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Mohamed Tahri - PeerSpot reviewer
Head of Insights and Data Middle East at Capgemini
Real User
Expandable and easy to set up but needs more local data residency
Pros and Cons
  • "As a cloud solution, it's easy to set up."
  • "We'd like to see more local data residency."

What is our primary use case?

We implement for customers. We work as a global company and we have 350,000 employees, we serve clients across all industries. There are many use cases. There is no use case that we would only apply in the context of BigQuery and not with Snowflake, or not with Synapse, et cetera. It is use case agnostic.

It can be for fraud, it can be for marketing analytics, customer 360, or any kind of real-time analytics. You can use it for all sorts of stuff.

What is most valuable?

It's a stable, reliable solution. It has a good reputation for that. 

The product can scale.

As a cloud solution, it's easy to set up. 

What needs improvement?

To be very specific, here in the Middle East, I'm based out of the UAE, and Google has a very narrow footprint, a very limited footprint here in the region. There is a lack or absence of local data residency compliance. They don't have a local data center here. Therefore, most of the big organizations like banks, and companies in the highly regulated public sector, are not using BigQuery products as it means that the data will have to move out of the country. We'd like to see more local data residency.

For how long have I used the solution?

We've been implementing this solution since the inception of these products. We are Platinum Elite partners with most vendors.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution has a reputation for being stable. It's not a problem. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is  scalable up to a certain extent. According to the benchmarks, they would be stronger on the one hand, however, depending on the criteria that you're using, what kind of volumes, the velocity, et cetera, it can scale.

How are customer service and support?

I've never dealt directly with technical support. I can't speak to how helpful or responsive they are. 

How was the initial setup?

I did not handle the initial setup. That said, solutions like BigQuery, as opposed to non-cloud, on-prem versions equivalents are generally more straightforward to set up.

How long it takes to set up depends on the requirements. Typically, it takes six months to one year for end-to-end implementation. 

We have data engineers that can handle deployments. How many are needed depends on the scope of the project. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I don't deal with licensing aspects of the product. The licenses are always purchased by our clients. 

What other advice do I have?

I'd rate the solution seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Implementer
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Gonzalo Di Ascenzi - PeerSpot reviewer
Red Team Operator at Argentina Red Team
Real User
Top 5
Analyzes logs from systems to identify the severity of issues but lacks integrations
Pros and Cons
  • "BigQuery excels at data analysis. It processes vast amounts of information using its advanced architecture and sophisticated querying capabilities, making it crucial for critical insights and safe for handling sensitive data."
  • "BigQuery should integrate with other tools, such as Cloud Logging and Local Studio, to enhance its capabilities further and enable powerful and innovative analyses."

What is our primary use case?

BigQuery allows you to quickly analyze logs from your systems to identify the severity of issues. It integrates well with other Google Cloud services, such as Cloud Logging, where you can easily manipulate various data types and analyze all logs.

What is most valuable?

BigQuery excels at data analysis. It processes vast amounts of information using its advanced architecture and sophisticated querying capabilities, making it crucial for critical insights and safe for handling sensitive data. 

What needs improvement?

BigQuery should integrate with other tools, such as Cloud Logging and Local Studio, to enhance its capabilities further and enable powerful and innovative analyses.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using BigQuery for two years.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have opted for Fireye, Elasticsearch, and Alcon. One principal difference is that BigQuery starts with machine learning and WAN implementations, while you can implement VMware or other active boxes. Therefore, it is recommended that cloud VMs be used for BigQuery processes. You can execute jobs in the cloud, such as VMware.

For instance, you can compute analytics for email, apply filters, and manipulate weather data. It provides higher efficiency, though exact benchmarks are unclear. Additionally, starting the query flow login request can also be advantageous.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is automatic. It requires one person. You need to log in to the Google Cloud platform, import the necessary package into your query, and then you can start querying your data. 

If you need a solid CRM solution integrated with Azure, you'll need knowledgeable people to support it. Three individuals can form a strong CRM team connected to Azure, leveraging BigQuery.

What was our ROI?

You can use BigQuery to generate and manage large datasets efficiently. Whether using a flexible integrated environment like Dataflow or a local studio, BigQuery provides powerful tools for querying and analyzing data.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The product is free of cost.

What other advice do I have?

Setting up BigQuery on GCP is crucial. When creating a service account, you define the permissions required for project identification or access monitoring systems.

You configure policies using IAM roles to manage access permissions effectively within GCP. These roles govern the service accounts created for specific tasks such as data processing, system monitoring, or other service integrations. When you activate these policies, a JSON token is generated. This token can authenticate and authorize access to Google services like BigQuery or other third-party applications.

