OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension vs. Connected Sheets: Deciding the Best Fit for Your Reporting Needs

When it comes to managing and analyzing data, picking the right tool can make a big difference. In this article, we will compare 2 Google Sheets extensions (add-ons) for data handling: OWOX BI's BigQuery Reports Extension and Google's Connected Sheets.

Whether you're a digital analyst building reports, a data-savvy manager seeking clarity, or a C-level executive focusing on bigger-picture issues, understanding what each tool offers will help you decide which one best suits your needs and workflows.

Now, let's compare OWOX BI's BigQuery Reports Extension and Google's Connected Sheets in terms of user accessibility, data retrieval features, cost management, integration options, ease of use, and compliance with privacy regulations.

OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension:

• ✅ Tailored for business users. It is specifically designed for professionals in business so that you can get reliable insights – no need to know SQL. In addition to the extension, you can also use our knowledge to get blended metrics and KPIs without having to spend time researching or creating complex queries. 

• ✅ User-friendly. You can connect Google Sheets to BigQuery with a one-click connector without any advanced technical skills.

• ✅ Accessible without direct BigQuery access. You don't need to deal with BigQuery. It means that you can work with data without knowing coding languages or database management, which is usually needed when using BigQuery.

• ✅ Ideal for a diverse range of professionals. Perfect for sales, marketing, finances, and other specialists, allowing the import of only necessary data, and keeping spreadsheets clear and focused.

Google Connected Sheets:

• ⚠️ Designed for data analysts, complex for business users. This tool is mainly designed for people who work with data a lot. If you're more into the business side, it might take a bit more effort to get used to.

• ✅ Available within Google Workspace. It's a part of Google's Workspace suite and requires access through this platform which most users already have. 

• ⚠️ An Enterprise Google Workspace account is required. To get on board with it, you might need an upgraded or enterprise-level Google Workspace account. This could mean it's not available to everyone in the company, just to employees with higher-level access.

• ⚠️ Requires direct Google BigQuery access. Using Connected Sheets might mean you have to work with Google BigQuery. If you're not tech-savvy or don't have special permissions, it could be difficult to use.

OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension:

• ✅ Flexible data retrieval from GBQ (Google BigQuery) and scheduling. With the ability to schedule data retrieval directly into Google Sheets at different intervals, users can specify updates for selected weeks, days and even specific hours. This granular control allows for significant savings, not only in the number of Report Runs, but also in reducing costs associated with BigQuery data processing.

• ✅ Dynamic variable used for precise data retrieval. It lets you use dynamic elements (like dates or locations) to get exactly the data you need in Spreadsheets (up to 10 million cells). This feature means that you get precise information without manually changing queries every time.

• ✅ Ideal for customized data handling. Let's say you want specific sales data for each month from your company's database. With the OWOX BI Reports Add-on, you can set up a customized query to get that information without having to sift through irrelevant data.

Google Connected Sheets:

• ✅ Basic retrieval and scheduling features. This tool provides straightforward methods for data retrieval and schedule setup. While it offers weekly and daily scheduling intervals, it lacks the hourly scheduling option that limits its choices for modifying queries or automatically fetching complex data.

• ⚠️ There are annoying restrictions in place for extracting data, limiting it to only 50,000 rows.

• ⚠️ Standard transformation layer via Dataform. The tool comes with a standard method (called Dataform) to change or arrange data, which might be helpful for certain tasks. But if you want to customize it, you'll need the right skills and help from data engineering experts.
  

OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension:

• ✅ Advanced access control for cost management. OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension has detailed settings to manage expenses. It helps prevent unexpected costs by controlling who can access data and avoiding unauthorized use.

• ✅ Designed to prevent unplanned expenses. It's built to avoid surprises in expenses by setting warnings or limits to keep users within planned budgets.

• ⚠️ Paid options for extensive use. While some basic features might be free, there are paid options that offer additional features or higher usage limits.

Google Connected Sheets:

• ✅ Free within Google Workspace. It's a part of Google's Workspace suite and doesn't have additional charges for basic use. Users can access Connected Sheets without paying extra within their Google Workspace package.

OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension:

• ✅ A holistic view of all data preparation processes in Workspace. The extension offers a complete view of activities, including collecting, transforming, and visualizing data. It helps users see the entire process from start to finish in one place.

• ✅ Simplifies understanding of data dependencies. It makes it easier for users to understand how different pieces of data relate to each other. This clarity helps in better managing and using data effectively.

• ✅ No vendor lock-in. You are not restricted to using only the OWOX BI add-on, which means you can easily switch to a different vendor anytime without any issues.

• ⚠️ GBQ support only. At the moment it supports only Google BigQuery data warehouse, which does not apply to those who use other solutions like Azure, Snowflake, Redshift, etc.

Google Connected Sheets:

• ✅ Native integration with Google Workspace tools. It smoothly works with other Google Workspace tools. For instance, it can easily share data with Google Docs, Drive, or other Google Workspace apps.

• ⚠️ Limited integration with non-Google products. While it works well within the Google ecosystem, users can face problems when connecting and collaborating with tools outside of Google. This might make it hard to work together or share data with tools that are not from Google.

OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension:

• ✅ Designed with a simpler learning curve. It offers simple connection, set-up, and usage without any technical training.

• ✅ Accessible for non-technical users. The extension provides plain-language explanations and a clear interface so that users without any technical background can work with data.

• ✅ Optimizing processes for efficiency and scalability. As the company grows and starts to handle more data or involves more employees using the tool, the extension keeps working smoothly. This means the company's processes continue to run efficiently without any major interruptions or slowdowns.

Google Connected Sheets:

• ⚠️ Powerful, but has a learning curve, especially with Dataform. Dataform helps combine, clean, or transform data in ways that Google Connected Sheets can't do alone. Integration with it might demand more time because these tools might have their specific methods or structures for integration. 

• ⚠️ Row limitations for large datasets. If you have lots of data, you might need to explore other options because of the Google Connected Sheets limits of 50,000 rows.

OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension:

• ✅ Automatically saves SQL queries in a single convenient list which is available for your colleagues The automatic saving feature means that once a query is written and executed, it's automatically stored for future use without the need to take additional steps. 

Google Connected Sheets:

• ⚠️ Manual management is required to store saved SQL queries. After creating a query, users have to consciously save and organize it for future use. This manual process demands additional effort and time compared to the automated saving feature offered by OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension. 

OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension:

• ✅ High privacy standards. Data moves directly from Google BigQuery to Google Sheets without processing on additional servers, ensuring strong privacy measures.

• ✅ Robust SLAs for Enterprise customers. OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension offers strong commitments to performance and reliability for large-scale business users.

Google Connected Sheets:

• ⚠️ Data moves outside BigQuery's secure environment during integration. This transition of data outside the secure BigQuery environment might raise privacy concerns as a change in environment could potentially expose the data to different risks or vulnerabilities.

Here are 2 potential scenarios showcasing how you can use the OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension:

Example: An e-commerce company needs to analyze massive volumes of website traffic logs to understand user behavior and improve website performance.

The OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension helps get website traffic data from Google BigQuery into Google Sheets and handles large volumes of data without slowdowns or performance issues.

Google Connected Sheets might struggle with analyzing such a massive amount of website traffic efficiently. It could be slower and might not manage and process it as effectively as the OWOX BI add-on.

Example: A manufacturing corporation wants to integrate production data from various factories worldwide into a centralized system. This involves merging data from diverse sources.

When dealing with complex data integration across multiple platforms and systems, OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Add-on can retrieve and integrate data directly from Google BigQuery, ensuring data security and compliance. This transfer does not involve any third-party tool and thus maintains data within the secure BigQuery environment.

OWOX BI BigQuery Reports Extension offers an excellent solution for businesses handling large amounts of data or using multiple data sources. It simplifies fetching information from BigQuery and updating it regularly in Google Sheets. 

What's great about this tool is it doesn't require any technical skills. Moreover, it ensures data safety by directly transferring information to Google Sheets without involving additional servers.