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Business Intelligence · head to head

Cube vs Pigment

Cube logo

Cube

Business Intelligence

AI-native analytics platform with semantic layer and governed access

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pigment logo

Pigment

Business Intelligence

Enterprise business planning platform for finance, sales and workforce modelling

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cube has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cube per-developer licensing can be expensive for large analytics teams; Pigment no pricing is published and the structure has three moving parts, platform fee, use-case fees and tiered seats, so two companies of the same size can pay very different amounts and neither can benchmark the other.
  • They diverge on capability: Cube covers Analytics Chat, Pigment covers Dimensional modelling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cube and Pigment actually diverge.

Attributes where Cube and Pigment differ
AttributeCubePigment
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelPer-developer seats with volume pricingquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsCloud, Self-hostedWeb

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 Cube

  • Analytics Chat
  • Workbooks
  • Dashboards
  • Embedded Analytics
  • AI Integrations
  • Core Data APIs
  • Caching and pre-aggregations

Only in Pigment

  • Dimensional modelling
  • Scenario planning
  • Data connectors
  • Application blocks
  • Reporting and boards
  • Access control
  • Audit trail
  • AI assistance

What people use each for

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

Cube

  • Building governed semantic data models for analyticsnot Pigment
  • Embedding analytics into customer-facing productsnot Pigment
  • Enabling natural language data queries for teamsnot Pigment
  • Creating conversational dashboards with AI assistancenot Pigment

Pigment

  • A finance team retiring a fragile Excel consolidation that no one can audit and only one person can runnot Cube
  • Sales operations modelling quota, territory and headcount capacity against a revenue plan in the same system finance usesnot Cube
  • A company that needs monthly re-forecasting fast enough to run scenarios live in the leadership meetingnot Cube
  • Replacing an ageing Anaplan estate where the model has become unmaintainable and per-workspace costs have crept upnot Cube

Where each one falls short

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

Cube

  • Per-developer licensing can be expensive for large analytics teams
  • Additional cost for Explorer and Viewer roles beyond developers
  • Semantic layer approach requires upfront modeling investment
  • Smaller connector ecosystem than dedicated BI platforms
  • May be overengineered for simple reporting needs

Pigment

  • No pricing is published and the structure has three moving parts, platform fee, use-case fees and tiered seats, so two companies of the same size can pay very different amounts and neither can benchmark the other.
  • Cost scales with planning processes rather than with company size, so a successful first deployment creates internal demand that directly increases the bill at renewal.
  • It requires a modelling owner. Without a person who understands dimensional design, teams rebuild spreadsheet patterns in Pigment and inherit all the maintenance problems they were trying to escape.
  • Implementation is partner-led and measured in months, so the payback horizon is long compared with lighter FP&A tools that a controller can configure alone.
  • The connector library covers major systems well but the long tail is thinner than the incumbents, and industry-specific source systems often need a warehouse or a file drop in between.

Pricing, plan by plan

Cube

Free
  • FreeFree
    • For hobbyists and personal projects
    • Basic data source connection
    • Semantic modeling
  • Starter$40/developer/month
    • Extended agent limits
    • Premium LLMs
    • Unlimited workbooks
  • Premium$80/developer/month
    • All Starter features
    • Embedded dashboards
    • Embedded analytics chat
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • 99.990% uptime SLA
    • Dedicated single-tenant installation
    • Bring Your Own Cloud

Pigment

On request
  • Pigment platform$undefined/year
    • Platform fee plus per use-case fees
    • Licences tiered as editor, contributor and explorer
    • No free tier and no self-service signup

Which should you pick?

Choose Cube if

  • You need analytics chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Self-hosted.
  • You also want workbooks.
Cube review

Choose Pigment if

  • You need dimensional modelling.
  • You also want scenario planning.
Pigment review

Questions people ask

Is Cube or Pigment better?
Neither clearly leads. Cube starts at Free and Pigment at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cube or Pigment?
Cube has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Cube and On request for Pigment.
Does Cube or Pigment run on more platforms?
Cube runs on Cloud, Self-hosted. Pigment runs on Web.
Can I use Cube for free?
Yes. Cube has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Pigment starts at On request.
What is Cube best used for?
Cube is most often used for building governed semantic data models for analytics, embedding analytics into customer-facing products, enabling natural language data queries for teams, creating conversational dashboards with ai assistance. Of those, building governed semantic data models for analytics and embedding analytics into customer-facing products are not what Pigment is typically brought in for.
What can Cube do that Pigment cannot?
Cube covers Analytics Chat, Workbooks, Dashboards, Embedded Analytics. Pigment covers Dimensional modelling, Scenario planning, Data connectors, Application blocks.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cube: What is the cost per developer on Cube?

Starter plan costs $40/developer/month. Premium adds embedded analytics at $80/developer/month. Explorer and Viewer roles cost $40 and $20/month respectively.

Source
Pigment: Does Pigment publish prices?

No. Expect a quote combining a platform fee, fees per planning use case, and seat licences split into editor, contributor and explorer tiers.

Cube: What uptime SLAs does Cube offer?

Premium plan offers 99.950% uptime SLA. Enterprise plan provides 99.990% uptime SLA with dedicated support.

Source
Pigment: Is Pigment an alternative to Anaplan?

It is positioned directly against Anaplan and much of its customer base is migrating from it, mainly citing modelling readability and recalculation speed.

Cube: Can I use Cube for free?

Yes, the Free plan includes basic data source connection, semantic modeling, workbooks, and dashboards for hobbyists and personal projects.

Source
Pigment: Can we use it without consultants?

In practice most deployments use Pigment or a partner for the initial build. Ongoing model changes can be handled in-house once someone owns the modelling discipline.

Pigment: Where is data hosted?

Pigment is a European vendor with regional hosting options, which is often the deciding factor for EU buyers with data residency requirements.

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