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Business Intelligence · head to head

Lightdash vs RAD Studio

Lightdash logo

Lightdash

Business Intelligence

Open-source BI for dbt users

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visit LightdashFull review
RAD Studio logo

RAD Studio

Developer Tools

Cross-platform native app development with Delphi and C++Builder

From
$2000/perpetual
Free plan
No
Visit RAD StudioFull review

The short version

  • Lightdash is an open-source business intelligence tool; RAD Studio is a cross-platform IDE.
  • Lightdash is free; RAD Studio starts at $2000/mo.
  • Where Lightdash falls short: requires existing dbt infrastructure, not suitable for teams without data models.
  • Where RAD Studio falls short: professional edition costs $2,000 for the perpetual license plus $599 for year one maintenance, totaling $2,599 before tax.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lightdash and RAD Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Lightdash and RAD Studio differ
AttributeLightdashRAD Studio
Starting priceFree$2000/perpetual
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hostedWeb
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceDeveloper Tools

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Lightdash, founded for RAD Studio.

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 Lightdash

  • dbt Integration
  • Metrics Layer
  • Dashboards
  • Scheduling
  • Version Control
  • dbt
  • BigQuery
  • Snowflake

Only in RAD Studio

Nothing recorded that Lightdash does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Lightdash

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

RAD Studio

  • Building Windows desktop applications with VCL componentsnot Lightdash
  • Creating iOS and Android apps from shared Delphi codebasenot Lightdash
  • Connecting to Oracle databases through FireDAC connectivitynot Lightdash
  • Building REST web services that run on Linux serversnot Lightdash

Where each one falls short

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

Lightdash

  • Requires existing dbt infrastructure, not suitable for teams without data models
  • Enterprise features and AI agents unavailable in open-source MIT-licensed core

RAD Studio

  • Professional edition costs $2,000 for the perpetual license plus $599 for year one maintenance, totaling $2,599 before tax
  • Enterprise edition steps up to $3,400 license plus $1,199 maintenance, and Architect edition to $4,416 license plus $2,183 maintenance
  • The perpetual license only entitles the buyer to updates for one year; continued access to new updates and upgrades requires an annually renewable Update Subscription

Pricing, plan by plan

Lightdash

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • MIT-licensed core
    • Self-hostable
    • dbt integration
  • Cloud ManagedOn request
    • Managed hosting
    • Premium features
    • AI agent capabilities

RAD Studio

$2000/perpetual
  • Professional Edition$2,000 one-off
    • Perpetual License
    • First year maintenance $599
    • Total $2,599 + Tax
  • Enterprise Edition$3,400 one-off
    • Perpetual License
    • First year maintenance $1,199
    • Total $4,599 + Tax
  • Architect Edition$4,416 one-off
    • Perpetual License
    • First year maintenance $2,183
    • Total $6,599 + Tax

Which should you pick?

Choose Lightdash if

  • You need dbt integration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted.
  • You also want metrics layer.
Lightdash review

Choose RAD Studio if

Nothing in the data separates RAD Studio from Lightdash on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

RAD Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Lightdash or RAD Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Lightdash starts at Free and RAD Studio at $2000/perpetual, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lightdash or RAD Studio?
Lightdash has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lightdash and $2000/perpetual for RAD Studio.
Does Lightdash or RAD Studio run on more platforms?
Lightdash runs on Web, Self-hosted. RAD Studio runs on Web.
Can I use Lightdash for free?
Yes. Lightdash has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. RAD Studio starts at $2000/perpetual.
What is Lightdash best used for?
Lightdash 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 RAD Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Lightdash do that RAD Studio cannot?
Lightdash covers dbt Integration, Metrics Layer, Dashboards, Scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Lightdash: Is Lightdash free?

Yes. Lightdash is free and open source under the MIT license. Self-hosting is completely free. Managed cloud services and enterprise features require separate licensing.

Source
RAD Studio: How much does RAD Studio cost?

RAD Studio uses perpetual licensing: Professional Edition $2,000 perpetual license + $599 first year maintenance ($2,599 total + tax). Enterprise Edition $3,400 license + $1,199 maintenance ($4,599 total + tax). Architect Edition $4,416 license + $2,183 maintenance ($6,599 total + tax).

Source
Lightdash: How does Lightdash integrate with dbt?

Lightdash reads dbt models and metric definitions directly. A team defines metrics once in dbt and reuses them across dashboards, exploration, and AI agents without redefinition.

Source
RAD Studio: What is the difference between RAD Studio editions?

Professional Edition ($2,599 total + tax) targets individual developers. Enterprise Edition ($4,599 total + tax) adds multi-tier app capabilities. Architect Edition ($6,599 total + tax) includes advanced database and cloud features. All three include perpetual licenses.

Source
Lightdash: Does Lightdash support SQL queries?

Yes. As a modern BI platform for analysts, Lightdash supports full SQL capabilities alongside dbt model exploration and visual query builders.

Source
RAD Studio: Does RAD Studio offer Kai AI integration and discounts?

Yes, adding Kai AI to any edition provides discounts: 25% off Professional ($2,136 + tax), 30% off Enterprise ($3,394 + tax), and 40% off Architect ($4,109 + tax). This promotion is active through August 31, 2026.

Source
Lightdash: What are Lightdash AI agents?

Lightdash AI agents, available on paid plans, allow natural language queries against your data, generating SQL and visualizations automatically from questions.

Source
Lightdash: Can Lightdash be self-hosted?

Yes. Lightdash's MIT-licensed core is completely self-hostable and free. Enterprise features and AI agents ship under separate licensing.

Source
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