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Data Studio vs Microsoft SSRS: What are the differences?
Introduction
In this Markdown, we will discuss the key differences between Google Data Studio and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS).
Data Visualization: Data Studio is a web-based data visualization and reporting tool, which allows users to create interactive and visually appealing reports and dashboards. On the other hand, SSRS is a traditional on-premises reporting tool that focuses on delivering static reports in various formats, such as PDF, Excel, and Word.
Platform: Data Studio is a cloud-based service provided by Google, which means users can access and collaborate on reports from anywhere using their web browser. SSRS, on the other hand, is a part of Microsoft's SQL Server suite and requires an on-premises setup to run the reporting server.
Data Sources: Data Studio offers a wide range of native connectors to various data sources, including Google Analytics, Google Sheets, BigQuery, and more. It also provides the flexibility to connect to other databases via SQL. SSRS supports various data sources as well, but it primarily focuses on relational databases such as SQL Server, Oracle, and MySQL.
Customization and Integration: Data Studio provides a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, making it easy to create visually appealing reports and dashboards. It also allows for advanced customization through CSS and JavaScript. SSRS, on the other hand, provides a more developer-centric environment, allowing for greater customization and advanced integration with other Microsoft tools and technologies.
Collaboration and Sharing: Data Studio allows users to collaborate and share reports with others in real-time. It offers the ability to set access permissions and provides a unique URL for each report. SSRS, on the other hand, requires users to manually distribute reports or provide access to the SSRS server, making collaboration and sharing more challenging.
Pricing and Licensing: Data Studio is free to use and is available to anyone with a Google account. It also offers a paid version called Data Studio 360 with additional features and support. SSRS requires a SQL Server license and may incur additional costs for deploying and maintaining the reporting server.
In summary, Data Studio is a cloud-based data visualization and reporting tool with a focus on interactive and visually appealing reports, while SSRS is an on-premises reporting tool that delivers traditional static reports. Data Studio offers a wide range of data sources, easy customization, real-time collaboration, and is available for free, while SSRS provides greater customization and integration options with other Microsoft tools but requires licensing and manual report distribution.