Softwr

Business Intelligence · head to head

Databox vs Pieces for Developers

Databox logo

Databox

Business Intelligence

KPI dashboards that pull from the tools you already run on

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Pieces for Developers logo

Pieces for Developers

Developer Tools

AI-powered memory layer that captures and organizes developer work

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • Free plans on both; paid from $71/mo and $18.99/mo.
  • Only Databox lists pre-built dashboards; only Pieces for Developers lists activity Timeline.
  • Where Databox falls short: data sources are the billing unit, so cost tracks the number of tools you connect rather than the value you get from them.
  • Where Pieces for Developers falls short: requires installing and running a background desktop app rather than being purely cloud-based.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 25 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databox and Pieces for Developers actually diverge.

Attributes where Databox and Pieces for Developers differ
AttributeDataboxPieces for Developers
Pricing modelSubscriptionFreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android, TV and consoleWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceDeveloper Tools
Founded20122018

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

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 Pieces for Developers

  • Activity Timeline
  • Conversational Search
  • Artifact Generation
  • Cross-tool Integration
  • MCP Server
  • On-device Storage

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 Pieces for Developers
  • Agencies reporting campaign performance to many clients without rebuilding a report per accountnot Pieces for Developers
  • Putting a live KPI board on an office TV or a recurring email to a leadership teamnot Pieces for Developers
  • Replacing a manually maintained spreadsheet that someone updates from tool exports each weeknot Pieces for Developers
  • Tracking goals and getting alerted when a metric moves past a thresholdnot Pieces for Developers

Pieces for Developers

  • Recalling code snippets and context from earlier work sessionsnot Databox
  • Generating standup updates automatically from captured activitynot Databox
  • Feeding long-term memory into AI coding assistants via MCPnot Databox
  • Searching past research and meeting notes conversationallynot 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

Pieces for Developers

  • Requires installing and running a background desktop app rather than being purely cloud-based
  • Free tier trial of Pro features requires a credit card and reverts after 7 days
  • Local-first storage means memory is not automatically synced across multiple machines without Enterprise controls
  • Effectiveness depends on the breadth of integrations enabled, which adds setup overhead

Pricing, plan by plan

Databox

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

Pieces for Developers

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic capture and search
    • 7-day trial of Pro features
  • Pro$18.99/mo
    • Long-term on-device memory
    • Cross-app capture
    • Single-click summaries and recaps
  • Enterprise$22.99/mo
    • All Pro features
    • Organization-wide capture and feature controls
    • Approved AI providers and custom API keys

Which should you pick?

Choose Databox if

  • You need pre-built dashboards.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android, TV and console.
  • You also want dashboard designer.

Choose Pieces for Developers if

  • You need activity timeline.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want conversational search.

Questions people ask

Is Databox or Pieces for Developers better?
Neither clearly leads. Databox starts at Free and Pieces for Developers at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Databox or Pieces for Developers?
Databox starts at Free and Pieces for Developers at Free.
Does Databox or Pieces for Developers run on more platforms?
Databox runs on Web, iOS, Android, TV and console. Pieces for Developers runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
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 Pieces for Developers is typically brought in for.
What can Databox do that Pieces for Developers cannot?
Databox covers Pre-built dashboards, Dashboard designer, Metric library, Goal tracking. Pieces for Developers covers Activity Timeline, Conversational Search, Artifact Generation, Cross-tool Integration.

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
Pieces for Developers: Does Pieces store my data in the cloud?

Pieces stores captured data on-device by default, giving users granular controls to pause, disable or delete captures rather than relying solely on cloud storage.

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
Pieces for Developers: Is there a free plan for Pieces?

Pieces does not offer a permanently free plan; new users instead get a 7-day free trial on any plan, which requires a credit card to start.

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
Pieces for Developers: What does the Pro plan cost?

Pro is $18.99 per month billed monthly, with roughly a 25% discount available when billed yearly.

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
Pieces for Developers: What does the Enterprise plan add?

Enterprise costs $22.99 per month (or $69.99 per quarter) and adds organization-wide admin controls, approved AI providers, and governance over captured data.

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
Pieces for Developers: Can I cancel my Pieces subscription?

Yes, users can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel anytime from account settings, and all plans include a 14-day money-back guarantee.

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

Other head to heads