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Business Intelligence · head to head

Google Data Studio vs Metabase

Google Data Studio logo

Google Data Studio

Business Intelligence

Free data visualization by Google

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: Google Data Studio limited to free offering with no paid tiers or premium features; Metabase aI Service charges $3.75 per 1 million tokens (after 1M free tokens included)
  • They diverge on capability: Google Data Studio covers Free Platform, 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 Google Data Studio and Metabase actually diverge.

Attributes where Google Data Studio and Metabase differ
AttributeGoogle Data StudioMetabase
Pricing modelfreefreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Self-hosted cloud
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceSpreadsheets
Founded19982014

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 Google Data Studio

  • Free Platform
  • Real-time Collaboration
  • Custom Visualizations
  • Data Blending
  • Sharing
  • Google Analytics
  • Google Sheets
  • YouTube

Only in Metabase

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

Both cover

  • BigQuery
  • MySQL
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Google Data Studio

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

Metabase

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

Where each one falls short

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

Google Data Studio

  • Limited to free offering with no paid tiers or premium features
  • Advanced integrations may require Google Workspace subscriptions

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

Google Data Studio

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited Reports
    • Data Connectors
    • Collaboration

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 Google Data Studio if

  • You need free platform.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want real-time collaboration.
Google Data Studio 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 Google Data Studio or Metabase better?
Neither clearly leads. Google Data Studio 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, Google Data Studio or Metabase?
Google Data Studio starts at Free and Metabase at Free.
Does Google Data Studio or Metabase run on more platforms?
Google Data Studio runs on Web. Metabase runs on Web, Self-hosted cloud.
Can I use Google Data Studio for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Google Data Studio best used for?
Google Data Studio is most often used for self-service analytics, data exploration, ad-hoc reporting, collaborative analysis. Of those, self-service analytics and data exploration are not what Metabase is typically brought in for.
What can Google Data Studio do that Metabase cannot?
Google Data Studio covers Free Platform, Real-time Collaboration, Custom Visualizations, Data Blending. Metabase covers No-code Query Builder, SQL Editor, Interactive Dashboards, Alerts. Both handle BigQuery, MySQL, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Google Data Studio: Is Google Data Studio free?

Yes, Google Data Studio is completely free to use. The platform states it is easy and free to build interactive dashboards and reports.

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
Google Data Studio: Are there paid versions of Google Data Studio?

No, Google Data Studio does not offer paid tiers or premium plans. It remains free for all users.

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
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
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