Move Beyond Legacy BI and LookML
Looker's LookML creates complexity and Google lock-in. Preset is an open analytics platform with semantic layer power, standard SQL, and 40+ database connections — no proprietary language required.
Open analytics with semantic layer power
No LookML required
Define metrics and business logic with standard SQL and a visual interface. Your analysts can build without learning a proprietary language.
Not just for Google Cloud
Native connections to 40+ databases including Snowflake, Redshift, Databricks, and BigQuery. True multi-cloud flexibility.
50-70% lower cost
Free tier with 5 users forever. No $3,000+ minimum contracts. Simple per-user pricing without platform fees.
Built-in semantic layer
Define metrics, calculated columns, and certified datasets. Ensure consistency across dashboards without LookML's learning curve.
Open-source foundation
Built on Apache Superset with 70k+ GitHub stars. No vendor lock-in. Export your work and self-host if needed.
SQL Lab for exploration
Powerful SQL IDE with autocomplete, query history, and the ability to save queries as datasets. Looker's SQL Runner, but better.
AI without Google Cloud lock-in
[Gemini in Looker](https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/data-analytics/gemini-in-looker-deep-dive) is genuinely capable — but it's anchored to Google Cloud and LookML. Preset Chatbot delivers conversational analytics grounded in your semantic layer, works against any warehouse (Snowflake, Redshift, Databricks, BigQuery), and lives inside the same platform that powers your dashboards and SQL Lab.
Bring your own AI client (Preset MCP)
[Preset MCP](/ai/mcp/) is a first-class Model Context Protocol server — Claude, Cursor, Gemini CLI, or any MCP-compatible client can query your Preset data through the same RBAC, row-level security, and audit logging that protect your dashboards. Warehouse-agnostic AI surface, not a Google Cloud silo.
Preset vs Looker: Key Differences
Semantic Layer
Looker: LookML (proprietary language, steep learning curve). Preset: SQL-based metrics and visual dataset editor. Define once, use everywhere.
Pricing
Looker: $3,000-5,000/month minimum, complex enterprise pricing. Preset: Free tier, $20/user/month Professional, no minimums or platform fees.
Cloud Flexibility
Looker: Google Cloud-centric, best with BigQuery. Preset: Cloud-agnostic, equal support for AWS, GCP, Azure, and 40+ databases.
Preset vs Looker Feature Comparison
| Feature | Preset | Looker |
|---|---|---|
| 100% browser-based (no desktop app) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source foundation | ✓Apache Superset | ✗Google proprietary |
| Standard SQL (no proprietary language) | ✓ | ✗LookML required |
| 40+ native database connections | ✓ | ✓Best with BigQuery |
| Cloud agnostic (AWS, GCP, Azure) | ✓ | ✗Google Cloud-centric |
| No dataset size limits | ✓Query warehouse directly | ✓ |
| Real-time OLAP database support | ✓Druid, ClickHouse, Pinot | ✗Limited |
| Jinja templating for dynamic SQL | ✓ | ✗ |
| Full CSS and Theming customization | ✓ | ✗Limited theming |
| REST API & CLI access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free tier available | ✓5 users forever | ✗$3k+/month minimum |
| Semantic layer support | ✓dbt, Cube, OSI | ✓LookML only |
| Private cloud in your account (fully managed) | ✓MPC/PCS | ✗Google Cloud only |
| Conversational analytics across any warehouse | ✓Preset Chatbot | PartialGemini, GCP-anchored |
| MCP server for AI clients | ✓Preset MCP | ✓Looker MCP Toolbox |
| Bring-your-own-key (BYOK) AI | ✓Enterprise — OpenRouter | ✗Gemini only |
| Public roadmap you can influence | ✓GitHub | ✗ |
Frequently Asked Questions
Many teams find the long-term savings and flexibility justify migration. Preset's team helps translate LookML concepts to our semantic layer. You can run both tools during transition to minimize disruption.
Yes. Preset's dataset-centric approach is similar to Looker explores. Users can slice and dice data, add filters, and create visualizations from curated datasets without writing SQL.
Preset supports certified datasets, column-level permissions, and row-level security. You can control who sees what data and ensure everyone uses approved metrics and definitions.
Gemini in Looker is capable — it does NL queries, visualization assistance, and conversational agents — but it's anchored to Google Cloud and LookML. Preset Chatbot delivers comparable conversational analytics warehouse-agnostically, grounded in your semantic layer, and on Enterprise you can bring your own OpenRouter key. Preset MCP also exposes the platform to any MCP-compatible AI client (Claude, Cursor, etc.) with the same RBAC and audit logging that protect your dashboards.
Yes. Preset serves enterprises with thousands of users and billions of rows. We connect to the same enterprise data warehouses (Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift) that handle the compute.
Get in Touch
See why teams are switching from Looker to open-source BI. Start with our free tier and scale when you're ready. Fill out the form and we'll be in touch.
Looker is a trademark of Google LLC. Apache Superset is a trademark of The Apache Software Foundation. Preset is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google or The Apache Software Foundation. Feature comparisons are based on publicly available information and may not reflect the most recent product updates.