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Business Intelligence · head to head

Glassbox vs MotherDuck

Glassbox logo

Glassbox

Business Intelligence

Digital experience intelligence

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
MotherDuck logo

MotherDuck

Databases

Serverless analytics data warehouse built on DuckDB

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only MotherDuck has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Glassbox no fixed pricing tiers published; custom quotes required based on package, data retention, and session volume; MotherDuck the free Lite plan caps compute at 10 hours per month, which limits it to light or hobbyist workloads.
  • They diverge on capability: Glassbox covers Session Replay, MotherDuck covers Serverless DuckDB instances.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Glassbox and MotherDuck actually diverge.

Attributes where Glassbox and MotherDuck differ
AttributeGlassboxMotherDuck
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, Hybridweb, api
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceDatabases
Founded20102022

Identical on both: 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 Glassbox

  • Session Replay
  • Struggle Detection
  • Journey Mapping
  • AI Insights
  • Voice of Customer
  • Adobe Analytics
  • Google Analytics
  • Salesforce

Only in MotherDuck

  • Serverless DuckDB instances
  • Cloud storage querying
  • MCP server
  • Dives
  • Flights
  • Read-scaling replicas

What people use each for

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

Glassbox

  • User experience analysisnot MotherDuck
  • Bug reproductionnot MotherDuck
  • Conversion optimizationnot MotherDuck
  • Customer journey mappingnot MotherDuck
  • Usability testingnot MotherDuck

MotherDuck

  • Ad-hoc analytics on gigabyte-to-terabyte datasetsnot Glassbox
  • Querying data lake files in S3/GCS/Azure without ingestionnot Glassbox
  • AI agent data analysis via MCPnot Glassbox
  • Scheduled data pipeline transformationsnot Glassbox

Where each one falls short

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

Glassbox

  • No fixed pricing tiers published; custom quotes required based on package, data retention, and session volume

MotherDuck

  • The free Lite plan caps compute at 10 hours per month, which limits it to light or hobbyist workloads.
  • Business plan usage charges on top of the $250/month base can make costs less predictable than flat-rate competitors.
  • There are no academic or non-profit discounts, unlike some competing data platforms.
  • Annual billing requires going through a sales conversation rather than a self-serve toggle.

Pricing, plan by plan

Glassbox

On request
  • CustomFree
    • Full Platform
    • Mobile Analytics
    • Enterprise Support

MotherDuck

Free
  • LiteFree
    • Up to 3 internal active users
    • 2 service accounts
    • 10GB free storage
  • Business$250/month
    • Up to 10 internal active users
    • Unlimited service accounts
    • 5 instance types with read-scaling replicas
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited internal users and service accounts
    • Fixed-cost capacity pricing
    • AWS PrivateLink, IP allowlisting

Which should you pick?

Choose Glassbox if

  • You need session replay.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Hybrid.
  • You also want struggle detection.
Glassbox review

Choose MotherDuck if

  • You need serverless duckdb instances.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want cloud storage querying.
MotherDuck review

Questions people ask

Is Glassbox or MotherDuck better?
Neither clearly leads. Glassbox starts at On request and MotherDuck at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Glassbox or MotherDuck?
MotherDuck has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Glassbox and Free for MotherDuck.
Does Glassbox or MotherDuck run on more platforms?
Glassbox runs on Web, Mobile, Hybrid. MotherDuck runs on web, api.
Can I use MotherDuck for free?
Yes. MotherDuck has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Glassbox starts at On request.
What is Glassbox best used for?
Glassbox is most often used for user experience analysis, bug reproduction, conversion optimization, customer journey mapping. Of those, user experience analysis and bug reproduction are not what MotherDuck is typically brought in for.
What can Glassbox do that MotherDuck cannot?
Glassbox covers Session Replay, Struggle Detection, Journey Mapping, AI Insights. MotherDuck covers Serverless DuckDB instances, Cloud storage querying, MCP server, Dives.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Glassbox: How much does Glassbox cost?

Glassbox uses custom pricing based on three factors: the selected package (Production Operation, Marketing/Business, or Product), data retention period, and session volume. The vendor encourages contacting sales to build customized packages.

Source
MotherDuck: What does MotherDuck cost?

The Lite plan is free (up to 3 users, 10GB storage, 10 hours of Pulse compute/month). Business is $250/organization/month plus usage, with Enterprise available at custom fixed-cost pricing.

Source
Glassbox: Does Glassbox offer add-ons for specific industries?

Yes, Glassbox offers specialized add-on solutions including fraud prevention, accessibility features, and call center solutions tailored for financial organizations.

Source
MotherDuck: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?

Yes, the Lite plan is free for up to 3 internal active users and 2 service accounts, with 10GB of storage and 10 hours of Pulse compute per month.

Source
MotherDuck: How is usage metered?

Compute instances (Pulse, Standard, Jumbo, Mega, Giga) are billed per second at hourly rates from $0.60 to $24.00/hour, storage is $0.04/GB-month, and AI Functions cost $1.00 per AI Unit.

Source
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