Moreover, by configuring VMs to match data processing requirements, you ensure that the data is securely handled by the applications associated with the service accounts. This setup enables seamless communication between your applications and Google services, facilitating efficient data acquisition and processing.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Learn what your peers think about BigQuery. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2025.
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Arpan Kushwaha - PeerSpot reviewer
Associate Consultant (Data Engineer) at MediaAgility
Real User
Top 5
Provides flexibility and is competitively priced
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of BigQuery is that it supports standard SQL and provides good performance."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use BigQuery to perform data warehouse migration for clients willing to move to GCP from their on-premise solution.

    What is most valuable?

    The solution's pricing is really competitive compared to other peers. The most valuable features of BigQuery is that it supports standard SQL and provides good performance.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using BigQuery for three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I rate BigQuery a nine out of ten for stability.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Around 30 to 40 users use BigQuery in our organization.

    I rate BigQuery ten out of ten for scalability.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I previously worked with Microsoft SQL Server.

    How was the initial setup?

    The solution’s initial setup is very easy. You just have to spin up a data set and start using it.

    I rate BigQuery ten out of ten for the ease of its initial setup.

    What about the implementation team?

    The solution can be deployed by one person in a few minutes.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The solution's pricing is cheaper compared to other solutions. On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing a two or three out of ten.

    What other advice do I have?

    Potential users can trust BigQuery without any second thoughts. The solution's pricing is great compared to other solutions. The solution provides more flexibility and supports standard SQL, and anyone coming out from a different platform would not face any challenges adopting BigQuery.

    Overall, I rate BigQuery a nine out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Saqib Manzar - PeerSpot reviewer
    Data Engineer at a wellness & fitness company with 51-200 employees
    Real User
    Top 10
    Efficient data warehouse solution for analytics and large-scale data processing with exceptional speed and user-friendly interface
    Pros and Cons
    • "The interface is what I find particularly valuable."
    • "It would be beneficial to integrate additional tools, particularly from a business intelligence perspective."

    What is our primary use case?

    In our workflow, we initiate the process by fetching data, followed by a preprocessing step to refine the data. We establish pipelines for seamless data flow. The ultimate objective is to transfer this processed data into BigQuery tables, enabling other teams, such as analytics or machine learning, to easily interpret and utilize the information for various purposes, whether it's gaining insights or developing models.

    How has it helped my organization?

    The primary advantages include its speed, especially when dealing with large datasets or big data. It proves exceptionally useful in handling substantial amounts of data efficiently. A notable benefit is the ability to preview data without executing full queries, saving time and allowing for quick insights. This feature eliminates the need to run extensive queries solely for data preview purposes, streamlining the overall workflow.

    What is most valuable?

    The interface is what I find particularly valuable. When crafting queries, it offers estimations on data usage, providing a helpful indication of resource consumption. This predictive capability adds an extra layer of convenience, making the querying process more insightful and efficient.

    What needs improvement?

    It would be beneficial to integrate additional tools, particularly from a business intelligence perspective. For instance, incorporating machine learning capabilities could enable users to automatically generate SQL queries.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with it for over a year now.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I find it to be generally high and satisfactory. However, there is a notable issue we've encountered regarding query limitations at the organization level.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It is scalable up to a certain point. There seems to be a restriction on the number of queries one can run, for example, being limited to processing ten terabytes of queries. Exceeding this limit results in an inability to run additional queries, posing a potential challenge. Resolving this limitation could contribute to a smoother user experience. Currently, the user base exceeds two hundred individuals.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We used Google Cloud Storage, IAM, AWS (specifically VPC), and instances from both AWS and Google Cloud Platform. Regarding comparison with other solutions, particularly AWS, there are notable observations. AWS, being introduced earlier, appears to have more extensive features compared to Google Cloud Platform (GCP). AWS enjoys the advantage of having a more established history, resulting in robust support from their team. It offers a more comprehensive platform with a broader range of features, and its pricing structure appears to be more favorable.

    How was the initial setup?

    The challenging part lies in the initial setup of the project, especially when integrating with project management tools. When establishing a project on the Google Cloud Platform, you need to navigate through various resources.

    What about the implementation team?

    Setting up the account, whether at an individual or organizational level, involves providing necessary information, including credit card details for billing purposes. Once the account is set up, accessing resources like Cloud Storage or BigQuery becomes straightforward within the Google Cloud Platform.

    What other advice do I have?

    For those venturing into cloud platforms, especially at an individual level, I would recommend considering AWS. Given its longer establishment in the industry, many companies utilize AWS. Additionally, both AWS and GCP offer free tiers for new users, but AWS extends this benefit to one year, while GCP limits it to three months. At the organizational level, AWS tends to provide more extensive features compared to GCP, making it a preferable choice. Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Matt Costa - PeerSpot reviewer
    Owner & Digital Marketing Manager at MPCosta
    Real User
    A very easy-to-use and easy-to-conceptualize tool that is reasonably priced but needs to improve its documentation
    Pros and Cons
    • "It's pretty stable. It's fast, and it is able to go through large quantities of data pretty quickly."
    • "There is a good amount of documentation out there, but they're consistently making changes to the platform, and, like, their literature hasn't been updated on some plans."

