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Databricks vs Metabase

Databricks logo

Databricks

Software

Unified analytics platform for data engineering and data science

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Metabase logo

Metabase

Software

Fast analytics with the friendly UX

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Databricks cloud compute is billed separately by the cloud provider on top of Databricks DBU charges; Metabase row and column level permissions and SSO available only in Pro tier and above
  • They diverge on capability: Databricks covers Delta Lake, Metabase covers No-code Query Builder.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Databricks and Metabase actually diverge.

Attributes where Databricks and Metabase differ
AttributeDatabricksMetabase
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Aws, Azure, GcpWeb, Self-hosted cloud
Founded20132014

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

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 Databricks

  • Delta Lake
  • Apache Spark
  • MLflow
  • Unity Catalog
  • Photon Engine
  • Collaborative Notebooks
  • Auto-scaling
  • AWS

Only in Metabase

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

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Databricks

  • Running Spark data engineering pipelines on managed clustersnot Metabase
  • Building a lakehouse over data in cloud object storagenot Metabase
  • Training and serving machine learning models alongside the datanot Metabase

Metabase

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

Where each one falls short

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

Databricks

  • Cloud compute is billed separately by the cloud provider on top of Databricks DBU charges
  • The free trial lasts 14 days
  • Discounts require a Committed Use Contract, with larger commitments needed for larger discounts
  • Azure Databricks pricing is set by Microsoft rather than by Databricks
  • Security and compliance capabilities are sold as separate platform add ons rather than included in the base rate

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

Databricks

Free
  • Community EditionFree
    • Limited cluster
    • Notebook environment
    • Community support
  • Standard$0.07/DBU
    • Jobs compute
    • SQL compute
    • Standard support

Metabase

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Metabase review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Databricks if

  • You need delta lake.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp.
  • You also want apache spark.
Databricks 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 Databricks or Metabase better?
Neither clearly leads. Databricks 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, Databricks or Metabase?
Databricks starts at Free and Metabase at Free.
Does Databricks or Metabase run on more platforms?
Databricks runs on Web, Aws, Azure, Gcp. Metabase runs on Web, Self-hosted cloud.
Can I use Databricks for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Databricks best used for?
Databricks is most often used for running spark data engineering pipelines on managed clusters, building a lakehouse over data in cloud object storage, training and serving machine learning models alongside the data. Of those, running spark data engineering pipelines on managed clusters and building a lakehouse over data in cloud object storage are not what Metabase is typically brought in for.
What can Databricks do that Metabase cannot?
Databricks covers Delta Lake, Apache Spark, MLflow, Unity Catalog. Metabase covers No-code Query Builder, SQL Editor, Interactive Dashboards, Alerts. Both handle Web support.
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