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Metabase

Ask questions, explore data, and build dashboards without SQL

Metabase lets anyone in your organization query data, create interactive dashboards, set alerts, and embed analytics, with a five‑minute setup and support for many databases.

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Overview

Overview

Metabase is a user‑friendly analytics platform that empowers every team member to ask questions of their data without needing SQL expertise. Its visual query builder, SQL editor for power users, and ability to define models, segments, and metrics make data exploration intuitive. Users can craft interactive dashboards with filters, auto‑refresh, fullscreen mode, and custom click actions, then share insights via scheduled email or Slack reports and real‑time alerts.

Deployment

Getting started is fast: a five‑minute setup on Metabase Cloud provides managed hosting, backups, SSL, and support, while the self‑hosted option runs on any infrastructure with Docker or standard installation guides. The platform integrates with a wide range of databases through official and community drivers, and offers an Embedded Analytics SDK for React to seamlessly embed charts or full dashboards into external applications.

Highlights

Five‑minute setup with no‑SQL query builder
Interactive dashboards with filters, auto‑refresh, and custom actions
Alerts, scheduled email/Slack reports, and dashboard subscriptions
Embedded analytics via SDK and full‑page embedding

Pros

  • User-friendly interface for non‑technical users
  • Supports a wide range of databases
  • Built‑in alerting and scheduling
  • Flexible embedding options

Considerations

  • Self‑hosting requires infrastructure management
  • Advanced visualizations may need custom development
  • Performance depends on underlying database
  • Limited native data transformation compared to dedicated ETL tools

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Fit guide

Great for

  • Small to mid‑size teams that need quick BI without heavy admin
  • Product teams embedding analytics directly into their apps
  • Companies seeking a cost‑effective alternative to commercial BI platforms
  • Organizations that value community‑driven development

Not ideal when

  • Enterprises requiring deep data governance and lineage features
  • Teams needing extensive out‑of‑the‑box machine‑learning insights
  • Organizations with strict on‑prem compliance that cannot use cloud trial
  • Use cases demanding massive real‑time streaming analytics

How teams use it

Customer support dashboard

Monitor ticket volume and response times in real time to improve service levels.

Marketing campaign performance

Track spend, conversions, and ROI across channels with scheduled reports to stakeholders.

Product usage analytics

Embed usage charts inside the application, giving end‑users insight into their activity.

Executive reporting

Schedule daily email snapshots of key metrics for leadership review.

Tech snapshot

Clojure51%
TypeScript37%
JavaScript11%
CSS1%
MDX1%
Handlebars1%

Tags

analyticsdata-visualizationbipostgresqlslackvisualizationclojuredata-analysisdashboardreportingpostgresbusinessintelligencemetabasedatabasebusiness-intelligencedatamysqlsql-editor

Frequently asked questions

Can I try Metabase without installing anything?

Yes, you can start a free trial of Metabase Cloud, which includes managed hosting and support.

What databases does Metabase work with?

Metabase supports many databases via official and community drivers, including MySQL, PostgreSQL, and many others.

Is it possible to embed Metabase charts in my own app?

Yes, Metabase provides full‑page embedding and an Embedded Analytics SDK for React to integrate charts and dashboards.

Do I need SQL knowledge to use Metabase?

No, the visual query builder lets non‑technical users explore data, while a SQL editor is available for advanced queries.

How are alerts and scheduled reports configured?

You can set up alerts on query results and schedule dashboard subscriptions to be sent via email or Slack.

Project at a glance

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