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Marketing · head to head

Adobe Analytics vs Lightdash

Adobe Analytics logo

Adobe Analytics

Marketing

Enterprise-class data analytics

From
$5000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lightdash logo

Lightdash

Business Intelligence

Open-source BI for dbt users

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lightdash has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Adobe Analytics every UK G-Cloud listing bundles Adobe Analytics inside Experience Cloud consultancy from resellers including NTT Data, IBM and VE3, with no standalone per unit price published; Lightdash requires existing dbt infrastructure, not suitable for teams without data models
  • They diverge on capability: Adobe Analytics covers Real-time reporting, Lightdash covers dbt Integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Adobe Analytics and Lightdash actually diverge.

Attributes where Adobe Analytics and Lightdash differ
AttributeAdobe AnalyticsLightdash
Starting price$5000/monthFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, ApiWeb, Cloud (managed), Self-hosted (on-premise)
CategoryMarketingBusiness Intelligence
Founded19822021

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Adobe Analytics

  • Real-time reporting
  • Advanced segmentation
  • Attribution modeling
  • Predictive analytics
  • Customer journey mapping
  • Experience Cloud
  • Audience Manager
  • Target

Only in Lightdash

  • dbt Integration
  • Metrics Layer
  • Dashboards
  • Scheduling
  • Version Control
  • dbt
  • BigQuery
  • Snowflake

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Adobe Analytics

  • Advanced analyticsnot Lightdash
  • Marketing optimizationnot Lightdash
  • Customer insightsnot Lightdash

Lightdash

  • Self-service analyticsnot Adobe Analytics
  • Data explorationnot Adobe Analytics
  • Ad-hoc reportingnot Adobe Analytics
  • Collaborative analysisnot Adobe Analytics
  • Embedded analyticsnot Adobe Analytics

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Adobe Analytics

  • Every UK G-Cloud listing bundles Adobe Analytics inside Experience Cloud consultancy from resellers including NTT Data, IBM and VE3, with no standalone per unit price published

Lightdash

  • Requires existing dbt infrastructure, not suitable for teams without data models
  • Enterprise features and AI agents unavailable in open-source MIT-licensed core

Pricing, plan by plan

Adobe Analytics

$5000/month
  • Adobe Analytics$5000/month
    • Real-time analytics
    • Advanced attribution
    • Predictive analytics

Lightdash

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • MIT-licensed core
    • Self-hostable
    • dbt integration
  • Cloud Managed$undefined/mo
    • Managed hosting
    • Premium features
    • AI agent capabilities

Which should you pick?

Choose Adobe Analytics if

  • You need real-time reporting.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Api.
  • You also want advanced segmentation.
Adobe Analytics review

Choose Lightdash if

  • You need dbt integration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Cloud (managed), Self-hosted (on-premise).
  • You also want metrics layer.
Lightdash review

Questions people ask

Is Adobe Analytics or Lightdash better?
Neither clearly leads. Adobe Analytics starts at $5000/month and Lightdash at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Adobe Analytics or Lightdash?
Lightdash has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5000/month for Adobe Analytics and Free for Lightdash.
Does Adobe Analytics or Lightdash run on more platforms?
Adobe Analytics runs on Web, Mobile, Api. Lightdash runs on Web, Cloud (managed), Self-hosted (on-premise).
Can I use Lightdash for free?
Yes. Lightdash has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Adobe Analytics starts at $5000/month.
What is Adobe Analytics best used for?
Adobe Analytics is most often used for advanced analytics, marketing optimization, customer insights. Of those, advanced analytics and marketing optimization are not what Lightdash is typically brought in for.
What can Adobe Analytics do that Lightdash cannot?
Adobe Analytics covers Real-time reporting, Advanced segmentation, Attribution modeling, Predictive analytics. Lightdash covers dbt Integration, Metrics Layer, Dashboards, Scheduling. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lightdash: Is Lightdash free?

Yes. Lightdash is free and open source under the MIT license. Self-hosting is completely free. Managed cloud services and enterprise features require separate licensing.

Source
Lightdash: How does Lightdash integrate with dbt?

Lightdash reads dbt models and metric definitions directly. A team defines metrics once in dbt and reuses them across dashboards, exploration, and AI agents without redefinition.

Source
Lightdash: Does Lightdash support SQL queries?

Yes. As a modern BI platform for analysts, Lightdash supports full SQL capabilities alongside dbt model exploration and visual query builders.

Source
Lightdash: What are Lightdash AI agents?

Lightdash AI agents, available on paid plans, allow natural language queries against your data, generating SQL and visualizations automatically from questions.

Source
Lightdash: Can Lightdash be self-hosted?

Yes. Lightdash's MIT-licensed core is completely self-hostable and free. Enterprise features and AI agents ship under separate licensing.

Source
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