Factor | Looker Studio Direct Connector | BigQuery Connector |
|---|---|---|
Best for | Small setups, 1-3 data sources, quick dashboards | Multi-source reporting, agencies, high-volume data |
Dashboard load time | 8-10+ seconds per chart | ~2 seconds |
Cross-channel blending | Requires blended accounts ($25 each) | Unlimited, no blended premium needed |
Historical data | Limited by each platform's API | Unlimited (stored continuously) |
Data refresh | Every 15 minutes (Looker Studio limit) | Configurable, down to minutes |
Stability | Depends on live API availability | Stored data, immune to API outages |
Compatible BI tools | Looker Studio only | Power BI, Tableau, Google Sheets, any SQL tool |
Pricing | Included in all plans (single $15/mo, blended $25/mo) | Custom pricing - contact sales |
Free plan eligible | Yes | No |
Setup difficulty | Connect and go | Slightly more setup, but 100% no-code |
When you connect marketing data through Porter Metrics, you choose a destination for that data. The two main destinations are Looker Studio (direct) and BigQuery.
Porter pulls data from the marketing platform's API in real time and sends it straight to your Looker Studio report. Every time someone opens the dashboard, Porter calls the API, processes the data, and displays it. Nothing is stored in between.
Direct connectors are included in all Porter Metrics plans, including the Free Forever plan.
Porter pulls data from the marketing platform's API and stores it in a Google BigQuery data warehouse. Your Looker Studio report (or any other BI tool) then reads from BigQuery instead of calling the live API. The data is already there, waiting.
BigQuery has custom pricing. It is a separate product from the standard Looker Studio and Google Sheets connectors. To get BigQuery pricing for your specific needs, contact Porter's sales team.
BigQuery pricing is customized based on your data volume, number of sources, and reporting needs. To get a quote:
Contact the sales team through the Porter Metrics website or your account manager.
Describe your use case: how many data sources, which connectors, how many clients (if agency), and what BI tools you use.
Receive a custom plan tailored to your requirements.
Clients paying $100-$1,000/month are eligible for onboarding calls to help set up BigQuery and optimize their reporting infrastructure.
The direct connector works well when your reporting setup is simple and lightweight. Stick with it if:
You have 1-3 data sources
Your reports have fewer than 10 charts per page
Your audience is small (1-3 people viewing the dashboard regularly)
You only use Looker Studio as your reporting tool
You are on the Free Forever plan
Talk to the sales team about BigQuery when your reporting needs outgrow what a live API connection can handle.
Direct connectors rely on live API calls every time a chart loads. A dashboard with 10 charts can trigger 20+ API queries every time someone opens it. If the API is slow, rate-limited, or temporarily down, your entire report breaks.
With BigQuery, your data is already stored. Looker Studio reads from BigQuery in approximately 2 seconds, regardless of how many charts you have. No API calls, no timeouts, no broken dashboards during client meetings.
Some marketing platforms have APIs that return large volumes of data or respond slowly. These connectors benefit the most from BigQuery:
HubSpot - Complex CRM data with contacts, deals, pipelines, and custom properties
Klaviyo - Large subscriber lists and campaign event data
Microsoft Ads - Slower API response times than Google or Meta
Active Campaign - High data volume with multiple object types
Amazon Seller Central - Complex e-commerce data including inventory, orders, and FBA
Shopify - Order-level data, product variants, and inventory tracking
If you use any of these connectors and your reports take more than 5 seconds to load, BigQuery will solve that immediately.
With Porter's direct connectors, cross-channel reporting requires blended accounts at $25 each. To blend 5 platforms, you need 5 blended accounts.
With BigQuery, Porter stores all your data sources in one dataset. You can combine any number of sources freely using SQL or Porter's AI query builder. This makes BigQuery especially appealing for agencies and teams that report across many platforms.
Agencies managing 10, 50, or 100+ client accounts hit a wall with direct connectors. Each client needs separate data source connections in Looker Studio. Reports break at scale when connections expire. Duplicating a report template for a new client means re-authenticating every connection.
With BigQuery, you consolidate hundreds of accounts into one queryable dataset. One connection, one report template that scales from 10 clients to 100 without rebuilding your infrastructure.
