Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Metabase.
Want the closest match?
DremioMost similar to Metabase in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Dremio in a new tab)Need a free plan?
ModeHas a free plan, rated 4.3 out of 5.
Visit (opens Mode in a new tab)Want the lowest price?
CoginitiFrom $15.75/mo, the lowest starting price here.
Visit (opens Coginiti in a new tab)Want the best rated?
KyvosRated 4.2 out of 5 in our review, against 3.8 for Metabase.
Visit (opens Kyvos in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Metabase, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 MetabaseBaseline | 3.8 | Free | Yes | Metabase AI answers natural-language questions on every tier - including the free, self-hosted open-source edition - with inspectable, verifiable queries. | |
| Dremio | 3.8Same | Not listed | No | A built-in AI agent ships out of the box, with MCP integration connecting Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini directly to your lakehouse in minutes. | vs Metabase |
 TimeXtender | 3.7−0.1 | Not listed | No | "The Control Layer for AI-Ready Data" - Xpilot Analytics lets you chat with your governed data, and an MCP Server connects it directly to AI tools and agents. | vs Metabase |
| Coginiti | 4.2+0.4 | $15.75/mo | No | Coginiti pairs an AI SQL assistant with a governed semantic layer so data teams and AI agents work from the same trusted metrics. | vs Metabase |
| Kyvos | 4.2+0.4 | Not listed | No | A semantic layer sitting underneath Tableau, Looker, and Power BI at once | vs Metabase |
 Wren AI | 4.2+0.4 | Free | Yes | Git-native semantic governance, built by Canner as open-source GenBI | vs Metabase |
| Mode | 4.3+0.5 | Free | Yes | Now a ThoughtSpot subsidiary, following a 2023 acquisition | vs Metabase |
 DolphinDB | 4.1+0.3 | Free | Yes | Time-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. | vs Metabase |
 Raw Query | 3.2−0.6 | Free | Yes | Ask your database a question in plain English instead of writing SQL - GPT-3-powered, connects to Postgres, MySQL, and MariaDB, with connection strings hashed and no data stored. | vs Metabase |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Metabase.
Dremio
3.8Not listed
vs MetabaseSame
A built-in AI agent ships out of the box, with MCP integration connecting Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini directly to your lakehouse in minutes.
- Built-in AI agent, ready out of the box
- MCP integration for Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini
- AI Semantic Layer providing business context to agents
AI Semantic Layer gives agents real business context, not just raw table access
Pricing details beyond the trial aren't shown on the homepage
TimeXtender
3.7Not listed
vs Metabase−0.1
"The Control Layer for AI-Ready Data" - Xpilot Analytics lets you chat with your governed data, and an MCP Server connects it directly to AI tools and agents.
- Xpilot Analytics - conversational AI queries on governed data
- MCP Server for connecting data to AI tools and agents
- Metadata-driven AI/ML pipeline generation and data discovery
Grounds AI answers in governed definitions rather than raw, undocumented tables
No published pricing - requires booking a demo
Coginiti
4.2$15.75/mo
vs Metabase+0.4
Coginiti pairs an AI SQL assistant with a governed semantic layer so data teams and AI agents work from the same trusted metrics.
- AI SQL assistant for query generation and optimization
- Governed semantic layer shared between humans and AI agents
- Connectors to 21+ database and warehouse platforms
Broad database connector coverage spans legacy and modern platforms
No perpetual free plan, only a 14-day trial
Kyvos
4.2Not listed
vs Metabase+0.4
A semantic layer sitting underneath Tableau, Looker, and Power BI at once.
- Semantic layer feeding Tableau, Looker, Power BI, Excel, and MicroStrategy at once
- Addresses metric drift across different BI tools and teams
- AI-powered smart aggregation on a distributed, elastic architecture
Solves metric-drift consistency issues most standalone BI tools don't address
Usage-based pricing takes more upfront estimation than a flat subscription
Wren AI
4.2Free
vs Metabase+0.4
Git-native semantic governance, built by Canner as open-source GenBI.
- MDL semantic layer versioned and reviewed like software
- Git-native branching and pull-request review for metric definitions
- Multi-step agentic reasoning in sandboxed environments
Git-native governance applies real software engineering rigor to BI
Git-based workflow assumes comfort with software engineering practices
Mode
4.3Free
vs Metabase+0.5
Now a ThoughtSpot subsidiary, following a 2023 acquisition.
- SQL and Python notebooks for code-first analysis
- Acquired by ThoughtSpot in 2023 for $200 million
- Now a wholly owned ThoughtSpot subsidiary
Long-established, proven code-first analyst workflow
No longer an independent company, product direction now follows ThoughtSpot's roadmap
DolphinDB
4.1Free
vs Metabase+0.3
Time-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.
- Chat-to-Query text-to-SQL for plain-language questions
- Smart Q&A with retrieval-augmented search
- Native MCP support so LLMs can query the database
Community Edition comes with a perpetual license
No prices published for the Enterprise edition
Raw Query
3.2Free
vs Metabase−0.6
Ask your database a question in plain English instead of writing SQL - GPT-3-powered, connects to Postgres, MySQL, and MariaDB, with connection strings hashed and no data stored.
- Natural language database querying via GPT-3
- Multi-database support - Postgres, MySQL, MariaDB
- Data insertion and updates, not just read-only queries
Named, real underlying model (GPT-3)
Insert/update operations currently limited to Postgres only
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Metabase free?
Metabase has a free plan.
What is the best free alternative to Metabase?
Mode is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.3 out of 5). Other free options: Wren AI, DolphinDB, Raw Query.
What is the cheapest alternative to Metabase?
Among paid plans, Coginiti has the lowest starting price (from $15.75/mo). If you need it free, start with Mode.
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.