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Business Intelligence · head to head

Hex vs Phocas

Hex logo

Hex

Business Intelligence

AI-powered analytics platform unifying notebooks, dashboards, and business intelligence

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Phocas logo

Phocas

Business Intelligence

Pre-built BI and FP&A for wholesale distributors and manufacturers running mid-market ERPs

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Hex has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Hex pricing based per-seat ($36-$75/editor/month) becomes expensive for large teams; Phocas the value is the pre-built vertical content, so a company outside distribution, manufacturing or retail pays premium prices for dashboards it must build itself anyway.
  • They diverge on capability: Hex covers Agentic notebooks, Phocas covers ERP connectors.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hex and Phocas actually diverge.

Attributes where Hex and Phocas differ
AttributeHexPhocas
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelSeat-based subscription with credit systemquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, SlackWeb, iOS, Android
Founded2019Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Business Intelligence).

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 Hex

  • Agentic notebooks
  • Conversational analytics
  • Data apps
  • Context Studio
  • Data warehouse integration
  • dbt integration
  • Version history
  • Scheduled automation

Only in Phocas

  • ERP connectors
  • Pre-built distribution content
  • Grid-first analysis
  • Financial statements
  • Budgets and forecasts
  • Rebates module
  • Alerts and subscriptions
  • Mobile apps

What people use each for

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

Hex

  • Deep exploratory analysis by data teams on organizational datasetsnot Phocas
  • Self-serve analytics for business users without SQL knowledgenot Phocas
  • Executive dashboarding and reporting with real-time datanot Phocas
  • Cross-functional data collaboration and insight sharingnot Phocas
  • AI-assisted analysis reducing manual exploration timenot Phocas

Phocas

  • A wholesale distributor on Prophet 21 whose sales reps need per-customer margin and stock availability without waiting on a report writernot Hex
  • A manufacturer that wants budgeting on the same data as its sales analysis rather than in a separate spreadsheetnot Hex
  • A multi-branch retailer comparing branch and product performance daily without an internal BI teamnot Hex
  • A private equity owner standardising reporting across several acquired distributors on different ERPsnot Hex

Where each one falls short

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

Hex

  • Pricing based per-seat ($36-$75/editor/month) becomes expensive for large teams
  • Free Community tier limited to small compute and trial AI features
  • Advanced compute adds per-hour fees ($0.32-$4.06/hour), requiring cost monitoring
  • Learning curve for users unfamiliar with SQL or Python notebooks
  • Enterprise features requiring custom quotes lack transparent pricing

Phocas

  • The value is the pre-built vertical content, so a company outside distribution, manufacturing or retail pays premium prices for dashboards it must build itself anyway.
  • If your ERP is not on the maintained connector list you fall back to generic database extraction and lose the fast time to value that justifies the price.
  • The visualisation library is thin next to Power BI or Tableau, and analysts who want fine control over chart design will find it constraining.
  • Pricing is quoted per user and never published, and buyers routinely report large gaps between initial and renewal quotes with limited comparison leverage.
  • Modules are licensed separately, so a customer who bought Analytics and later wants Financial Statements or Rebates faces a new negotiation rather than an upgrade.

Pricing, plan by plan

Hex

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Hex agent trial
    • Data source connections
    • All cell types
  • Professional$36/month
    • Everything in Community
    • Full Hex agent access
    • Standard credits
  • Team$75/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Extended credits
    • Unlimited published apps
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Everything in Team
    • Explorer seat add-ons
    • Audit logs

Phocas

On request
  • Phocas$undefined/year
    • Annual subscription quoted by user count and modules
    • Analytics, Financial Statements, Budgets and Rebates licensed separately
    • One-off implementation and ERP connector setup fee

Which should you pick?

Choose Hex if

  • You need agentic notebooks.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Slack.
  • You also want conversational analytics.
Hex review

Choose Phocas if

  • You need erp connectors.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want pre-built distribution content.
Phocas review

Questions people ask

Is Hex or Phocas better?
Neither clearly leads. Hex starts at Free and Phocas at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hex or Phocas?
Hex has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hex and On request for Phocas.
Does Hex or Phocas run on more platforms?
Hex runs on Web, Slack. Phocas runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Hex for free?
Yes. Hex has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Phocas starts at On request.
What is Hex best used for?
Hex is most often used for deep exploratory analysis by data teams on organizational datasets, self-serve analytics for business users without sql knowledge, executive dashboarding and reporting with real-time data, cross-functional data collaboration and insight sharing. Of those, deep exploratory analysis by data teams on organizational datasets and self-serve analytics for business users without sql knowledge are not what Phocas is typically brought in for.
What can Hex do that Phocas cannot?
Hex covers Agentic notebooks, Conversational analytics, Data apps, Context Studio. Phocas covers ERP connectors, Pre-built distribution content, Grid-first analysis, Financial statements.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hex: What is included in the free Community plan?

The Community plan ($0) includes Hex agent trial, data source connections, all cell types, and small compute sizing. It's suitable for prototyping and hobbyist projects.

Source
Phocas: What does Phocas cost?

Nothing is published. It is quoted annually by user count and module, with a separate implementation fee, and varies by region.

Hex: How much do advanced compute resources cost?

Advanced compute is billed per minute and ranges from $0.32 to $4.06 per hour depending on resource tier. Monthly credit grants are included in paid plans.

Source
Phocas: Is it worth it over Power BI?

Only if you are in its target verticals on a supported ERP. Power BI is far cheaper per seat but you supply the data model.

Hex: Can I share analytics with non-Hex users?

Yes. Published apps can be shared publicly. Embedded analytics are available on Enterprise plans for integrating Hex into other applications.

Source
Phocas: Does it replace my ERP reporting?

It replaces day-to-day analysis and sales reporting. Transactional and statutory reporting stays in the ERP.

Phocas: Can it do budgeting?

Yes, through a separately licensed Financial Statements and Budgets module on the same warehouse.

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