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Head-to-head · Business Intelligence Tools

Microsoft Power BI vs Metabase

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Microsoft Power BI #1 in Business Intelligence Tools 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Power BI
Metabase #17 in Business Intelligence Tools 7.8/10 Free plan · 14-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Metabase

Microsoft Power BI leads on 0 checks, Metabase on 0, and 5 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 scoreMicrosoft Power BI · 9.4/10
  • Free planboth
  • Free trialonly Metabase

Microsoft Power BI scores higher on our rubric for business intelligence tools: 9.4 against 7.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #17.

On refresh frequency, Metabase gives you Real-time where Microsoft Power BI offers Hourly.

Microsoft Power BI is the better fit for microsoft-centric teams needing full BI coverage. Metabase is the better fit for open-source teams wanting accessible BI.

  • Microsoft Power BI fits best

    Microsoft-centric teams needing full BI coverage

  • Metabase fits best

    Open-source teams wanting accessible BI

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 Microsoft Power BI 9.4/10 Visit ↗ Metabase 7.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.4 7.8
Ranking #1 in Business Intelligence Tools #17 in Business Intelligence Tools
Best for Microsoft-centric teams needing full BI coverage Open-source teams wanting accessible BI
Pricing model Free plan + paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $14/user/mo $65/user/yr
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — 14 days
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms Web, Windows, iOS, Android Web
Support Community, Docs Email, Tickets, Community
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Microsoft Power BI 4/4 · Metabase 4/4
Row-level security ✓ ✓
Scheduled reports ✓ ✓
Embedded analytics ✓ ✓
Natural-language queries ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment Hybrid Hybrid
Refresh frequency Hourly Real-time
Viewer seats Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Connects to more than 100 data sources
  • Includes modeling, transformation, security, refresh, and embedding
  • Supports web, Windows, iOS, Android, and on-premises reporting
  • Free self-hosted edition with unlimited questions and dashboards
  • Visual query building, SQL, charts, dashboards, and drill-throughs
  • Alerts, scheduled subscriptions, embedding, and natural-language questions
Cons
  • Power BI Pro pricing starts at $14 per user per month, billed annually
  • Premium Per User raises the price to $24 per user per month
  • Embedded analytics uses variable pricing and requires a sales contact
  • Paid plans start at $100 per month
  • Advanced permissions and SSO begin with the Pro plan
  • Listed integrations focus on email, Slack, and webhooks
Our verdict

Microsoft Power BI is a business analytics platform for business users, report creators, administrators, and developers. It connects to more than 100 data sources and supports data transformation through Power Query Editor, semantic…

Read the review →

Metabase is a business intelligence platform for teams that need to connect databases, explore data, create visualizations, and share results. It combines a visual query builder with a SQL editor, interactive dashboards, filters,…

Read the review →
  1. Microsoft Power BIBusiness Intelligence Tools 9.4Free plan
  2. MetabaseBusiness Intelligence Tools 7.8Free plan · 14-day trial

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Microsoft Power BI — where it wins

    • Connects to more than 100 data sources
    • Includes modeling, transformation, security, refresh, and embedding
    • Supports web, Windows, iOS, Android, and on-premises reporting

    Where it doesn't

    • Power BI Pro pricing starts at $14 per user per month, billed annually
    • Premium Per User raises the price to $24 per user per month
    • Embedded analytics uses variable pricing and requires a sales contact

  • Metabase — where it wins

    • Free self-hosted edition with unlimited questions and dashboards
    • Visual query building, SQL, charts, dashboards, and drill-throughs
    • Alerts, scheduled subscriptions, embedding, and natural-language questions

    Where it doesn't

    • Paid plans start at $100 per month
    • Advanced permissions and SSO begin with the Pro plan
    • Listed integrations focus on email, Slack, and webhooks
  • Microsoft Power BI9.4/10 · Free plan

    A broad BI platform for Microsoft-centric teams that need modeling, security, sharing, and embedding.

    Visit Power BIFull verdict →
  • Metabase7.8/10 · Free plan · 14-day trial

    Accessible BI with self-hosting, SQL, dashboards, alerts, and embedded analytics.

    Visit MetabaseFull verdict →

More comparisons

All business intelligence tools comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update