# What is Looker Studio? > Looker Studio, now called Data Studio, is Google's free report and dashboard builder. What it connects to, what a report is, and when to use it. Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/looker-studio · Updated 2026-10-25 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com) [Business](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary#topic-business) · [AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) Quick answer Looker Studio is Google's free tool for building reports and dashboards that update themselves. Google now calls it Data Studio again. You connect it to data (Google Analytics 4, Google Sheets, Google Ads, BigQuery and many more), drag charts onto a page, and share a link instead of sending screenshots. Last updated October 25, 2026 [Take the free module →](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/looker-studio-basics/1)Module 1 of the free [Looker Studio Basics: A Free GA4 Website Dashboard](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/looker-studio-basics) course, about 8 minutes. No account needed. Updated October 25, 2026 · By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) ## Why it matters for a small business Weekly reporting often means opening each tool, taking screenshots and pasting them into an email. A Looker Studio report is built once and shows live numbers to everyone who opens it. It is free with a Google account, and the Google connectors (Analytics, Sheets, Ads, Search Console) need no setup beyond a one-time permission. It also fixes the "which number is right?" problem. When everyone opens the same report, the team argues about what to do, not about whose screenshot is newer. ## In a real lesson: Looker Studio: Connect GA4 and Build Your First Report In the free [Looker Studio first report lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/looker-studio-ga4-first-report) you click Create a report, pick the Google Analytics connector, choose a GA4 property and add three scorecards: Active users, Sessions and Engagement rate. The [next lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/looker-studio-ga4-dashboard) adds a trend chart, a table by channel and a date range control. The lessons use a real website, so the numbers are blurred. [Try this lesson free](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/looker-studio-ga4-first-report) or [read the step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/looker-studio-ga4-first-report). ## Common confusions ### Looker Studio vs Looker Looker (no "Studio") is Google Cloud's paid business intelligence platform with a modelling layer. Looker Studio is the free report builder; it can also read Looker models. ### Looker Studio vs Power BI or Tableau Power BI and Tableau are full business intelligence tools with their own data models and paid sharing. Looker Studio is lighter and free, and it is the quickest choice when the data already lives in Google products. ### Looker Studio vs GA4 reports GA4's own reports are fixed screens inside Analytics. Looker Studio lets you pick exactly which numbers go on one page, mix in other sources, and share it with people who have no GA4 access. ## Tips - Start with one page that answers one question; add pages only when someone asks a new one. - Check the report in View mode before you share it: that is what your colleagues see. - Name reports by what they answer (Website traffic report), not by the data source, so people find them later. - Keep a test copy for experiments; File > Make a copy duplicates a report with its charts. ## Related terms [Scorecard (chart)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/scorecard) · [Date range control](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/date-range-control) · [Dashboard](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/dashboard) · [Google Analytics 4 (GA4)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/google-analytics-4) ## More Business terms Maintenance agreement · Marketing qualified lead (MQL) · Master services agreement (MSA) · Meeting agenda ## Where you use it: free lessons - [Looker Studio: Connect GA4 and Build Your First Report](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/looker-studio-ga4-first-report) (Looker Studio, 8 min) - [Looker Studio: Add a Trend Chart, Channel Table and Date Picker](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/looker-studio-ga4-dashboard) (Looker Studio, 9 min) ## Frequently asked questions **Is Looker Studio free?** Yes. Looker Studio (Data Studio) is free with a Google account. Google also sells Looker Studio Pro for teams that need admin features; most small businesses do not. **Is Looker Studio the same as Data Studio?** Yes. It started as Google Data Studio, was renamed Looker Studio, and Google now shows the Data Studio name again. lookerstudio.google.com still works. **Can people see my report without GA4 access?** Yes, if you share it with them: the report shows its numbers using your connection. New reports are private until you click Share. **What can Looker Studio connect to?** Google's own connectors cover Google Analytics, Google Sheets, Google Ads, BigQuery, Search Console, CSV uploads and several databases. Partner connectors add hundreds more, some of them paid. [All AI glossary terms, A to Z](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) · [Free prompt templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts)