Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SQL Play VS Metabase

Compare SQL Play VS Metabase and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

SQL Play logo SQL Play

Run SQL in your phone

Metabase logo Metabase

Metabase is the easy, open source way for everyone in your company to ask questions and learn from...
  • SQL Play Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-17
  • Metabase Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-22

SQL Play features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    SQL Play offers an intuitive and clean interface that makes it easy for users to write and test SQL queries without being overwhelmed by unnecessary features.
  • Cloud-Based Platform
    As a cloud-based tool, SQL Play allows users to access their work from any device with an internet connection, increasing flexibility and convenience.
  • Collaboration Features
    SQL Play supports collaboration by enabling multiple users to work together on the same project, facilitating teamwork and improving productivity.
  • Variety of SQL Dialects
    It supports multiple SQL dialects, which is beneficial for users working with different database systems such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQLite.

Possible disadvantages of SQL Play

  • Limited Advanced Features
    SQL Play may not support all advanced SQL functionalities needed by experienced users, which can be a limitation for complex database projects.
  • Performance Constraints
    As a cloud-based solution, it may encounter performance issues such as slow query execution times or latency, especially with large datasets.
  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    Users must have a stable internet connection to use SQL Play, which could be a disadvantage in areas with unreliable connectivity.
  • Subscription Costs
    While SQL Play might offer a free tier, advanced features and higher usage limits could require a paid subscription, which may not fit within all users' budgets.

Metabase features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Metabase offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface, which makes it easy for non-technical users to generate and analyze reports without requiring SQL knowledge.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, Metabase allows organizations to customize and extend the tool according to their needs, and it can be self-hosted to retain full control over data.
  • Quick Setup
    Deploying Metabase is straightforward and can be accomplished quickly, enabling teams to start analyzing data almost immediately.
  • Integrations
    Metabase integrates with a wide array of databases and data sources, making it versatile for organizations with diverse data environments.
  • Visualization Options
    It provides a variety of visualization options, from simple charts to complex dashboards, to help users better understand their data.
  • Community Support
    As an open-source project, Metabase has a strong community that contributes to its development and offers support through forums and documentation.
  • Embedded Analytics
    Metabase offers an embedded analytics feature which allows organizations to integrate dashboards and reports into their own applications.

Possible disadvantages of Metabase

  • Limited Advanced Analytics
    While great for basic reporting, Metabase lacks some of the advanced analytics capabilities offered by more specialized BI tools.
  • Scaling Issues
    Metabase might face performance issues as data volume and user base grow, making it less suitable for very large-scale deployments without significant optimization.
  • Customization Limitations
    Even though Metabase is open-source, some users find its customization options limited compared to other BI tools, especially regarding dashboard design.
  • Security Features
    The platform's security features are not as robust as those of some enterprise-level BI tools, potentially requiring additional measures for highly sensitive data.
  • Dependency on Third-Party Services
    For certain features, Metabase may rely on third-party services, which could introduce additional points of failure and dependency.
  • Limited Collaboration Tools
    Collaboration features are somewhat basic compared to those offered by more comprehensive BI platforms, possibly making teamwork less efficient.
  • No Mobile App
    Metabase does not offer a dedicated mobile app, which could be a limitation for users who need to access dashboards and reports on the go.

Analysis of Metabase

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Metabase is a solid choice for businesses seeking an intuitive and powerful business intelligence tool. Its combination of ease of use, functionality, and cost-effectiveness makes it a popular option among small to medium-sized enterprises as well as larger organizations looking to empower their teams with data-driven insights.

Why this product is good

  • Metabase is considered good due to its user-friendly interface, which allows non-technical users to create and share dashboards and reports easily. It integrates seamlessly with various data sources and provides a flexible query builder for more advanced data analysis. Additionally, it offers an open-source version, which can be a cost-effective solution for organizations looking to implement business intelligence tools without incurring high expenses.

Recommended for

  • Small to medium-sized businesses looking for a budget-friendly BI tool
  • Teams with limited technical expertise who still need to access and analyze data
  • Organizations looking for open-source business intelligence solutions
  • Companies that require a tool that can quickly integrate with existing data sources

SQL Play videos

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Metabase videos

What is Metabase?

More videos:

  • Demo - See Metabase in action in 5 mins
  • Review - Metabase vs Apache Superset: Which is best for your team?
  • Review - Metabase vs Tableau: Which is better for your team
  • Review - Metabase vs. Looker: Which is best for your team?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SQL Play and Metabase)
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
Data Dashboard
0 0%
100% 100
iPhone
100 100%
0% 0
Data Visualization
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare SQL Play and Metabase

SQL Play Reviews

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Metabase Reviews

Explore 6 Metabase Alternatives for Data Visualization and Analysis
Draxlr is an intuitive Metabase alternative, blending a robust no-code query builder with AI-powered SQL generation for both non-technical and advanced users. It seamlessly integrates with various databases and provides real-time alerts through Slack, email, and more. With features like embeddable dashboards, granular team access, customizable visualizations, and live data...
Source: www.draxlr.com
5 best Looker alternatives
Metabase: Metabase is an open-source BI tool that offers a free self-hosted plan, but this can be challenging for non-technical users who may struggle with setup and maintenance. While the cloud-hosted option simplifies that, it comes at a higher cost, which might not be ideal for smaller teams or businesses.
Source: www.draxlr.com
10 Best Alternatives to Looker in 2024
Metabase: Metabase is a popular open-source alternative known for its cost-effectiveness and ease of setup. Its simplicity and straightforward deployment make it particularly appealing to smaller businesses and startups.
6 Best Looker alternatives
If you’re considering Metabase, take a look at our deepdive into Looker vs Metabase, as well as a breakdown of top Metabase alternatives.
Source: trevor.io
10 Best Looker Alternatives in 2024 | A Practitioner Review
While Metabase may not offer the same depth in modeling features or the proprietary semantic layer (LookML) that Looker does, it can integrate with Cube.dev to provide a viable, modern, open-source alternative. Additionally, Metabase's alert feature and its general adequacy for IT-related reporting present a valuable, lightweight solution for teams not requiring the full...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Metabase seems to be a lot more popular than SQL Play. While we know about 17 links to Metabase, we've tracked only 1 mention of SQL Play. 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.

SQL Play mentions (1)

  • Looking to learn SQL
    I created SQL Play, you can check it out - https://sqlplay.net. Source: about 2 years ago

Metabase mentions (17)

  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (April 2025)
    Metabase | https://metabase.com/ | Remote (Global) | Full-time | Applied AI Engineers, Engineering Managers, Frontend and Backend Engineers Metabase is an open source (https://github.com/metabase/metabase) business intelligence software that lets anyone in your company rummage around in the databases you have. It connects to a number of databases / data warehouses (BigQuery, Redshift, Snowflake, Postgres, MySQL,... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • Ask HN: Who is hiring? (September 2024)
    Metabase | https://metabase.com | REMOTE | Full-time | Backend Engineers, Frontend Engineers, and Engineering Managers Metabase is open source analytics software that lets anyone in your company rummage around in the databases you have. It connects to a number of databases / data warehouses (BigQuery, Redshift, Snowflake, Postgres, MySQL, etc). People rather like the product (https://metabase.com/love). We're a... - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • Tools for Starting a Business or Testing an Idea: A Beginner's Guide
    Reporting - Metabase A free, open-source business intelligence tool that helps you create custom reports and dashboards to track your business metrics and make data-driven decisions. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Is Tableau Dead?
    I've never used Tableau, but heard a lot of hate about it. However, in my previous role, we were big fans of Metabase (https://metabase.com). You can also self-host it, which was a huge win for us. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Open-Source Self-Hosted No-Code Platforms?
    The solution really depends on what sort of problems you are trying to solve and who your customers are. There are a fair few low-code solutions out there for reporting and data visualisation that are great for finance and marketing teams for example. e.g. https://metabase.com/ , https://evidence.dev/ For enterprise processes I'd go with Camunda (solely based on recommendations and not first hand experience).... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing SQL Play and Metabase, you can also consider the following products

SQL Police Department - Learn SQL while solving crimes! Climb the ranks of SQL PD.

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.

SQL query for CSV - SQL query for CSV helps people analyze large sets of csv records in a short time using declarative SQL syntax.

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

SQL FOR ZOMBIES - Entertaining way to learn SQL

Looker - Looker makes it easy for analysts to create and curate custom data experiences—so everyone in the business can explore the data that matters to them, in the context that makes it truly meaningful.