Looker vs Superset: What are the differences?

Introduction

This markdown code provides a comparison between Looker and Superset. The key differences between these two tools are outlined below.

1. Data sources and integrations: Looker offers a wide range of pre-built integrations for popular data sources such as Google Analytics, Salesforce, and Amazon Redshift. On the other hand, Superset has a more limited set of supported data sources and integrations.

2. Ease of use and user interface: Looker has a more intuitive and user-friendly interface, with drag-and-drop features and interactive visualizations that make it easy for non-technical users to explore and analyze data. Superset, although powerful, has a steeper learning curve and may require more technical knowledge to fully utilize its capabilities.

3. Collaboration and sharing: Looker provides robust collaboration features, allowing users to easily share reports, dashboards, and insights with teammates and stakeholders. It also offers various permission levels to control access to data and restrict certain actions. Superset, while it has basic collaboration features, lacks some of the advanced sharing and permission settings offered by Looker.

4. Customization and extensibility: Looker offers extensive customization options, allowing users to create custom visualizations, define complex calculations, and build tailored dashboards. It also supports the creation of custom applications using Looker's extension framework. Superset, although customizable to some extent, may not provide the same level of flexibility and extensibility as Looker.

5. Security and data governance: Looker has advanced security features, including user authentication, data encryption, and access controls, ensuring the protection of sensitive data. It also provides detailed auditing and logging capabilities for compliance purposes. Superset, while it has some security features, may not have the same level of enterprise-grade security and data governance as Looker.

6. Support and community: Looker has a dedicated support team and a large user community, offering resources, documentation, and forums for troubleshooting and learning. Superset, being open-source, relies more on its community for support, which may not be as comprehensive or immediate as the support provided by Looker's team.

In Summary, Looker offers a wider range of data sources and integrations, has a more intuitive user interface, provides advanced collaboration features, offers extensive customization options, has stronger security and data governance features, and provides dedicated support. Superset, being open-source and more focused on technical users, may have limitations in these areas.