Google Looker vs Cognos: A Comparative Analysis
Introduction
In the realm of business intelligence, Google Looker and Cognos stand out as leading platforms for data analytics and reporting. Each offers a unique set of features tailored to different organizational needs, with Looker focusing on its integrated data platform and Cognos offering advanced reporting capabilities.
Despite their strengths, users often seek alternatives that combine ease of use with robust functionalities. This is where we introduce Sourcetable, a contemporary tool that brings a spreadsheet-like experience to your data analytics, bridging the gap with a seamless, real-time data sync solution.
What is Google Looker?
Google Looker is a business intelligence platform that is part of Google Cloud. It enables users to access, analyze, and act on their data. As a self-service and governed BI platform, Looker provides the tools necessary for users to deliver data experiences and build custom applications with trusted metrics.
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Google Looker is a business intelligence platform that is part of Google Cloud. It enables users to access, analyze, and act on their data. As a self-service and governed BI platform, Looker provides the tools necessary for users to deliver data experiences and build custom applications with trusted metrics.
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Key Features
- Access and analyze data within a cloud environment
- Deliver data experiences tailored to business needs
- Chat with business data for interactive data exploration
- Utilize generative AI for developing data-driven applications
- Integrate Looker modeling with existing BI tools
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Benefits
- Enables self-service data exploration
- Supports building of data-powered applications
- Facilitates a governed approach to business intelligence
What is Cognos?
Cognos is a business intelligence tool designed to help users analyze data and make informed decisions. Developed by IBM, it employs artificial intelligence to generate visualizations and dashboards, facilitating a deeper understanding of data patterns and trends. Cognos is versatile, offering both on-premises and cloud deployment options to accommodate varying business needs. It provides a cost-effective solution for organizations with pricing starting at $10.60 per month per user. Additionally, Cognos is accessible through a free trial, allowing potential users to evaluate its features and capabilities.
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Cognos is a business intelligence tool designed to help users analyze data and make informed decisions. Developed by IBM, it employs artificial intelligence to generate visualizations and dashboards, facilitating a deeper understanding of data patterns and trends. Cognos is versatile, offering both on-premises and cloud deployment options to accommodate varying business needs. It provides a cost-effective solution for organizations with pricing starting at $10.60 per month per user. Additionally, Cognos is accessible through a free trial, allowing potential users to evaluate its features and capabilities.
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Key Features
- AI-powered visualizations and dashboards
- Flexible deployment: on-premises or cloud
- Competitive pricing model
- Availability of a free trial version
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Key Features of Google Looker
Real-Time Data Governance |
Looker ensures a fresh, consistent, and governed real-time view of data, enabling businesses to make informed decisions promptly. |
Integration and Accessibility |
Looker provides seamless integration within the existing Google Cloud portfolio and is accessible as a core service through the Google Cloud console. |
Data Exploration and Visualization |
Users can connect to Looker's semantic model to analyze, explore, and visualize data using Looker Studio. |
Centralized Data Management |
With LookML, Looker allows analysts to define and manage business rules and definitions centrally, ensuring data consistency across the organization. |
Enterprise Scalability |
As a business intelligence tool built on Google Cloud infrastructure, Looker offers enterprise-class features for robust, scalable data analysis. |
Development and Collaboration |
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User Experience |
Looker simplifies the creation of reports and dashboards, enhancing the user experience for both technical and non-technical users. |
Key Features of Cognos Analytics
Web-Based Data Modeling |
Cognos Analytics is a web-based tool that enables efficient data modeling. |
Data Integration |
Users can upload data, connect to various data sources, join datasets, and model data seamlessly. |
Visualization and Reporting |
Interactive dashboards and comprehensive enterprise reporting are core functionalities. |
Advanced Analytics |
The platform supports predictive forecasting and decision trees, enhancing data analysis. |
AI Capabilities |
AI-driven features in Cognos Analytics facilitate rapid data preparation, automate exploration, and ensure data protection. |
Advantages of Google Looker for Business Intelligence
Data Exploration and Visualization
Looker Studio Pro enables comprehensive data exploration, allowing businesses to answer complex questions. Its visualization capabilities facilitate the creation of insightful dashboards, enhancing data analytics and reporting.