    What is our primary use case?

    I use it to deal a lot with marketing, specifically Google Ads, YouTube, and Google Analytics. But mostly, I utilize it for its capabilities to sync directly up with Google ads transfers.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Instead of having to go directly into the platform, pull various reports after and save those reports, port them over into Google Sheets, and then import ranges and queries. Then, having to transform the data to my needs, I can build a SQL script that is to my needs directly within the platform so that when the data comes out at the platform, it's already essentially punched into the format that I needed.

    What is most valuable?

    Its SQL editor is very easy to use and very easy to conceptualize. The way that it breaks data down into silos is easily discernible. So, I guess that's really it.

    What needs improvement?

    There is a good amount of documentation out there, but they're consistently making changes to the platform, and, like, their literature hasn't been updated on some plans.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using BigQuery for a little over a year.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's pretty stable. It's fast, and it is able to go through large quantities of data pretty quickly.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I think that it's easy to scale. For instance, when I need the data for a new client, I just ask to have their account added to my MCC, and the MCC deploys through basically, rolls out all the accounts available really quickly.

    I am the sole user of the solution in my company.

    How are customer service and support?

    I've tried getting in touch with the support, and that's actually the difficult part. So, unless you're using a higher-tiered version of the platform, getting support can be problematic.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I got into Google Big Query since it met my needs.

    How was the initial setup?

    Regarding the deployment model, I work in its native GUI. I'm not sure what the SaaS version is, so I just utilize it with Google Cloud's native console.

    Regarding the deployment process, I would have to create your own instance within Google Cloud. You create a project, that project. Then, you start nesting your data streams into that project. And then we do have to backfill some of the data because it'll only start grabbing data from the date that you tell it to in thirty days before. So if you need data that is previous to thirty days, then you've got it going to backfill it. After that, I found that it was a pretty easy and quick deployment.

    Speaking about the time for deployment, I would say that having the knowledge I have now, it wouldn't take me even an afternoon. But at the time, because I didn't know what I was doing, it took about two-three days.

    What about the implementation team?

    I did the deployment myself.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    Price-wise, I think that is very reasonable. Like, I don't use a ton of computing when it comes to the platform, so I haven't ever really had to pay when it comes to the product. I really don't have to pay from month to month.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I did not go through other solutions.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would tell those planning to use the solution to just go out and utilize as much information as possible. There's a ton of great information on the platform and how it can be best utilized.

    The solution doesn't necessarily require maintenance.

    It's a great platform. It's pretty easy to use. You do have to have some skill and uptake when it comes to actually writing SQL and writing queries. But then it does need better support capabilities. But aside from that, it's a pretty good platform.

    I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Swayan Jeet Mishra - PeerSpot reviewer
    Lead Machine Learning Engineer at Schlumberger
    Real User
    A serverless system that is easy to set up and offers fast analysis of data
    Pros and Cons
    • "It's similar to a Hadoop cluster, except it's managed by Google."
    • "It would be helpful if they could provide some dashboards where you can easily view charts and information."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are primarily using the solution to crunch data. Then, we are doing some ETL work on top of the data. 

    What is most valuable?

    We like that it is a serverless system. 

    We can analyze terabytes of data in a very small amount of time. 

    It's similar to a Hadoop cluster, except it's managed by Google.

    The initial setup is simple.

    We find the product to be very stable.

    It scales quite well.

    What needs improvement?

    If they can provide any charting platform on top of this product, that would be ideal. BigQuery now only allows us to run queries. It doesn't provide us with any insights. For example, if a query took so many times, they could maybe provide any suggestions on how to optimize the queries or speed up the process. It would be helpful if they could provide some dashboards where you can easily view charts and information. That would be very useful.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using the solution for two or three years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    This is a highly stable product. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is very scalable. 

    Almost my entire team uses it. We have a 50-member team, and pretty much everyone is on it. They are mostly data engineers and developers. 

    How are customer service and support?

    We have yet to reach out to technical support. We haven't had any issues. 

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We chose this solution specifically since all of our services are in GCP, Google Cloud. Google Cloud has a basic internal coupling with BigQuery. That's the reason we are using BigQuery.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is very easy. You just have to log in to the Google Cloud console, and then you can just create a few tables and start using it. 

    From start to finish it takes about half an hour. It is even less than that to get the tables up and running. The deployment is quite fast.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I'm not sure about the exact cost, however, it is charged on the queries which you run, basically. For example, if you run a query, the amount of data scanned through BigQuery will dictate the costs. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I am a customer and end-user.

