Comparison
Looker vs Metabase
Scored side by side on data-analytics, using the same criteria we apply across the category.
Looker
Governed BI built on a version-controlled semantic layer.
4.2(3,400)Custom, typically $60k+ per year
Metabase
Open-source BI that non-technical users can actually operate without SQL.
4.5(2,800)$0 self-hosted / $85 per month cloud
Scored side by side
Semantic modelling
Looker
5.0
Metabase
3.1
Self-serve usability
Looker
3.4
Metabase
4.8
Governance
Looker
4.9
Metabase
3.6
Embedding
Looker
4.6
Metabase
4.0
Visualisation
Looker
3.6
Metabase
4.0
Value for money
Looker
3.2
Metabase
4.9
Looker verdict
The strongest governance story in BI. Only justifiable if you will genuinely maintain the semantic layer.
- Semantic layer ends metric disputes
- Excellent embedded analytics
- Version control brings engineering rigour to BI
Metabase verdict
The best value in BI for teams under a few hundred people. Add a semantic layer before metric disputes start.
- Non-technical users genuinely self-serve
- Free self-hosted edition is fully capable
- Fast to deploy and adopt