Data & Analytics Software
Metabase
Open-source-first BI tool — genuinely free to self-host, with a hosted Cloud option for teams who'd rather not run it themselves.
Solo / FreelancerSmall businessMedium businessEnterpriseGlobal
Last reviewed Jul 17, 2026 · Pricing verified Jul 17, 2026
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DEV-TOP · horizontalOur take
Best for teams that want real BI capability without a per-seat enterprise price tag — self-hosting the open-source edition is free and full-featured, though you take on the ops burden that Metabase Cloud would otherwise handle.
Choose this if...
- Small-to-mid teams and freelancers who want free, self-hosted BI with no artificial feature caps
- Teams that want a lighter-weight alternative to Tableau/Power BI/Looker
Look elsewhere if...
- You don't want to manage your own server/hosting and aren't ready to pay for Metabase Cloud
- You need the deepest enterprise governance and embedding features found in Looker or Sisense
Visit Metabase
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Pricing
Verified Jul 17, 2026 against Metabase's own pricing page.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Free | Self-hosted; unlimited questions, dashboards, and users; 20+ data source connectors; full SQL editor |
| Starter (Cloud) | 100 USD/mo | 90 USD/yr | Hosted by Metabase; includes 5 users, then $6/user/mo ($65/user/yr); 3-day email/Slack support |
| Pro (Cloud) | 575 USD/mo | 517.5 USD/yr | Includes 10 users, then $12/user/mo ($130/user/yr); row/column-level permissions, SSO, embedded analytics, whitelabeling |
| Enterprise | — | — | Custom pricing, starting around $20,000/year — dedicated success engineer, 1-day support SLA, air-gapped deployment option |
Free tier reality
The self-hosted Open Source edition is a genuinely free, full-featured product — unlimited users, questions, and dashboards, with no artificial caps — you just run and maintain the server yourself. The hosted Metabase Cloud plans (Starter/Pro) have no free tier of their own; they're flat monthly fees plus per-seat overage once you exceed the included user count.
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DEV-MID · rectanglePros
- Genuinely free, full-featured self-hosted edition — not a crippled trial
- Simple, fast setup relative to enterprise BI platforms
- Both a GUI question builder and a full SQL editor for power users
Cons
- Self-hosting means you own uptime, upgrades, and infrastructure costs
- Cloud Pro's jump to $575/mo is steep relative to the Starter tier
- Fewer enterprise governance/embedding features than Looker or Sisense
Key features
- Point-and-click question builder plus a full SQL editor
- AI-assisted question building and SQL generation
- Self-hostable and fully open source
- Row and column-level permissions (Pro/Enterprise)
- Embedded analytics with whitelabeling (Pro/Enterprise)
Integrations
- VERIFY
Platforms
- web
Regional fit
Self-hosted deployments run anywhere you choose; Metabase Cloud is a global SaaS offering — VERIFY current Cloud region options.
- Global
Best for
Try free first
Not ready for Metabase? Start with our free tools — come back when you outgrow them.
Alternatives
Microsoft Power BI
Pick this instead if: Teams already on Microsoft 365/Excel who want BI that fits their existing stack
Mixpanel
Pick this instead if: Product managers and growth teams analyzing user funnels and retention
Grafana Cloud
Pick this instead if: Engineering/DevOps teams building unified observability dashboards
Amplitude
Pick this instead if: Product teams wanting analytics, replay, and experimentation in one bundled platform
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Metabase FAQ
Questions about this tool
Is Metabase free?
Yes, there's a free tier. The self-hosted Open Source edition is a genuinely free, full-featured product — unlimited users, questions, and dashboards, with no artificial caps — you just run and maintain the server yourself. The hosted Metabase Cloud plans (Starter/Pro) have no free tier of their own; they're flat monthly fees plus per-seat overage once you exceed the included user count.
How much does Metabase cost?
Free. We verify pricing directly against Metabase's own pricing page — see the pricing table above for the full breakdown of plans, and check the verified date before making a decision, since software pricing changes often.
Who is Metabase best for?
Small-to-mid teams and freelancers who want free, self-hosted BI with no artificial feature caps Teams that want a lighter-weight alternative to Tableau/Power BI/Looker
Who should avoid Metabase?
You don't want to manage your own server/hosting and aren't ready to pay for Metabase Cloud You need the deepest enterprise governance and embedding features found in Looker or Sisense
Does Metabase work well outside the US?
Self-hosted deployments run anywhere you choose; Metabase Cloud is a global SaaS offering — VERIFY current Cloud region options.
What are the best alternatives to Metabase?
Worth comparing: Microsoft Power BI, Mixpanel, Grafana Cloud, Amplitude. See the Alternatives section above for why you might pick one of these instead.