looker-studio vs databox
Looker Studio vs Databox — features, pricing, and which to choose for your SEO workflow in 2026.
Quick Verdict
When building SEO dashboards, you'll likely choose between Google's free Looker Studio or Databox's premium business analytics platform. Both create visual dashboards from your SEO data, but they serve different audiences and use cases entirely.
The fundamental difference is approach: Looker Studio is Google's free visualization tool that requires you to build everything from scratch, while Databox provides pre-built templates and advanced features for teams willing to pay for convenience and collaboration.
Feature Comparison
Looker Studio connects natively to Google Search Console, GA4, and Google Ads with seamless authentication, plus hundreds of third-party connectors through partners. You get unlimited custom charts, calculated fields, and complete design control. However, every dashboard requires manual construction from data source setup to visual formatting. Databox offers 70+ pre-built integrations including Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz alongside Google properties. The platform provides ready-made SEO dashboard templates, automated reporting schedules, and goal tracking with alerts when KPIs hit thresholds. Databox's mobile app lets you monitor metrics on-the-go, while Looker Studio requires browser access. The collaboration features include team permissions, scheduled reports to stakeholders, and client-friendly white-label options. Data refresh frequency differs significantly — Looker Studio updates every 15 minutes for Google sources but third-party data may lag hours. Databox refreshes most integrations hourly with some real-time connections.
Pricing Comparison
Looker Studio is completely free with unlimited dashboards, though you're limited by Google's data processing quotas and slower refresh rates for complex reports. There are no user limits or feature restrictions. Databox starts at $72/month for up to 3 users and 10 data sources, including all dashboard templates and basic automation. The Professional plan at $135/month adds 5 users and 25 data sources with advanced features like custom metrics and API access. Enterprise pricing scales based on users and data sources, typically running $300-500/month for larger SEO teams.
Best For
Looker Studio works best for solo SEO practitioners, small agencies, or anyone primarily using Google's ecosystem who has time to build custom dashboards. If you're comfortable with data visualization and want maximum customization without recurring costs, Looker Studio delivers professional results. Databox excels for SEO teams, agencies serving multiple clients, or businesses needing plug-and-play reporting solutions. If you value pre-built templates, automated client reporting, mobile monitoring, and collaboration features over cost savings, Databox justifies its price through time savings alone.
The Verdict
Choose Looker Studio if budget is your primary concern and you're willing to invest setup time for ongoing savings. For most professional SEO teams handling multiple clients or stakeholders, Databox's templates, automation, and collaboration features make it worth the monthly cost — you'll recover the expense through reduced reporting overhead within weeks.