Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) is free, which is nice. It also requires a Google account, tends to pull data through Google-connected sources, and is fundamentally a cloud product. If you’d rather keep your data on your machine and write SQL against it, PondPilot is a different trade-off.
PondPilot vs Looker Studio
| Looker Studio | PondPilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Google cloud | Your browser (WASM) |
| Account | Google account required | None |
| Primary use | Dashboards and reports | Ad-hoc SQL on files |
| Data source | Google connectors, uploaded/linked sources | Local CSV, Parquet, JSON, DuckDB |
| Interface | Drag-and-drop chart builder | SQL editor + results grid |
| Privacy | Data touches Google infrastructure | Data stays in the tab |
| Cost | Free (with a Google account) | Free |
When PondPilot Fits
You don’t want a Google account involved: Either you don’t have one for this work, or the data can’t go anywhere near Google’s infrastructure.
Local, sensitive files: Financials, HR exports, health data, private customer lists — anything you wouldn’t upload to a cloud BI tool.
SQL-first workflow: You’d rather write GROUP BY than drag fields onto a canvas.
Offline: PondPilot is a PWA and runs without a network.
When Looker Studio Fits
You actually want dashboards: Looker Studio is a dashboarding product. PondPilot is not. If your output is a shared visual report, Looker Studio is the right tool.
Google-stack data: BigQuery, Google Analytics, Google Ads, Sheets — the connectors are built in and the integration is smooth.
Non-technical consumers: Stakeholders can view and filter reports without knowing SQL. PondPilot expects you to write queries.
Shareable links: Looker Studio reports have a URL you can send around. PondPilot has no sharing layer.
What PondPilot Isn’t
PondPilot isn’t a dashboarding or reporting tool. There are no charts, no report pages, no scheduled PDF emails, no public links. It’s a SQL editor that runs DuckDB in your browser against files you load. If the deliverable is a chart your boss opens tomorrow, you want Looker Studio; if the deliverable is an answer you need in the next ten minutes, PondPilot is faster.
The Privacy Trade-off
Looker Studio gives you polished reporting in exchange for a Google account and Google-hosted data. PondPilot gives you SQL and privacy in exchange for dashboards and sharing. Pick the one whose trade-off matches the job.
Try PondPilot
Open PondPilot — no Google account, no cloud.