Lightdash vs Apache Superset
Lightdash and Apache Superset are both BI & dashboards tools. Lightdash is aimed at developers and small businesses, while Apache Superset is aimed at developers and enterprise. Both have a free plan.
Lightdash
BI built on dbt metrics
Apache Superset
Open-source data exploration at scale
| Pricing | Open source · $3000 | Open source |
| Starting price | $3000/mo | Not published |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 21 days | — |
| Built for | Developers, Small businesses | Developers, Enterprise |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | GB · 2020 | US · 2017 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Lightdash if
Data teams using dbt who want a semantic-layer BI.
- Governed metrics in code
- Tight dbt integration
- Unlimited viewers
Look elsewhere if: Teams without dbt (Metabase).
Choose Apache Superset if
Data teams wanting open-source BI at scale.
- Free and powerful
- Scales to large data
- Open source
Look elsewhere if: Non-technical small teams (Metabase).
Lightdash vs Apache Superset pricing
Lightdash
- Open Source$0Self-hosted, core BI features, community Slack support
- Cloud Pro$3,000/moNo per-seat pricing, unlimited users, AI agents, onboarding
- EnterpriseCustomCloud or on-prem, SSO/SAML/SCIM, SOC 2, HIPAA
Apache Superset
- Open source$0Apache 2.0, self-hosted
- Preset Starter$0Managed cloud, up to 5 users
- Preset Professional$25/user/mo$20/user/mo billed annually; 14-day trial
- Preset EnterpriseCustomDeployment at scale, AI agent access
Lightdash · Key features
- Metrics defined in dbt YAML
- Self-serve exploration for business users
- Dashboards and scheduled deliveries
- AI analyst for natural language queries
- Embedding
- Open source and cloud
Cons
- Requires dbt
- Cloud pricing starts high
- Visualization less rich than Tableau
Apache Superset · Key features
- SQL Lab IDE
- 40+ chart types
- Dashboards
- Semantic layer
- RBAC
- Many databases
Cons
- Setup and maintenance
- UX less friendly than Metabase
- Learning curve
Lightdash vs Apache Superset: FAQ
Do Lightdash and Apache Superset have a free plan?
Yes, both Lightdash and Apache Superset have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Lightdash or Apache Superset?
Lightdash lists small businesses as a core audience, while Apache Superset is aimed more at developers and enterprise.