Metabase vs Power BI: Open-Source BI vs Microsoft’s Analytics Platform
Power BI is Microsoft’s business intelligence platform, listed at $14 per user per month (Pro) or $24 (Premium Per User), billed annually — and people viewing shared reports generally need a license too. Metabase is an open-source BI tool whose self-hosted edition is free for unlimited users. Power BI is stronger for complex data modeling and Microsoft-centric organizations. Metabase is simpler, SQL-first, and removes per-viewer licensing when self-hosted.
Prices are vendor list prices as of September 2026 — see sources below. Updated .
Metabase vs Power BI at a glance
| Dimension | Metabase | Power BI |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing | AGPL core; enterprise features commercially licensed | Proprietary |
| Per-user price | Self-hosted: free, unlimited users. Cloud Starter: $100/month incl. 5 users, then $6/user | Pro: $14/user/month; Premium Per User: $24/user/month (annual) |
| Viewers | No per-viewer fee when self-hosted | Viewers generally need a Pro or Premium license, except on capacity plans |
| Data modeling | Models and metrics; SQL-first | Very deep (Power Query, DAX) |
| Ease of use | Simple visual query builder plus SQL | Powerful, steeper learning curve |
| Ecosystem | Connects to SQL databases and warehouses | Deep integration with Excel, Teams, and Microsoft Fabric |
| Self-hosting | Yes (JAR or Docker) | Cloud service (Power BI Report Server for on-premises is separate) |
The honest answer
Choose Metabase if…
- Many people need to view dashboards and per-viewer licensing adds up
- Your data is in PostgreSQL, MySQL, or a warehouse and your team is comfortable with SQL
- You want dashboards on infrastructure you control
- You value simplicity over advanced modeling
Choose Power BI if…
- Your organization is standardized on Microsoft 365 and Excel
- You need advanced data modeling and calculations (DAX)
- Analysts already know Power BI
- You need Microsoft Fabric or enterprise governance features
A worked example
If 40 people need to view reports, Power BI Pro at $14 is $6,720 a year at list price. Metabase Cloud Starter would be $100 a month plus $6 for each of 35 extra users — about $3,720 a year — while Metabase Cloud Pro, needed for row-level permissions and SSO, costs more than Power BI at that size. Self-hosted open-source Metabase has no user fees at all, just hosting. Power BI Pro is competitively priced; Metabase’s advantage is unlimited free users when self-hosted.
Run your own numbers in the cost calculator →What migration involves
Dashboards don’t convert between tools — they’re rebuilt. Use the move to agree on metric definitions and retire reports nobody opens. Data connections are re-pointed, and any Power Query transformations are moved into the database or a data pipeline so Metabase can query clean tables.
If you decide to switch
Metabase vs Power BI — common questions
Is Metabase free?+
How much does Power BI cost?+
Is Metabase easier than Power BI?+
Can Metabase replace Power BI?+
Sources
Vendor pricing changes. Figures reflect each source as of September 2026; check the vendor before deciding.
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