Metabase
What it is: Open-source BI tool. Simple, fast, no-code dashboards anyone can use.
What It Does Best
Non-technical friendly. Visual query builder. No SQL required. Business users create their own reports.
5-minute setup. Docker container or JAR file. Point at database, start querying.
Embedded analytics. Embed dashboards in your product. White-label options available.
Pricing
Open source: Free (self-hosted)
Cloud: $85/month for 5 users
Enterprise: $500+/month (advanced features)
When to Use It
✅ Small teams need quick BI
✅ Want self-hosted solution
✅ Non-technical users need dashboards
✅ Budget under $1k/month
When NOT to Use It
❌ Need advanced transformations (dbt better)
❌ Very large scale (Tableau/Power BI better)
❌ Complex permission requirements
Bottom line: Tableau for startups. Gets 80% there at 5% of the cost. Perfect for small teams who need BI yesterday.