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Developer Tools · head to head

Depot vs Lightdash

Depot logo

Depot

Developer Tools

Cloud-based builds and CI runs 55x faster with less cost

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit DepotFull review
Lightdash logo

Lightdash

Business Intelligence

Open-source BI for dbt users

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit LightdashFull review

The short version

  • Depot is a cloud-based CI/CD platform; Lightdash is an open-source business intelligence tool.
  • Lightdash is free; Depot starts at $20/mo.
  • Only Depot lists Depot CI; only Lightdash lists dbt Integration.
  • Where Depot falls short: developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development.
  • Where Lightdash falls short: requires existing dbt infrastructure, not suitable for teams without data models.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Depot and Lightdash actually diverge.

Attributes where Depot and Lightdash differ
AttributeDepotLightdash
PlatformsWeb, GitHub, APIWeb, Self-hosted
CategoryDeveloper ToolsBusiness Intelligence
Founded20222021

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 Depot

  • Depot CI
  • Container builds
  • GitHub Actions runners
  • Distributed caching
  • Build API
  • Depot Registry
  • Cross-platform builds
  • SSH debugging

Only in Lightdash

  • dbt Integration
  • Metrics Layer
  • Dashboards
  • Scheduling
  • Version Control
  • dbt
  • BigQuery
  • Snowflake

What people use each for

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

Depot

  • Accelerating Docker builds for container-based developmentnot Lightdash
  • Replacing GitHub Actions runners with faster infrastructurenot Lightdash
  • Distributing cache across Monorepo buildsnot Lightdash
  • Debugging failed CI builds interactively with SSHnot Lightdash

Lightdash

  • Self-service analyticsnot Depot
  • Data explorationnot Depot
  • Ad-hoc reportingnot Depot
  • Collaborative analysisnot Depot
  • Embedded analyticsnot Depot

Where each one falls short

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

Depot

  • Developer plan minute limits may be insufficient for active development
  • Startup plan at $200/mo is expensive for smaller teams
  • Business plan requires custom pricing consultation
  • macOS M2 runners not available on Developer plan

Lightdash

  • Requires existing dbt infrastructure, not suitable for teams without data models
  • Enterprise features and AI agents unavailable in open-source MIT-licensed core

Pricing, plan by plan

Depot

Free
  • Developer$20/mo
    • 1 user
    • 500 Docker build minutes per month
    • 2,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • Startup$200/mo
    • Unlimited users
    • 5,000 Docker build minutes per month
    • 20,000 Depot CI minutes per month
  • BusinessOn request
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited users
    • Custom monthly compute

Lightdash

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • MIT-licensed core
    • Self-hostable
    • dbt integration
  • Cloud ManagedOn request
    • Managed hosting
    • Premium features
    • AI agent capabilities

Which should you pick?

Choose Depot if

  • You need depot ci.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, GitHub, API.
  • You also want container builds.
Depot review

Choose Lightdash if

  • You need dbt integration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want metrics layer.
Lightdash review

Questions people ask

Is Depot or Lightdash better?
Neither clearly leads. Depot starts at Free and Lightdash at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Depot or Lightdash?
Depot starts at Free and Lightdash at Free.
Does Depot or Lightdash run on more platforms?
Depot runs on Web, GitHub, API. Lightdash runs on Web, Self-hosted.
Can I use Depot for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Depot best used for?
Depot is most often used for accelerating docker builds for container-based development, replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure, distributing cache across monorepo builds, debugging failed ci builds interactively with ssh. Of those, accelerating docker builds for container-based development and replacing github actions runners with faster infrastructure are not what Lightdash is typically brought in for.
What can Depot do that Lightdash cannot?
Depot covers Depot CI, Container builds, GitHub Actions runners, Distributed caching. Lightdash covers dbt Integration, Metrics Layer, Dashboards, Scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Depot: How much faster are Depot runners compared to GitHub Actions?

Depot runners offer 30% faster CPUs and 10x faster networking than standard GitHub-hosted runners, enabling builds to complete significantly faster.

Source
Lightdash: Is Lightdash free?

Yes. Lightdash is free and open source under the MIT license. Self-hosting is completely free. Managed cloud services and enterprise features require separate licensing.

Source
Depot: What is included in the Developer plan?

Developer plan ($20/month) includes 500 Docker build minutes, 2,000 Depot CI minutes, 2,000 GitHub Actions minutes, 25 GB storage, unlimited concurrency, and community support.

Source
Lightdash: How does Lightdash integrate with dbt?

Lightdash reads dbt models and metric definitions directly. A team defines metrics once in dbt and reuses them across dashboards, exploration, and AI agents without redefinition.

Source
Depot: Can I use Depot with my own AWS account?

Yes, Depot Managed allows deployment within customer AWS accounts. This is available to interested customers; contact sales for details.

Source
Lightdash: Does Lightdash support SQL queries?

Yes. As a modern BI platform for analysts, Lightdash supports full SQL capabilities alongside dbt model exploration and visual query builders.

Source
Lightdash: What are Lightdash AI agents?

Lightdash AI agents, available on paid plans, allow natural language queries against your data, generating SQL and visualizations automatically from questions.

Source
Lightdash: Can Lightdash be self-hosted?

Yes. Lightdash's MIT-licensed core is completely self-hostable and free. Enterprise features and AI agents ship under separate licensing.

Source
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