clariBI vs. Metabase
Metabase is open-source BI that you can run yourself for free or buy as a hosted service. It is built around databases: you connect one, then query it by clicking or with SQL. clariBI is hosted only and built around business apps like Stripe, HubSpot and Google Ads.
Metabase details checked against Metabase's public pages on 24 September 2026. Sources are listed at the end.
Metabase may suit you better if
your data is in databases or a warehouse, someone on the team writes SQL, or you want to self-host at no license cost.
clariBI may suit you better if
your data is in SaaS apps rather than a database, and you want generated dashboards and plain-English answers without writing queries.
Features and pricing
| Capability | clariBI | Metabase |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per organization, not per user: Free $0, Lite $19, Starter $99, Professional $199, Enterprise $999 a month. Includes 1, 1, 3, 15 and 100 users. | Open Source free. Starter $100 a month (5 users included, then $6 per user). Pro $575 a month (10 users included, then $12 per user). Enterprise from $20,000 a year. |
| Self-hosting | No. Hosted service only. | Yes. Open Source runs on your own infrastructure; Cloud is hosted by Metabase. |
| Databases | PostgreSQL, MySQL (and MariaDB), SQL Server (including Azure SQL) and Oracle. Tables are copied into clariBI on each sync, up to the row cap of your plan per table (3,000 rows on Free and Trial, up to 100,000 on Enterprise). | 20+ supported data sources, including PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, BigQuery, Snowflake and Redshift, plus community drivers. |
| SaaS app connectors | 80 API connectors, 86 MCP apps (Trial, Starter and up), 12 Google, Meta and Atlassian products, file uploads, and PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server and Oracle databases. | Not listed. Metabase connects to databases. |
| SQL | No. Questions are asked in plain English. | Yes. Write SQL or use the click-based query builder. |
| Plain-English questions | Yes, on Starter and up and in the trial. Figures come from calculations on your data; a narrated number the chart data cannot back is removed. | "Ask questions with AI" and SQL generation are listed on every plan. |
| Generated dashboards | Yes, on every plan. Each connected source gets a generated dashboard. | Not compared here. |
| Forecasting | Yes, Starter and up. Picks a method per series by backtest, shows 50/80/95% bands, tests your other metrics as drivers, flags anomalies and trend changes. | Not listed on the pricing page. |
| Embedding | Public share links on Professional and up. No embedded analytics product. | Yes. Pro and Enterprise include embedded analytics. |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card, 50 AI credits. Then the account moves to the Free plan. | 14-day trial of Starter and Pro. Open Source is free. |
"Not compared here" means we did not find it on Metabase's pricing page. Plans change, so confirm with Metabase before you buy.
Where Metabase is stronger
- Self-hosting the open-source edition costs nothing in licenses, and your data stays on your servers.
- Wider database support, including Snowflake and Redshift, and queries that run on the full tables. clariBI connects PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server and Oracle and copies up to the row cap of your plan per table (3,000 rows on Free and Trial, up to 100,000 on Enterprise) on each sync.
- SQL for people who want to write their own queries.
- Embedded analytics on Pro and Enterprise.
Where clariBI fits better
- SaaS apps connect directly: 80 API connectors and 86 MCP apps, no database or ETL job in between.
- A generated dashboard for each source on every plan.
- Forecasting with prediction bands and driver discovery from Starter.
- Nothing to install, upgrade or back up.
What each costs
Metabase adds usage-based charges for some optional features (AI tokens, transforms, storage) once included credits run out. Self-hosting has no license cost but you pay for and run the servers.
clariBI
- Free: $0. 1 user, 3 data sources, no AI.
- Lite: $19 a month. 1 user, 5 data sources, dashboards you build yourself, no AI.
- Starter: $99 a month. 3 users, 500 AI credits, 10 data sources, forecasting.
- Professional: $199 a month. 15 users, 1,500 AI credits, 50 data sources, workspaces, sharing, scheduled reports, API.
- Enterprise: $999 a month. 100 users, 5,000 AI credits, 100 data sources.
Yearly billing costs ten times the monthly price. Full plan details
Metabase
- Open Source: free, self-hosted, unlimited users.
- Starter: $100 a month ($90 a month billed yearly), first 5 users included, then $6 per user per month.
- Pro: $575 a month ($517.50 billed yearly), first 10 users included, then $12 per user per month.
- Enterprise: custom, starting at $20,000 a year.
From Metabase's public pages, 24 September 2026.
Common questions
Can clariBI connect to my MySQL or SQL Server database?
Yes. clariBI connects to PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server and Oracle with a read-only user and copies up to the row cap of your plan per table (3,000 rows on Free and Trial, up to 100,000 on Enterprise) on each sync. If you want to write SQL or query whole tables, Metabase is the better fit.
Can I self-host clariBI?
No. clariBI is offered as a hosted service only.
Can I use both?
Yes. Some teams keep Metabase on the warehouse for SQL users and use clariBI for data that lives in SaaS apps.
Sources
- Metabase pricing, checked 24 September 2026
- Metabase docs: supported databases, checked 24 September 2026
clariBI details come from the product itself and our pricing page.
Try it on your own data
The 14-day trial needs no card. Connect a source, ask a few questions, then compare.