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Technology · head to head

Amplitude vs Metabase

Amplitude logo

Amplitude

Technology

The digital analytics platform to understand your users

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Metabase logo

Metabase

Spreadsheet & Data

Fast analytics with the friendly UX

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Amplitude metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow; Metabase row and column level permissions and SSO available only in Pro tier and above
  • They diverge on capability: Amplitude covers Event tracking, Metabase covers No-code Query Builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amplitude and Metabase actually diverge.

Attributes where Amplitude and Metabase differ
AttributeAmplitudeMetabase
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb, Self-hosted cloud
CategoryTechnologySpreadsheet & Data
Founded20122014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), 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 Amplitude

  • Event tracking
  • User segmentation
  • Funnel analysis
  • Retention analysis
  • Cohort analysis
  • A/B testing
  • Revenue analytics
  • Predictive analytics

Only in Metabase

  • No-code Query Builder
  • SQL Editor
  • Interactive Dashboards
  • Alerts
  • Embedding
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • MongoDB

Both cover

  • Snowflake
  • BigQuery
  • Redshift

What people use each for

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

Amplitude

  • User behavior analysisnot Metabase
  • Feature adoption trackingnot Metabase
  • Conversion rate optimizationnot Metabase
  • Customer journey mappingnot Metabase
  • Retention improvementnot Metabase

Metabase

  • Business intelligence and data exploration for non-technical usersnot Amplitude
  • Embedded analytics for SaaS applicationsnot Amplitude
  • Self-service reporting and dashboard creationnot Amplitude
  • Integration with 40+ data sources including cloud warehousesnot Amplitude

Where each one falls short

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

Amplitude

  • Metered on event volume, so instrumenting more of a product raises the bill even if the audience does not grow
  • The free plan covers 2M events a month
  • The Plus plan scales to 70M events, above which pricing is custom
  • Growth and Enterprise pricing is not published

Metabase

  • Row and column level permissions and SSO available only in Pro tier and above
  • Advanced analytics features like multi-tenant embedded analytics require Pro tier or higher
  • AI-powered features incur additional usage-based costs: $3.75 per 1M tokens
  • Self-hosted deployment on Free/Open Source tier requires infrastructure management

Pricing, plan by plan

Amplitude

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 2 million events per month
  • Plus$49/month
    • $0.049 per MTU
    • Up to 300k MTUs
    • Advanced analytics
  • GrowthFree
    • Causal insights
    • Feature experimentation
    • Real-time streaming
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Cross-product analysis
    • Advanced permissions
    • Dedicated account manager

Metabase

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Metabase review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Amplitude if

  • You need event tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want user segmentation.
Amplitude review

Choose Metabase if

  • You need no-code query builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted cloud.
  • You also want sql editor.
Metabase review

Questions people ask

Is Amplitude or Metabase better?
Neither clearly leads. Amplitude starts at Free and Metabase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amplitude or Metabase?
Amplitude starts at Free and Metabase at Free.
Does Amplitude or Metabase run on more platforms?
Amplitude runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Metabase runs on Web, Self-hosted cloud.
Can I use Amplitude for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Amplitude best used for?
Amplitude is most often used for user behavior analysis, feature adoption tracking, conversion rate optimization, customer journey mapping. Of those, user behavior analysis and feature adoption tracking are not what Metabase is typically brought in for.
What can Amplitude do that Metabase cannot?
Amplitude covers Event tracking, User segmentation, Funnel analysis, Retention analysis. Metabase covers No-code Query Builder, SQL Editor, Interactive Dashboards, Alerts. Both handle Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amplitude: Does Amplitude have a free plan?

Yes, Amplitude offers a free Starter plan with 2 million events per month and access to the entire platform including analytics, session replay, and experimentation features.

Source
Amplitude: What is Amplitude's pricing based on?

Amplitude's pricing is based on the number of monthly tracked users (MTUs), data volume, and advanced features selected. The Plus plan starts at $49 per month with a rate of $0.049 per MTU.

Source
Amplitude: What analytics features does every Amplitude plan include?

Every plan includes access to the full platform: analytics, session replay, feature experimentation, web experimentation, guides and surveys, activation, and AI tools like AI Feedback and AI Assistant.

Source
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