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Business Intelligence · head to head

Hex vs Zenlytic

Hex logo

Hex

Business Intelligence

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

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zenlytic logo

Zenlytic

Business Intelligence

Conversational analytics on a governed semantic layer that shows you the SQL it ran

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; Zenlytic answer quality is bounded by the semantic model, so a team without a maintained dbt project and metric definitions must complete a modelling project before the AI is useful at all.
  • They diverge on capability: Hex covers Agentic notebooks, Zenlytic covers Zoe conversational agent.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hex and Zenlytic actually diverge.

Attributes where Hex and Zenlytic differ
AttributeHexZenlytic
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelSeat-based subscription with credit systemquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, SlackWeb
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
  • Version history
  • Scheduled automation

Only in Zenlytic

  • Zoe conversational agent
  • YAML semantic layer
  • LookML import
  • Row and column permissions
  • Dashboards
  • Embedded analytics
  • Query transparency

Both cover

  • dbt integration

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 Zenlytic
  • Self-serve analytics for business users without SQL knowledgenot Zenlytic
  • Executive dashboarding and reporting with real-time datanot Zenlytic
  • Cross-functional data collaboration and insight sharingnot Zenlytic
  • AI-assisted analysis reducing manual exploration timenot Zenlytic

Zenlytic

  • A data team of three fielding sixty ad hoc requests a week from operators who could answer them in chat insteadnot Hex
  • An ecommerce company where merchandisers need cohort and margin questions answered without waiting for an analystnot Hex
  • A Looker customer looking for an exit that can import existing LookML rather than remodel from scratchnot Hex
  • A finance team that needs every AI-generated number to show its SQL before it goes in a board packnot 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

Zenlytic

  • Answer quality is bounded by the semantic model, so a team without a maintained dbt project and metric definitions must complete a modelling project before the AI is useful at all.
  • It is a small venture-funded company in a category that Snowflake, Databricks and Microsoft are all building into natively, which is a real procurement risk on a multi-year contract.
  • Pricing is not published and is negotiated per deal, so small buyers have no benchmark and no leverage.
  • The visualisation and dashboard layer is thinner than established BI tools, so teams wanting pixel control over reporting will find it limiting.
  • It assumes a cloud data warehouse; organisations with data spread across operational databases and spreadsheets have to consolidate first, which is the expensive part of the project.

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

Zenlytic

On request
  • Zenlytic$undefined/year
    • Annual contract quoted by seats and deployment
    • Semantic layer, dashboards and Zoe included
    • Embedded analytics licensed separately

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 Zenlytic if

  • You need zoe conversational agent.
  • You also want yaml semantic layer.
Zenlytic review

Questions people ask

Is Hex or Zenlytic better?
Neither clearly leads. Hex starts at Free and Zenlytic at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hex or Zenlytic?
Hex has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hex and On request for Zenlytic.
Does Hex or Zenlytic run on more platforms?
Hex runs on Web, Slack. Zenlytic runs on Web.
Can I use Hex for free?
Yes. Hex has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zenlytic 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 Zenlytic is typically brought in for.
What can Hex do that Zenlytic cannot?
Hex covers Agentic notebooks, Conversational analytics, Data apps, Context Studio. Zenlytic covers Zoe conversational agent, YAML semantic layer, LookML import, Row and column permissions. Both handle dbt integration.

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
Zenlytic: Does Zenlytic publish pricing?

No. Contracts are quoted annually based on seats and deployment scope.

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
Zenlytic: Can it read my Looker model?

Yes, it imports LookML, which is the main reason Looker customers evaluate it.

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
Zenlytic: Does it write arbitrary SQL against my warehouse?

No. Queries are constrained to the semantic layer, and the generated SQL is shown with every answer.

Zenlytic: Do I need dbt?

Not strictly, but the product is designed around a modelled warehouse and works poorly without one.

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