Alation Data Catalog
Alation Data Catalog: Enterprise cataloging with lineage, governance, quality monitoring and AI curation. Ranked #4 of 25 in Active Metadata Management Software by our editors (8.9/10); pricing: Pricing on request; best for large organizations needing comprehensive cataloging.
At a glance
- Editor score8.9 / 10
- PricingPricing on request
- Best forLarge organizations needing comprehensive cataloging
- Automated lineageYes
- Founded2012 · Redwood City, California, USA
- Facts checked24 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Automates metadata extraction, catalog updates and end-to-end lineage.
- Combines governance workflows, quality monitoring and AI-assisted curation.
- Connects 120 systems with APIs plus Excel, Slack and Teams integrations.
Where it doesn't
- Contact-sales pricing can slow initial budget planning.
- Documentation is the listed support channel.
- Broad enterprise scope may exceed small teams' needs.
Our verdict on Alation Data Catalog
Alation Data Catalog is an enterprise metadata management and data discovery platform from Alation, Inc., founded in 2012. It catalogs metadata from databases, files, business-intelligence systems, applications and AI models, then adds search, business context, lineage, quality signals, governance policies and collaboration features. Its target fit is enterprise and mid-market organizations that need comprehensive cataloging across varied data environments, including teams working with Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, Tableau, Databricks, Power BI and other listed systems.
Pricing uses the Alation Consumption Units plan under a contact-sales model. The plan provides a shared credit pool used across Alation AI capabilities, so organizations can align consumption with those functions rather than separate AI purchases. The platform also offers 120 integrations, REST APIs for catalog and metadata operations, and Alation Anywhere connections for Excel, Slack and Microsoft Teams. Deployment options include cloud, self-hosted and browser-extension access, supporting hybrid operating models and customer-managed environments.
Its breadth is the main reason to select it: automated extraction and catalog updates, end-to-end lineage, impact analysis, usage analytics, query-log analysis, governance workflow automation, data-quality monitoring and AI-assisted metadata curation sit in one catalog. Security and compliance options include SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and SSO/SAML. Organizations needing governed discovery across many platforms should find this scope aligned with their needs. Teams seeking a lightweight catalog for a narrow data estate may prefer a simpler product, and buyers should account for documentation-led support and the sales-led purchasing process.
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Alation Data Catalog pricing
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Alation Data Catalog fact sheet
| Free plan | Not verified |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Metadata source limit | Not verified |
| Automated lineage | Yes |
| Data quality monitoring | Yes |
| Governance workflows | Yes |
| Deployment model | Hybrid |
| Impact analysis | Yes |
| API access | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted, Browser extension |
| Platforms | Web, Chrome extension |
| Compliance & security | SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, SSO/SAML |
| Support | Docs |
| Built for | Enterprise, Mid-market (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 120+ integrations: Snowflake, Amazon Redshift, Tableau, AWS Glue, Databricks, PostgreSQL … See all → |
| Pricing | Pricing on request (source) |
| Website | alation.com |
| Facts checked | 24 Sep 2026 |
Alation Data Catalog integrations
Alation Data Catalog lists 120+ integrations on its own site — the 15 named here are the ones its pages call out.
- Snowflake
- Amazon Redshift
- Tableau
- AWS Glue
- Databricks
- PostgreSQL
- MongoDB
- Power BI
- Amazon S3
- Salesforce
- Confluent Kafka
- SQL Server
- Excel
- Slack
- Microsoft Teams
See all Alation Data Catalog integrations →
Alternatives to Alation Data Catalog
- Databricks Unity CatalogDatabricks-native governance with deep lineage, controls and quality monitoring.9.3
- Zeenea Data Discovery PlatformBroad catalog and lineage capabilities now continue under Actian Data Intelligence Platform.9.1
- Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Data CatalogA free OCI catalog for harvesting, organizing, and tracing metadata across connected sources.9.0
See all Alation Data Catalog alternatives →
Alation Data Catalog vs the competition
- Alation Data Catalog vs Databricks Unity Catalog
- Alation Data Catalog vs Zeenea Data Discovery Platform
- Alation Data Catalog vs Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Data Catalog
- Alation Data Catalog vs Collibra
- Alation Data Catalog vs OpenMetadata
- Alation Data Catalog vs Alex Solutions
Compare Alation Data Catalog with any tool side by side →
Also Ranked In
Alation Data Catalog is ranked in 3 of our directories.
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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