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Head-to-head · Notebook Software

Google Colab vs Hex

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Google Colab #1 in Notebook Software 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Google Colab
Hex #7 in Notebook Software 8.7/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 3 features Visit Hex

Google Colab leads on 1 check, Hex on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGoogle Colab · 9.4/10
  • Lowest starting priceGoogle Colab · $8.33/user/mo
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Hex
  • Most featuresHex · 3 of 3

Google Colab scores higher on our rubric for notebook software: 9.4 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #7.

Google Colab is cheaper to start at $8.33/user/mo against $36/user/mo.

Google Colab is the better fit for hosted notebooks with free compute. Hex is the better fit for analytics teams building shareable outputs.

  • Google Colab fits best

    Hosted notebooks with free compute

  • Hex fits best

    Analytics teams building shareable outputs

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Side by side

Feature Google Colab 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Hex 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 8.7
Ranking #1 in Notebook Software #7 in Notebook Software
Best for Hosted notebooks with free compute Analytics teams building shareable outputs
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $8.33/user/mo (best) $36/user/mo
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Docs Email, Live chat, Docs
Integrations 3 integrations 17 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Google Colab 0/3 · Hex 3/3
Real-time collaboration Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Version history Not checked yet ✓ (best)
GPU compute Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Specs
Execution model Not checked yet Hosted
Supported languages Not checked yet SQL, Python, R
Notebook formats Not checked yet Jupyter Notebook (.ipynb), Hex YAML (.yaml)
Our review
Pros
  • Runs Python notebooks in a browser without local setup
  • Supports optional GPU and TPU runtimes
  • Connects notebooks with Google Drive and GitHub
  • Supports SQL, Python, R, and no-code cells in one workspace
  • Connects warehouses, databases, files, APIs, and workflow tools
  • Combines collaboration, version restoration, dashboards, and published apps
Cons
  • Free access includes limited GPU availability
  • The service is available through the web only
  • Hardware availability and resource limits can vary over time
  • Professional limits published apps to five
  • Advanced GPU compute is usage-based on Team and Enterprise
  • Enterprise pricing and plan limits are not shown
Our verdict

Google Colab is a hosted Jupyter Notebook service for running Python code in managed virtual machines through a browser. It suits machine learning practitioners, data scientists, researchers, students, educators, and organizational teams…

Read the review →

Hex is a hosted analytics platform built around interactive notebooks for data exploration, analysis, and shareable outputs. Analysts, data scientists, business users, and larger organizations can combine SQL, Python, R, and no-code cells;…

Read the review →
  1. Google ColabNotebook Software 9.4Free plan
  2. HexNotebook Software 8.7Free plan · 14-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Google Colab — where it wins

    • Runs Python notebooks in a browser without local setup
    • Supports optional GPU and TPU runtimes
    • Connects notebooks with Google Drive and GitHub

    Where it doesn't

    • Free access includes limited GPU availability
    • The service is available through the web only
    • Hardware availability and resource limits can vary over time

  • Hex — where it wins

    • Supports SQL, Python, R, and no-code cells in one workspace
    • Connects warehouses, databases, files, APIs, and workflow tools
    • Combines collaboration, version restoration, dashboards, and published apps

    Where it doesn't

    • Professional limits published apps to five
    • Advanced GPU compute is usage-based on Team and Enterprise
    • Enterprise pricing and plan limits are not shown
  • Google Colab9.4/10 · Free plan

    A capable browser notebook with free compute and paid access to more resources.

    Visit Google ColabFull verdict →
  • Hex8.7/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

    A flexible hosted notebook platform for collaborative analytics and published outputs.

    Visit HexFull verdict →

More comparisons

All notebook software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update