# Lightdash vs Metabase

| Attribute | Lightdash | Metabase |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 60.3 (75% (high)) | 56.2 (75% (high)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 14 | 1 |
| adoption.github_stars | 6,084 | 48,944 |
| adoption.stackoverflow_questions | - | 1,000 |
| content.faq | - | `[{"answer":"Metabase is an open-source analytics platform that enables organizations to explore, visualize, and share data insights. It is designed to make data exploration accessible to both technical and non-technical users through interactive dashboards, reports, and AI-powered query capabilities.","source":"https://www.metabase.com","question":"What is Metabase and what is it used for?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Metabase uses dual licensing: the open-source edition is released under the AGPL (GNU Affero General Public License), while commercial editions are available under the Metabase Commercial Software License. This means the free self-hosted version is open source with copyleft terms, and paid plans offer commercial licensing.","source":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase","question":"Is Metabase open source and what license does it use?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Metabase supports over 20 major databases including PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift, Oracle, SQL Server, MariaDB, Athena, and others. It also integrates with Google Sheets and supports CSV data uploads.","source":"https://www.metabase.com/docs","question":"What databases and data sources can Metabase connect to?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Yes, Metabase includes a visual query builder that allows non-technical users to explore data without SQL knowledge. Additionally, the Metabot AI feature enables users to ask questions in plain English and receive data-driven answers.","source":"https://www.metabase.com","question":"Can non-technical users query data without writing SQL?","confidence":0.94},{"answer":"Metabase can be deployed as a self-hosted instance using Docker or JAR files on your own infrastructure, or as a managed cloud service through Metabase Cloud which offers a 14-day free trial. Both options support the same core functionality.","source":"https://www.metabase.com","question":"What are Metabase's deployment options?","confidence":0.93},{"answer":"Metabase offers a free open-source version with unlimited dashboards and users, plus paid plans (Starter, Pro, and Enterprise) that add advanced features like SSO, row-level permissions, and embedded analytics. Optional add-ons use usage-based pricing for AI services, data transforms, and storage.","source":"https://www.metabase.com/pricing","question":"What is the pricing model for Metabase?","confidence":0.92},{"answer":"Yes, Metabase offers embedded analytics capabilities that allow developers to integrate production-grade analytics directly into SaaS applications with multi-tenant support and customizable components. This feature is available in paid Pro and Enterprise plans.","source":"https://www.metabase.com","question":"Does Metabase support embedded analytics for SaaS applications?","confidence":0.93},{"answer":"Metabase is certified for SOC 2, GDPR, and CCPA compliance, making it suitable for organizations with strict data security and privacy requirements. The platform supports row and column-level permissions and SSO in paid plans.","source":"https://www.metabase.com","question":"What security and compliance certifications does Metabase have?","confidence":0.9}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"on_prem":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A BI platform that anchors analytics in dbt-defined metrics and provides a governed semantic layer for organizations. Teams define metrics, joins, and business logic once, then access the data through dashboards, AI-powered Q&A, embedded analytics, or custom data applications, all with consistent governance and user permissions. | A business intelligence tool that enables data teams and analysts to query and visualize data through AI chat or visual interfaces, while maintaining transparency through a curated semantic layer of verified metrics and governed data access. |
| features.capabilities | `{"nlq_ai":true,"rls_sso":true,"paradigm":"governed_dashboards","free_tier":true,"dbt_native":true,"managed_cloud":true,"self_hostable":true,"semantic_layer":"dbt","warehouse_native":true,"connector_breadth":"9 data warehouses (BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift, Databricks, Postgres, Trino, C","scheduled_reports":true,"embedded_analytics":true,"transparent_pricing":true}` | `{"nlq_ai":true,"paradigm":"governed_dashboards","free_tier":true,"managed_cloud":true,"self_hostable":true,"semantic_layer":"built_in","warehouse_native":true,"connector_breadth":"Broad database and warehouse support via SQL connectors and MCP servers","scheduled_reports":true}` |
| integrations.count | 19 | 27 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"BigQuery"},{"name":"Snowflake"},{"name":"Redshift"},{"name":"Databricks"},{"name":"Postgres"},{"name":"Trino"},{"name":"ClickHouse"},{"name":"Athena"},{"name":"DuckDB"},{"name":"GitHub"},{"name":"GitLab"},{"name":"Azure DevOps"},{"name":"Bitbucket"},{"name":"Slack"},{"name":"Microsoft Teams"},{"name":"Google Sheets"},{"name":"dbt"},{"name":"Rollstack"},{"name":"MotherDuck"}]` | `[{"name":"Vanta"},{"name":"Drata"},{"name":"Okta"},{"name":"Pendo"},{"name":"Contentsquare"},{"name":"PostHog"},{"name":"Amplitude"},{"name":"Mixpanel"},{"name":"Zendesk"},{"name":"Intercom"},{"name":"Front"},{"name":"Freshdesk"},{"name":"Gorgias"},{"name":"Kustomer"},{"name":"Pylon"},{"name":"Plain"},{"name":"LiveAgent"},{"name":"Jitbit"},{"name":"Crisp"},{"name":"Drag"},{"name":"Productboard"},{"name":"Aha!"},{"name":"Canny"},{"name":"Typeform"},{"name":"SurveyMonkey"},{"name":"Qualtrics"},{"name":"Fullstory"}]` |
| language.primary | TypeScript | Clojure |
