Best Metabase alternatives to consider in 2024

Metabase is a business intelligence platform that allows power users to analyze large datasets and build interactive dashboards. However, it has a steeper learning curve that restricts frontline employees from making data-driven decisions. 

Since Metabase is not a one-size-fits-all BI platform, it is natural to look for different alternatives that align well with your business needs. 

Below, we will break down the top challenges that users face with Metabase and explore the top Metabase alternatives so you can compare features and choose the one that drives greater value for your business. 

Why consider Metabase alternatives? 

As customer needs evolve, businesses need analytics solutions that allow users to find actionable insights and drive stronger, sustainable business performance. If you are using Metabase and not able to drive value, you are not alone, here’s what users on G2 have said about Metabase: 

• Limited advanced analytics capabilities: Users find Metabase’s advanced analytics features limiting. When compared to competitors like ThoughtSpot, Mode, and Power BI, the platform lacks capabilities like Machine Learning and predictive modeling that prevent users from digging deep and finding actionable insights. 

• Slow performance with large datasets: When working with large datasets or running multiple SQL queries, users have reported that the platform lags and takes a lot of processing time, causing delays in decision-making. 

• Lack of customization options: Metabase allows users to build visualizations. However, it falls short on customization options, restricting users to basic bars and charts. 

• Build for power users: For those who lack SQL expertise or advanced technical knowledge, exploring the full extent of the platform is practically impossible. From initial set-up to data analysis, users require extensive training. This may discourage those new to analytics. 

Top 7 Metabase alternatives and competitors

1. Mode

Mode’s Notebook interface and visual explorer allow you to analyze large datasets, build interactive visualizations, and perform predictive analysis to find granular insights and craft successful business strategies. 

With Mode, analytics users can analyze data using SQL, Python, and R, and business users can consume insights from interactive visualizations, facilitating data-driven decisions organization-wide. 

This is exactly how CircleCI’s Rommy Ghaly, Senior Data Director at CircleCI accelerated product analysis by 10x:

Here’s how Mode is better than Metabase:

• Ease of use: Users find Mode’s drag-and-drop interface more intuitive than Metabase. This allows analysts and business teams to create interactive dashboards and extract insights faster.  

• Data querying: While Metabase also supports SQL queries, Mode’s intuitive SQL editor lets you manipulate data directly within the platform. You can build as many visualizations as you need on top of your query results. 

• Quality of support: Customers prefer Mode because of its excellent support. 

Choose a modern analytics platform that maximizes the value of your data. Sign up for Mode’s 30-day free trial and experience the platform’s advanced data analytics features firsthand.  

2. ThoughtSpot

ThoughtSpot is a modern BI platform that empowers users to ask questions in natural language and faces hidden trends and patterns in data with generative AI. You can connect data from diverse sources and build real-time Liveboards that help you turn your data into a competitive advantage. 

Here’s how ThoughtSpot is better than Metabase:

• Data visualization: Users on G2 have rated ThoughtSpot’s visualization capabilities higher than Metabase’s. The platform offers a vast visualization library with customization opportunities that help you create powerful data stories. 

• Self-service capabilities: ThoughtSpot is praised for its self-service capabilities and its consumer-grade UX, empowering business users to build their own visualizations and reports—without any help from the data team. All without any intensive training. 

• Data discovery: ThoughtSpot users are able to drill into visualizations and uncover deeper insights to answer their business questions faster. 

Take a look at how ThoughtSpot helped Kelly Burdine, Director of Head of Data Science and Analytics at Wellthy:

Make data accessible and actionable to everyone at your organization by signing up for ThoughtSpot’s free weekly demo today!

3. Power BI

Another Metabase alternative is Microsoft’s Power BI. The platform comes with drag-and-drop functionalities that help users with data exploration and visualization. Power BI’s integration capabilities also connect data from multiple sources and help users create dashboards to track KPIs. 

Here’s how Power BI is better than Metabase:

• Data visualization: While both the analytics platforms offer visualization options, users have found Power BI’s visualization capabilities superior to Metabase. 

• Data connectors: Users have reported that Power BI’s connectors are more performant than Metabase. 

• Predictive analytics: Power BI’s predictive analytics are ranked higher than Metabase’s, allowing users to predict future outcomes faster. 

4. Tableau

Tableau is a legacy business intelligence tool launched in 2003. The platform allows users to create visualization and analyze data. Other features include the ability to connect data from multiple sources and the creation of pixel-perfect dashboards. Although Tableau has been a long-standing tool for technical users, it has a steep learning curve for beginners. 

Here’s how Tableau is better than Metabase:

• Data blending: Tableau offers diverse data connectors that help users better understand the dataset.  

• Data visualization: Compared to Metabase, users have found Tableau’s visualization library more comprehensive. 

• Big data services: Users have found that Tableau’s Big data services surpass Metabase’s, allowing users to manage data at scale. 

5. MicroStrategy

MicroStrategy is another Metabase alternative that helps users build, analyze, and share dashboards and reports. It can be deployed on the cloud and has augmented analytical features that allow users to gain insights from large datasets. While MicroStrategy also has ML and AI capabilities, they are less flexible when compared to competitors like ThoughtSpot. 

Here’s how MicroStrategy is better than Metabase:

• Data governance: MicroStrategy is praised for its robust data governance framework, helping users promote content into governed collaborative environments.

• Data modeling: Compared to Metabase, MicroStrategy’s data modeling capabilities are ranked higher. 

• Data connectivity: While MicroStrategy and Metabase are both open-source platforms, users have found the former’s data connectors more performant. 

6. Domo

Domo is a cloud-based business analytics platform with a low-code interface that lets users create interactive visualizations. With AI capabilities, users can ask questions, gain insights from large datasets, and do predictive analysis. 

Here’s how Domo is better than Metabase:

• Graphs and charts: Domo has a comprehensive list of pre-built visualizations. Additionally, users have the flexibility to customize charts and graphs, distinguishing it from Metabase. 

• Ease of use: Users on G2 report that Domo’s low-code interface is user-friendly and easier to navigate than Metabase.  

• Quality of support: Users have regarded Domo’s customer support as more responsive when compared to Metabase.

7. Qlik Sense

Qlik Sense is a unified BI platform that lets users model data, create dashboards, and monitor KPIs. With flexible deployment options and ML capabilities, users can get recommendations and visualize data for better data understanding. 

Here’s how QlikSense is better than Metabase:

• Data discovery: Both Metabase and Qlik Sense have robust data discovery capabilities. However, users find QlikSense’s low-code interface better for exploring insights. 

• Data modeling: Users have praised Qlik Sense's associative data modeling approach that lets them establish relationships between variables in a dataset. 

• Data connectors: As QlikSense offers connectivity with multiple cloud warehouses and databases, data extraction becomes much easier. 

Looking for advanced analytics features? Mode is the answer

The best business analytics tools break down siloes, make data accessible, and drive business outcomes. While Metabase alternatives like Tableau, QlikSense, and Power BI allow users to analyze datasets, they are very much the old guard of business intelligence. 

On the other hand, modern business analytics tools like Mode and ThoughtSpot, offer just as much analytics power without sacrificing user experience. That’s why customers like Shopify, Imperfect Foods, and Rakuten trust Mode to make the most of their data. 

See how your business can go from insight to action within days by signing up for Mode’s 30-day free trial.