Enterprise Capabilities
With its design tailored for medium and large enterprises, Looker Studio Pro offers robust enterprise capabilities. This includes efficient management of team content and access to dedicated enterprise support.
Collaboration and Sharing
Looker Studio Pro excels in team collaboration, providing the tools necessary for sharing dashboards and insights. This feature streamlines communication and decision-making within enterprise environments.
Disadvantages of Using Google Looker for Business Intelligence
Integration and Connectivity Issues
Google Looker can present challenges with connectivity, especially when migrating data from platforms like AWS to BigQuery, which has been described as a painful process.
Usability Concerns
Users report that Looker is not very intuitive and suffers from performance issues, including slow loading times and lag, particularly when handling many graphs on a single page.
Complex Sharing and Security Restrictions
The platform's sharing mechanism is complicated, and the security measures can be overly restrictive, hindering easy access and collaboration.
Learning and Onboarding Costs
Looker comes with a steep learning curve, and the onboarding process is notably expensive, which can be a barrier for many businesses.
Limited Training Resources
There is a scarcity of readily available training materials and documentation, making it difficult for users to find the support they need to utilize Looker effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions About Google Looker
What are the hours of availability for Looker Support in Japanese?
Looker Support in Japanese is available from 9:00 AM JST to 5:00 PM JST, Monday through Friday, and from 5:00 PM JST to 9:00 AM JST, Monday through Saturday, including weekends and holidays.
Can I get support for any version of Looker?
Looker Support is available only on Looker instances running an officially supported Looker version.
What should I do if my customer-hosted Looker instance is running an unsupported version?
Customer-hosted instances running an unsupported Looker version must update to a supported Looker version to receive Looker Support.
Who is eligible to receive Looker Support?
Looker Support is available to users with the Tech Support Editor IAM role and to administrators and developers on instances using Legacy Support.
Is there anything I need to do to my Looker instance to receive support?
For Looker (original) instances, you need to have the Google Cloud Project number filled in on the Admin General Settings page to get Looker Support.
Use Cases for Google Looker
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Reducing client report time
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Modernizing business intelligence
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Embedding analytics in a quote-to-revenue platform
Advantages of Using Cognos for Business Intelligence
Comprehensive BI Suite
IBM Cognos Analytics is recognized as a full-featured business intelligence suite that supports the entire analytics cycle. Its capabilities span dashboard and report development, allowing for robust data analytics tasks.
Advanced Analytics and AI Assistance
Cognos provides advanced AI features that enhance productivity through automation, data analysis, and predictive modeling. The AI Assistant aids in various tasks, including data preparation, cleansing, and visualization, making it easier to derive business strategies and create custom reports.
Data Governance and Security
The platform ensures data governance and advanced security controls, including row and role level security, multi-factor authentication, and the ability to publish governed data, safeguarding sensitive information while allowing for operational reporting.
Integration and Scalability
Cognos integrates seamlessly with IBM and third-party products, offering a scalable solution that grows with the business. It connects to multiple data sources and can be integrated with other tools for efficient data handling and collaboration.
User-Friendly and Collaborative
Designed for ease of use, Cognos reduces dependency on specialized developers and promotes efficient collaboration among team members. Its self-service capabilities empower users to perform complex data analytics tasks without extensive technical knowledge.
Deployment and Automation
Suitable for larger deployments, Cognos handles large and complex data sets with ease. Efficient automation solutions streamline processes, and the platform can deliver reports directly via email or publish non-sensitive data to websites or URLs.