    I'm not sure which version of the solution we're using. 

    It's a serverless platform deployed on a public cloud. 

    I'd advise potential users to set up their tables accordingly. There are two sets of optimization that BigQuery provides as well. You set up whichever columns you want to do the partition and on which columns you want to do the clustering. If these columns are defined properly, then BigQuery's a breeze to use.

    On a scale from one to ten, I would rate it at an eight. If they just added a few more features, it would be almost perfect.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud

    If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

    Google
    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    Saurav Krishna - PeerSpot reviewer
    Data Engineering and AI Intern at .3Lines Venture Capital
    Real User
    Top 5Leaderboard
    Good solution for large databases that require a lot of analytics
    Pros and Cons
    • "BigQuery is a powerful tool for managing and analyzing large datasets. The versatility of BigQuery extends to its compatibility with external data visualization tools like Power BI and Tableau. This means you not only get query results but can also seamlessly integrate and visualize your data for better insights."
    • "Some of the queries are complex and difficult to understand."

    What is our primary use case?

    BigQuery is a powerful tool for managing and analyzing large datasets. The versatility of BigQuery extends to its compatibility with external data visualization tools like Power BI and Tableau. This means you not only get query results but can also seamlessly integrate and visualize your data for better insights.

    What is most valuable?

    The product's most valuable feature is its ability to connect to visualization tools. 

    What needs improvement?

    Some of the queries are complex and difficult to understand. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using the product for more than a year. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    My company has 100 users for BigQuery. 

    How are customer service and support?

    The tool's support is fast to respond. 

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    How was the initial setup?

    The tool's deployment is easy if you follow Google's documentation. 

    What other advice do I have?

    If you have a big database and lots of analytics, BigQuery is a really good tool. It helps save and manage your queries and gives you results you can show clients and others. I rate it a nine out of ten. 

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
    IT Consultant at 18months
    Consultant
    Top 20
    A serverless, scalable and cost-efficient data warehouse solution with seamless integration, real-time analytics, and advanced machine-learning capabilities
    Pros and Cons
    • "It stands out in efficiently handling internal actions without the need for manual intervention in tasks like building cubes and defining final dimensions."
    • "The primary hurdle in this migration lies in the initial phase of moving substantial volumes of data to cloud-based platforms."

    What is our primary use case?

    We have a cloud solution that runs in a centralized mode for a few hundred senior managers who require diverse reports, ranging from daily operational details to more substantial analyses, such as sales trends, movie ticket sales clustering, and reporting.

    What is most valuable?

    The flexibility of its serverless architecture is advantageous in handling the variable nature of our workloads. Instead of relying on a fixed database cluster with constant costs, it allows you to pay for the resources you consume during peak times. This on-demand pricing model appears to be more cost-effective, particularly when dealing with occasional heavy queries that involve analyzing billions of data points, such as ticket sales for millions of movies. The ability to scale internally using Kubernetes adds another layer of flexibility to our setup, allowing us to adapt to varying demands efficiently. Its fast response times during peak usage make it a suitable choice for our dynamic and variable data processing needs. I appreciate its impressive optimization and automation features, observed during small-scale tests. It stands out in efficiently handling internal actions without the need for manual intervention in tasks like building cubes and defining final dimensions.

    What needs improvement?

    The primary hurdle in this migration lies in the initial phase of moving substantial volumes of data to cloud-based platforms. This becomes even more pronounced when dealing with terabytes of data. Uploading data to cloud services requires careful consideration and optimization to ensure a smooth and efficient migration, especially when dealing with large datasets.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I started using it recently.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    It inherently manages scalability with its auto-scaling capabilities. The ability to dynamically adjust resources based on demand is a key factor in optimizing performance and ensuring that our system can handle varying workloads efficiently. We operate as a small company with a modest business scale, handling a few medium-sized projects each year.

    How was the initial setup?

    The current bottleneck in our migration process primarily revolves around bandwidth issues, especially during the initial data ingestion phase.

    What about the implementation team?

    The deployment process itself is straightforward and not a source of concern. The real challenge lies in the bandwidth limitations and the time-consuming nature of data uploading. While a comprehensive evaluation is still pending, it's anticipated that the data upload alone might take up to a week or more.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The pricing appears to be competitive for the intended usage scenarios we have in mind.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    In my evaluation of alternative solutions, I'm exploring Hydra, a columnar version of Postgres with partitioning capabilities. While I'm still learning about its features and performance, it seems promising. Additionally, I'm considering ClickHouse, which has shown exceptional benchmark results. I've completed an initial installation to assess its functionality.

    What other advice do I have?

    Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
    PeerSpot user
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