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Spreadsheets · head to head

Metabase vs Palantir Foundry

Metabase logo

Metabase

Spreadsheets

Fast analytics with the friendly UX

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Palantir Foundry logo

Palantir Foundry

Machine Learning

Operating system for modern enterprise

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Metabase has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Metabase aI Service charges $3.75 per 1 million tokens (after 1M free tokens included); Palantir Foundry custom pricing model with no public information makes budgeting difficult
  • They diverge on capability: Metabase covers No-code Query Builder, Palantir Foundry covers Data integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Metabase and Palantir Foundry actually diverge.

Attributes where Metabase and Palantir Foundry differ
AttributeMetabasePalantir Foundry
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted cloudWeb
CategorySpreadsheetsMachine Learning
Founded20142003

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 Metabase

  • No-code Query Builder
  • SQL Editor
  • Interactive Dashboards
  • Alerts
  • Embedding
  • PostgreSQL
  • MySQL
  • MongoDB

Only in Palantir Foundry

  • Data integration
  • Ontology modeling
  • Pipeline builder
  • Operational analytics
  • Governance
  • Enterprise systems
  • Cloud platforms
  • IoT

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Metabase

  • Business intelligence and data exploration for non-technical usersnot Palantir Foundry
  • Embedded analytics for SaaS applicationsnot Palantir Foundry
  • Self-service reporting and dashboard creationnot Palantir Foundry
  • Integration with 40+ data sources including cloud warehousesnot Palantir Foundry

Palantir Foundry

  • Machine learningnot Metabase
  • Data analysisnot Metabase
  • Model trainingnot Metabase
  • Predictive analyticsnot Metabase

Where each one falls short

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

Metabase

  • AI Service charges $3.75 per 1 million tokens (after 1M free tokens included)
  • Transforms cost $0.01 per run after 1,000 included runs per month
  • Advanced Transforms cost $0.02 per run after included allocation
  • Storage overages start at $2 per 1M rows (1M rows free)
  • All yearly plans offer 10% discount versus monthly, incentivizing annual commitment

Palantir Foundry

  • Custom pricing model with no public information makes budgeting difficult
  • Steep implementation and configuration requirements
  • Requires significant technical expertise to operate effectively
  • Long sales cycle typical for enterprise software

Pricing, plan by plan

Metabase

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited questions and dashboards
    • AI-powered query generation
  • Starter$90/month
    • Email and chat support
    • $100/month standard monthly billing
    • 20+ data connectors
  • Pro$517.5/month
    • $575/month standard monthly
    • Row/column-level permissions
    • SSO
  • Enterprise$20000/year
    • Dedicated success engineer
    • 1-day support response SLA
    • Air-gapped deployment

Palantir Foundry

On request
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Full platform
    • Custom deployment
    • Enterprise support

Which should you pick?

Choose Metabase if

  • You need no-code query builder.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Self-hosted cloud.
  • You also want sql editor.
Metabase review

Choose Palantir Foundry if

  • You need data integration.
  • You also want ontology modeling.
Palantir Foundry review

Questions people ask

Is Metabase or Palantir Foundry better?
Neither clearly leads. Metabase starts at Free and Palantir Foundry at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Metabase or Palantir Foundry?
Metabase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Metabase and On request for Palantir Foundry.
Does Metabase or Palantir Foundry run on more platforms?
Metabase runs on Web, Self-hosted cloud. Palantir Foundry runs on Web.
Can I use Metabase for free?
Yes. Metabase has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Palantir Foundry starts at On request.
What is Metabase best used for?
Metabase is most often used for business intelligence and data exploration for non-technical users, embedded analytics for saas applications, self-service reporting and dashboard creation, integration with 40+ data sources including cloud warehouses. Of those, business intelligence and data exploration for non-technical users and embedded analytics for saas applications are not what Palantir Foundry is typically brought in for.
What can Metabase do that Palantir Foundry cannot?
Metabase covers No-code Query Builder, SQL Editor, Interactive Dashboards, Alerts. Palantir Foundry covers Data integration, Ontology modeling, Pipeline builder, Operational analytics. Both handle Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Metabase: How much does Metabase cost?

Metabase Open Source is free for self-hosted deployments with unlimited users and dashboards. Cloud-hosted Starter tier costs $90/month annually ($100/month monthly) with Pro at $517.50/month annually ($575/month monthly). Enterprise plans start at $20,000 per year.

Source
Palantir Foundry: What is Palantir Foundry designed for?

Palantir Foundry is an enterprise data integration and analytics platform supporting end-to-end data pipelines, covering ingestion, processing, pipeline building, monitoring, and creating analytics dashboards with both code and no-code tools.

Source
Metabase: Does Metabase charge for additional users?

Yes, Metabase charges per-user fees beyond included users. Starter includes 5 users at $6 per additional user per month. Pro includes 10 users at $12 per additional user per month. Enterprise pricing is custom.

Source
Palantir Foundry: How much does Palantir Foundry cost?

Palantir Foundry uses custom pricing. No public list pricing is available. Enterprise customers and government agencies must contact Palantir directly for formal quotes and licensing terms.

Source
Metabase: What usage-based fees does Metabase charge?

Metabase charges $3.75 per 1 million tokens for AI services (after 1M free tokens), $0.01 per transform run after 1,000 included per month, $0.02 for advanced transforms, and storage overages at $2 per 1M rows beyond the included 1M rows.

Source
Palantir Foundry: Who uses Palantir Foundry?

Palantir Foundry serves enterprise and government organizations needing complex data integration, analytics, and operational intelligence across large-scale data environments.

Source
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