Disadvantages of Using Cognos for Business Intelligence
Integration and Automation Limitations
Cognos displays limited API integration capabilities, hindering seamless connectivity with other systems. Its AI functions fall short of automating all tasks, notably lacking features like AI data cleansing, automated dashboard creation, data governance controls, row level security, and multi-factor authentication.
User Experience Challenges
New users face a steep learning curve, and the user interface is critiqued for not being modern or user-friendly, with a notably clunky design. The mobile experience is inferior to the desktop version, and the platform is criticized for its high resource consumption, particularly CPU usage.
Performance and Scalability Issues
Handling large datasets can lead to performance degradation, with noticeable lags in data processing. The system's efficiency in managing large and complex data needs enhancement to optimize resource consumption.
Cost and Support Concerns
As an investment, Cognos is considered expensive, and the customer support provided does not meet industry standards, adding to potential user dissatisfaction.
Dependency on External Resources
For key tasks such as data cleaning, transformation, and integration, users must rely on external tools, underscoring a lack of self-service capability in data preparation.
Community and Support Deficits
The platform lacks robust community support compared to more widely used alternatives like Qlik and Tableau. This can impact problem-solving and knowledge sharing among users.
Security and Administration
Shortcomings in security measures, such as the absence of multi-factor authentication and row-level security, pose risks. The administration interface also requires improvements for better manageability.
Quality and Aesthetics of Outputs
Visual elements such as maps and visualizations are in need of enhancement for better data representation. Video quality within Cognos is another aspect that requires significant improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cognos
Which web browsers are supported by Cognos?
Cognos is supported on different web browsers but does not support all Studios in Chrome or Safari.
Do I need a special connection to use Cognos?
Cognos requires a secure internet connection.
How can I view certain data in Cognos?
Cognos requires that users request permission to view certain data.
What is the purpose of Cognos AP Data?
Cognos AP Data is for reconciliations, helps figure out which invoices have been processed, when checks will be cut, and if checks have been mailed.
What does the Cognos AP Doc Viewer do?
Cognos AP Doc Viewer retrieves scanned invoices.
Use Cases for Cognos
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Cognos is used for predictive data analysis
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Cognos is used for developing analytics solutions
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Cognos is used for data-driven decision making
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Cognos is used for optimizing supply chains
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Cognos is used for financial reporting
Why Sourcetable is a Superior Choice for Business Intelligence
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User-Friendly Interface
Sourcetable provides a spreadsheet-like interface that simplifies the complexities of data analytics. This familiar format makes it accessible for users who are accustomed to traditional spreadsheets, enhancing the ease of reporting and analysis. Unlike Google Looker's multi-faceted platform, Sourcetable's straightforward approach is designed for quick adoption and efficient use.
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Integrated Data Syncing
With Sourcetable, syncing data across various services is seamless, offering a centralized solution for data management. This integration capability streamlines the process of data consolidation, which is a crucial advantage over Google Looker and Cognos, where managing multiple data sources can be more cumbersome and time-consuming.
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Efficient Reporting and Analytics
The emphasis on efficient reporting and analytics in Sourcetable caters to businesses looking for a more agile and direct method to derive insights. By reducing the complexity typically associated with BI tools like Google Looker and Cognos, Sourcetable ensures that businesses can act on data more promptly and with less overhead.
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Comparing Google Looker and Cognos
Business Intelligence Platform
Both Google Looker and Cognos serve as business intelligence platforms, enabling organizations to access, analyze, and act on data. They provide a foundation for companies to make data-driven decisions.
Self-Service and Governed BI
Google Looker and Cognos offer self-service business intelligence features, allowing end-users to generate reports and insights without IT intervention. They also support governed BI, ensuring data governance and security.
Embedded Analytics
Each platform can be used for embedded analytics applications, integrating BI features directly into business applications to provide real-time insights.
Data Modeling
Both platforms provide data modeling capabilities, although the approach and technology may differ. This enables users to define, manage, and explore data relationships within their business context.
