The verdict
For a small team that wants a weekly view of pipeline, traffic and spend, I'd pick Databox. You connect the tools, choose the metrics and the report builds itself. The setup takes effort, so block time for the first build.
If your data has outgrown spreadsheets and app dashboards, and someone can write SQL, pick BigQuery. It gives you one place to land everything and ask any question across it. Watch the cost, because on-demand billing follows the bytes your queries scan.
They are not rivals. Larger teams often land data in BigQuery and report from a dashboard tool on top. If you only use one or two tools whose native dashboards answer your questions, you need neither yet.
Side by side
| 7 points compared | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $71/mo | |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| MCP server | Yes | Yes |
| Ask questions in plain English | Yes | Yes |
| Blend data sources | Yes | Yes |
| Ready-made marketing connectors | Yes | Yes |
| Links |
Plans and pricing
Databox
- FreeFree
- Analyst$85/mo
- Team Core$249/mo
- Team Scale$399/mo
- Agency$1,188/yr
Google BigQuery
- Free usage tierFree
Who each is for
Choose Databox if…
Pick Databox if you are a marketing, sales or operations team, or an agency, that pulls KPIs from several tools. A client dashboard replaces a slide deck assembled by hand, and shared dashboards with permissions save the Friday afternoon copy job.
It adds goals, forecasts and alerts next to the metrics, and an AI Analyst you can question in plain language. There is also an official MCP server.
Be aware that it is a reporting layer, not a warehouse, and it is limited for deep historical or statistical analysis. The free plan is small, with one user and three data sources, and some integrations need technical knowledge. A 14-day trial needs no card.
Choose Google BigQuery if…
Pick BigQuery if your data is spread across billing, the CRM, ad platforms and product events, and nobody can join it without a messy export. It suits a data-minded company with someone who can write SQL and own the table structure, naming and access.
The free usage tier covers the first 1 TiB of query data processed and the first 10 GiB of storage each month, and a sandbox lets you try it without a credit card. After that you choose between paying for the data scanned or buying capacity in slots.
Skip it for a small company with a few thousand rows. A hosted Postgres database or the reporting inside your tools is simpler. Without an owner, a warehouse turns into a dumping ground.
Other options worth a look
Build interactive dashboards and reports from Google Analytics, Ads and hundreds of other data sources free.
Salesforce's data visualisation and analytics platform for dashboards, exploration and governed reporting.
Build spreadsheets, dashboards, and reports in the browser with real-time collaboration and formulas.