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Head-to-head · Dashboards

Looker vs Metabase

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Looker #2 in Dashboards 9.2/10 Pricing on request ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Looker
Metabase #6 in Dashboards 8.8/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Metabase

Looker leads on 0 checks, Metabase on 1, and 2 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreLooker · 9.2/10
  • Free planonly Metabase
  • Free trialonly Metabase

Looker scores higher on our rubric for dashboards: 9.2 against 8.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #6.

Metabase offers free plan; Looker doesn't.

Looker is the better fit for organizations building governed, embedded analytics. Metabase is the better fit for small teams seeking affordable self-service analytics.

  • Looker fits best

    Organizations building governed, embedded analytics

  • Metabase fits best

    Small teams seeking affordable self-service analytics

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Looker 9.2/10 Visit ↗ Metabase 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.8
Ranking #2 in Dashboards #6 in Dashboards
Best for Organizations building governed, embedded analytics Small teams seeking affordable self-service analytics
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price — $65/user/yr
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web Web
Support Live chat, Phone, Tickets, Docs · 24/7 Email, Tickets, Community
Compliance SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, SSO/SAML, 2FA SOC 2, SSO/SAML
Integrations 6 integrations 237+ integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Looker 2/3 · Metabase 2/3
Embedded analytics ✓ ✓
Natural-language queries ✓ ✓
Self-hosted option Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Data connectors Not checked yet Not checked yet
Dashboard sharing Not checked yet Not checked yet
Data refresh Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • LookML provides a semantic layer for consistent data exploration.
  • Access filters and user attributes support row-level security.
  • Dashboards, scheduled deliveries, and embedding span common analytics needs.
  • Graphical query builder and native SQL editor serve different skill levels.
  • Starter includes managed hosting and unlimited queries, charts, and dashboards.
  • Pro adds advanced permissions, single sign-on, and interactive embedding.
Cons
  • Pricing is quote-based and requires contacting sales.
  • No free plan is offered.
  • The listed editions include only 2 Developer Users each.
  • Advanced permissions and SSO require the Pro plan.
  • Starter embedding is limited to basic dashboards and visualizations.
  • Enterprise pricing is custom rather than a set per-user price.
Our verdict

Looker is Google Cloud’s business intelligence and analytics platform for organizations that want to model data, explore it, build dashboards, and deliver analytics inside applications. LookML provides a semantic modeling layer, while…

Read the review →

Metabase brings database queries, charts, and dashboards together in an open-source business intelligence product. Its graphical query builder makes analysis accessible to people who do not write SQL, while a native SQL editor gives…

Read the review →
  1. LookerDashboards 9.2Pricing on request
  2. MetabaseDashboards 8.8Free plan · 14-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Looker — where it wins

    • LookML provides a semantic layer for consistent data exploration.
    • Access filters and user attributes support row-level security.
    • Dashboards, scheduled deliveries, and embedding span common analytics needs.

    Where it doesn't

    • Pricing is quote-based and requires contacting sales.
    • No free plan is offered.
    • The listed editions include only 2 Developer Users each.

  • Metabase — where it wins

    • Graphical query builder and native SQL editor serve different skill levels.
    • Starter includes managed hosting and unlimited queries, charts, and dashboards.
    • Pro adds advanced permissions, single sign-on, and interactive embedding.

    Where it doesn't

    • Advanced permissions and SSO require the Pro plan.
    • Starter embedding is limited to basic dashboards and visualizations.
    • Enterprise pricing is custom rather than a set per-user price.
  • Looker9.2/10 · Pricing on request

    Looker combines LookML modeling and governed dashboards with options for embedding analytics.

    Visit LookerFull verdict →
  • Metabase8.8/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

    A flexible dashboard tool with a free self-hosted edition and cloud plans from $6 per user monthly.

    Visit MetabaseFull verdict →

More comparisons

All dashboards comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update