Building Applications
Looker and Cognos allow users to build data-powered applications and workflows, extending the functionality of the BI system to suit specific organizational needs.
Google Looker vs. Cognos
Business Intelligence Approach
Google Looker is a robust business intelligence platform that allows for both self-service and governed BI, enabling users to access, analyze, and act on data effectively. Looker promotes organizational and self-service business intelligence, catering to various user needs. In contrast, Cognos, traditionally, has been more focused on governed BI, with an emphasis on IT-led reporting and structured data exploration.
Data-Powered Applications
Looker stands out by allowing users to build and embed data-powered applications, enhancing data interaction. Looker's capabilities extend to embedded analytics and data modeling, offering a versatile environment for application development. Cognos, while offering dashboarding and reporting capabilities, does not focus as heavily on the application development aspect.
Generative AI and Interaction
One distinctive feature of Google Looker is its generative AI, which is not a known offering within Cognos. Looker also provides the unique ability to chat with business data, offering an interactive way to derive insights, which is not a standard feature in Cognos.
Trusted Data Experiences
Looker emphasizes delivering trusted data experiences, ensuring users have confidence in the data they interact with. While Cognos also aims to provide reliable data, the emphasis on trusted experiences is a core aspect of Looker's value proposition.
Comparison Between Google Looker, Cognos, and Sourcetable
Google Looker
Google Looker is a comprehensive business intelligence platform enabling self-service and governed BI. It supports the creation of data-powered applications and embedded analytics applications. Looker's generative AI feature offers advanced data exploration possibilities. Users can access, analyze, and act on trusted data, with capabilities for embedded data modeling and chatting with business data. Looker also caters to organizational and self-service business intelligence needs, allowing the building of workflows and applications.
Cognos
Cognos is IBM's business intelligence software suite designed for overall performance management. It offers reporting, analysis, dashboarding, and scorecards for enterprise-level users, focusing on governed data discovery and managed reporting. Cognos is known for its enterprise reporting capabilities and ability to handle complex data sources and large data volumes. It may not natively offer generative AI features like Looker.
Sourcetable
Sourcetable is a spreadsheet-based tool that simplifies data analysis and visualization for non-technical users. It allows users to connect to various data sources, create visualizations, and collaborate on data projects. Sourcetable is aimed at providing a user-friendly interface for data interaction without needing deep technical expertise. Compared to Looker and Cognos, it might not offer the same level of advanced BI features or scalability for large enterprise use cases.
Conclusion
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Simplify your BI tooling with a spreadsheet that syncs with all your data.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Sourcetable
What is Sourcetable and who typically uses it?
Sourcetable is a spreadsheet application that allows users to access data from most 3rd party applications, query data, and build live models that automatically update. It is typically used by growth teams and business operations teams.
How does Sourcetable compare to Excel or Google Sheets?
Sourcetable replaces workflows that are typically done in Excel, Google Sheets, and Business Intelligence tools, centralizing, analyzing, and modeling data that updates over time without requiring coding.
How much does Sourcetable cost and is there a free trial available?
Sourcetable costs $50 per month for the starter plan and $250 per month for the pro plan. All plans come with a 14-day free trial.
How often does Sourcetable sync data from integrations?
Data integrations update every 15 minutes on the regular plan and every 5 minutes on the pro plan.
Are there any user limits on Sourcetable plans?
The starter plan includes the first 5 users, and each additional seat costs $20 per month. The pro plan also includes the first 5 users with additional seats at the same rate.
Google Looker Cost Overview
Google Looker's pricing structure consists of two primary elements: platform pricing and user pricing. Platform pricing is a fixed cost for running a Looker instance which encompasses administration, integrations, and modeling capabilities. User pricing, however, varies according to the license type and user permissions.
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Google Looker's pricing structure consists of two primary elements: platform pricing and user pricing. Platform pricing is a fixed cost for running a Looker instance which encompasses administration, integrations, and modeling capabilities. User pricing, however, varies according to the license type and user permissions.
