Software · head to head
Redash vs Metabase
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Redash a basic self-hosted deployment needs a minimum of 4GB of RAM, and more RAM and CPU as background workers and API processes grow; Metabase row and column level permissions and SSO available only in Pro tier and above
- They diverge on capability: Redash covers SQL Query Editor, Metabase covers No-code Query Builder.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Redash and Metabase actually diverge.
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 Redash
- SQL Query Editor
- Multiple Data Sources
- Visualizations
- Dashboards
- Presto
Only in Metabase
- No-code Query Builder
- SQL Editor
- Interactive Dashboards
- Embedding
- Snowflake
Both cover
- Alerts
- PostgreSQL
- MySQL
- BigQuery
- Redshift
- MongoDB
- Web support
- Self-hosted support
- Cloud support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Redash
- Self-hosted SQL query editor and dashboarding over existing databasesnot Metabase
- Sharing scheduled query results with a team without buying a BI licencenot Metabase
Metabase
- Business intelligence and data exploration for non-technical usersnot Redash
- Embedded analytics for SaaS applicationsnot Redash
- Self-service reporting and dashboard creationnot Redash
- Integration with 40+ data sources including cloud warehousesnot Redash
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Redash
- A basic self-hosted deployment needs a minimum of 4GB of RAM, and more RAM and CPU as background workers and API processes grow
- The official Docker images were not updated for V10, so the documented route is to deploy a V8 instance and then upgrade it
- Anyone not using a provided cloud image has to configure the environment variables and secrets by hand
Metabase
- Row and column level permissions and SSO available only in Pro tier and above
- Advanced analytics features like multi-tenant embedded analytics require Pro tier or higher
- AI-powered features incur additional usage-based costs: $3.75 per 1M tokens
- Self-hosted deployment on Free/Open Source tier requires infrastructure management
Pricing, plan by plan
Redash
Free- Open SourceFree
- Full Features
- Self-hosted
- Community Support
- Cloud$49/month
- Managed Hosting
- Automatic Updates
- Support
Metabase
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Metabase review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Redash if
- You need sql query editor.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud.
- You also want multiple data sources.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Redash or Metabase better?
- Neither clearly leads. Redash starts at Free and Metabase at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Redash or Metabase?
- Redash starts at Free and Metabase at Free.
- Does Redash or Metabase run on more platforms?
- Redash runs on Web, Self-hosted, Cloud. Metabase runs on Web, Self-hosted cloud.
- Can I use Redash for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Redash best used for?
- Redash is most often used for self-hosted sql query editor and dashboarding over existing databases, sharing scheduled query results with a team without buying a bi licence. Of those, self-hosted sql query editor and dashboarding over existing databases and sharing scheduled query results with a team without buying a bi licence are not what Metabase is typically brought in for.
- What can Redash do that Metabase cannot?
- Redash covers SQL Query Editor, Multiple Data Sources, Visualizations, Dashboards. Metabase covers No-code Query Builder, SQL Editor, Interactive Dashboards, Embedding. Both handle Alerts, PostgreSQL, MySQL, BigQuery.