xmetric vs Looker Studio (now Data Studio): chart a CSV without Google Sheets

Chart your CSV here, with no Sheets and no upload

Drop a CSV: an ads export, a GA4 export, a bank statement. xmetric reads every row in this browser (the CSV chart accepts up to 160 MiB and 3.5 million rows, or 32 MiB on low-memory or unknown-memory devices), picks a first chart, and lets you regroup it or change the measure in one click. Nothing is uploaded. Parquet files will open in the xmetric app, which is in development; for now, save a CSV.

Choose a CSV

No file loaded yet. You can also drop a CSV on this box.

xmetric and Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio), side by side

	xmetric	Data Studio
Free option	Free in your browser. No account needed to open a file. source	Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) self-service tier, no charge. source
Paid plans	No paid plans	Data Studio Pro (Project subscription): $9 per user per project per month source
Runs on	Any modern browser on Mac, Windows or Linux. Nothing to install. source	Browser-based cloud service only (no desktop app). source
Files you can open	Charts a CSV in the page without uploading it: files up to 160 MiB and 3.5 million rows (32 MiB on low-memory or unknown-memory devices). A 150.5 MB, 3.5-million-row CSV charted in about 2 seconds in a desktop Chromium test on 2026-10-18; timing varies by device. Formula sandboxes keep a separate 50,000-row limit. Excel and Parquet files are coming in the full app. source	File connectors listed: Upload CSV files, Microsoft Excel and Extract data, alongside Google Sheets. Parquet is not listed. source
A CSV goes	In your browser. Files are not uploaded. source	Uploaded CSVs are stored in Google Cloud Storage; free; 2GB per user, 100MB per dataset, 100 uploads/dataset/day; datasets not shareable. source
Sharing	Sign in to save a workbook online and share a view-only link. Co-editing is coming. Files you don't save stay in your browser. source	Reports can be shared with individuals, teams or the world, edited together in real time, and embedded on any web page. source

Data Studio facts are taken from Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio)'s own pages and were checked on 2026-10-17. Each cell links to its source.

Where Data Studio is the better choice

Your data already lives in Google. Google connectors include Google Analytics, Google Ads, Search Console, YouTube Analytics, BigQuery, Cloud SQL for MySQL, Spanner, Cloud Storage and Google Sheets, plus third-party community connectors. source No export, no file, and the report stays current. xmetric reads files you drop; BigQuery and Postgres connections are planned.
Sharing a report. Reports can be shared with individuals, teams or the world, edited together in real time, and embedded on any web page. source xmetric shares a view-only link; co-editing is coming.
Dashboards. Data Studio builds full multi-chart reports today. xmetric draws one chart at a time from a CSV; dashboards come with the app in development.
It's free too. Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) self-service tier, no charge. source

Where xmetric fits

No Google account, no upload. The CSV is read in this tab. Data Studio keeps uploaded CSVs in Google Cloud Storage source.
Straight from the export. Drop the file your bank, Stripe or ad platform gave you. There's no sheet to create and no data source to configure.
Tableau-style calculations. The formula playground runs FIXED, INCLUDE and EXCLUDE level-of-detail expressions and table calculations on sample data and shows the SQL behind each.
Totals at a different grain. Data Studio's calculated fields have no FIXED-style level-of-detail function source. Need a per-customer total that ignores the chart's filters? Try a FIXED calculation on your own CSV.
Parquet, soon. The xmetric app opens Parquet and Excel files in the browser; it's in development. Data Studio's file connectors don't include Parquet source.

Getting a CSV into Data Studio without Google Sheets

Pick the Upload CSV files connector and add the file; no spreadsheet is involved. Before you use it with work data, know three things from Google's documentation: the file is stored in Google Cloud Storage, each dataset can be at most 100MB (2GB per user in total), and the datasets you create can't be shared source. Uploading itself is free.

And Parquet?

Data Studio's documentation lists Upload CSV files, Microsoft Excel and Extract data as its file connectors, alongside Google Sheets; Parquet isn't one of them source. The usual route is to load the file into a database Data Studio connects to, such as BigQuery. xmetric's app will open a Parquet file in the browser without loading it anywhere. It's in development, so today save the data as CSV and use the box above.

It was called Looker Studio until April 2026

Google renamed Looker Studio back to Data Studio (announced April 11, 2026). source Older guides and forum answers still use the Looker Studio name.

Questions people ask

Can Looker Studio open a CSV without Google Sheets?

Yes, with the Upload CSV files connector. The file is stored in Google Cloud Storage, up to 100MB per dataset. To chart a CSV without uploading it anywhere, use the box at the top of this page.

Can Looker Studio read Parquet files?

Parquet isn't among the file connectors Data Studio lists. xmetric's app will open Parquet in the browser; it's in development.

Is Looker Studio still free?

Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) self-service tier, no charge. Data Studio Pro costs $9 per user per project per month.

Does xmetric upload my CSV?

No. The file is read by code running in your browser tab. You can load this page, disconnect from the network, and then open the file.

Chart your CSV above, or run a Tableau calculation on sample data.

Sources, checked 2026-10-17

Prices and features of Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) on this page were checked against these pages on 2026-10-17. Prices change; the vendor's page is the final word.

xmetric is an independent project, not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Google LLC. Data Studio and Looker Studio are trademarks of Google LLC. The name is used only to identify the product being compared.