Overview
Metabase is an open source business intelligence platform that helps teams connect databases, ask questions, build dashboards, share metrics, and embed analytics into internal or customer-facing products. It is widely used because the core BI experience can be self-hosted for free, while paid cloud and enterprise plans add managed hosting, support, permissions, embedding, white labeling, and compliance features.
The product is designed for teams that want analytics to be approachable for non-technical users without removing power-user tools. Business users can build charts through the query builder, analysts can write SQL, and admins can organize content into collections, dashboards, metrics, and models. Dashboard filters, subscriptions, drill-through interactions, and basic embedding help Metabase cover day-to-day reporting without forcing every request through a data team.
Metabase's AI layer is called Metabot. It can create charts from natural-language prompts, generate and debug SQL, analyze existing visualizations, and answer documentation questions. Importantly, Metabot is built around the logged-in user's permissions and semantic definitions, so teams can experiment with AI data analysis without asking employees to paste private data into external chatbots.
Key Features
Open source BI core - Self-host the core Metabase experience for free and give teams dashboards, charts, questions, SQL exploration, and basic embedding without a commercial BI contract.
Query builder and SQL editor - Non-technical users can build questions visually, while analysts can use SQL for more complex analysis and save reusable questions for the rest of the company.
Dashboards and subscriptions - Arrange charts, text cards, filters, and interactive drill paths into dashboards, then send recurring dashboard updates by email or Slack.
Metabot AI assistant - On Metabase Cloud, Metabot can turn natural language into charts, generate SQL, fix query errors, analyze charts, and save results into dashboards or collections; teams comparing conversational data tools may also evaluate Dex.
Permissions and governance - Paid plans add stronger controls such as row- and column-level permissions, SSO, SCIM, usage analytics, staging and production environments, and granular data segregation.
Embedded analytics - Teams can embed charts, dashboards, or full analytics experiences into customer-facing products, with white labeling and multi-tenant controls on higher plans.
How to Get Started
Metabase can start as a small internal BI tool and grow into a governed analytics layer:
- Choose hosting - Use Open Source if your team can self-host, or choose Cloud if you want managed hosting, upgrades, backups, and support.
- Connect the first database - Start with a read-only analytics database or warehouse, then define database permissions before inviting broader teams.
- Create canonical questions and dashboards - Build the first executive, sales, product, or operations dashboard before encouraging ad hoc exploration.
- Add models, metrics, and definitions - Give business users reliable names and reusable logic so dashboards do not drift across teams.
- Evaluate Metabot AI - Test natural-language charting and SQL generation on real analytics questions, then compare outputs against analyst-approved queries.
- Scale governance - Move to Pro or Enterprise when SSO, SCIM, row-level controls, white labeling, embedded analytics, or environment management become required.
Pricing & Plans
Metabase has a free open source edition plus paid cloud and enterprise plans. Annual prices listed by Metabase include a base subscription and per-user pricing.
| Plan | Pricing | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Developers and small teams that can self-host and do not need Metabot AI, managed support, or advanced governance |
| Starter | $100/month plus $6/user/month, or $1,080/year plus $65/user/year; first 5 users included | Teams that want a managed cloud Metabase instance, automatic upgrades, backups, monitoring, support, and access to Metabot AI |
| Pro | $575/month plus $12/user/month, or $6,210/year plus $130/user/year; first 10 users included | Teams needing advanced permissions, SSO, SCIM, caching, usage analytics, white labeling, staging/production environments, and embedded analytics |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing, starts at $20k/year | Larger organizations needing procurement support, 1-day SLA, optional air-gapped or single-tenant hosting, professional services, and custom AI options |
Metabot AI is not part of the free Open Source edition. Metabase documents it as a Cloud add-on, and pricing should be confirmed based on expected AI request volume and the selected Metabase plan.
Best For
- Startups and data teams that want a free, self-hosted BI layer before buying a larger analytics platform such as Superset.
- Operations, product, revenue, and support teams that need self-service dashboards without writing SQL for every question.
- Engineering teams embedding customer-facing dashboards or charts into SaaS products.
- Companies moving from AI spreadsheet workflows to governed dashboards, permissions, models, and data-quality controls around AI-generated answers.
- Organizations comparing open source BI against proprietary tools and willing to trade some polish for flexibility and control.
FAQ
What is Metabase?
Metabase is an open source business intelligence platform for connecting databases, asking questions, building dashboards, sharing analytics, and embedding reporting into products.
Is Metabase free?
Yes. Metabase Open Source is free to self-host. Paid plans add managed cloud hosting, support, advanced governance, embedding, white labeling, and enterprise deployment options.
How much does Metabase Cloud cost?
Metabase Starter is listed at $100/month plus $6 per user/month on monthly billing, with the first 5 users included. Pro is listed at $575/month plus $12 per user/month, with the first 10 users included. Annual billing is also available.
What is Metabot AI?
Metabot is Metabase's AI assistant. It can create charts from natural language, generate SQL, fix SQL errors, analyze visualizations, and answer questions about Metabase documentation. It is closer to a governed analytics assistant than a general AI chatbot, because it works inside Metabase permissions and data models.
Is Metabot available in Metabase Open Source?
No. Metabase documents Metabot as available for Metabase Cloud as an add-on. Open Source users do not get Metabot AI by default.
Can Metabase embed analytics in a SaaS product?
Yes. Metabase supports embedded analytics. Basic embedding is available in the open source product with branding, while paid plans add stronger customization, white labeling, multi-tenant controls, and embedding options.
Is Metabase good for non-technical users?
Yes, if the data team sets up clear tables, models, metrics, and dashboards. Non-technical users can use the query builder and dashboards, while analysts can still write SQL when needed.
When should a team choose Pro or Enterprise?
Choose Pro when you need SSO, SCIM, granular permissions, caching controls, usage analytics, white labeling, or production/staging management. Choose Enterprise for procurement, 1-day support SLA, professional services, air-gapped deployment, or custom hosting needs.
