# Which columnar databases are the easiest to integrate with Looker, Tableau and Google Data Studio so an analytics team can connect its BI tool without a complex connector setup?

<p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">I've been putting together a buyer's guide section on <a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/categories/columnar-databases">columnar databases</a> specifically focused on BI integration, and which platforms are easiest to connect with Looker, Tableau, and Google Data Studio without a complex connector setup is where the gap between documentation and real experience is largest. Every platform claims BI compatibility, the question is which ones an analytics team can own without pulling in infrastructure help.</p><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">What the reviews show actually matters for this:</p><ul>
<li>Native or certified connectors that don't break on version updates</li>
<li>Connection setup the analytics team can own, not just the infrastructure team</li>
<li>Query performance through the BI tool at scale, not just a working connection at low volume</li>
<li>BI refresh jobs that don't compete with analyst queries</li>
</ul><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">From user reviews on BI integration experience specifically:</p><ul>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/google-cloud-bigquery/reviews"><strong>Google Cloud BigQuery</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Native Looker and Looker Studio integration with BI Engine that accelerates repeated dashboard queries, and direct GA4 connection for teams already in the GCP ecosystem. Integrating with other Google products described as seamless.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/snowflake/reviews"><strong>Snowflake</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Works cleanly with Looker, Google Sheets, and Power BI, with workload isolation that keeps BI refresh jobs from competing with analyst queries. External tool connections described as smooth across the reviews.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-redshift/reviews"><strong>Amazon Redshift</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Strong SQL support and BI tool integration within the AWS ecosystem, with report generation cutting from hours to minutes on large datasets. Concurrency limitations surface as BI dashboard load increases and more users query simultaneously.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/clickhouse/reviews"><strong>ClickHouse</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Strong Grafana and dbt integration. Tableau or Looker connections need more connector setup work than BigQuery or Snowflake, but the underlying query speed makes it worthwhile for teams where performance is the primary constraint.</li>
</ul><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">Which of these gave your analytics team a genuinely smooth BI connection experience at real usage volume, not just in the initial setup?</p>

##### Post Metadata
- Posted at: 2 months ago
- Author title: Marketing Executive
- Net upvotes: 1


## Comments
### Comment 1

&lt;p&gt;Google&#39;s native Looker integration with BigQuery is tight because Google owns both; third-party BI tools connecting to Snowflake are more vulnerable to version friction. I&#39;d ask which combinations have the best track record of connector stability across tool updates, not just easy initial setup.&lt;/p&gt;

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 3 days ago
- Author title: Marketing Executive



### Comment 2

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style=&quot;background-color: transparent; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;BigQuery&#39;s Looker Studio connection has stayed smooth for us even as usage grew, mostly because BI Engine caches the repeated dashboard queries instead of hitting the warehouse fresh every time someone opens a report.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 4 days ago
- Author title: SEO Content Writer



### Comment 3

&lt;p&gt;BigQuery would be my pick for the smoothest BI connection experience, especially for teams using Looker or Looker Studio. The native integration and BI Engine seem particularly valuable once dashboard usage grows, because the connection needs to stay fast and manageable after setup, not just be easy to configure on day one.&lt;/p&gt;

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 6 days ago



### Comment 4

&lt;p&gt;BigQuery and Snowflake are usually smooth here. ClickHouse works, but setup tends to take a bit more effort depending on the stack. Did any of these feel truly plug-and-play, or was there always some setup friction involved?&lt;/p&gt;

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 2 months ago
- Author title: Writer





## Related discussions
- [How well does Trello scale into a larger team?](https://www.g2.com/discussions/1-how-well-does-trello-scale-into-a-larger-team)
  - Posted at: over 13 years ago
  - Comments: 6
- [Can we please add a new section](https://www.g2.com/discussions/2-can-we-please-add-a-new-section)
  - Posted at: over 13 years ago
  - Comments: 0
- [Quantifiable benefits from implementing your CRM](https://www.g2.com/discussions/quantifiable-benefits-from-implementing-your-crm)
  - Posted at: over 13 years ago
  - Comments: 4