Metabase review (2026): features, pros and cons, pricing
Open-source BI tool with a free self-hosted edition and cloud plans priced by a base fee plus extra users.
Verdict at a glance
Metabase is an open-source BI tool with a free self-hosted edition and cloud plans that charge a base fee plus extra users. Reviewers like its easy setup and good dashboards, and dashboards, queries and data sources carry no extra cost.
Pros
- Easy setup.
- Good dashboards.
Cons
- Support quality weaker in G2 summaries.
- Advanced transformation limited.
What is Metabase?
Open-source BI tool with a free self-hosted edition and cloud plans priced by a base fee plus extra users. It is built for small teams wanting a free self-hosted start and startups needing cheap per-user cloud BI. Metabase was founded in 2015 and is based in San Francisco, US.
Category: Business Intelligence Software
Metabase key features
| Feature | What we found |
|---|---|
| Data connectors | 20+ data sources on open source. |
| Self-service analytics | Strong ease-of-setup and dashboard scores on G2 summaries. |
| Visualization and dashboards | Unlimited questions and dashboards on all plans. |
| Data modeling and governance | Row and column permissions on Pro; transforms with 1,000 runs included on Starter/Pro. |
| Embedded analytics | Advanced embedding needs Pro or Enterprise; starts at $575/mo; whitelabel and multi-tenant on Pro. |
| AI and natural language queries | AI on your preferred model, MCP server on open source; Metabase-hosted AI $3.75 per 1M tokens. |
Metabase pricing
Cloud pricing is a base fee plus extra users. Starter is $100 per month or $1,080 per year and includes the first 5 users, with extra users at $6 per month or $65 per year. Pro is $575 per month or $6,210 per year, includes 10 users, and adds extra users at $12 per month or $130 per year. Yearly billing saves about 10%. Add-ons include AI at $3.75 per 1M tokens, storage from $2 per 1M rows, and transforms at $0.01 per run after 1,000 runs. Enterprise starts from $20,000 per year. Billing is prorated when users are added or deactivated.
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | unlimited users | Self-hosted |
| Starter | $100/mo or $1,080/yr | first 5 users; extra $6/mo or $65/yr | 3-day support |
| Pro | $575/mo or $6,210/yr | first 10 users; extra $12/mo or $130/yr | SSO, row/column permissions, auditing, whitelabel, multi-tenant embedding |
| Enterprise | From $20,000/yr | custom | Success engineer, procurement help, air-gap option, 1-day support SLA |
14-day trial on Starter and Pro. Yearly saves 10%. Anyone who logs in counts as a user. Usage add-ons: AI $3.75 per 1M tokens, storage from $2 per 1M rows.
Who Metabase is best for
Best for
- Small teams wanting a free self-hosted start.
- Startups needing cheap per-user cloud BI.
- Teams embedding analytics (Pro from $575/mo)
Not ideal for
- Buyers needing SSO on the cheapest plan: SSO starts on Pro.
- Large governed semantic-layer rollouts (not confirmed by the vendor)
Metabase alternatives
Microsoft Power BIMicrosoft 365 and Azure shops.
TableauAnalyst-led teams doing deep visual exploration.
LookerData teams that want a central semantic layer (LookML)
Looker StudioMarketers reporting from Google Analytics 4 and Search Console.
Qlik SenseMid-size and large teams that want many users on one fixed annual fee (Standard onward adds users at no cost)
DataboxSmall teams and agencies that want KPI dashboards from SaaS data sources without a data team.
What Metabase really costs
- Per seat per month
- Starter: $6/mo per extra user after first 5 ($65/yr); Pro: $12/mo after first 10 ($130/yr)
- Billing
- Monthly and annual.
- Annual discount
- About 10% vs monthly (page); Starter 1,080 vs 1,200.
- Minimum seats
- Base fee covers first 5 (Starter) or 10 (Pro) users.
- 20 users per year
- Starter yearly: $1,080 + 15 x $65 = $2,055/yr. Pro yearly: $6,210 + 10 x $130 = $7,510/yr.
Add-ons and extras to budget for
- AI tokens $3.75 per 1M.
- Transforms $0.01 per run after 1,000.
- Storage from $2 per 1M rows after first 1M.
Questions to ask about price
- How much can the price rise at renewal, and is the increase capped in the contract?
- Are there one-time costs for implementation, onboarding or data migration?
Is Metabase worth the price?
Good value for small teams that can live with the free self-hosted edition, and for startups that need cheap per-user cloud BI on Starter. For a team of 20, Starter yearly comes to $2,055 and Pro yearly to $7,510. It gets expensive when you need SSO or audit features, since they require Pro, and when you embed analytics with whitelabel, which also needs Pro. Reviewers also mention weaker support and limited advanced transformation.
Worth it if
- Small teams wanting a free self-hosted start.
- Startups needing cheap per-user cloud BI.
- Teams embedding analytics (Pro from $575/mo)
Look elsewhere if
- Buyers needing SSO on the cheapest plan: SSO starts on Pro.
- Large governed semantic-layer rollouts (not confirmed by the vendor)
Cheaper per seat than Metabase
- Looker Studio$0 free; Pro about $9 per user per project.
Pricing details most reviews leave out
- SSO requires Pro ($575/mo): Starter has none.
- Cloud hosting options in US, Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
- Billing prorated when users added or deactivated; licences non-transferable.
- Enterprise includes an air-gap option and procurement help.
Our verdict on Metabase
Metabase is one of the cheaper ways to get business intelligence in front of a team. The open-source edition is free and self-hosted with unlimited users, and the cloud plans start at $100 per month (or $1,080 per year) for the first 5 users on Starter. G2 reviewers (4.4 from 141 reviews) praise easy setup and good dashboards. Heavy AI use, storage and transforms can add usage charges on top of the base fee.
The catch is that useful controls sit higher up the ladder. SSO, auditing, row and column permissions and whitelabel embedding all start on Pro at $575 per month, a more than fivefold jump from Starter. Anyone who logs in counts as a user, so occasional viewers add to the bill.
Metabase FAQ
What is Metabase used for?
Metabase is an open-source BI tool with a free self-hosted edition and cloud plans that charge a base fee plus extra users. Reviewers like its easy setup and good dashboards, and dashboards, queries and data sources carry no extra cost. It suits small teams wanting a free self-hosted start.
Is Metabase free?
Yes. The Open Source edition is free, self-hosted and has unlimited users. Cloud plans are paid, with a 14-day trial on Starter and Pro.
How much does Metabase cost for 20 users?
On yearly billing, Starter is $1,080 plus 15 extra users at $65, which is $2,055 per year. Pro is $6,210 plus 10 extra users at $130, which is $7,510 per year.
What do Metabase add-ons cost?
AI is $3.75 per 1M tokens, storage starts at $2 per 1M rows after the first million, and transforms cost $0.01 per run after 1,000 runs.
About Metabase
- Founded
- 2015.
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, US.
- Employees
- 51-200.
- Funding or owner
- Series B $30M in Aug 2021 (Insight Partners), $42.5M total then.
Listed in: Business Intelligence Software
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Metabase's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.