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Spreadsheets · head to head

Metabase vs SAP BusinessObjects

Metabase logo

Metabase

Spreadsheets

Fast analytics with the friendly UX

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
SAP BusinessObjects logo

SAP BusinessObjects

Business Intelligence

Enterprise business intelligence suite

From
$400/month
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); SAP BusinessObjects sAP BusinessObjects Private Cloud Edition is listed on UK G-Cloud 14 as a Cloud software service by SAP (UK) Limited titled 'SAP Business Objects Private Cloud Edition', alongside a reseller listing from NTT DATA Business Solutions; the G-Cloud search results describe it as subscription-based but show no per-user or per-month figure in the listing summary
  • They diverge on capability: Metabase covers No-code Query Builder, SAP BusinessObjects covers Crystal Reports.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Metabase and SAP BusinessObjects actually diverge.

Attributes where Metabase and SAP BusinessObjects differ
AttributeMetabaseSAP BusinessObjects
Starting priceFree$400/month
Pricing modelfreemiumsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Self-hosted cloudWeb, Desktop, Mobile
CategorySpreadsheetsBusiness Intelligence
Founded20141972

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 SAP BusinessObjects

  • Crystal Reports
  • Web Intelligence
  • Lumira
  • Analysis for Office
  • Live Office
  • SAP HANA
  • SAP ERP
  • Oracle

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 SAP BusinessObjects
  • Embedded analytics for SaaS applicationsnot SAP BusinessObjects
  • Self-service reporting and dashboard creationnot SAP BusinessObjects
  • Integration with 40+ data sources including cloud warehousesnot SAP BusinessObjects

SAP BusinessObjects

  • Enterprise reportingnot Metabase
  • Executive dashboardsnot Metabase
  • Regulatory compliancenot Metabase
  • Strategic planningnot Metabase
  • Operational 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

SAP BusinessObjects

  • SAP BusinessObjects Private Cloud Edition is listed on UK G-Cloud 14 as a Cloud software service by SAP (UK) Limited titled 'SAP Business Objects Private Cloud Edition', alongside a reseller listing from NTT DATA Business Solutions; the G-Cloud search results describe it as subscription-based but show no per-user or per-month figure in the listing summary

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

SAP BusinessObjects

$400/month
  • Standard$400/month
    • Core BI Tools
    • Web Intelligence
    • Crystal Reports
  • EnterpriseFree
    • Full Suite
    • Advanced Features
    • Premium 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 SAP BusinessObjects if

  • You need crystal reports.
  • You work on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
  • You also want web intelligence.
SAP BusinessObjects review

Questions people ask

Is Metabase or SAP BusinessObjects better?
Neither clearly leads. Metabase starts at Free and SAP BusinessObjects at $400/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Metabase or SAP BusinessObjects?
Metabase has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Metabase and $400/month for SAP BusinessObjects.
Does Metabase or SAP BusinessObjects run on more platforms?
Metabase runs on Web, Self-hosted cloud. SAP BusinessObjects runs on Web, Desktop, Mobile.
Can I use Metabase for free?
Yes. Metabase has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SAP BusinessObjects starts at $400/month.
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 SAP BusinessObjects is typically brought in for.
What can Metabase do that SAP BusinessObjects cannot?
Metabase covers No-code Query Builder, SQL Editor, Interactive Dashboards, Alerts. SAP BusinessObjects covers Crystal Reports, Web Intelligence, Lumira, Analysis for Office. 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
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
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
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