Looker Studio vs Metabase vs HubSpot Reports

Data8 min read

Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) is free, strong for marketing dashboards with Google sources (Analytics, Ads), and widely applicable. Metabase is open-source, strong for SQL-driven analysis of proprietary databases, and has a no-code interface for business users. HubSpot Reports is built into Marketing/Sales Hub, perfect for HubSpot data itself but weak with external data. For SMEs: Looker Studio for marketing, Metabase for product/sales, HubSpot Reports for CRM-specific questions.

Looker Studio — free, Google-first

Looker Studio (rebranding of Google Data Studio in 2022) is free and connects directly with Google Analytics 4, Google Ads, Search Console, BigQuery, Sheets, and hundreds of other sources via community connectors.

Strong: free, fast dashboard creation, perfect for marketing reports (GA4, Ads, SEO), shareable via link, suitable for team use without a license.

Weak: performance with large datasets is moderate, joins between sources often require BigQuery as an intermediate layer, interactivity is limited compared to Tableau or PowerBI.

Metabase — open-source, SQL-friendly

Metabase is an open-source BI tool that you can self-host or subscribe to via Metabase Cloud (€85+/maand). Specialization: SQL- or database-driven analysis, with a no-code "question builder" for non-technical users.

Strong: free (self-hosted), excellent at database querying (PostgreSQL, MySQL, BigQuery, Snowflake), no-code interface for business users, dashboards combining SQL with visualizations.

Weak: not suitable for cloud marketing sources without first exporting data to a database, self-hosting requires a server administrator, basic appearance is less polished.

HubSpot Reports — all-in-one for HubSpot data

HubSpot's built-in reporting tool, available in every Hub from Starter (basic) to Enterprise (advanced with custom report builder).

Strong: already in HubSpot (no extra tool), directly linked to all CRM, marketing, and sales data, strong attribution models, custom dashboards on Pro/Enterprise.

Weak: HubSpot data only (external sources must be loaded via integrations), limited SQL flexibility, custom reports on Enterprise are complex to build for non-technical users.

How to combine them for an SME?

The practical stack that works for most SMEs:

  • Looker Studio — marketing dashboard (GA4, Ads, Search Console, social), shared with marketing + management.
  • Metabase — product data, sales funnel, proprietary database queries. For product and RevOps teams.
  • HubSpot Reports — sales pipeline reporting, lifecycle stages, marketing attribution within HubSpot. For sales management.

Don't try to make one tool do everything — you'll end up with compromises. Overlapping tools require management: one central dashboard where KPIs converge.

Common mistakes

  • Choosing one tool "because it's simpler". Sometimes it works, but usually it costs you 3× as much time in any tool that isn't right for the task.
  • Building too many dashboards. 50 dashboards = 0 insight. Stick to 5-10 actively used dashboards.
  • No single source of truth. If HubSpot says 100 leads and Looker Studio says 87, no one will trust it. Define for each metric where the "true" value comes from.
  • Wanting real-time when daily/weekly is enough. Real-time costs money and complexity. For most KPIs, daily or even weekly is sufficient.
  • Tool change without a migration plan. From Looker to Power BI, or from Metabase to Tableau — rarely underestimate how long it takes to rebuild dashboards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Looker Studio and Looker (without Studio)?

Looker (after acquisition by Google in 2019) is an enterprise-grade BI platform comparable to Tableau. Looker Studio is the free self-service variant. Very different tools, similar branding.

Is Metabase truly free?

The self-hosted Open Source version is completely free. Metabase Pro (cloud-hosted or self-hosted with enterprise features) starts from $85/maand for 5 users, increasing with team size.

Does HubSpot Reports work with data from Salesforce?

Limited. Via the Salesforce integration, contacts and deals sync to HubSpot, and you report on them there. For deep Salesforce analysis, you remain in Salesforce Reports or Tableau.

Which is the fastest to get started with?

Looker Studio. You'll have a first dashboard in 30-60 minuten if you already have Google Analytics. Metabase: a day of setup if the database is already running. HubSpot Reports: instant if HubSpot is already set up.

Can I use PowerBI or Tableau instead of these three?

Yes. Power BI is comparable to Looker Studio but in the Microsoft ecosystem, costing ~€10/gebruiker/maand. Tableau is more expensive (€15-€70/gebruiker) but more powerful for complex analyses. For SMEs with a Google-focused stack: Looker is more practical.

How much time does it take to set up a good dashboard?

Initial setup: 4-12 uur. Thorough development with automatic refresh, alerts, and making it accessible to stakeholders: 16-40 uur. Maintenance: 2-6 uur/maand.

Ready to get started?

Read our approach to getting data in order, or schedule a brief introductory meeting — we'll provide a no-obligation assessment and an honest estimate of scope, costs, and lead time.

Back to Journal →
Chat