How Companies Evaluate Sigma and Looker

In a candid reflection on his experience as a solution engineer at Sigma, the author compares the strengths and limitations of Sigma and Looker in the business intelligence (BI) landscape. While Looker appeals to developers familiar with LookML for programmatic dashboard deployment, it often drives business users to export data to Excel due to its complex, developer-centric interface. This results in ungoverned analyses and inefficiencies despite significant investments in BI tools. In contrast, Sigma emphasizes user-friendly, spreadsheet-like interactions that empower business users to perform ad-hoc analyses directly within the platform without sacrificing data governance. Sigma's integration with cloud data platforms and compatibility with tools like dbt further enhance its appeal by simplifying data transformations and reducing the need for separate metadata layers. The author also notes potential concerns when BI tools are acquired by conglomerates, cautioning against relying on products that may undergo significant changes in leadership and direction.