Softwr

Business Intelligence · head to head

Databox vs Hex

Databox logo

Databox

Business Intelligence

KPI dashboards that pull from the tools you already run on

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Hex logo

Hex

Business Intelligence

AI-powered analytics platform unifying notebooks, dashboards, and business intelligence

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Databox data sources are the billing unit, so cost tracks the number of tools you connect rather than the value you get from them; Hex pricing based per-seat ($36-$75/editor/month) becomes expensive for large teams
  • They diverge on capability: Databox covers Pre-built dashboards, Hex covers Agentic notebooks.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 25 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databox and Hex actually diverge.

Attributes where Databox and Hex differ
AttributeDataboxHex
Pricing modelsubscriptionSeat-based subscription with credit system
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, TvWeb, Slack
CategoryUnknownBusiness Intelligence
Founded20122019

Identical on both: starting price (Free), 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 Databox

  • Pre-built dashboards
  • Dashboard designer
  • Metric library
  • Goal tracking
  • Scorecards
  • Alerts
  • Scheduled reports
  • Client reporting

Only in Hex

  • Agentic notebooks
  • Conversational analytics
  • Data apps
  • Context Studio
  • Data warehouse integration
  • dbt integration
  • Version history
  • Scheduled automation

What people use each for

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

Databox

  • Watching marketing, sales and finance KPIs from separate SaaS tools on one shared dashboardnot Hex
  • Agencies reporting campaign performance to many clients without rebuilding a report per accountnot Hex
  • Putting a live KPI board on an office TV or a recurring email to a leadership teamnot Hex
  • Replacing a manually maintained spreadsheet that someone updates from tool exports each weeknot Hex
  • Tracking goals and getting alerted when a metric moves past a thresholdnot Hex

Hex

  • Deep exploratory analysis by data teams on organizational datasetsnot Databox
  • Self-serve analytics for business users without SQL knowledgenot Databox
  • Executive dashboarding and reporting with real-time datanot Databox
  • Cross-functional data collaboration and insight sharingnot Databox
  • AI-assisted analysis reducing manual exploration timenot 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, so cost tracks the number of tools you connect rather than the value you get from them
  • The $71 Analyst plan is a single seat: adding even a second person means the $199 Core plan, a 2.8x jump
  • AI credits are metered monthly, from 50 on Free to 1,000 on Scale, so heavier AI use pushes you up a tier
  • Every published price assumes annual billing; monthly billing forfeits the advertised 20% saving
  • Free and Analyst plans sync daily and hourly respectively, so neither suits anything close to real-time monitoring
  • It is a dashboarding layer, not a warehouse: there is no transformation or modelling step for messy source data

Hex

  • Pricing based per-seat ($36-$75/editor/month) becomes expensive for large teams
  • Free Community tier limited to small compute and trial AI features
  • Advanced compute adds per-hour fees ($0.32-$4.06/hour), requiring cost monitoring
  • Learning curve for users unfamiliar with SQL or Python notebooks
  • Enterprise features requiring custom quotes lack transparent pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Databox

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 data sources
    • 1 user
    • 50 AI credits per month
  • Analyst$71/month
    • 5 data sources
    • 1 user
    • 150 AI credits per month
  • Team - Core$199/month
    • 10 data sources
    • 3 users
    • 500 AI credits per month
  • Team - Scale$319/month
    • 30 data sources
    • 10 users
    • 1,000 AI credits per month

Hex

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Hex agent trial
    • Data source connections
    • All cell types
  • Professional$36/month
    • Everything in Community
    • Full Hex agent access
    • Standard credits
  • Team$75/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Extended credits
    • Unlimited published apps
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Everything in Team
    • Explorer seat add-ons
    • Audit logs

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 dashboard designer.
Databox review

Choose Hex if

  • You need agentic notebooks.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Slack.
  • You also want conversational analytics.
Hex review

Questions people ask

Is Databox or Hex better?
Neither clearly leads. Databox starts at Free and Hex at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Databox or Hex?
Databox starts at Free and Hex at Free.
Does Databox or Hex run on more platforms?
Databox runs on Web, Mobile, Tv. Hex runs on Web, Slack.
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 watching marketing, sales and finance kpis from separate saas tools on one shared dashboard, agencies reporting campaign performance to many clients without rebuilding a report per account, putting a live kpi board on an office tv or a recurring email to a leadership team, replacing a manually maintained spreadsheet that someone updates from tool exports each week. Of those, watching marketing, sales and finance kpis from separate saas tools on one shared dashboard and agencies reporting campaign performance to many clients without rebuilding a report per account are not what Hex is typically brought in for.
What can Databox do that Hex cannot?
Databox covers Pre-built dashboards, Dashboard designer, Metric library, Goal tracking. Hex covers Agentic notebooks, Conversational analytics, Data apps, Context Studio.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Databox: How much does Databox cost?

Databox has a free forever plan with 3 data sources and 1 user. Paid plans are Analyst at $71 per month, Team Core at $199 per month and Team Scale at $319 per month, with an Agency plan from $79 per month plus $20 client packs and a Custom tier on request. All prices are billed annually; monthly billing forfeits the 20% annual saving.

Source
Hex: What is included in the free Community plan?

The Community plan ($0) includes Hex agent trial, data source connections, all cell types, and small compute sizing. It's suitable for prototyping and hobbyist projects.

Source
Databox: Does Databox have a free plan or a free trial?

Both. The Free plan is free forever and covers 3 data sources, 1 user, 50 AI credits a month and daily syncing. Paid plans also offer a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Source
Hex: How much do advanced compute resources cost?

Advanced compute is billed per minute and ranges from $0.32 to $4.06 per hour depending on resource tier. Monthly credit grants are included in paid plans.

Source
Databox: How many users does each Databox plan include?

Free and Analyst are single-user. Team Core includes 3 users and Team Scale includes 10. The Agency and Custom plans include unlimited users.

Source
Hex: Can I share analytics with non-Hex users?

Yes. Published apps can be shared publicly. Embedded analytics are available on Enterprise plans for integrating Hex into other applications.

Source
Databox: How many tools does Databox integrate with?

Databox connects to more than 130 tools, spreadsheets, databases and APIs, including HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Analytics, Google and Facebook Ads, Shopify, Stripe, QuickBooks, Google Sheets and custom API sources.

Source
Databox: How often does Databox refresh its data?

The Free plan syncs daily. Analyst, Team Core, Team Scale, Agency and Custom plans all sync hourly.

Source
Databox: Who makes Databox?

Databox, Inc., founded in 2012 by Davorin Gabrovec, who is now President and Chief Product Officer. Pete Caputa became CEO in 2017 after a decade at HubSpot. The company is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, with its product and engineering team based in Ptuj, Slovenia.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Databox

More on Hex

Keep looking

Other head to heads