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Business Intelligence · head to head

Holistics vs PhpStorm

Holistics logo

Holistics

Business Intelligence

Self-service BI for data teams

From
$800/month
Free plan
No
Visit HolisticsFull review
PhpStorm logo

PhpStorm

Developer Tools

JetBrains IDE for PHP web development

From
$24/month
Free plan
No
Visit PhpStormFull review

The short version

  • Holistics is a self-service business intelligence platform.
  • Holistics starts at $800/mo, PhpStorm at $24/mo.
  • Only Holistics lists data Modeling; only PhpStorm lists PHP-aware coding assistance.
  • Where Holistics falls short: the entry plan is $960 per month billed monthly, which is a high floor for a BI tool.
  • Where PhpStorm falls short: requires an ongoing paid subscription with no free tier for commercial use.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Holistics and PhpStorm actually diverge.

Attributes where Holistics and PhpStorm differ
AttributeHolisticsPhpStorm
Starting price$800/month$24/month
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, Linux
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceDeveloper Tools
Founded20152000

Identical on both: pricing model (Subscription), free tier (No).

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 Holistics

  • Data Modeling
  • Version Control
  • Scheduling
  • Caching
  • Embedding
  • BigQuery
  • Snowflake
  • Redshift

Only in PhpStorm

  • PHP-aware coding assistance
  • Integrated debugger
  • Front-end tooling
  • Database tools
  • Version control integration
  • Docker and remote deployment

What people use each for

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

Holistics

  • Modelling business metrics in a code-defined semantic layer with Git version controlnot PhpStorm
  • Self-service exploration and dashboards for non-SQL usersnot PhpStorm
  • Embedding analytics into a customer-facing productnot PhpStorm

PhpStorm

  • Building PHP web applications with Laravel or Symfonynot Holistics
  • Debugging PHP code with Xdebugnot Holistics
  • Working across PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in one projectnot Holistics
  • Managing databases alongside application codenot Holistics

Where each one falls short

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

Holistics

  • The entry plan is $960 per month billed monthly, which is a high floor for a BI tool
  • Every plan includes only the first 10 users, with additional users charged at $15 per month each on Entry and Standard and $18 on the Security Compliance Suite
  • The Entry plan caps reports at 100, and each additional 100 reports costs $120 per month
  • Google SSO requires the Standard plan at $1,200 per month; enterprise SSO with SAML and SCIM provisioning requires the Security Compliance Suite at $2,400 per month
  • Row-based access control, IP whitelisting, pass-through authentication and user activity monitoring are all Security Compliance Suite features
  • Connecting Git version control to your own repository requires Standard; Entry only gets Holistics-hosted Git
  • White labelling, dynamic row-level permissions and unlimited dashboard viewers for embedded analytics are Custom Plan only, with no published price
  • Bank payments and custom payment terms are Custom Plan only, and custom infosec or legal paperwork is Enterprise plan only
  • The two months off discount requires yearly billing

PhpStorm

  • Requires an ongoing paid subscription with no free tier for commercial use
  • Heavier and slower to start than lightweight code editors
  • Some advanced framework-specific tooling requires additional configuration or plugins
  • Renewal pricing rises for lapsed subscriptions after the grace period

Pricing, plan by plan

Holistics

$800/month
  • Entry$800/mo
    • 100 reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Core self-service analytics
  • Standard$1,000/mo
    • Unlimited reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Custom charts
  • Security Compliance Suite$2,000/mo
    • Unlimited reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Granular access controls

PhpStorm

$24/month
  • Individual$24/mo
    • Personal use license
    • Access to PhpStorm
    • Free for students and open-source maintainers
  • Organization$34/mo
    • Business use license
    • Access to PhpStorm
    • Volume and renewal discounts

Which should you pick?

Choose Holistics if

  • You need data modeling.
  • You also want version control.
Holistics review

Choose PhpStorm if

  • You need php-aware coding assistance.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux.
  • You also want integrated debugger.
PhpStorm review

Questions people ask

Is Holistics or PhpStorm better?
Neither clearly leads. Holistics starts at $800/month and PhpStorm at $24/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Holistics or PhpStorm?
Holistics starts at $800/month and PhpStorm at $24/month.
Does Holistics or PhpStorm run on more platforms?
Holistics runs on Web. PhpStorm runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
What is Holistics best used for?
Holistics is most often used for modelling business metrics in a code-defined semantic layer with git version control, self-service exploration and dashboards for non-sql users, embedding analytics into a customer-facing product. Of those, modelling business metrics in a code-defined semantic layer with git version control and self-service exploration and dashboards for non-sql users are not what PhpStorm is typically brought in for.
What can Holistics do that PhpStorm cannot?
Holistics covers Data Modeling, Version Control, Scheduling, Caching. PhpStorm covers PHP-aware coding assistance, Integrated debugger, Front-end tooling, Database tools.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Holistics: How much do additional Holistics users cost?

Additional users cost $12.50 per month (yearly billing) or $15 per month (monthly billing) for Entry/Standard plans, and $15-18 per month for Security Suite.

Source
PhpStorm: How much does PhpStorm cost?

PhpStorm is sold via JetBrains Toolbox subscription starting around $24/month for individuals and $34/month for organizations, with free licenses for students and open-source maintainers.

Source
Holistics: Can I purchase additional reports on Holistics?

Yes, additional 100-report blocks cost $100 per month (yearly) or $120 per month (monthly billing).

Source
PhpStorm: Is there a free trial?

JetBrains offers a free trial of PhpStorm so developers can test it before subscribing.

Source
Holistics: Does Holistics support multiple data centers?

Yes, Holistics supports multiple data centers in US, EU, and APAC regions with pricing available for embedded analytics with unlimited dashboard viewers.

Source
PhpStorm: What platforms does PhpStorm support?

PhpStorm is a desktop IDE available on Windows, macOS, and Linux via JetBrains Toolbox.

Source
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