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Business Intelligence · head to head

Geckoboard vs Metabase

Geckoboard logo

Geckoboard

Business Intelligence

Real-time KPI dashboards

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Metabase logo

Metabase

Spreadsheets

Fast analytics with the friendly UX

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Geckoboard annual billing required; monthly billing not offered; Metabase aI Service charges $3.75 per 1 million tokens (after 1M free tokens included)
  • They diverge on capability: Geckoboard covers Real-time Updates, Metabase covers No-code Query Builder.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Geckoboard and Metabase actually diverge.

Attributes where Geckoboard and Metabase differ
AttributeGeckoboardMetabase
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsWeb, Tv, MobileWeb, Self-hosted cloud
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceSpreadsheets
Founded20102014

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 Geckoboard

  • Real-time Updates
  • TV Mode
  • Custom Widgets
  • Data Blending
  • Sharing
  • Salesforce
  • Zendesk
  • Google Analytics

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.

Geckoboard

  • TV wall dashboards for office and operations displaysnot Metabase
  • Live KPI monitoring for sales and support teamsnot Metabase
  • Sharing read-only metrics widely, since viewers are unlimited on every tiernot Metabase
  • Alerting when a metric crosses a thresholdnot Metabase

Metabase

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

Where each one falls short

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

Geckoboard

  • Annual billing required; monthly billing not offered
  • Add-on dashboards cost $24 each
  • Additional editors cost $20 each
  • Additional screens cost $20 each

Metabase

  • AI Service charges $3.75 per 1 million tokens (after 1M free tokens included)
  • Transforms cost $0.01 per run after 1,000 included runs per month
  • Advanced Transforms cost $0.02 per run after included allocation
  • Storage overages start at $2 per 1M rows (1M rows free)
  • All yearly plans offer 10% discount versus monthly, incentivizing annual commitment

Pricing, plan by plan

Geckoboard

Free
  • Essentials$79/month
    • 2 dashboards
    • 1 editor
    • 1 screen
  • Performance$319/month
    • 20 dashboards
    • 3 editors
    • 5 screens
  • Enterprise$null/mo
    • Unlimited dashboards, editors, and screens
    • All Performance features
    • Dedicated support manager

Metabase

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited questions and dashboards
    • AI-powered query generation
  • Starter$90/month
    • Email and chat support
    • $100/month standard monthly billing
    • 20+ data connectors
  • Pro$517.5/month
    • $575/month standard monthly
    • Row/column-level permissions
    • SSO
  • Enterprise$20000/year
    • Dedicated success engineer
    • 1-day support response SLA
    • Air-gapped deployment

Which should you pick?

Choose Geckoboard if

  • You need real-time updates.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Tv, Mobile.
  • You also want tv mode.
Geckoboard 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 Geckoboard or Metabase better?
Neither clearly leads. Geckoboard 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, Geckoboard or Metabase?
Geckoboard starts at Free and Metabase at Free.
Does Geckoboard or Metabase run on more platforms?
Geckoboard runs on Web, Tv, Mobile. Metabase runs on Web, Self-hosted cloud.
Can I use Geckoboard for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Geckoboard best used for?
Geckoboard is most often used for tv wall dashboards for office and operations displays, live kpi monitoring for sales and support teams, sharing read-only metrics widely, since viewers are unlimited on every tier, alerting when a metric crosses a threshold. Of those, tv wall dashboards for office and operations displays and live kpi monitoring for sales and support teams are not what Metabase is typically brought in for.
What can Geckoboard do that Metabase cannot?
Geckoboard covers Real-time Updates, TV Mode, Custom Widgets, Data Blending. Metabase covers No-code Query Builder, SQL Editor, Interactive Dashboards, Alerts. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Geckoboard: How much does Geckoboard cost?

Geckoboard offers Essentials at $79 per month, Performance at $319 per month, and custom-priced Enterprise plans. All plans are billed annually. A 14-day free trial is available.

Source
Metabase: How much does Metabase cost?

Metabase Open Source is free for self-hosted deployments with unlimited users and dashboards. Cloud-hosted Starter tier costs $90/month annually ($100/month monthly) with Pro at $517.50/month annually ($575/month monthly). Enterprise plans start at $20,000 per year.

Source
Geckoboard: Is there an annual billing discount for Geckoboard?

Yes, annual billing provides 20% savings compared to monthly pricing. Pricing is shown for annual billing with VAT not included.

Source
Metabase: Does Metabase charge for additional users?

Yes, Metabase charges per-user fees beyond included users. Starter includes 5 users at $6 per additional user per month. Pro includes 10 users at $12 per additional user per month. Enterprise pricing is custom.

Source
Geckoboard: What are the add-on costs for additional Geckoboard resources?

Additional dashboards cost $24 each, extra editors cost $20 each, and additional screens cost $20 each. All add-ons are billed with the annual subscription.

Source
Metabase: What usage-based fees does Metabase charge?

Metabase charges $3.75 per 1 million tokens for AI services (after 1M free tokens), $0.01 per transform run after 1,000 included per month, $0.02 for advanced transforms, and storage overages at $2 per 1M rows beyond the included 1M rows.

Source
Geckoboard: Does Geckoboard offer discounts for nonprofits?

Yes, Geckoboard offers 20% off any plan for nonprofit organizations.

Source
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