Back to all glossary articles

BigQuery

In May 2010, Google launched BigQuery, a data warehouse integrated with the Google Cloud Platform. It’s serverless and fully managed, so the platform can handle scaling without IT specialists. Using BigQuery, you can process data as small as a 100-row Excel spreadsheet up to several petabytes. It can run a complex query on data sets within a few seconds.

You can access BigQuery through its web UI, command-line tool, or client library (written in C#, Go, Java, Node.js, PHP, Python, and Ruby). You can also use its REST APIs and send JSOBigQuery. In addition, it has built-in machine-learning capabilities.

Other BigQuery benefits:

  • Easy to create a data lake thanks to built-in integrations.
  • Visualization of tables thanks to integration with Data Studio.
  • Data transformation can be simplified with ETL solutions like DataFlow and DataProc.
  • The integrations with analytics platforms like GA4 allow streaming raw data straight into BigQuery.

BigQuery has some disadvantages, like:

  • Limitations regarding data export.
  • One of the most expensive solutions available on the market.
  • Steep learning curve.

You may also like:

Universal Analytics vs. Google Analytics 4: Data models and other key differences explained Google Analytics alternatives – free and paid Piwik PRO vs. Universal Analytics & Google Analytics 4

  • EU hosting vs. EU sovereignty: Why the difference matters for privacy-first analytics

    As EU-US data transfer tensions continue to evolve, driven by legal uncertainties and heightened regulatory scrutiny, organizations are under increasing pressure to make informed decisions about where and how their analytics data is stored. The collapse of previous data transfer frameworks and the uncertain future of the current EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework have made one…

  • Why Shopify stores need privacy-compliant analytics

    Shopify store owners depend on analytics to track sales, understand customer behavior, and measure marketing performance. However, as privacy regulations like GDPR, CCPA, and the ePrivacy Directive evolve — and as consumers become more aware of how their data is used — traditional analytics platforms pose increasing risks. Tools that rely on third-party cookies and…

Other definitions

Recent posts from Piwik PRO blog