Direct connectors work exclusively with Looker Studio. BigQuery serves as a central data hub that feeds any tool:
Power BI or Tableau for enterprise reporting
Google Sheets for ad-hoc analysis
AI tools for forecasting and marketing mix modeling
Connect once, report everywhere.
Marketing platform APIs have built-in limitations on how far back you can pull data. Meta Ads limits certain metrics with breakdowns to 37 months, and since Meta's June 2025 API changes, some metrics with breakdowns were further limited to 13 months.
With BigQuery, Porter stores your data continuously from the moment you connect. Your historical data grows over time and is never deleted, regardless of what the source API allows.
When data lives in BigQuery, you own it. It sits in your Google Cloud project, under your control. Porter sends the data there but does not store it on Porter's servers. If you cancel Porter, your data remains in your BigQuery project.
Setting up BigQuery with Porter is 100% no-code. Once you have a BigQuery plan, the process takes under 10 minutes:
Connect your marketing sources. Select from 22+ data sources: Meta Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, TikTok Ads, GA4, HubSpot, Shopify, and more.
Authenticate BigQuery. You can use Google login (Porter creates the dataset automatically), a service account key, or let Porter host the warehouse for you.
Choose your sync schedule. Decide how often Porter pulls fresh data. Options range from every few minutes to daily.
Connect Looker Studio to BigQuery. Add BigQuery as a data source in Looker Studio. Your charts now read from stored data instead of live API calls.
Use the AI Query Builder (optional). For cross-channel blending or custom metrics, type what you need in plain English and Porter generates the query. No SQL required.
This creates compounding API calls. Each viewer, each page load, each chart multiplies the number of requests. If your reports are slow and you have 5+ sources, talk to the sales team about BigQuery.
Porter's BigQuery setup is fully no-code. You do not need to know SQL, set up cloud infrastructure, or manage databases. If you can connect a data source in Looker Studio, you can set up BigQuery with Porter.
If you plan to add more clients, more data sources, or more team members in the next 6 months, consider starting with BigQuery now. Migrating later means rebuilding reports and re-mapping data sources.
Ask yourself these questions. If you answer Yes to any of them, talk to sales about BigQuery:
Do you use HubSpot, Klaviyo, Microsoft Ads, Active Campaign, Amazon Seller, or Shopify?
Do you have more than 3 data sources in one report?
Do your Looker Studio reports take more than 5 seconds to load?
Do you need data in Power BI, Tableau, or tools beyond Looker Studio?
Do you manage more than 5 client accounts?
Do you need historical data that goes beyond what the platform API provides?
If none of the above apply, the direct connector is fine. You can always upgrade to BigQuery later by contacting sales.
BigQuery has custom pricing. The cost depends on your data volume, number of connectors, and specific requirements. Contact the Porter Metrics sales team for a personalized quote.
No. BigQuery is a data warehouse (where data is stored). Looker Studio is a visualization tool (where data is displayed). With Porter plus BigQuery, your data flows from the marketing platform to BigQuery to Looker Studio. They work together.
Yes. You can have some accounts connected directly to Looker Studio and others going through BigQuery. Each account is configured independently.
No. Your existing Looker Studio reports stay intact. You create a new BigQuery data source in Looker Studio and swap it into your existing charts. The report structure, filters, and layout remain unchanged.
Google Cloud charges separately for BigQuery storage and queries, but for most marketing datasets, usage falls within Google Cloud's free tier: 10 GB of storage and 1 TB of queries per month at no cost. Typical Porter users with 10-20 connected accounts use less than 2 GB of storage.
No. Porter's AI query builder lets you create cross-channel tables and custom metrics using plain English. SQL is available for advanced users who want full control, but it is never required.
No. BigQuery requires a custom plan. Contact the sales team to discuss pricing. The Free Forever plan supports Looker Studio and Google Sheets as destinations.
If you used BigQuery, your data remains in your Google Cloud project. Porter sends data to your warehouse but does not delete it upon cancellation. You retain full ownership of all stored data.
Yes, significantly. Direct connectors average 8-10+ seconds per chart because each one triggers a live API call. BigQuery-connected charts load in approximately 2 seconds because the data is already stored and indexed. The difference is most noticeable on dashboards with 10+ charts.
Reach out through the Porter Metrics website, use the in-app chat, or email the team directly. If you are already a Porter customer, your account manager can also help set up a BigQuery consultation.
