Data Analysis & BI
Formula Bot Review: AI Formula Generator for Excel and Google Sheets
Formula Bot converts plain English into Excel and Google Sheets formulas, SQL queries, and basic data analysis. It works — but AI-generated formulas still need checking before they go anywhere near a live report.
Google Data Studio Review: The Best Free BI Tool for Australian Businesses?
Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio) is genuinely free, deeply integrated with Google Workspace, and now ships Gemini AI features via the Pro tier — but data governance complexity and connector costs will catch some Australian businesses out.
Formula Bot Review: AI Formula Generator for Excel and Google Sheets
Formula Bot converts plain English into Excel and Google Sheets formulas, SQL queries, and basic data analysis. It works — but AI-generated formulas still need checking before they go anywhere near a live report.
Outerbase Review: The AI Database Interface That Cloudflare Absorbed
Outerbase was a genuinely interesting AI database interface. Then Cloudflare acquired it in April 2025 and the hosted cloud service shut down on 15 October 2025. What remains is an open-source project, Outerbase Studio. Here is what that means for Australian developers.
Numerous.ai Review: AI Functions for Google Sheets and Excel
Numerous.ai embeds AI functions directly into Google Sheets and Excel — no API key, no coding. Here's what it's actually like to use, what it costs in Australia, and where it falls short.
Hightouch Review: AI Decisioning and Reverse ETL for Australian Data Teams
Hightouch is the most technically ambitious reverse ETL and AI Decisioning platform on the market — raised $150M in April 2026 at a $2.75B valuation. But it's built for enterprise marketing and data teams with warehouses already in place, not for smaller Aussie businesses.
GPTExcel Review: AI Formula and Script Generator for Excel and Google Sheets
GPTExcel generates Excel and Google Sheets formulas, VBA scripts, SQL queries, and regex from a plain-English description. The free plan is stingy at 4 requests per day, the Pro plan is cheap, but AI-generated scripts still need checking before you run them on live data.
Equals Review Australia 2026: The AI-Powered Spreadsheet Built for Revenue Teams
Equals is a BI spreadsheet that connects directly to your data warehouse, CRM, and billing tools — then lets an AI agent answer questions about the data. Starts at USD $24k per year. Not for small teams, but the right tool for a scaling Australian startup with live revenue data to track.
Census (Fivetran Activations) Review: Reverse ETL for Australian Data Teams
Census was one of the original reverse ETL platforms, acquired by Fivetran in May 2025 and rebranded as Fivetran Activations. The product still works — but the migration, the rebrand, and the consumption pricing model have added complexity. Here is what Australian teams need to know.
Bricks Review: AI Spreadsheet, Docs, and Dashboard Builder
Bricks replaces your spreadsheet-plus-presentation workflow with a single AI-native canvas — upload your data and ask it to build a dashboard. The output is impressive. The AI message caps are frustrating, and the tool is English-only with no Australian data residency.
Basedash Review: AI-Native BI Platform for Australian Data Teams
Basedash started as an admin panel for non-technical teams to manage databases. It has since pivoted to an AI-native BI platform with natural language querying, dashboards, and automations. The pivot is credible — but the $1,000/month entry price for small teams is a genuine barrier.
Tableau vs Looker Studio for Australians 2026: Power or Price?
The benchmark enterprise BI platform against the free Google one. Tableau wins on power, data residency and AI depth; Looker Studio wins on price and speed-to-value. Tableau scores 18/25, Looker Studio 21/25 — here's which suits which Australian buyer.