An open-source business-intelligence tool that lets teams explore a database with no-code questions or SQL and build shareable dashboards.

Can I self-host Metabase for free?

Yes. The open-source edition is free to self-host, while a paid cloud option removes the maintenance burden and adds advanced features.

Do I need SQL to use Metabase?

No. A visual question builder covers many needs, and analysts can switch to SQL for complex queries when the no-code path is not enough.

What are Metabase's main limits?

It runs queries live against your database, so speed depends on that source, and its visualizations are simpler than dedicated enterprise BI tools.

Platform · analytics data

Metabase

Open-source business intelligence with SQL and no-code questions

est. 2015United StatesAI ecosystem: medium

Visit Metabase→www.metabase.com

The verdict

Metabase is an open-source BI tool that lets teams explore a database through no-code questions or SQL, then build dashboards and embed them. It can be self-hosted or run as a managed cloud service.

What it is

Metabase connects directly to a database and lets non-technical users ask questions through a visual query builder, while analysts drop into SQL when needed. Dashboards, alerts and embedded analytics round it out, and self-hosting keeps data in your own environment. Because it queries the source database live, performance depends on that database, very advanced visualizations are limited, and self-hosting shifts maintenance and security onto your team.

Strengths

No-code question builder lets non-analysts explore data, SQL when needed
Open-source core can be self-hosted to keep data in your environment
Dashboards, alerts and embedded analytics in one tool

Trade-offs

Live queries mean performance is bound to the source database
Advanced visualization options are limited versus heavyweight BI
Self-hosting puts upgrades, scaling and security on your team

Best for

Giving a team self-serve dashboards over an existing database without buying enterprise BI seats.

Not for

Organizations needing polished executive visualizations or a fully managed, zero-maintenance BI service out of the box.

The AI ecosystem

Connects to many databases/warehouses, public API, embedding SDK, open-source core, and emerging AI/natural-language querying. Open-source BI ecosystem; embedded in many products.

Public APIZapierMetabase integrations / partners

Pricing

Free Open Source (self-hosted); paid Starter (cloud, from ~$85/mo) and Pro/Enterprise scaling by users/features. Self-hosted Pro/Enterprise also available.

Open Source (Free)

Free

self-hosted
core BI

Starter (Cloud)

Custom

hosted
more features

Pro/Enterprise

Custom

embedding/SSO
governance

What people build with it

dashboards and reportsno-code and SQL queriesembedded analyticsdata alertsself-hosted BI

Frequently asked

What is Metabase?: An open-source business-intelligence tool that lets teams explore a database with no-code questions or SQL and build shareable dashboards.
Can I self-host Metabase for free?: Yes. The open-source edition is free to self-host, while a paid cloud option removes the maintenance burden and adds advanced features.
Do I need SQL to use Metabase?: No. A visual question builder covers many needs, and analysts can switch to SQL for complex queries when the no-code path is not enough.
What are Metabase's main limits?: It runs queries live against your database, so speed depends on that source, and its visualizations are simpler than dedicated enterprise BI tools.