Google Data Studio vs Periscope Data: Free Dashboards vs SQL-First Analytics

Google Data Studio (now Looker Studio) is a free, no-code dashboard builder. Periscope Data (now part of Sisense) was a SQL-first analytics platform for data teams. Sisense acquired Periscope in 2019, and the product has been integrated into the Sisense platform.

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Note: Google rebranded Data Studio to "Looker Studio" in October 2022. Periscope Data is now Sisense.

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Key Differences

Feature: Price · Google Data Studio: Free · Periscope Data (now Sisense): Custom (enterprise pricing)

Feature: Approach · Google Data Studio: Drag-and-drop, no code · Periscope Data (now Sisense): SQL-first, Python/R support

Feature: Target user · Google Data Studio: Business users, marketers · Periscope Data (now Sisense): Data analysts, engineers

Feature: Data sources · Google Data Studio: 1,000+ API connectors · Periscope Data (now Sisense): SQL databases

Feature: SQL access · Google Data Studio: No · Periscope Data (now Sisense): Core feature

Feature: Embedded analytics · Google Data Studio: Basic iframe · Periscope Data (now Sisense): White-label, multi-tenant

Feature: Learning curve · Google Data Studio: Low · Periscope Data (now Sisense): High

Graphed

Build AI Agents for Marketing

Build virtual employees that run your go to market. Connect your data sources, deploy autonomous agents, and grow your company.

Build Your First Agent

When to Use Google Data Studio

• Non-technical users, zero budget
• Marketing dashboards from Google ecosystem
• Quick setup with no SQL required

When to Use Sisense (formerly Periscope)

• SQL-first analytics workflow
• Embedded analytics for your product
• Python/R integration for data science
• Enterprise governance requirements

AI Agents for Marketing

Crash Course

Graphed

Free PDF · the crash course

AI Agents for Marketing Crash Course

Learn how to deploy AI marketing agents across your go-to-market — the best tools, prompts, and workflows to turn your data into autonomous execution without writing code.

Download the PDF

Alternative: Graphed

Graphed gives you analytical depth without SQL. AI connects to 350+ sources and builds analysis from natural language. The power of SQL-first tools with zero learning curve. Setup in 15 minutes.

The Bottom Line

Data Studio for free no-code dashboards. Sisense (Periscope) for SQL-first embedded analytics. Periscope as a standalone product no longer exists — evaluate Sisense if SQL-first analytics is what you need.