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Metabase vs Apache Superset(2026)

Metabase is better for teams that need free open source. Apache Superset is the stronger choice if feature-rich open source. Metabase is open-source (from $0) and Apache Superset is open-source (from $0).

Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.

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Metabase logo

Metabase

open-source

Metabase is an open-source BI tool that lets anyone in your company — not just analysts — ask questions of your database and build dashboards with a no-SQL query builder.

Starting at $0

Visit Metabase
Apache Superset logo

Apache Superset

open-source

Apache Superset is a modern open-source data exploration platform supporting SQL queries, a chart builder, and interactive dashboards — with enterprise features available via Preset.io.

Starting at $0

Visit Apache Superset

How Do Metabase and Apache Superset Compare on Features?

FeatureMetabaseApache Superset
Pricing modelopen-sourceopen-source
Starting price$0$0
No-SQL question builder
Dashboards
Scheduled reports
Embedding
SQL editor
Caching
Self-hosted or cloud
SQL Lab (query editor)
Chart builder (40+ types)
Row-level security
Semantic layer
API
Self-hostable

Metabase Pros and Cons vs Apache Superset

M

Metabase

+Free open source
+Non-technical user friendly
+Easy embedding
+Active community
Performance on large datasets
Complex permissions in OSS
Limited advanced analytics
A

Apache Superset

+Feature-rich open source
+Apache Foundation backing
+SQL + no-code
+Large community
Complex self-hosting
Security setup non-trivial
Slower release cadence

Should You Use Metabase or Apache Superset?

Choose Metabase if…

  • Free open source
  • Non-technical user friendly
  • Easy embedding

Choose Apache Superset if…

  • Feature-rich open source
  • Apache Foundation backing
  • SQL + no-code

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