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Business Intelligence · head to head

Databox vs Fabi

Databox logo

Databox

Business Intelligence

KPI dashboards for business performance

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Fabi logo

Fabi

Business Intelligence

AI notebooks combining SQL, Python and no-code for small data teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Databox data sources are the billing unit, and the $159 Pro plan still includes only 3 before charging $5.60 for each additional one; Fabi fabi is an early-stage company with a small team, so the durability risk is real and there is no obvious migration path for Smartbooks if it stops trading.
  • They diverge on capability: Databox covers Pre-built Dashboards, Fabi covers Smartbooks.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databox and Fabi actually diverge.

Attributes where Databox and Fabi differ
AttributeDataboxFabi
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer user per month
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, TvWeb
Founded2011Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Business Intelligence).

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 Databox

  • Pre-built Dashboards
  • Goal Tracking
  • Alerts
  • Scorecards
  • Mobile App
  • HubSpot
  • Google Analytics
  • Facebook

Only in Fabi

  • Smartbooks
  • Smart Reports
  • AI analysis
  • Scheduled runs
  • Database connectors
  • Viewer seats

What people use each for

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

Databox

  • Building business dashboards from multiple SaaS data sourcesnot Fabi
  • Tracking KPIs and metrics across marketing, sales and finance toolsnot Fabi

Fabi

  • A single analyst at a startup fielding ad hoc questions faster than dashboards can be built for themnot Databox
  • An operations team that needs Python for a one-off analysis but has to hand the result to non-technical colleaguesnot Databox
  • Replacing a set of scheduled Jupyter notebooks that nobody outside the data team can read or rerunnot Databox
  • Exploratory work against a warehouse where building a semantic model first would cost more than the answer is worthnot Databox

Where each one falls short

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

Databox

  • Data sources are the billing unit, and the $159 Pro plan still includes only 3 before charging $5.60 for each additional one
  • The $64 Analyst plan is capped at 5 data sources and a single user
  • The free plan allows 3 data sources, 10 custom metrics and one user
  • AI credits are metered monthly, from 50 on free to 4,000 on Growth
  • Every published price assumes annual billing, with monthly costing 20% more

Fabi

  • Fabi is an early-stage company with a small team, so the durability risk is real and there is no obvious migration path for Smartbooks if it stops trading.
  • There is no meaningful governance layer: no data catalogue, no certified metric definitions and limited lineage, so it does not scale to an organisation that needs a single agreed number.
  • The free and Builder tiers cap AI requests, and the daily cap on Starter is reached quickly during genuine exploratory work.
  • Connector counts are limited by tier, so the Builder plan at 39 dollars connects to exactly one data source, which is rarely enough in practice.
  • It overlaps heavily with what Snowflake, Databricks and Hex now ship natively, so a company already paying for one of those is buying a fourth notebook interface.

Pricing, plan by plan

Databox

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 data sources
    • 1 user
    • 1 dashboard/report
  • Analyst$64/month
    • 5 data sources
    • 1 user
    • Unlimited dashboards and reports
  • Pro$159/month
    • 3 included data sources (additional at $5.60/month)
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited dashboards, reports, custom metrics
  • Growth$399/month
    • 3 included data sources (additional at $5.60/month)
    • Unlimited users
    • All Pro features plus full datasets and forecasting

Fabi

Free
  • StarterFree
    • One builder seat
    • Ten dashboard viewers
    • Five Smartbooks
  • Builder$39/month
    • Twenty-five Smart Report viewers
    • Ten Smartbooks with workflows
    • One data connector
  • Team$199/month
    • Four builder seats, extra seats at 39 USD
    • Fifty viewers
    • Premium connector
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Unlimited builder seats
    • Full connector access
    • Custom security review

Which should you pick?

Choose Databox if

  • You need pre-built dashboards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Tv.
  • You also want goal tracking.
Databox review

Choose Fabi if

  • You need smartbooks.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want smart reports.
Fabi review

Questions people ask

Is Databox or Fabi better?
Neither clearly leads. Databox starts at Free and Fabi at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Databox or Fabi?
Databox starts at Free and Fabi at Free.
Does Databox or Fabi run on more platforms?
Databox runs on Web, Mobile, Tv. Fabi runs on Web.
Can I use Databox for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Databox best used for?
Databox is most often used for building business dashboards from multiple saas data sources, tracking kpis and metrics across marketing, sales and finance tools. Of those, building business dashboards from multiple saas data sources and tracking kpis and metrics across marketing, sales and finance tools are not what Fabi is typically brought in for.
What can Databox do that Fabi cannot?
Databox covers Pre-built Dashboards, Goal Tracking, Alerts, Scorecards. Fabi covers Smartbooks, Smart Reports, AI analysis, Scheduled runs.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Databox: How much does Databox cost?

Databox is free for basic use with 3 data sources and 50 AI credits. Paid plans start at $64/month for the Analyst tier, $159/month for Pro, and $399/month for Growth (most popular). Prices shown are for annual billing; monthly billing costs more. Custom enterprise pricing is available.

Source
Fabi: Is there a free plan?

Yes, a Starter tier with one builder, ten viewers, five Smartbooks and ten AI requests a day.

Databox: What is the difference between Databox plans?

Free plan limits users to 1 with 3 data sources. Analyst tier allows 1 user with 5 data sources and API access. Pro tier adds unlimited users and hourly syncing. Growth tier (most popular) provides 15-minute sync, full forecasting, and a dedicated customer success manager.

Source
Fabi: Do viewers cost money?

Viewers are bundled by tier rather than charged individually; builders are the priced seat.

Databox: How many users can I add to Databox plans?

Free and Analyst tiers are limited to 1 user. Pro, Growth, and Custom tiers offer unlimited users with no per-seat fees.

Source
Fabi: Can I run arbitrary Python?

Yes, Smartbooks include Python cells alongside SQL and no-code steps.

Fabi: How many data connectors does the entry paid plan include?

One. Additional and premium connectors come with the Team tier.

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