Redash vs Metabase: Which Should You Pick?

Pick Redash if your team is entirely SQL-first and you want the simplest possible query-to-dashboard tool, self-hosted for free. Pick Metabase for most new deployments in 2026: it's friendlier for non-technical users, more actively developed, and offers a managed cloud option Redash no longer has. Development pace, not features, is what tips this comparison — Redash has slowed noticeably since its 2020 acquisition.

Is Redash Still Actively Developed?

Partially. Databricks acquired Redash in June 2020, shut down its hosted cloud product in 2021, and official development largely stalled after v10 in October 2021. The project was handed to community maintainers, who have since shipped new releases (the 25.x series), but the pace remains slower than Metabase's or Superset's. Redash works fine today — just don't expect rapid new features, and have a migration plan in mind.

Can You Still Get a Managed Cloud Version of Either?

Only Metabase. Redash's cloud service was discontinued in 2021, so self-hosting is now the only official option. Metabase offers both: a free self-hosted core and a paid managed Cloud tier (roughly $85/month for 5 users, more for Pro/Enterprise features like SSO and row-level permissions) if you'd rather not run the infrastructure yourself.

How Do They Compare Overall?

Both are SQL-centric and free to self-host, but they diverge on audience and momentum.

Factor	Redash	Metabase
License	BSD-2 (free, self-hosted)	AGPL (free, self-hosted)
Managed cloud	Discontinued (2021)	Yes — Cloud Starter ~$85/mo for 5 users
Development pace	Slowed since 2020 acquisition; community-maintained	Actively developed by Metabase Inc.
Ease of use	SQL-first, minimal UI	No-code query builder, friendlier admin UX
Security setup	Entirely on you (SSO, network isolation, permissions)	Built-in options; SSO/SAML on paid tiers
Data source count	50+ connectors	Wide range, actively growing
Best for	SQL-first teams wanting minimal, self-hosted tooling	Mixed technical/non-technical teams, greenfield projects

Which One Is Better for Non-Technical Users?

Metabase. Its visual question builder lets people who don't write SQL construct their own charts and dashboards, and the overall admin experience is friendlier. Redash assumes you're comfortable writing and iterating on SQL queries directly — there's no equivalent no-code path for casual users.

How Do You Secure a Self-Hosted Deployment of Either?

The same four controls apply to both since neither is on-by-default secure: keep the instance off the public internet (VPN or a reverse proxy with HTTPS), enforce SSO instead of passwords, scope database access with read-only credentials per data source, and use each tool's group/permission system to control who sees which data sources. Metabase's paid tiers add SSO/SAML and row-level sandboxing natively; on Redash, you assemble this yourself.

Common Mistakes When Choosing Between Them

• Picking Redash for a greenfield project without checking its release cadence: it still works, but you're betting on a slower-moving community project over an actively funded one.
• Assuming Redash still has a cloud tier: it doesn't — self-hosting is mandatory, and that changes the total cost of ownership (your team's ops time).
• Deploying either without a security checklist: both are open by default; skipping SSO and network isolation is the most common real-world Redash and Metabase misconfiguration.
• Migrating off Redash reactively instead of proactively: if development pace matters to your org, evaluate Metabase now rather than after you've built a year of Redash dashboards.

Which Should You Choose?

For most new deployments in 2026, choose Metabase — it's more actively developed, easier for mixed technical/non-technical teams, and has a managed cloud option if you don't want to run infrastructure. Choose Redash if your team is exclusively SQL-first, you specifically want its lightweight query-to-dashboard simplicity, and you're comfortable self-hosting a project with a slower release cadence.