Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Apache Superset VS Columns AI

Compare Apache Superset VS Columns AI and see what are their differences

Apache Superset logo Apache Superset

modern, enterprise-ready business intelligence web application

Columns AI logo Columns AI

Columns Ai helps users quickly turn their data into beautiful and insightful stories to share.
  • Apache Superset Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-09-18
  • Columns AI Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-04

It lets you connect your Spreadsheet, Uploaded CSV, Airtable, Notion Database, and SQL DB.

You then use natural language to query your data into visualization on a canvas, from where you can start to design it into beautiful content, such as using AI summary to create a layout and visual elements along with your main chart.

Columns specialize in time series data, you can easily forecast the future from there as well. Lastly, you can set up a schedule to keep it updated with your data without manually updating it.

Columns AI

Website
columns.ai
$ Details
freemium $15.0 / Monthly
Platforms
Browser Google Chrome Safari Firefox Edge
Release Date
2022 May

Apache Superset features and specs

  • Open Source
    Apache Superset is fully open source, allowing users to modify and extend it as needed without any licensing fees.
  • Rich Visualization Options
    Superset offers a wide range of pre-built visualization types, including pie charts, line charts, and maps, allowing for versatile data representation.
  • SQL Lab
    The SQL Lab feature makes it easy to explore and query data in a natural SQL interface, which is highly valuable for analysts and data scientists.
  • Lightweight
    Superset is designed to be a lightweight platform, making it relatively easy to set up and manage compared to more cumbersome BI tools.
  • Extensibility
    With its plugin architecture, Superset can be extended to support additional visualizations and data sources, which makes it highly customizable.
  • Community and Ecosystem
    As part of the Apache Software Foundation, Superset benefits from a robust community and a broad ecosystem of tools and integrations.

Possible disadvantages of Apache Superset

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find it difficult to get started with Superset due to its wide array of features and technical jargon.
  • Limited Documentation
    While there is community-driven documentation, it may not be as comprehensive or up-to-date as needed, posing challenges during troubleshooting.
  • Resource Intensive
    Superset can be resource-intensive and may require significant optimization to run efficiently, especially with large datasets or numerous concurrent users.
  • Basic User Management
    User management features are somewhat basic compared to other BI tools, lacking advanced role-based access control and detailed audit logs.
  • Less Polished UI
    The user interface, while functional, may not be as polished or intuitive as some of the commercial alternatives, impacting the user experience.
  • Scaling Issues
    Superset can face scalability challenges when dealing with massive datasets or a high number of concurrent users, though ongoing improvements are being made.

Columns AI features and specs

  • Connect all types of data: Google Spreadsheet, Notion, Airtable
    10
  • Nature language query your data to visualization
    10
  • Ai Design and styling for storytelling
    10
  • Easy sharing and comprehensive access control
    10
  • Schedule to keep stories in sync with your data
    10

Analysis of Apache Superset

Overall verdict

  • Apache Superset is a good choice for teams and organizations looking for a flexible, scalable, and user-friendly data visualization tool. It offers a balance between simplicity for non-technical users and depth for advanced users who want to perform complex data analyses. However, it might require some initial setup and configuration, especially for those not familiar with managing web applications or working with databases.

Why this product is good

  • Apache Superset is a powerful, open-source business intelligence tool that provides a wide range of data visualization and exploration capabilities. It is designed to handle large volumes of data, offers an intuitive user interface, and supports a variety of data sources through SQLAlchemy. Its main strengths lie in its ability to create complex dashboards with minimal effort, and its extensibility through a plugin framework. Superset also benefits from a vibrant open-source community, which contributes to its continuous improvement and feature expansion.

Recommended for

  • Organizations with medium to large datasets that need efficient data exploration and visualization.
  • Data analysts and scientists who require a tool that provides powerful SQL capabilities and extensive chart options.
  • Teams looking for an open-source, cost-effective alternative to proprietary business intelligence solutions.
  • Developers who are interested in customizing or extending the platform to fit specific needs via a robust API and plugin system.

Apache Superset videos

Observing Intraday Indicators Using Real-Time Tick Data on Apache Superset and Druid

More videos:

  • Review - Apache Superset-Building Dashboard-Filter or Slicer
  • Review - Installing Apache Superset

Columns AI videos

Talking about how AI works in Columns

More videos:

  • Tutorial - One example to show you set up your design preference on Columns

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Apache Superset and Columns AI)
Data Dashboard
86 86%
14% 14
Data Visualization
82 82%
18% 18
Business Intelligence
100 100%
0% 0
Spreadsheets
0 0%
100% 100

Questions and Answers

As answered by people managing Apache Superset and Columns AI.

What makes your product unique?

Columns AI's answer:

A super-fast data analytics engine (https://github.com/varchar-io/nebula) AI across all storytelling stages: Columns understands your data, Columns understands you, and Columns understands your story.

You can think of it as Canva for Data - a free canvas to craft all beautiful and insightful information on.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Columns AI's answer:

Easy to use. Super fast. Full intelligence. Flexible for design.

How would you describe your primary audience?

Columns AI's answer:

People who love data storytelling. People who are tired of heavy BI tools like Tableau or Power BI, seeking lightweight but much more efficient alternatives.

People want personalized product experiences, and are 100% flexible in making content.

What's the story behind your product?

Columns AI's answer:

Love to share if you're interested in the product, let's talk!

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Columns AI's answer:

Big data AI Visualization Free Canvas

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

Columns AI's answer:

Not disclose here.

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Apache Superset and Columns AI

Apache Superset Reviews

8 Alternatives to Apache Superset That’ll Empower Start-ups and Small Businesses with BI
Open-source vs cloud-hosted vs self-hosted Apache Superset open-sourceApache Superset interactive example dashboard. Image source: https://superset.apache.org/Main features and benefits Pricing and offersBest for Main drawbacks Apache Superset alternatives that are suitable for a small business or startup 1. Trevor.ioMain features and benefits Pricing and offersKey...
Source: trevor.io
Top 10 Tableau Open Source Alternatives: A Comprehensive List
Apache Superset is one of the best Tableau Open Source alternatives that you can opt for Data Exploration and Business Analytics. This Open-Source project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0, which allows anyone to use it and distribute a modified version of it. In comparison to Tableau, which charges a minimum of $15 per month for Tableau Viewer, this software is...
Source: hevodata.com
Top 10 Data Analysis Tools in 2022
Apache Superset It is an open-source software application, meaning it can be modified to suit a company’s needs. It is among the few data analysis tools available to handle big data. Apache Superset is free to use. Apache Superset is a free tool businesses can use to explore and visualize data. However, it does not support NoSQL databases.

Columns AI Reviews

We have no reviews of Columns AI yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Apache Superset seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 59 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Apache Superset mentions (59)

  • RisingWave Turns Four: Our Journey Beyond Democratizing Stream Processing
    By making RisingWave compatible with PostgreSQL, we ensured that any developer familiar with SQL could immediately start writing streaming queries. This wasn't just about syntax; it meant RisingWave could plug seamlessly into existing data workflows and connect easily with a vast ecosystem of familiar tools like DBeaver, Grafana, Apache Superset, dbt, and countless others. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Apache ECharts
    Superset[1] BI tool is a good example of how useful ECharts are [1] https://superset.apache.org/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 months ago
  • The DOJ Still Wants Google to Sell Off Chrome
    Is this really true? Something that can be supported by clear evidence? I’ve seen this trotted out many times, but it seems like there are interesting Apache projects: https://airflow.apache.org/ https://iceberg.apache.org/ https://kafka.apache.org/ https://superset.apache.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Major Technologies Worth Learning in 2025 for Data Professionals
    Open source tools like Apache Superset, Airbyte, and DuckDB are providing cost-effective and customizable solutions for data professionals. Becoming adept at these tools not only reduces dependency on proprietary software but also fosters community engagement. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
  • ClickHouse: The Key to Faster Insights
    ClickHouse is highly compatible with a wide range of data tools, including ETL/ELT processes and BI tools like Apache Superset. It supports virtually all common data formats, making integration seamless across diverse ecosystems. - Source: dev.to / 6 months ago
View more

Columns AI mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Columns AI yet. Tracking of Columns AI recommendations started around Jan 2022.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Apache Superset and Columns AI, you can also consider the following products

Metabase - Metabase is the easy, open source way for everyone in your company to ask questions and learn from...

Microsoft Power BI - BI visualization and reporting for desktop, web or mobile

Tableau - Tableau can help anyone see and understand their data. Connect to almost any database, drag and drop to create visualizations, and share with a click.

Fluent BI - Chat with spreadsheets & docs for AI-powered insights, charts & dashboards in seconds. No code required. Perfect for small business reporting.

Manaflow - Automate repetitive office work in tables

Pretzel - Keyboard shortcuts for the app you're currently using