# Looker vs Metabase

**Leader by Vioscale score:** Metabase

| Attribute | Looker | Metabase |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 47.1 (56% (medium)) | 56.2 (75% (high)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | - | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | - | 1 |
| adoption.github_stars | - | 48,944 |
| adoption.stackoverflow_questions | 2,000 | 1,000 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Looker is a business intelligence and embedded analytics platform owned by Google Cloud that helps organizations explore, visualize, and analyze data to support decision-making. It serves business analysts, data teams, and enterprises seeking to build dashboards, create reports, and embed analytics capabilities into custom applications.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/looker","question":"What is Looker and what is it used for?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"LookML is Looker's proprietary data modeling language that allows developers to define semantic layers, transformations, and business logic on top of raw data. It enables organizations to create a governed, reusable data model that ensures consistent definitions and metrics across all analytics within the platform.","source":"https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/intro","question":"What is LookML and why does Looker use it?","confidence":0.9},{"answer":"Looker uses a subscription-based pricing model with three platform editions (Standard, Enterprise, and Embed) requiring annual commitments. Pricing includes both a platform fee and per-user licensing costs based on user type (Developer, Standard, or Viewer). New customers can access a free trial with 300 dollars in Google Cloud credits.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/looker/pricing","question":"What is the pricing model for Looker?","confidence":0.92},{"answer":"Looker does not offer a permanent free tier, but new users can start with a free trial that includes 300 dollars in Google Cloud credits to explore the platform's capabilities. After the trial period, a paid subscription is required to continue using the platform.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/looker/pricing","question":"Can you use Looker for free?","confidence":0.9},{"answer":"No, Looker is a commercial, proprietary software product owned by Google Cloud. The platform is not open source and requires a paid subscription license to use. Google acquired Looker in 2019 and integrates it as part of its cloud analytics offerings.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/looker","question":"Is Looker open source?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Embedded analytics refer to integrating Looker dashboards and visualizations directly into third-party applications or custom software, rather than accessing analytics through a separate analytics interface. Organizations use this capability to provide analytics features to end users without requiring them to log into Looker directly, enabling analytics to be embedded in customer-facing applications or internal business systems.","source":"https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs/intro","question":"What are embedded analytics in Looker and when would you use them?","confidence":0.88},{"answer":"Looker provides REST APIs that developers can use to build custom applications, automate workflows, and integrate Looker functionality with other tools. Developers can work with LookML for data modeling and use the SQL Runner tool to write custom SQL queries. The APIs enable programmatic access to dashboards, queries, and user management features.","source":"https://docs.cloud.google.com/looker/docs","question":"What programming languages and APIs does Looker support for developers?","confidence":0.87},{"answer":"Looker is primarily deployed as a cloud-based service (SaaS) running on Google Cloud Platform, with customers accessing it through web browsers and mobile applications. The platform is not designed for traditional on-premises self-hosting, positioning it as a fully managed cloud solution.","source":"https://cloud.google.com/looker","question":"Is Looker cloud-only or can it be self-hosted?","confidence":0.9}]` | `[{"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}` | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Looker transforms static dashboards into governed, agentic analytics experiences. It combines natural language interactions powered by Gemini with a semantic layer to enable organizations to explore data conversationally and automate business decisions through AI agents. | 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,"paradigm":"nlq_search","free_tier":true,"managed_cloud":true,"semantic_layer":"built_in","warehouse_native":true,"connector_breadth":"Cloud data warehouses (Snowflake confirmed), OAuth-authenticated data sources","scheduled_reports":true,"embedded_analytics":true,"transparent_pricing":false}` | `{"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 | 1 | 27 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Snowflake"}]` | `[{"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 | - | Clojure |
| market.availability | `{"source":"https://cloud.google.com/looker","hqCountry":"US","confidence":0.85,"primaryMarkets":["US","GB","DE","JP","AU"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":["US","EU"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"cli":true,"web":true}` |
| pricing | - | `{"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 | no | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | - | low |
| pricing.transparent | no | no |
| release.cadence_days | 30 | 21 |
| release.history | - | `[{"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.sla_pct | 99.9 | - |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.gdpr | yes | yes |
| security.iso27001 | yes | - |
| security.scorecard | - | 5.9 |
| security.soc2 | yes | yes |
| security.vulnerabilities | - | `{"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 | Looker | Metabase |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| BI paradigm | NLQ / search | Governed dashboards |
| Semantic / modelling layer | Built-in | 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 | Cloud data warehouses (Snowflake confirmed), OAuth-authenticated data sources | Broad database and warehouse support via SQL connectors and MCP servers |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T14:44:42.109Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*