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Business Intelligence · head to head

Lightdash vs Stitch

Lightdash logo

Lightdash

Business Intelligence

Open-source BI for dbt users

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Stitch logo

Stitch

Automation Integration

Simple, powerful ETL built for data teams

From
$100/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Lightdash has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Lightdash requires existing dbt infrastructure, not suitable for teams without data models; Stitch the Standard plan allows a single destination, so loading the same data into two warehouses requires the $1,500 a month Advanced plan
  • They diverge on capability: Lightdash covers dbt Integration, Stitch covers Data replication.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Lightdash and Stitch actually diverge.

Attributes where Lightdash and Stitch differ
AttributeLightdashStitch
Starting priceFree$100/month
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Cloud (managed), Self-hosted (on-premise)Web, Cloud
CategoryBusiness IntelligenceAutomation Integration
Founded20212014

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 Lightdash

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

Only in Stitch

  • Data replication
  • Schema detection
  • Data transformation
  • Real-time sync
  • Monitoring
  • Error handling
  • Incremental updates
  • 200+ connectors

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Cloud support

What people use each for

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

Lightdash

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

Stitch

  • Data integration and ETL (Extract, Transform, Load)not Lightdash
  • Data pipeline managementnot Lightdash
  • Cloud data warehouse loadingnot Lightdash
  • Real-time data synchronizationnot 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

Stitch

  • The Standard plan allows a single destination, so loading the same data into two warehouses requires the $1,500 a month Advanced plan
  • The Advanced and Premium plans are billed annually only
  • The jump from Standard to Advanced is from $100 a month to $1,500
  • Standard is limited to 10 sources and 5 users
  • HIPAA support and private connectivity options such as VPN, AWS PrivateLink and VPC peering are excluded from Standard
  • Published prices are US only, with international pricing available on request

Pricing, plan by plan

Lightdash

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • MIT-licensed core
    • Self-hostable
    • dbt integration
  • Cloud Managed$undefined/mo
    • Managed hosting
    • Premium features
    • AI agent capabilities

Stitch

$100/month
  • Standard$100/month
    • 5-300 million rows per month (configurable)
    • 1 destination
    • 10 standard sources
  • Advanced$1500/month
    • 100 million rows per month
    • 3 destinations
    • Unlimited enterprise sources
  • Premium$3000/month
    • 1 billion rows per month
    • 5 destinations
    • Unlimited enterprise sources

Which should you pick?

Choose Lightdash if

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

Choose Stitch if

  • You need data replication.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want schema detection.
Stitch review

Questions people ask

Is Lightdash or Stitch better?
Neither clearly leads. Lightdash starts at Free and Stitch at $100/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Lightdash or Stitch?
Lightdash has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Lightdash and $100/month for Stitch.
Does Lightdash or Stitch run on more platforms?
Lightdash runs on Web, Cloud (managed), Self-hosted (on-premise). Stitch runs on Web, Cloud.
Can I use Lightdash for free?
Yes. Lightdash has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Stitch starts at $100/month.
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 Stitch is typically brought in for.
What can Lightdash do that Stitch cannot?
Lightdash covers dbt Integration, Metrics Layer, Dashboards, Scheduling. Stitch covers Data replication, Schema detection, Data transformation, Real-time sync. Both handle Web support, Cloud support.

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
Stitch: How much does Stitch cost?

Stitch's usage-based pricing starts at $100/month for the Standard plan. Advanced tier is $1,500/month (annual billing), and Premium is $3,000/month (annual billing). Pricing is based on rows per month and data destinations.

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
Stitch: Does Stitch offer a free trial?

Yes, Stitch provides a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

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
Stitch: How many rows can I process with each Stitch plan?

Standard plan is configurable from 5 to 300 million rows per month. Advanced includes 100 million rows per month. Premium includes 1 billion rows per month. Additional rows are available for customization.

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
Stitch: Is Stitch pricing available outside the US?

Stitch publishes pricing for US customers only. International pricing requires contacting Stitch sales directly.

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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