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Software · head to head

Dundas BI vs Lightdash

Dundas BI logo

Dundas BI

Software

Flexible business intelligence platform

From
$500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Lightdash logo

Lightdash

Software

Open-source BI for dbt users

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lightdash has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Dundas BI the published Embedded BI Package starts from about $4,738.70 USD per month billed annually for 8 core capacity; Lightdash requires existing dbt infrastructure, not suitable for teams without data models
  • They diverge on capability: Dundas BI covers White-labeling, Lightdash covers dbt Integration.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dundas BI and Lightdash actually diverge.

Attributes where Dundas BI and Lightdash differ
AttributeDundas BILightdash
Starting price$500/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Embedded, MobileWeb, Cloud (managed), Self-hosted (on-premise)
Founded19922021

Identical on both: 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 Dundas BI

  • White-labeling
  • Embedded Analytics
  • Data Preparation
  • Custom Visualizations
  • API
  • SQL Server
  • Oracle
  • MySQL

Only in Lightdash

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

Both cover

  • PostgreSQL
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Dundas BI

  • Embedding dashboards and analytics inside another applicationnot Lightdash
  • Self service business intelligence and ad hoc reportingnot Lightdash
  • Building custom data visualisations against open BI APIsnot Lightdash

Lightdash

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

Where each one falls short

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

Dundas BI

  • The published Embedded BI Package starts from about $4,738.70 USD per month billed annually for 8 core capacity
  • That figure reflects a limited time 35 percent promotional discount rather than list price
  • Licensing is by CPU core capacity rather than by user, so cost scales with server hardware
  • Dundas is now part of insightsoftware following acquisition
  • The page states that a pricing plan is worked out together with the vendor rather than published as a rate card

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

Dundas BI

$500/month
  • Professional$500/month
    • Full Platform
    • Embedding
    • Support
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Unlimited Users
    • Multi-tenant
    • Premium Support

Lightdash

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • MIT-licensed core
    • Self-hostable
    • dbt integration
  • Cloud Managed$undefined/mo
    • Managed hosting
    • Premium features
    • AI agent capabilities

Which should you pick?

Choose Dundas BI if

  • You need white-labeling.
  • You work on Web, Embedded, Mobile.
  • You also want embedded analytics.
Dundas BI review

Choose Lightdash if

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

Questions people ask

Is Dundas BI or Lightdash better?
Neither clearly leads. Dundas BI starts at $500/month and Lightdash at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dundas BI or Lightdash?
Lightdash has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $500/month for Dundas BI and Free for Lightdash.
Does Dundas BI or Lightdash run on more platforms?
Dundas BI runs on Web, Embedded, Mobile. Lightdash runs on Web, Cloud (managed), Self-hosted (on-premise).
Can I use Lightdash for free?
Yes. Lightdash has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Dundas BI starts at $500/month.
What is Dundas BI best used for?
Dundas BI is most often used for embedding dashboards and analytics inside another application, self service business intelligence and ad hoc reporting, building custom data visualisations against open bi apis. Of those, embedding dashboards and analytics inside another application and self service business intelligence and ad hoc reporting are not what Lightdash is typically brought in for.
What can Dundas BI do that Lightdash cannot?
Dundas BI covers White-labeling, Embedded Analytics, Data Preparation, Custom Visualizations. Lightdash covers dbt Integration, Metrics Layer, Dashboards, Scheduling. Both handle PostgreSQL, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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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