at, it focuses primarily on visualization and cannot work with uncleaned data. In order to efficiently use Tableau, you need to do proper data cleaning in the underlying database first.
Sadly, GDS cannot make the difference on that front, since it is less advanced as a BI tool: unlike many other BI tools in the market, GDS does not have any significant predictive analytics capabilities, which allow you to do things like classification regression or time series forecasts. It also lacks data modeling. So, if your use case includes forecasts and predictions, when weighing your options between Google Data Studio vs Tableau, you should try the stronger BI platform, namely Tableau.
GDS has a large online community and offers a robust knowledge base with videos and other tools. However, that doesn’t include any phone or live support, which Tableau proudly boasts. If you don’t have a dedicated developer team (or skilled data engineers) in-house, that means setting up the platform can quickly become a daunting challenge (or just a chore).
Tableau's support options include standard support (available between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.), which is included with the purchase of a subscription, extended support, which includes 24/7 live support (including weekends), and premium support, which offers extended availability and priority service from an experienced support team.
Aside from its free version, called Tableau Public, Tableau has different pricing types for organizations: Tableau Creator, Tableau Explorer and Tableau Viewer. Tableau Creator has the highest rights and capabilities and it costs $70 per user per month. Tableau Creator subscription comes with Tableau Desktop, Tableau Prep Builder, and one Creator license for Tableau Server. Take note that every Tableau deployment requires at least one Creator.
But if we are talking strictly about pricing, then GDS beats Tableau quite easily: it is free, so you can start building reports and sharing your work without budgeting for it. All you need is a Google account, so you can just head to datastudio.google.com, and you can begin creating your first dashboard.
When it comes to BI tools, no platform is truly the “best for everyone”. So you should opt for the platform that better suits your needs. When considering “Google Data Studio vs Tableau, which one is the best for me?”, you should be thinking along those lines:
- Do you have tight budget, not many (or not very advanced) BI requirements and mostly use Google Cloud services? Then GDS is for you.
- But if you are looking for better visualizations, more advanced features and have more data to process with a larger budget, you should really consider switching to Tableau.
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