Looker
Looker is a modern business intelligence software providing a unified data model and real-time exploration tools to help you turn complex database information into actionable business insights.
SAS Viya
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.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Looker | SAS Viya |
|---|---|---|
| Website | looker.com | sas.com |
| Pricing Model | Custom | Custom |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | Custom Pricing |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 0 days free trial | ✓ 14 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2012 | 1976 |
| Headquarters | Santa Cruz, USA | Cary, USA |
Overview
Looker
Looker helps you explore and analyze your data through a centralized, governed lens. Instead of dealing with fragmented reports, you use a unique modeling language called LookML to define your business logic once and apply it across your entire organization. This ensures everyone works from a single version of the truth, whether you are building complex dashboards or performing ad-hoc data discovery.
You can integrate your data directly into your daily workflows by sending alerts to Slack or triggering actions in other applications. The platform is designed for data-driven teams in mid-market and enterprise companies who need to scale their analytics without losing consistency. By connecting directly to your SQL database, it eliminates the need for data extracts and provides real-time visibility into your business performance.
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
Looker Features
- LookML Modeling Define your business metrics once in a centralized layer so every department stays aligned on the same data definitions.
- Real-time Dashboards Create live, interactive visualizations that update instantly as your underlying database changes—no manual refreshes required.
- Embedded Analytics Deliver data insights directly within your own applications or websites to provide value to your customers and partners.
- Data Actions Take immediate action on your insights by triggering workflows in external tools like Salesforce or Zendesk directly from Looker.
- Git Integration Manage your data models like code with built-in version control, allowing your team to collaborate safely on complex analytics.
- Looker Blocks Jumpstart your analysis with pre-built code patterns for common data sources like Google Ads, Salesforce, and Snowflake.
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
Looker Pricing
SAS Viya Pricing
Pros & Cons
Looker
Pros
- Centralized modeling ensures data consistency across teams
- Powerful drill-down capabilities for deep data exploration
- Seamless integration with the Google Cloud ecosystem
- Highly customizable visualizations for complex reporting needs
- Strong community support and extensive technical documentation
Cons
- Requires knowledge of LookML for initial setup
- Pricing can be high for smaller organizations
- Steep learning curve for non-technical administrators
- Performance depends heavily on your underlying database
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