Google Looker vs SAS Viya Comparison: Reviews, Features, Pricing & Alternatives in 2026

Detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right solution for your team

Updated Apr 2026 8 min read

Google Looker

0.0 (0 reviews)

Google Looker is a modern business intelligence and data modeling platform that helps you explore, analyze, and share real-time business insights through a unified, governed data layer.

Starting at Free
Free Trial 30 days
VS

SAS Viya

0.0 (0 reviews)

SAS Viya is a cloud-native data management and analytics platform that helps you build, deploy, and manage artificial intelligence and machine learning models to solve complex business problems efficiently.

Starting at --
Free Trial 14 days

Quick Comparison

Feature Google Looker SAS Viya
Website looker.google.com sas.com
Pricing Model Custom Custom
Starting Price Free Custom Pricing
FREE Trial ✓ 30 days free trial ✓ 14 days free trial
Free Plan ✓ Has free plan ✘ No free plan
Product Demo ✓ Request demo here ✓ Request demo here
Deployment cloud mobile saas on-premise mobile
Integrations Slack Salesforce Google BigQuery Snowflake Amazon Redshift Microsoft Azure SQL Zendesk HubSpot Google Drive Segment Microsoft Azure Amazon Web Services Google Cloud Platform Python R Jupyter Snowflake Databricks Microsoft Teams Slack
Target Users mid-market enterprise mid-market enterprise
Target Industries finance healthcare government
Customer Count 0 0
Founded Year 2012 1976
Headquarters Santa Cruz, USA Cary, USA

Overview

G

Google Looker

Looker is a powerful data platform that changes how you access and use your company's information. Instead of relying on static reports, you can explore live data directly from your database using a centralized modeling language called LookML. This ensures everyone in your organization works from a single version of the truth, whether you are building complex visualizations or embedding analytics into your own custom applications.

You can create interactive dashboards that allow team members to drill down into specific metrics without needing technical expertise. The platform integrates deeply with Google Cloud but remains flexible enough to connect with various SQL databases across different cloud environments. It is designed for data-driven organizations that need to scale their analytics capabilities while maintaining strict governance and security over their data assets.

strtoupper($product2['name'][0])

SAS Viya

SAS Viya is a cloud-native analytics platform designed to help you manage the entire data lifecycle in one place. You can move from raw data to production-ready AI models using a unified interface that supports both visual drag-and-drop tools and popular programming languages like Python and R. This flexibility allows your data scientists and business analysts to collaborate effectively on the same projects.

The platform handles massive datasets with ease thanks to its distributed, in-memory processing engine. You can deploy it on any cloud provider or on-premises environment to maintain control over your infrastructure. By automating repetitive data preparation and model tuning tasks, you can focus on uncovering insights that drive better business decisions and operational efficiency across your entire organization.

Overview

G

Google Looker Features

  • LookML Modeling Define your business logic once in a centralized layer so every user gets consistent, accurate results across all reports.
  • Embedded Analytics Inject powerful charts and data explorations directly into your own customer-facing applications or internal tools using flexible APIs.
  • Real-time Dashboards Build interactive visual displays that update instantly as your database changes, giving you a live pulse on your business.
  • Data Actions Take immediate action on insights by sending data directly to tools like Slack, Salesforce, or Zendesk from your dashboard.
  • Multi-cloud Flexibility Connect to multiple SQL databases across AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud without moving your data from its original home.
  • Looker Studio Integration Combine the governed data of Looker with the easy drag-and-drop report building of Looker Studio for faster sharing.
strtoupper($product2['name'][0])

SAS Viya Features

  • Visual Data Preparation. Clean and transform your data using an intuitive visual interface that automatically generates code in the background.
  • Automated Machine Learning. Build high-quality models faster by letting the system automatically handle feature engineering, algorithm selection, and hyperparameter tuning.
  • Model Management. Register, track, and monitor all your analytical models in a central repository to ensure they perform reliably over time.
  • Open Language Support. Write code in Python, R, or Lua while still taking advantage of the platform's powerful distributed processing capabilities.
  • Real-Time Decisioning. Embed your analytical models directly into business processes to trigger automated actions and responses the moment data arrives.
  • Natural Language Generation. Receive automated text explanations of your data visualizations so you can understand the 'why' behind your business trends.

Pricing Comparison

G

Google Looker Pricing

Looker (Google Cloud Core) Free
$0
  • 1 user included
  • Google Cloud console access
  • Looker Studio integration
  • Basic data modeling
  • Community support
S

SAS Viya Pricing

Pros & Cons

M

Google Looker

Pros

  • Centralized data modeling ensures consistent metrics across teams
  • Powerful drill-down capabilities for deep data exploration
  • Excellent integration with the Google Cloud ecosystem
  • Highly customizable for developers using LookML

Cons

  • Steep learning curve for mastering LookML syntax
  • Pricing can be high for smaller organizations
  • Requires a clean underlying database for best performance
A

SAS Viya

Pros

  • Handles extremely large datasets with high performance
  • Unified environment for both coding and visual users
  • Strong governance features for regulated industries
  • Excellent technical support and extensive documentation
  • Seamless integration with major cloud providers

Cons

  • Higher price point compared to open-source alternatives
  • Significant learning curve for the full feature set
  • Initial setup and configuration can be complex
×

Please claim profile in order to edit product details and view analytics. Provide your work email @productdomain to receive a verification link.