Looker vs Metabase
Looker and Metabase are both BI & dashboards tools. Looker is aimed at enterprise and developers, while Metabase is aimed at small businesses and developers. Both have a free plan.
| Pricing | Paid | Open source · $100 |
| Starting price | Not published | $100/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | 30 days | 14 days |
| Built for | Enterprise, Developers | Small businesses, Developers |
| Platforms | web | web |
| Country | US · 2012 | US · 2015 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Looker if
Data teams on a modern cloud warehouse, especially BigQuery, that need governed metrics or embedded analytics at scale.
- Single source of truth for metrics across the whole company
- No data extracts: always queries live warehouse data
- Strong embedded analytics and API for customer-facing use
Look elsewhere if: Small teams that need a few dashboards on a budget (Data Studio, Metabase, Power BI).
Choose Metabase if
Startups and mid-size companies wanting quick, affordable BI; developers embedding analytics.
- Free open-source edition is genuinely usable
- Easy for non-analysts
- Wide database support
Look elsewhere if: Enterprises needing advanced modeling and governance (Looker, Power BI).
Looker vs Metabase pricing
Looker
- StandardCustomUnder 50 users; incl. 10 standard + 2 developer users; annual
- EnterpriseCustomInternal BI at scale; 1 to 3 year commitments
- EmbedCustomExternal and customer-facing analytics at scale
- Trial$030 days; 5 viewer, 1 standard, 1 developer user
Metabase
- Open Source$0Self-hosted, unlimited users
- Starter$100/mo$90/mo billed annually; 5 users, +$6/user
- Pro$575/mo$517.50/mo billed annually; 10 users, +$12/user; SSO, embedding
- EnterpriseCustomFrom $20,000/yr; dedicated success engineer
Looker · Key features
- LookML semantic layer with Git version control for governed metrics
- In-database querying on BigQuery, Snowflake, Redshift and Databricks
- Gemini conversational analytics across up to five Explores
- Explores for self-service drill-down without writing SQL
- Embedded analytics with signed embedding and APIs for customer apps
- Scheduled deliveries and alerts to email, Slack and webhooks
Cons
- No published prices; contracts are typically five figures and up
- Requires developers who know LookML
- Visualisation options are weaker than Tableau
Metabase · Key features
- Visual query builder plus native SQL editor
- Dashboards with filters, drill-through and subscriptions
- Alerts and scheduled email/Slack reports
- Models and metrics for governed self-serve
- Embedding (public, static, interactive SDK)
- Open source self-hosting or managed cloud
Cons
- Visualization options are basic
- Performance depends on your database
- Advanced permissions need Pro
Looker vs Metabase: FAQ
Do Looker and Metabase have a free plan?
Yes, both Looker and Metabase have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, Looker or Metabase?
Metabase lists small businesses as a core audience, while Looker is aimed more at enterprise and developers.