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Business Intelligence · head to head

Deepnote vs Phocas

Deepnote logo

Deepnote

Business Intelligence

Collaborative cloud workspace for data analytics and machine learning

From
Free
Rated
-
Phocas logo

Phocas

Business Intelligence

Pre-built BI and FP&A for wholesale distributors and manufacturers running mid-market ERPs

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Deepnote has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Deepnote free plan limited to 3 editors, restricting team usage; Phocas the value is the pre-built vertical content, so a company outside distribution, manufacturing or retail pays premium prices for dashboards it must build itself anyway.
  • They diverge on capability: Deepnote covers Collaborative notebooks, Phocas covers ERP connectors.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Deepnote and Phocas actually diverge.

Attributes where Deepnote and Phocas differ
AttributeDeepnotePhocas
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelSubscription with free tierquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, APIWeb, iOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Business Intelligence).

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 Deepnote

  • Collaborative notebooks
  • Interactive dashboards
  • Data agent building
  • Scheduled pipelines
  • Model management
  • 100+ integrations
  • GPU support
  • API deployment

Only in Phocas

  • ERP connectors
  • Pre-built distribution content
  • Grid-first analysis
  • Financial statements
  • Budgets and forecasts
  • Rebates module
  • Alerts and subscriptions
  • Mobile apps

What people use each for

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

Deepnote

  • Data exploration and analysis workflowsnot Phocas
  • Building interactive business intelligence dashboardsnot Phocas
  • Collaborative machine learning model developmentnot Phocas
  • Automating ETL and data pipeline orchestrationnot Phocas
  • Creating shareable reports without exportsnot Phocas

Phocas

  • A wholesale distributor on Prophet 21 whose sales reps need per-customer margin and stock availability without waiting on a report writernot Deepnote
  • A manufacturer that wants budgeting on the same data as its sales analysis rather than in a separate spreadsheetnot Deepnote
  • A multi-branch retailer comparing branch and product performance daily without an internal BI teamnot Deepnote
  • A private equity owner standardising reporting across several acquired distributors on different ERPsnot Deepnote

Where each one falls short

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

Deepnote

  • Free plan limited to 3 editors, restricting team usage
  • Limited revision history on free plan compared to competitors
  • Requires Team plan or higher for automated scheduling
  • GPU support incurs additional charges beyond base subscription
  • No mentioned offline capability

Phocas

  • The value is the pre-built vertical content, so a company outside distribution, manufacturing or retail pays premium prices for dashboards it must build itself anyway.
  • If your ERP is not on the maintained connector list you fall back to generic database extraction and lose the fast time to value that justifies the price.
  • The visualisation library is thin next to Power BI or Tableau, and analysts who want fine control over chart design will find it constraining.
  • Pricing is quoted per user and never published, and buyers routinely report large gaps between initial and renewal quotes with limited comparison leverage.
  • Modules are licensed separately, so a customer who bought Analytics and later wants Financial Statements or Rebates faces a new negotiation rather than an upgrade.

Pricing, plan by plan

Deepnote

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 3 editors
    • Up to 5 projects
    • Limited Deepnote AI
  • Team$39/month
    • Unlimited viewers and notebooks
    • Full Deepnote AI access
    • Premium integrations
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Everything in Team plan
    • Custom contracts
    • Priority support

Phocas

On request
  • Phocas$undefined/year
    • Annual subscription quoted by user count and modules
    • Analytics, Financial Statements, Budgets and Rebates licensed separately
    • One-off implementation and ERP connector setup fee

Which should you pick?

Choose Deepnote if

  • You need collaborative notebooks.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want interactive dashboards.

Choose Phocas if

  • You need erp connectors.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want pre-built distribution content.

Questions people ask

Is Deepnote or Phocas better?
Neither clearly leads. Deepnote starts at Free and Phocas at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Deepnote or Phocas?
Deepnote has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Deepnote and On request for Phocas.
Does Deepnote or Phocas run on more platforms?
Deepnote runs on Web, API. Phocas runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Deepnote for free?
Yes. Deepnote has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Phocas starts at On request.
What is Deepnote best used for?
Deepnote is most often used for data exploration and analysis workflows, building interactive business intelligence dashboards, collaborative machine learning model development, automating etl and data pipeline orchestration. Of those, data exploration and analysis workflows and building interactive business intelligence dashboards are not what Phocas is typically brought in for.
What can Deepnote do that Phocas cannot?
Deepnote covers Collaborative notebooks, Interactive dashboards, Data agent building, Scheduled pipelines. Phocas covers ERP connectors, Pre-built distribution content, Grid-first analysis, Financial statements.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Deepnote: What is included in the free Deepnote plan?

The free plan includes up to 3 editors, up to 5 projects, limited Deepnote AI, basic machines with 5 GB RAM, and 7-day revision history.

Source
Phocas: What does Phocas cost?

Nothing is published. It is quoted annually by user count and module, with a separate implementation fee, and varies by region.

Deepnote: What data sources can Deepnote integrate with?

Deepnote integrates with 100+ data sources including major data warehouses like Snowflake, BigQuery, and Redshift, as well as BI platforms like Looker, Tableau, and Power BI.

Source
Phocas: Is it worth it over Power BI?

Only if you are in its target verticals on a supported ERP. Power BI is far cheaper per seat but you supply the data model.

Deepnote: Does Deepnote support collaboration?

Yes, Deepnote provides real-time collaborative notebooks where multiple team members can work simultaneously. The Team plan allows unlimited viewers and notebooks.

Source
Phocas: Does it replace my ERP reporting?

It replaces day-to-day analysis and sales reporting. Transactional and statutory reporting stays in the ERP.

Deepnote: What compliance certifications does Deepnote have?

Deepnote is SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, and CCPA compliant and offers role-based access control, single sign-on, and directory synchronization.

Source
Phocas: Can it do budgeting?

Yes, through a separately licensed Financial Statements and Budgets module on the same warehouse.

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