Metabase
Business IntelligenceA business intelligence tool where people ask questions of their databases through a query builder or SQL and build dashboards.
What the free edition leaves out
Scroll sideways to view all columns →The free edition is genuinely usable, but some team or enterprise features need a paid plan. “Not confirmed” means the official pages we read did not say, so we do not guess.
| Feature | Free edition | Details | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSO / SAML | Paid | The SAML docs say SAML is only available on Pro and Enterprise plans, both self-hosted and on Metabase Cloud. The people-and-groups docs list Google sign-in and basic LDAP for Open Source and Starter. | Source ↗ |
| Role-based access control | Not confirmed | The pricing page lists row and column level permissions under 'All Open Source features, plus' for Pro. The pages read do not say what permission controls the Open Source edition includes. | Source ↗ |
| Audit logs | Paid | The pricing page lists 'Usage analytics & auditing' under 'All Open Source features, plus' for Pro. | Source ↗ |
| Multi-user / teams | Free | The pricing page lists 'Free unlimited users' for the Open Source plan. | Source ↗ |
| Backups and restore | Not confirmed | The docs only say to back up the application database with the database's own tools (copy the H2 file, or use PostgreSQL backup methods). They state no edition difference. | Source ↗ |
| API access | Not confirmed | A page titled Metabase API documentation exists; it states no edition availability. | Source ↗ |
| Support SLA | Paid | The pricing page lists a 1-day support SLA under the Enterprise plan, and lists support by email under Starter. The Open Source plan lists no support. | Source ↗ |
Best for
Teams that want self-service dashboards and questions on their own databases without per-user fees.
Why choose it over Tableau
The open-source edition is AGPL-3.0, can be self-hosted from one Docker container or JAR, and has no user limit per the pricing page. People can explore data by clicking in a query builder or by writing SQL, so analysts are not the only ones who can answer questions.
Where it falls short
SAML, usage analytics and auditing, and row and column level permissions are listed under the paid Pro plan or higher, and the SLA only under Enterprise. The Enterprise code in the repository is under the Metabase Commercial License, not AGPL. Open source has no listed support.
Open-source alternative to
- Tableau — Metabase can replace Tableau for dashboards and ad hoc questions over your own databases.
- Looker — Metabase can replace Looker for self-service dashboards and reporting on your own data.
Category
Business IntelligenceTopics
Tech stack
TypeScript
JavaScript
DockerLanguages as reported by GitHub for the repository.
