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MG-RAST

Free#32 of 37 in Data Analytics Software

MG-RAST: A free, specialist service for processing and comparing metagenomic sequence data. Ranked #32 of 37 in Data Analytics Software by our editors (6.3/10); pricing: Free plan; best for researchers processing metagenomic sequence data.

6.3/10Editor score

Visit MG-RAST

MG-RAST6.3 Visit MG-RAST

At a glance

Editor score
6.3 / 10
Pricing
Free plan
Best for
Researchers processing metagenomic sequence data
Free plan
Yes
Paid from
Free
Deployment
Cloud
Facts checked
24 Sep 2026

Where it wins
- Automates quality control, normalization, and annotation of sequence data
- Compares metagenomes and supports metadata exploration and dataset discovery
- Offers web projects, downloads, and programmatic access through a REST API
Where it doesn't
- Focused on metagenomic research, not general-purpose business analytics
- Documented inputs are limited to shotgun, metatranscriptome, and amplicon data
- Documentation is the listed support channel

Our verdict on MG-RAST

MG-RAST is a web-based service for researchers analyzing metagenomic sequence data, including shotgun metagenomes, metatranscriptomes, and ribosomal amplicon data. Users can upload sequence files for automated processing, then explore and compare results in the web interface. It is designed for scientific sequence analysis, not business reporting or broad analytics workflows, so its fit depends on the data and research task.

The workflow covers quality control and normalization, taxonomic and functional annotation, and comparison of multiple metagenome datasets. Researchers can also explore metadata, discover datasets, download sequence data and analysis results, and create and share projects through the web interface. Programmatic access is available through a REST API. Documented file formats include FASTA, FASTQ, and SFF, making the service relevant to researchers with these sequence inputs; it is not a general-purpose environment for arbitrary data sources.

MG-RAST is free, and the published product details identify it as open source. The service is cloud-based, with web and API access; documentation is the listed support channel. Choose it if your work centers on supported metagenomic sequence data and you need processing, annotation, comparison, or data discovery in one specialized service. Researchers seeking broad business analytics, or teams that need a wider set of support channels or data workflows, should look elsewhere. Its specialization is the main reason to consider it—and the main constraint for buyers outside metagenomics.

Your product? Our editors can test MG-RAST in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →

MG-RAST pricing

Plans Free planFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.

See plans on mg-rast.org

MG-RAST fact sheet

Free plan	Yes
Paid from	Free
Deployment	Cloud
Natural-language queries	Not verified
Scheduled data refresh	Not verified
Dashboard sharing	Not verified
Self-hosted option	Not verified
Data source types	Shotgun metagenome, metatranscriptome, and ribosomal amplicon sequence data; FASTA, FASTQ, and SFF formats are documented.
Deployment	Cloud
Platforms	Web
Support	Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate)
Pricing	Free plan
Website	mg-rast.org
Facts checked	24 Sep 2026

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Featured on iTechGuides

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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update