Metabase

Accessible open-source BI for no-code exploration, SQL analysis, and embedded dashboards

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Metabase is an open-source business intelligence and visualization platform for asking questions, building dashboards, and sharing data. Its no-code query builder supports business users, while SQL, self-hosting, and embedded analytics serve technical and SaaS teams.

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Updated

2026-09-11

Platforms

Web / Cloud / Self-hosted

Freemium

Open Source: free to self-host, with no-code questions, SQL, dashboards, and core visualization features; hosting and operations remain your responsibility. Cloud Starter: the user-provided reference is $100/month including 5 users, with additional users around $6/user/month. Pro: the user-provided reference is $575/month including 10 users, with additional users around $12/user/month, plus SSO, data permissions, interactive embedding, and white-labeling. Enterprise: custom pricing; the user-provided reference is about $20,000/year and may include dedicated support, air-gapped deployment, and advanced compliance. Metabase's official pricing page states that current Pro and Enterprise pricing, support, procurement, deployment, and embedding packages can be customized. Monthly/annual terms, user counts, embedded analytics limits, and current prices may change; confirm the official plan and quote before purchase.

* Pricing is for reference only; see the official site for current pricing.

metabase.com

Metabase Key Features

Visual query builder
Use point-and-click questions and visualizations to investigate connected data sources.
Dashboard sharing
Combine saved questions, charts, and filters into dashboards for teams and stakeholders.
SQL editor
Give technical users a native SQL workflow for complex queries and reusable analysis.
Embedded analytics
Embed interactive questions and dashboards into SaaS applications and customer portals.

Metabase Best For

Startup and business teams

Ask questions and build dashboards without waiting for an analyst to write every query.

SaaS product teams

Embed interactive analytics into customer-facing products with paid deployment options.

Data engineering and DevOps teams

Self-host a flexible BI layer while retaining control over data, infrastructure, and access.

Pros

Free open-source self-hosting option
Friendly no-code experience for business users
Supports SQL and embedded analytics in one platform

Considerations

Self-hosting requires infrastructure and maintenance
Advanced permissions and embedding require paid plans
Pricing and enterprise terms may require a sales process

Metabase Quick Start and Practical Tips

Quick start

1
Model the warehouse into curated tables first, so the query builder offers readable names instead of raw join noise.
2
Save each business question as a card and build dashboards from cards, not from ad-hoc queries.
3
Set row-level sandboxing per group before inviting business users, since group permissions alone do not filter rows.

Pro tip

Core tip: the no-code builder is only as friendly as your schema. Renaming columns in Metabase's data model solves more confusion than any training session. Also check how each question joins tables; auto-generated joins on similarly named columns are a frequent source of doubled totals.