Metabase
by Metabase · Founded 2014
Open source BI with AI answers grounded in your semantic layer
Reviewed by the the30top research team · Last reviewed 2026-10-27
Overview
Metabase is an open source BI tool that now includes Metabot, an AI feature for asking questions in natural language on your preferred model, plus an MCP server for other agents. Answers are tied to your metrics and business logic, and users can inspect the underlying query. The AI service is billed by tokens on top of the plan price, and the cheapest paid tier is $100 a month with per-user fees beyond the first five.
Our verdict
Metabase is a sensible way to add AI questions to a BI tool you can self-host and audit. It rewards teams willing to maintain metrics, and token billing needs watching.
Best for
Teams that want open source BI with an AI layer they can inspect and self-host.
Avoid if
You want a standalone chat analyst that needs no modeling work.
Pros
- Free open source edition
- Bring your own model for AI questions
- Every answer shows its query
Cons
- AI tokens are billed on top of the plan
- Pro tier starts at $575 a month
- Needs a maintained semantic layer for best results
Key capabilities
Frequently asked questions
Is Metabase free?
Yes, the Open Source edition is free. Cloud plans start at $100 a month for Starter, with a 14 day trial.
How is Metabase AI priced?
The AI service is listed at $3.75 per 1M tokens, with 1 million tokens included to get started.
Which compliance standards does Metabase list?
Its pricing page lists SOC 2 Type II, SOC 1, GDPR and CCPA.