Key Takeaways
- Free and reliable: Google connectors (GA4, Search Console, Google Ads, YouTube, Sheets, BigQuery); their limitation is the GA4 API quota.
- For Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, and CRM: A paid partner connector; Windsor.ai and Catchr start at 20 to 30 € per month, while Supermetrics and Funnel are more expensive but more robust.
- The technical track: Export to BigQuery and then connect Looker Studio to bypass the quotas and retain the history.
- Actual cost of a multichannel report: €50 to €150 per month in connection fees for an SME.
A connector connects Looker Studio to a data source. Google provides these for free for its products; for everything else (Meta Ads, LinkedIn Ads, TikTok, Mailchimp, CRM, Matomo), you need a partner connector, which almost always comes at a cost. The choice of connector determines the cost, reliability, and maintenance requirements of a multichannel report. This comparison ranks the options and provides recommendations based on specific scenarios.
Google's native connectors
| Connector | Data | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | All Dimensions and Metrics in the Data API | Token quotas per property and per hour; blocked heavy or shared reports; thresholds and sampling |
| Search Console | Queries, pages, countries, devices, clicks, impressions, position | Two separate tables (website and URL), 16 months of history, aggregated data |
| Google Ads | Campaigns, groups, keywords, costs, conversions | Some attribution metrics are missing |
| YouTube Analytics | Views, duration, subscribers | One channel per source |
| Google Sheets | Any data entered or imported | Manually or via scripts; useful for goals and offline data |
| BigQuery | GA4 Raw Data (free export), any database | SQL proficiency, query cost (low for an SME) |
| Data Extraction | Scheduled copy of a source, up to 100 MB | Daily refresh, not real-time; bypasses GA4 quotas |
A Comparison of Partner Connectors
| Connector | Sources | Estimated price for 2026 (excluding tax / month) | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supermetrics | More than 100 (Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, HubSpot, Mailchimp, SEMrush…) | Starting at $39 per source, packages starting at $99; corporate rates available upon request | The oldest and most reliable support and report templates | Expensive, according to several sources |
| Funnel | More than 500, including data standardization and storage | Starting at €400; geared toward agencies and large accounts | Storage, processing, retained history | A high price for an SME |
| Windsor.ai | More than 300 | Starting at $19 (1 source); $99 for multiple | Value for money, multichannel allocation | More streamlined support and documentation |
| Porter Metrics | Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok, Google, Shopify, HubSpot… (about 30) | Starting at €20; €60 to €100 for an agency | Simplicity, ready-to-use Looker Studio templates, pricing | Fewer exotic sources |
| Catchr | About 100, specializing in advertising and e-commerce | Starting at €20 per source | French publisher, support in French, price | Young, fewer CRM sources |
| Power My Analytics | About fifty | Starting at $15 per source | Pricing, Data Backup | Outdated interface |
Pricing changes every year and depends on the number of connected accounts (for example, multiple client advertising accounts for an agency). Check the refresh frequency (once a day is sufficient for a monthly report) and data retention policies.
The BigQuery Option
For GA4, the native export to BigQuery is free (excluding storage and query costs, which amount to a few euros per month for an SME) and provides raw data—without sampling or thresholds—with unlimited historical data. Looker Studio then connects to BigQuery rather than the GA4 API, which eliminates quotas. The trade-off: you’ll need to write or copy SQL queries to reconstruct sessions and conversions, or use pre-built tables. This is the recommended approach whenever multiple people view the reports or when historical data is important; see BigQuery and GA4. Partner connectors (Funnel, Supermetrics, Windsor.ai) can also upload advertising data to BigQuery for centralization.
Choose Based on the Situation
| Location | Recommendation | Monthly Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Showcase website, SEO, and Google Ads only | Native Google Connectors, Data Extraction for GA4 | 0 € |
| SMEs, plus Meta Ads and LinkedIn Ads | Porter, Catchr, or Windsor.ai | €20 to €60 |
| Agency with 5 to 20 clients | Supermetrics or Windsor.ai on a subscription plan, or Funnel if storage is required | €100 to €500 |
| High traffic; reports viewed by multiple people | Export GA4 to BigQuery + BigQuery Connector | €5 to €30 from Google Cloud |
| A manager who wants ready-made metrics without having to build them | Integrated analytics platform rather than Looker Studio + connectors | One-time subscription; see GreenRed and Looker Studio |
Things to Check Before Subscribing
- The metrics that are actually available: Depending on the connector, some attribution or conversion metrics may be missing; test this using your target report during the free trial.
- Refresh Rate and the data delay (Meta delivers on D+1 with adjustments over 3 days).
- The number of accounts and users included, and the cost of additional accounts.
- Preservation: Does the connector keep a history if the source loses it?
- Compliance: Data hosting in the European Union, GDPR data processing agreement.
- Support in French and the response time, when the report is released on the day of the committee meeting.
The structure of the report itself is discussed in Tools for creating a marketing dashboard and the multichannel dashboard.
How GreenRed Can Help You
Instead of juggling multiple tools, GreenRed Overview brings these metrics together in a single dashboard, compares them over time, and shows you which actions to prioritize. You can try it for free—no credit card required—on the page Rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free Meta Ads connector for Looker Studio?
No, there is no free official connector. Meta Ads connectors are provided by paid partners (Windsor.ai, Porter, Catchr, Supermetrics), ranging from €15 to €40 per month per account. Some offer a 14-day trial and a very limited free plan.
How Can You Avoid GA4 Quota Errors in Looker Studio?
Three solutions: reduce the number of charts and filters per page; convert the GA4 source to a "data extraction" that updates once a day; or export GA4 to BigQuery and connect Looker Studio to BigQuery, which eliminates API quotas.
Supermetrics or Windsor.ai?
Supermetrics is older, more robust, and better documented, but becomes more expensive when dealing with multiple sources. Windsor.ai covers just as many sources at a lower price and includes attribution models. For an SMB, Windsor.ai, Porter, or Catchr are sufficient; for a demanding agency, Supermetrics or Funnel.
Are partner connectors compliant with the GDPR?
The major providers (Supermetrics, Funnel, Windsor.ai, Catchr) offer European hosting and a data processing agreement. Verify the data’s location and sign the data processing agreement; aggregated advertising data poses little risk, while CRM data poses a greater risk.