Metabase
FreemiumOpen-source business intelligence and dashboards, ask questions of your data, no SQL required.
What is Metabase?
Metabase is one of the most popular open-source business intelligence platforms, built so that anyone on a team, not just analysts, can ask questions of their data and get answers. You connect Metabase to your database or warehouse, then build charts, dashboards, and reports either through a no-code visual query builder or a native SQL editor. The visual builder lets non-technical staff pick a table, filter, group, and summarize data without writing a single line of code, while analysts can drop into raw SQL for full control. Recent versions add AI-assisted SQL generation, so you can describe what you want in plain language and have Metabase draft the query.
Beyond ad-hoc questions, Metabase turns answers into interactive dashboards with filters, drill-through, and auto-refresh, and can deliver them on a schedule by email or Slack, plus fire alerts when a metric crosses a threshold. It connects to more than 20 databases out of the box, PostgreSQL, MySQL, BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift, SQL Server, and many more, and includes models and a semantic layer so teams can define trusted metrics once and reuse them everywhere.
The open-source edition is free forever when self-hosted under the AGPL license, which is why Metabase is a default choice for startups and data-conscious teams that want capable BI without per-seat fees. Metabase Cloud starts at $100/month for the managed Starter plan, while Pro ($575/month) adds single sign-on, granular row/column permissions, usage analytics, and multi-tenant embedded white-label dashboards, making it popular with SaaS companies that embed analytics in their own products. Enterprise plans (roughly a $20k/year floor) are custom-priced. It is not a data-science notebook for heavy statistical modeling, it's the tool you reach for when you want affordable, flexible BI and self-serve dashboards across an organization.
⚡ Quick Verdict
Startups and data-conscious teams wanting a free, self-hostable BI tool that lets non-technical staff answer their own data questions
Data scientists who need a notebook environment for heavy statistical modeling and code-first exploration
Powerful open-source edition is free forever self-hosted, with a no-code query builder that anyone can use
SSO, granular permissions, and embedded white-label dashboards are locked behind the $575/month Pro tier
Bottom line: Metabase scores 4.3/5, the go-to open-source BI for teams that want capable, self-serve dashboards without per-seat fees, with paid Cloud tiers for SSO, permissions, and embedded analytics.
Pricing
Open Source (self-hosted), Free: The AGPL-licensed open-source edition is free forever when you run it yourself. Includes unlimited questions and dashboards, 20+ database connectors, the no-code visual query builder, the native SQL editor, and AI-assisted SQL generation, with no user limit. It does not include embedded analytics, single sign-on, or advanced row/column permissions, those are paid-tier features. Best for teams with infrastructure to self-host.
Starter (Cloud), $100/month + $6/month per extra user: The cheapest managed plan, including 5 users (additional users $6/month each, roughly $1,080/year billed annually). Metabase hosts, upgrades, and backs up the instance for you. A good fit for teams that want managed BI without running servers, but note there is no cheaper Cloud entry point.
Pro, $575/month + $12/month per extra user: Includes 10 users (additional users $12/month each) and adds single sign-on, granular row and column permissions, usage analytics, and multi-tenant embedded plus white-label dashboards. This is the tier SaaS companies pick when they want to embed Metabase analytics inside their own products.
Enterprise, custom: For large deployments with advanced governance, dedicated support, and bespoke terms. Pricing is custom with roughly a $20k/year floor, contact Metabase sales.
Pricing verified June 2026. Always confirm current plans on metabase.com/pricing before subscribing.
Key Features
- No-code visual query builder, pick a table, filter, group, and summarize data through a point-and-click interface, so non-technical staff can answer their own questions without writing SQL.
- Native SQL editor with AI SQL generation, analysts can write raw SQL for full control, or describe what they want in plain language and have Metabase draft the query.
- Interactive dashboards, combine charts into dashboards with filters, drill-through, and auto-refresh so viewers can explore the data themselves.
- 20+ database connectors, connect directly to Postgres, MySQL, BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift, SQL Server, ClickHouse, Databricks, and more, on every plan including open source.
- Scheduled delivery, send dashboards and questions on a schedule by email or Slack, plus dashboard subscriptions for stakeholders.
- Alerts and threshold notifications, get notified automatically when a metric crosses a value you set, so you catch changes without watching dashboards.
- Row and column permissions plus SSO, control exactly what each user or group can see, and enable single sign-on (Pro and Enterprise).
- Multi-tenant embedded and white-label, embed branded Metabase dashboards inside your own application with per-customer data isolation (Pro and Enterprise).
- Models and semantic layer, define curated datasets and trusted metrics once so teams reuse consistent definitions across questions and dashboards.