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Platform Pricing
The cost to operate a Looker instance, known as platform pricing, includes essential services such as administration, integration, and semantic modeling. Looker offers three platform editions: Standard, Enterprise, and Embed, with costs differing based on user roles and permissions.
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User Pricing
User pricing is determined by the type of Looker license acquired for each individual. There are three license types: Developer User, Standard User, and Viewer User, each with distinct access levels and associated costs.
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Billing and Subscriptions
Each Looker instance is linked to a billing account, with incurred charges for instance creation and user additions billed accordingly. Subscription terms are available on an annual basis, with one, two, and three-year options.
Cognos Pricing Structure
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Cognos Analytics on Cloud
Cognos Analytics on Cloud is priced at USD 10.60 per user per month. It is tailored for the needs of smaller teams and organizations, providing a cost-effective solution in a multi-tenant SaaS environment managed by IBM.
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Cognos Analytics on-premises
Cognos Analytics on-premises is available for USD 42.40 per user per month. It supports up to 200 users and is intended for teams requiring secure access to both on-premises and cloud data sources. Offered as a standalone software package or as a Cognos cartridge for Cloud Pak for Data, the on-premises version allows for full system and administrative control, including hardware, OS, and application management, and is accessible via the IBM marketplace.
User Reviews of Google Looker
Google Looker has been assessed by users as a business intelligence and analytics platform with varying feedback. Reviews are based on user experiences and are not sourced from a specific site.
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Google Looker has been assessed by users as a business intelligence and analytics platform with varying feedback. Reviews are based on user experiences and are not sourced from a specific site.
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Performance Issues
Users have reported that Looker can be slow and buggy. These performance issues seem to affect user satisfaction negatively.
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Usability Concerns
There are complaints regarding the intuitiveness of Looker. Some users find the platform unintuitive, which may contribute to a steeper learning curve.
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Comparative Analysis
- Data Studio is mentioned as a better alternative, suggesting a preference for other free products.
- Tableau is also preferred by users, indicating a tilt towards other paid products over Looker.
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Overall Sentiment
The general sentiment among some users is that Looker is one of the worst reporting tools available on the market.
User Reviews of Cognos
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Functionality and Capabilities
Cognos is recognized as a powerful business intelligence tool with a broad range of capabilities for data analysis, visualization, and reporting. It supports a wide variety of data sources and integrates well with other IBM analytics products. Cognos is particularly noted for its robust reporting features, user-friendly interface, and effective dashboards. It is also praised for its ability to handle large volumes of data and being a complete package for BI solutions.
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Usability and Implementation
Users report that while Cognos is easy to implement and has a user-friendly interface, it often requires an expert for full function implementation due to its complexity. There are reports indicating that it can be difficult to master its many capabilities, and it is notably hard to set up. Novice users find Cognos difficult to use, and creating reports can be a challenging task.
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Performance and Support
Despite being a reliable BI tool with good customer service, users have experienced slow startup on Windows services. However, its strong performance in business analytics and the availability of a mobile version add to its versatility.
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Cost and Resources
Cognos is seen as an expensive option, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and it requires significant resources to maintain and support. The software is marked as a self-service BI solution and a suitable application for large enterprises.
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Overall Perception
While Cognos is acknowledged for its extensive analytical capabilities and is great for marketing campaign insights, the consensus among users is that it presents a steep learning curve and requires substantial investment in terms of costs and resources.
Conclusion
Google Looker and Cognos both serve as powerful business intelligence platforms, each with unique strengths. Looker offers deep integration with Google's suite of tools, whereas Cognos is known for its enterprise-level reporting capabilities.
However, businesses seeking a more streamlined approach might consider Sourcetable. This tool simplifies business intelligence by offering real-time data synchronization across various services within a user-friendly spreadsheet interface.
Try Sourcetable
Simplify your BI tooling with a spreadsheet that syncs with all your data.
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