List your tool

8 alternatives · updated Oct 2026

The best DolphinDB alternatives in 2026

8 tools that do the job DolphinDB does. Each one is measured against DolphinDB on price, free plan and our rating, so you can see what you gain by switching.

Shortlist by what you need

Start here if you know why you are leaving DolphinDB.

  1. Want the closest match?

    Kinetica

    Most similar to DolphinDB in what it does, its category and its price.

    Visit (opens Kinetica in a new tab)

  2. Need a free plan?

    Vanna

    Has a free plan, rated 4.4 out of 5.

    Visit (opens Vanna in a new tab)

  3. Want the lowest price?

    Livedocs

    From $15/mo, the lowest starting price here.

    Visit (opens Livedocs in a new tab)

  4. Want the best rated?

    Fluent

    Rated 4.0 out of 5 in our review, against 4.1 for DolphinDB.

    Visit (opens Fluent in a new tab)

At a glance

Green means better than DolphinDB, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.

ToolOur ratingStarts atFree planBest forCompare
DolphinDBBaseline4.1FreeYesTime-series database and real-time computing platform with AI features on top: Chat-to-Query text-to-SQL, RAG-based Smart Q&A, native MCP support for LLMs, in-database ML inference and the DolphinMind assistant.
Kinetica3.7−0.4FreeYes"Stop duct-taping five databases behind your agent stack" - GraphRAG support and vectorized GPU processing built specifically for AI agent infrastructure.vs DolphinDB
Vanna4.4+0.3FreeYesAn open-source, self-hostable RAG framework, not a hosted consumer appvs DolphinDB
Fluent4.0−0.1$29/moYesAI data analyst that answers business questions asked in plain English.vs DolphinDB
AskYourDatabase3.8−0.3$49/moNoConversational AI that lets teams query SQL and NoSQL databases in plain language instead of writing queries.vs DolphinDB
Metabase3.8−0.3FreeYesMetabase AI answers natural-language questions on every tier - including the free, self-hosted open-source edition - with inspectable, verifiable queries.vs DolphinDB
Keboola3.9−0.2FreeYesUnified data and AI platform with 1,500+ sources, the Kai assistant, finance agents and an open-source MCP server.vs DolphinDB
OWOX BI3.7−0.4$65/moYes"AI narrates, SQL computes" - ask business questions in Claude or ChatGPT and get deterministic answers traced back to analyst-approved logic, not AI-invented numbers.vs DolphinDB
Livedocs4.1Same$15/moYesUpload a file, ask a question in English, get the chart and the SQL behind it.vs DolphinDB

The alternatives in detail

In order of how closely each one matches DolphinDB.

  1. Kinetica

    3.7Free

    vs DolphinDB−0.4

    "Stop duct-taping five databases behind your agent stack" - GraphRAG support and vectorized GPU processing built specifically for AI agent infrastructure.

    • Native GraphRAG support for knowledge-graph-enhanced retrieval
    • Agent Skills and Toolbelt for building directly on the platform
    • Single-query multi-modal analytics (vector, graph, spatial, time-series)

    Consolidates vector, graph, spatial, and time-series into one queryable engine

    Pay-as-you-go Cloud pricing details aren't shown on the homepage

    Visit Kinetica (opens Kinetica in a new tab)ReviewCompare with DolphinDB

  2. Vanna

    4.4Free

    vs DolphinDB+0.3

    An open-source, self-hostable RAG framework, not a hosted consumer app.

    • Open-source RAG framework for text-to-SQL
    • Self-hostable via pip install with full configuration control
    • Support for multiple LLM providers and databases

    Genuine open-source control over deployment and model choice

    Requires real engineering effort to deploy and configure, not a ready consumer app

    Visit Vanna (opens Vanna in a new tab)ReviewCompare with DolphinDB

  3. Fluent

    4.0$29/mo

    vs DolphinDB−0.1

    AI data analyst that answers business questions asked in plain English.

    • Natural-language question answering over connected business data
    • Shared data dictionary to keep cross-team reporting consistent
    • Industry-specific configurations for finance, healthcare, and education

    Removes the SQL bottleneck for non-technical staff who need data answers

    Professional tier storage and project limits may be tight for larger data teams

    Visit Fluent (opens Fluent in a new tab)ReviewCompare with DolphinDB

  4. vs DolphinDB−0.3

    Conversational AI that lets teams query SQL and NoSQL databases in plain language instead of writing queries.

    • Natural-language querying of SQL and NoSQL databases without writing SQL
    • Desktop app supporting MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and SQL Server
    • Embeddable website chatbot for database Q&A inside other products

    Self-funded and profitable operation suggests a sustainable business model rather than a subsidized free product

    No free plan; every use case requires a paid subscription starting around $49 per month

    Visit AskYourDatabase (opens AskYourDatabase in a new tab)ReviewCompare with DolphinDB

  5. Metabase

    3.8Free

    vs DolphinDB−0.3

    Metabase AI answers natural-language questions on every tier - including the free, self-hosted open-source edition - with inspectable, verifiable queries.

    • Metabase AI - natural-language querying on every tier, including free
    • AI-guided exploration with drill-through root-cause analysis
    • MCP server integration for broader AI workflows

    AI querying available even on the free, self-hosted open-source tier

    Pro and Enterprise tier pricing isn't shown on the landing page

    Visit Metabase (opens Metabase in a new tab)ReviewCompare with DolphinDB

  6. Keboola

    3.9Free

    vs DolphinDB−0.2

    Unified data and AI platform with 1,500+ sources, the Kai assistant, finance agents and an open-source MCP server.

    • Kai assistant for natural-language questions
    • Audit and Controlling Agents for finance monitoring
    • Open-source Keboola MCP Server for AI clients and IDEs

    The free plan includes the MCP Server and the full connector library

    The free plan is small: one project and 60 compute minutes a month

    Visit Keboola (opens Keboola in a new tab)ReviewCompare with DolphinDB

  7. OWOX BI

    3.7$65/mo

    vs DolphinDB−0.4

    "AI narrates, SQL computes" - ask business questions in Claude or ChatGPT and get deterministic answers traced back to analyst-approved logic, not AI-invented numbers.

    • OWOX MCP - ask business questions directly in Claude or ChatGPT
    • Deterministic SQL-grounded answers, not AI-generated numbers
    • Query logging tracks AI attempts to invent non-existent fields

    Deterministic SQL grounding is a genuinely stronger hallucination guardrail than most competitors

    MCP access requires the $90/month Senior Analyst tier or above

    Visit OWOX BI (opens OWOX BI in a new tab)ReviewCompare with DolphinDB

  8. Livedocs

    4.1$15/mo

    vs DolphinDBSame

    Upload a file, ask a question in English, get the chart and the SQL behind it.

    • Natural-language questions answered from an uploaded file
    • SQL query builder alongside the AI layer
    • Interactive dashboards and time series analysis

    Exposes the SQL, so an answer can be checked rather than trusted

    Named use cases are templates, not a promise your schema fits

    Visit Livedocs (opens Livedocs in a new tab)ReviewCompare with DolphinDB

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is DolphinDB free?

DolphinDB has a free plan.

What is the best free alternative to DolphinDB?

Vanna is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.4 out of 5). Other free options: Livedocs, Fluent, Keboola.

What is the cheapest alternative to DolphinDB?

Among paid plans, Livedocs has the lowest starting price (from $15/mo). If you need it free, start with Vanna.

How did you pick these alternatives?

We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.