- Self-host or Metabase Cloud, run the open-source edition via Docker or JAR, or let Metabase host and maintain a managed Cloud instance for you.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Powerful open-source edition is free forever when self-hosted, unlimited questions and dashboards with no per-seat fees
- Low learning curve, the no-code visual query builder lets non-technical staff answer their own data questions
- Broad database support with 20+ connectors on every plan, including Postgres, MySQL, BigQuery, Snowflake, and Redshift
- Embeddable and white-label dashboards on paid tiers, popular for SaaS products embedding analytics
- Native SQL editor with AI-assisted SQL generation gives analysts full control alongside the no-code builder
- Active open-source community with frequent releases and extensive documentation
- Scheduled email and Slack delivery plus threshold alerts keep stakeholders informed without watching dashboards
- Models and a semantic layer let teams define trusted metrics once and reuse them everywhere
Cons
- Cloud Starter jumps straight to $100/month, there is no cheap managed entry point
- Large gap between Starter ($100/mo) and Pro ($575/mo) makes mid-size upgrades expensive
- SSO, granular row/column permissions, and auditing are locked behind the Pro tier
- Self-hosting the free edition requires infrastructure and ongoing ops, securing, upgrading, and backing up the instance
- Less specialized for data-science notebook workflows and heavy statistical modeling
- Enterprise pricing is opaque, with roughly a $20k/year floor that puts it out of reach for small teams
- The AGPL license on the open-source edition can require legal review for some embedding scenarios
- Advanced embedded analytics and white-labeling only appear at Pro and above
Best For
- Startups and small data teams who want capable BI and self-serve dashboards without paying per-seat fees, the free self-hosted open-source edition covers a lot of ground.
- Data-conscious organizations that need non-technical staff to answer their own questions through a no-code builder while analysts keep full SQL access.
- SaaS companies embedding analytics in their own products, who can use Pro's multi-tenant embedded and white-label dashboards to ship branded reporting to customers.
- Teams needing governance, Pro and Enterprise add SSO, row/column permissions, and usage analytics for organizations that must control exactly who sees what.
How Metabase Compares
Against notebook-first tools like Deepnote and Hex, Metabase is BI-first rather than code-first, its no-code query builder and dashboards are aimed at self-serve analytics across a whole organization, where Deepnote and Hex center on Python/SQL notebooks for analysts and data teams. Against Mode, another SQL-first analytics platform, Metabase wins on accessibility and its free open-source edition, while Mode leans toward analysts who live in SQL and want polished, scheduled reports. Compared with conversational AI data analysts, Metabase is a persistent, governed BI platform connected to your warehouse rather than a chat-based assistant for ad-hoc files. And against enterprise platforms like DataRobot and Dataiku, Metabase is dashboards and reporting, not AutoML or end-to-end model deployment. See the full list of Metabase alternatives for more. The right pick depends on whether you want affordable self-serve BI (Metabase) or a code-first notebook or ML platform.
FAQ
Is Metabase free?
Yes. The Metabase open-source edition is free forever when you self-host it, licensed under the AGPL. It includes unlimited questions and dashboards, 20+ database connectors, and the AI-assisted SQL generation feature, with no cap on the number of users. The free edition does not include embedded analytics, single sign-on, or advanced row/column permissions. If you would rather not run the software yourself, Metabase Cloud starts at the paid Starter plan ($100/month, which includes 5 users plus $6/month per additional user). Pro is $575/month (10 users included, $12/month per extra user) and adds SSO, granular permissions, usage analytics, and multi-tenant embedded white-label dashboards. Enterprise is custom-priced (roughly a $20k/year floor), contact sales. Pricing verified June 2026.
Do I need to know SQL to use Metabase?
No. Metabase's no-code visual query builder lets non-technical users pick a table, apply filters, group and summarize data, and build charts and dashboards entirely through a point-and-click interface, no SQL required. This is the core reason teams choose Metabase: business users can answer their own questions without waiting on an analyst. For people who do know SQL, Metabase also includes a full native SQL editor with AI-assisted SQL generation, so analysts can write or generate queries directly and turn the results into shareable questions and dashboards. The two modes coexist, so a single Metabase instance serves both audiences.
What databases does Metabase connect to?
Metabase ships with more than 20 native database connectors, including PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, Google BigQuery, Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, Microsoft SQL Server, SQLite, ClickHouse, Databricks, Oracle, Presto/Trino, and more, plus a generic option for many others. These connectors are available on all plans, including the free open-source edition, there is no paywall on data sources. You connect Metabase directly to your existing database or warehouse, and it queries the live data rather than importing copies, so dashboards stay current. For production use, Metabase recommends pointing it at a read replica to keep analytics traffic off your primary database.
Should I self-host Metabase or use Metabase Cloud?
Self-hosting the open-source edition is free (AGPL) and gives you full control, but you take on the work: running it via Docker or the JAR, securing it, applying upgrades, scaling, and handling backups. That is a good fit if you have infrastructure and operations capacity and want to avoid recurring fees. Metabase Cloud is the managed alternative, Metabase runs and maintains the instance for you, handles upgrades and backups, and the Cloud plans (Starter from $100/month, Pro $575/month, Enterprise custom) unlock features the open-source edition lacks, such as SSO, advanced permissions, usage analytics, and embedded white-label dashboards. Choose self-hosting for cost control and data residency; choose Cloud for convenience and the Pro/Enterprise feature set.
📋 Good to know
Self-host via Docker or the JAR in minutes, or spin up a managed Metabase Cloud instance. Connect a database and start asking questions.
Open-source edition is AGPL and free forever self-hosted. Paid Cloud tiers add SSO, permissions, and embedded analytics.
Move to Cloud Starter ($100/mo) for managed hosting, or Pro ($575/mo) when you need SSO, granular permissions, or embedded white-label dashboards.
Very low for the no-code builder. Analysts can drop into the SQL editor immediately; mastering models and the semantic layer takes a little practice.