How to Build Your Own Looker
Replace Looker with a custom build. Modern BI platform for data-driven decision making
Build Difficulty: 5/5
Build a working replacement in a weekend with AI tools
Estimated Timeline
Based on 46 features at Weekend Project difficulty, expect about One weekend with AI-assisted development.
Recommended Tech Stack
Full-stack React framework with API routes and server components
PostgreSQL database, auth, and real-time subscriptions
Utility-first styling for rapid UI development
Key Features to Replicate
Top features across 8 categories. See all 46 features
Security(6 features)
Control user access, audit data usage, and enforce security policies.
Control access to specific explores and data sources.
Set access controls at the folder level.
Role-based access control with granular permissions.
Restrict data visibility based on user attributes and roles.
+1 more in this category
Visualization(6 features)
Create custom charts using D3.js and React.
Add text, images, and filters as dashboard elements.
Create interactive dashboards with customizable tiles and real-time data visualization.
Navigate through data hierarchies with click-through drill actions.
Save and share individual visualizations.
+1 more in this category
Analytics(4 features)
Build ad-hoc queries with drag-and-drop interface without writing SQL.
Apply dynamic filters to dashboards for interactive exploration.
Write and execute raw SQL queries directly.
Monitor platform usage and adoption metrics.
Integration(4 features)
Send data to external systems with custom actions.
RESTful API for programmatic access to data and dashboard operations.
Integrate Looker dashboards and explores directly into applications.
Receive notifications when dashboards are viewed or alerts trigger.
Performance(4 features)
In-memory caching layer to improve query performance.
Build efficient persistent derived tables with incremental updates.
Analyze query performance and optimize LookML models.
Pre-compute and cache derived table results for faster queries.
Development(3 features)
Build custom extensions using React and TypeScript.
Validate LookML syntax and check for query errors.
Manage LookML code changes with Git integration.
Administration(2 features)
View and analyze historical queries executed in the instance.
Set query timeout and result limits to control resource usage.
Data Modeling(2 features)
Create persistent or temporary computed tables in LookML.
Proprietary modeling language for defining metrics and dimensions with version control.
Cost Calculator
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Total Cost Comparison
DIY hosting estimate based on Vercel + Supabase free/pro tiers (~$20/mo). Build time estimated from 46 features at very easy complexity.