| market.availability | `{"hqCountry":"GB","primaryMarkets":["US","EU"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":["US","EU"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Open Source","summary":"Free, self-hosted, community support","features":["Unlimited seats","Data explorer and report builder","Native dbt integration","Scheduled deliveries","Alerting","Google Sheets sync","SQL runner","Private spaces","Global search","Version history (3 days)","Basic usage analytics","API & webhooks","Smart caching","Pre-aggregates","8 data warehouse connections","4 git platform integrations"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Self-hosted core BI for teams managing their own infrastructure","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Cloud Pro","summary":"$3,000/month flat rate, unlimited users and visualizations","features":["Unlimited users","Unlimited visualizations","Native dbt integration with open semantic layer","Scheduled reports and alerting","Dashboards as code","Metrics catalog and governed explorer","AI agents for natural language queries","MCP (Model Context Protocol) support","Dedicated human support","Guided onboarding and training sessions","Automated migration from other BI tools","Version history (30 days)","Advanced usage analytics","Embedding via iframe and React SDK (add-on)","US and EU deployment regions","SSO via Google, Okta, Azure, custom OIDC"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":3000,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Managed cloud platform with unlimited users, AI agents, and governance","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Custom pricing, available on-premises or cloud","features":["All Cloud Pro features, plus:","Cloud or on-premises deployment","SAML 2.0 and SCIM 2.0 provisioning","Advanced user management with custom roles","SOC 2 Type II compliance","HIPAA and BAA support","Hands-on migration with on-site assistance","Priority support with 8-hour response SLA","Dedicated account manager","Dedicated Slack support channel","Early access to new features","Version history (60 days)","Custom usage analytics","Custom deployment regions"],"description":"Custom deployment and advanced security for large-scale deployments","contactSales":true}],"addOns":[{"name":"Embedding per load","components":[{"per":{"qty":1,"unit":"load"},"kind":"metered","amount":0.05,"currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Embedding predictable","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":790,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"HIPAA BAA (Cloud Pro)","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":490,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Data Apps"}],"summary":"Open source free tier, Cloud Pro at $3,000/month (unlimited users), Enterprise custom. No per-seat pricing.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.lightdash.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T13:45:42.627Z","freeTrialDays":21,"startingPrice":{"amount":3000,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month"]}` | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Open Source","summary":"Free, open-source, unlimited users","features":["Ask questions with AI","SQL generation","20+ supported data sources","Unlimited questions & dashboards","Write SQL or explore by clicking","Set up in 2 minutes","No usage limits"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"currency":"USD"}],"description":"Self-hosted, in-database analytics","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"unlimited","questions":"unlimited","dashboards":"unlimited","data_sources":"20+"}},{"free":false,"name":"Starter","summary":"$100/month or $90/month yearly (first 5 users included, then $6/user/month)","features":["All Open Source features","Ask questions with AI","SQL generation","Unlimited questions & dashboards","3-day email support","Cloud or self-hosted"],"minSeats":5,"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":100,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"additional user","amount":6,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"data_sources":"20+","users_included":"5"}},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"$575/month or $517.50/month yearly (first 10 users included, then $12/user/month)","features":["All Starter features","Embed unlimited charts and dashboards","Multi-tenant data segregation","Row and column level permissions","SSO","Caching controls","Usage analytics & auditing","White-label analytics","AI usage auditing and controls"],"minSeats":10,"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":575,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"additional user","amount":12,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users_included":"10"}},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"Custom pricing, starts at $20,000/year","features":["All Pro features","Custom pricing aligned with business model","Procurement assistance","Dedicated success engineer","Air gap deployment available","1-day support SLA"],"components":[{"kind":"one_time","amount":20000,"currency":"USD"}],"contactSales":true}],"addOns":[{"name":"Additional features (usage-based)"}],"summary":"Free tier with unlimited users. Starter from $100/month (5 users included). Pro from $575/month (10 users included). Enterprise custom, starts $20,000/year. Usage-based pricing for optional features.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.metabase.com","retrievedAt":"2026-08-05T14:09:19.145Z","freeTrialDays":14,"startingPrice":{"amount":6,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | high | low |
| pricing.transparent | yes | no |
