Looker vs Logi Symphony

Looker is a forerunner in the business intelligence field for a reason; it generates reports that include easy sharing via link, automatic scheduling and a level of granular detail that allows for deeper analysis below the surface. It excels in its filter and drill-down features and creates unique URLs when users make changes to data, leading to enhanced sharing. However, one of its biggest strengths could also be considered one of its biggest weaknesses: its proprietary programming language, LookML which is used to construct SQL queries in the platform. While a flexible and powerful data querying language, of course, LookML isn’t the most accessible to non-technical users, which means that Looker requires an IT or data team to access its full capabilities and has a steep learning curve. Users also note that its data visualizations, while simple and easy to understand, are quite basic and lacking in customization options, particularly in comparison to competitors. Some users say that it may be more appropriate for internal reporting than presentation to shareholders and end-users because of its bare-bones visualization options. However, Looker truly shines when used by enterprises, with its scalability and data accessibility making it a stellar solution that can align departments and provide thousands of users access to data insights. Its price point reflects this, with its pricing being prohibitive to startups as about 88% of users who comment on its cost remark. Overall, Looker is a solid pick for larger businesses that have a team of power users who can maximize its functionality and set it up to deliver to employees across an entire organization.

Logi Symphony is a web-based business intelligence solution that connects to a range of data sources, both on-premise and in-cloud, to source and optimize business-specific data. Users who reviewed its functionality praised the solution for its out-of-the-box features and extensibility to create tailored business solutions. With a vast library of visualizations, the platform allows users to create scalable and interactive dashboards to power data-driven decisions. Though it offers multiple graphs and charting options, some users who mentioned visualization said that the tool needs better integration with advanced charts, maps and D3, among others. Around 78% of users who reviewed reporting said that they found it easy to create and share impactful reports with stakeholders, though some users reported that generating reports in PDF format was difficult. The tool is intuitive and easy to use, though users who reviewed its data preparation capabilities said that it requires programming skills to manage more complex visualizations. The solution is not without its limitations though. Of users who reviewed its functionality, some said that the complexity of the tool can be overwhelming and some updates have resulted in broken features, requiring script rewrite. Around 62% of users who reviewed training said that that help documentation is lacking in best practices and use case samples for complicated data reporting scenarios. There were numerous complaints from users that the vendor’s apparent focus on introducing new add-ons translate into extra costs for them, while the core product — Logi Info — seems to have plateaued as far as new features and improvements go. Though SaaS-based businesses might find the pricing model workable, the platform can be cost prohibitive for many users due to rising licensing costs. In summary, Logi Symphony is an excellent platform to create a high-end website or application, with powerful descriptive and predictive analytics, superior embeddability and big data integrations.