Softwr

Business Intelligence · head to head

Holistics vs TimescaleDB

Holistics logo

Holistics

Business Intelligence

Self-service BI for data teams

From
$800/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
TimescaleDB logo

TimescaleDB

Databases

Time-series database built on PostgreSQL for real-time analytics

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only TimescaleDB has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Holistics the entry plan is $960 per month billed monthly, which is a high floor for a BI tool; TimescaleDB inherits PostgreSQL write path limitations, creating a ceiling on ingestion throughput
  • They diverge on capability: Holistics covers Data Modeling, TimescaleDB covers Time-series Optimization.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Holistics and TimescaleDB actually diverge.

Attributes where Holistics and TimescaleDB differ
AttributeHolisticsTimescaleDB
Starting price$800/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, CloudLinux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure)
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceDatabases
Founded20152012

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 Holistics

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

Only in TimescaleDB

  • Time-series Optimization
  • PostgreSQL Extension
  • Automatic Partitioning
  • Continuous Aggregates
  • Native Compression
  • Full SQL Support
  • Real-time Analytics
  • Grafana

Both cover

  • PostgreSQL
  • Web support

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 TimescaleDB
  • Self-service exploration and dashboards for non-SQL usersnot TimescaleDB
  • Embedding analytics into a customer-facing productnot TimescaleDB

TimescaleDB

  • Monitoringnot Holistics
  • IoT datanot Holistics
  • Financial datanot Holistics
  • Log analyticsnot Holistics
  • Observabilitynot 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

TimescaleDB

  • Inherits PostgreSQL write path limitations, creating a ceiling on ingestion throughput
  • Operational complexity increases significantly at scale, requiring expertise in chunk tuning and autovacuum management
  • Bloom filter indexes on compressed columns can return incorrect query results before upgrade
  • PostgreSQL 15 support ending June 2026, forcing mandatory upgrades to PostgreSQL 16 or later

Pricing, plan by plan

Holistics

$800/month
  • Entry$800/month
    • 100 reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Core self-service analytics
  • Standard$1000/month
    • Unlimited reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Custom charts
  • Security Compliance Suite$2000/month
    • Unlimited reports
    • First 10 users included
    • Granular access controls

TimescaleDB

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Self-hosted TimescaleDB
    • MIT-licensed core
    • Full PostgreSQL compatibility
  • Scale Plan (Cloud)$36/month
    • Compute and storage charges
    • Multi-node HA
    • Unlimited VPCs

Which should you pick?

Choose Holistics if

  • You need data modeling.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want version control.
Holistics review

Choose TimescaleDB if

  • You need time-series optimization.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure).
  • You also want postgresql extension.
TimescaleDB review

Questions people ask

Is Holistics or TimescaleDB better?
Neither clearly leads. Holistics starts at $800/month and TimescaleDB at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Holistics or TimescaleDB?
TimescaleDB has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $800/month for Holistics and Free for TimescaleDB.
Does Holistics or TimescaleDB run on more platforms?
Holistics runs on Web, Cloud. TimescaleDB runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes, Cloud (AWS, GCP, Azure).
Can I use TimescaleDB for free?
Yes. TimescaleDB has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Holistics starts at $800/month.
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 TimescaleDB is typically brought in for.
What can Holistics do that TimescaleDB cannot?
Holistics covers Data Modeling, Version Control, Scheduling, Caching. TimescaleDB covers Time-series Optimization, PostgreSQL Extension, Automatic Partitioning, Continuous Aggregates. Both handle PostgreSQL, Web support.

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
TimescaleDB: Is TimescaleDB free?

Yes. TimescaleDB is free and open source under the Timescale License. The managed cloud service offers a free trial with $1,000 in credits expiring in 30 days.

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
TimescaleDB: What database does TimescaleDB run on top of?

TimescaleDB is a PostgreSQL extension that runs on top of PostgreSQL. You retain full PostgreSQL compatibility including SQL queries, transactions, and ecosystem tools.

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
TimescaleDB: How much can TimescaleDB compress data?

TimescaleDB offers transparent columnar compression that can reduce storage by up to 95%. Newer data remains in row-oriented format for fast writes, while older data is automatically compressed to the column store.

Source
TimescaleDB: Does TimescaleDB require manual partitioning?

No. TimescaleDB handles automatic time-based partitioning through hypertables. Data is automatically chunked based on time intervals, requiring no manual partition management.

Source
TimescaleDB: What PostgreSQL versions does TimescaleDB support?

As of October 2025, TimescaleDB requires PostgreSQL 16 or greater. PostgreSQL 15 support will end with the June 2026 release, after which all instances must upgrade to PostgreSQL 16.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Holistics

More on TimescaleDB

Keep looking

Other head to heads