| release.cadence_days | - | 21 |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.17.0","date":"2026-08-26T17:18:55Z","type":"stable","version":"2.17.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.16.0","date":"2026-08-26T17:05:03Z","type":"stable","version":"2.16.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.15.0","date":"2026-08-26T16:43:05Z","type":"stable","version":"2.15.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.14.0","date":"2026-08-26T16:01:16Z","type":"stable","version":"2.14.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.13.2","date":"2026-08-26T14:54:11Z","type":"stable","version":"2.13.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.13.1","date":"2026-08-26T14:28:49Z","type":"stable","version":"2.13.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.13.0","date":"2026-08-26T14:21:42Z","type":"stable","version":"2.13.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.12.0","date":"2026-08-26T13:52:20Z","type":"stable","version":"2.12.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.11.0","date":"2026-08-26T13:33:13Z","type":"stable","version":"2.11.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.10.1","date":"2026-08-26T13:20:20Z","type":"stable","version":"2.10.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.10.0","date":"2026-08-26T12:34:23Z","type":"stable","version":"2.10.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.9.5","date":"2026-08-26T12:15:38Z","type":"stable","version":"2.9.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.9.4","date":"2026-08-26T11:58:01Z","type":"stable","version":"2.9.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.9.3","date":"2026-08-26T11:52:38Z","type":"stable","version":"2.9.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.9.2","date":"2026-08-26T11:19:20Z","type":"stable","version":"2.9.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.9.1","date":"2026-08-26T11:12:15Z","type":"stable","version":"2.9.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.9.0","date":"2026-08-26T10:56:59Z","type":"stable","version":"2.9.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.8.0","date":"2026-08-26T10:47:37Z","type":"stable","version":"2.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.7.0","date":"2026-08-26T10:18:01Z","type":"stable","version":"2.7.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/lightdash/lightdash/releases/tag/2.6.0","date":"2026-08-26T09:47:36Z","type":"stable","version":"2.6.0"}]` | `[{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.63.15","date":"2026-08-26T17:52:20Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.63.15"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.62.18","date":"2026-08-26T17:52:11Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.62.18"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.61.20","date":"2026-08-26T17:51:58Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.61.20"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.60.26","date":"2026-08-26T17:51:45Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.60.26"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.59.30","date":"2026-08-26T17:51:30Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.59.30"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.63.14","date":"2026-08-20T19:52:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.63.14"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.62.17","date":"2026-08-19T20:13:09Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.62.17"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.61.19","date":"2026-08-20T19:52:39Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.61.19"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.60.25","date":"2026-08-20T19:52:52Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.60.25"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.59.29","date":"2026-08-20T19:53:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.59.29"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.58.31","date":"2026-08-20T19:53:14Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.58.31"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.63.2","date":"2026-07-29T21:06:12Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.63.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.62.7","date":"2026-07-29T21:07:54Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.62.7"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.62.6","date":"2026-07-28T20:53:42Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.62.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.61.9","date":"2026-07-28T20:54:02Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.61.9"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.60.15","date":"2026-07-28T20:54:15Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.60.15"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.59.19","date":"2026-07-28T20:54:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.59.19"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.58.22","date":"2026-07-28T20:54:38Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.58.22"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.58.21","date":"2026-07-28T20:54:52Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.58.21"},{"url":"https://github.com/metabase/metabase/releases/tag/v0.60.14","date":"2026-07-28T20:55:07Z","type":"stable","version":"v0.60.14"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.gdpr | yes | yes |
| security.hipaa | yes | - |
| security.scorecard | - | 5.9 |
| security.soc2 | yes | yes |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=%40lightdash%2Fwarehouses&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Fmetabase%2Fmetabase&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (BI Software)

| Capability | Lightdash | Metabase |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| BI paradigm | Governed dashboards | Governed dashboards |
| Semantic / modelling layer | dbt metrics | Built-in |
| **Engine** |  |  |
| Warehouse-native (SQL push-down) | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Self-hostable / OSS core | ✓ | ✓ |
| Managed cloud available | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Intelligence** |  |  |
| Natural-language query / AI copilot | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Delivery** |  |  |
| Embedded / white-label analytics | ✓ | - |
| Scheduled reports / alerting | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Governance** |  |  |
| Row-level security & SSO/SAML | ✓ | - |
| **Commercial** |  |  |
| Per-seat pricing published | ✓ | - |
| Free tier / free desktop | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Ecosystem** |  |  |
| dbt-native integration | ✓ | - |
| Data-source connector breadth | 9 data warehouses (BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift, Databricks, Postgres, Trino, C | Broad database and warehouse support via SQL connectors and MCP servers |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T17:19:48.525Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*