We Analyzed 100+ Metabase Reviews To See Its Worth

If you’ve been looking at Metabase as your embedded BI platform, you’ve probably run into some tough questions.

• Will it handle complex data without slowing down?
  
  

• Will the free version be enough, or will you get stuck upgrading sooner than expected?
  
  

• Can your non-technical team members actually use it without constant help from developers?

These concerns aren’t small; they decide whether Metabase becomes a smart investment or a costly experiment.

The truth is, Metabase has a lot going for it: open-source flexibility, a friendly interface, and quick dashboard setup.

But it also has trade-offs you need to know before committing, especially if you want a reliable embedded BI solution for clients or internal teams.

In this blog, I’ve gone through 100+ Metabase reviews from real users to separate the hype from the reality. You’ll see exactly:

• What users love about Metabase
  
  

• Where it falls short (especially for embedded use cases)
  
  

• How it compares to alternatives in performance, usability, and cost

By the end, you’ll know if Metabase is the right fit or if your time and budget are better spent elsewhere.

What Is Metabase?

Metabase is an open-source business intelligence and analytics platform.

You connect it directly to your database, and it turns your raw data into reports, charts, and dashboards without needing SQL skills.

It’s designed so you can:

• Run queries using a visual query builder or raw SQL when needed
  
  

• Build and share interactive dashboards.
  
  

• Embed analytics inside your product.
  
  

• Let non-technical teammates explore data without developer help.

You can deploy Metabase in two ways:

• Self-hosted – Free to use; run it on your own servers or with Docker
  
  

• Metabase Cloud – Paid hosting with security, updates, and scaling handled for you

Metabase supports a wide range of data sources, including

• BigQuery, Redshift, Snowflake, PostgreSQL, MySQL, and more
  
  

• Google Sheets and CSV uploads for lightweight use cases

For embedded BI, you can:

• Add dashboards or reports inside your SaaS app via iframe or React SDK
  
  

• Apply your own branding with the white-label option.
  
  

• Control data access with granular permissions and multi-tenant setups

Metabase Pricing & Plans

1. Open Source – Free

• Self-hosted version with community support
  
  

• Unlimited dashboards, queries, and data connections
  
  

• Basic embedding with “Powered by Metabase” badge

2. Starter – $85/month + $5/user after first 5 users

• Fully managed cloud hosting with automatic updates
  
  

• 3-day email support
  
  

• Everything in Open Source, plus faster setup and expert help

3. Pro – $500/month + $10/user after first 10 users

• Available in the cloud or self-hosted
  
  

• Advanced permissions, row/column-level security, and SSO support
  
  

• White-label embedding without branding
  
  

• Environment management, advanced caching, and usage analytics

4. Enterprise – Custom pricing (starts at $15k/year)

• Priority support and a dedicated success engineer
  
  

• Advanced deployment options like air-gapped or single-tenant hosting
  
  

• Professional services and procurement support for large organisations

5. Hosted Data Storage (Optional)

• $35/month for 500K rows or $70/month for 1M rows
  
  

• Store CSV or spreadsheet data without connecting to a database.

What Do Real Users Love About Metabase?

If you read through the reviews, one thing is clear: Metabase wins over users because it’s simple, cost-effective, and works well for basic to mid-level analytics.

Here’s what people appreciate most:

• Free & Open Source – “It is ‘free,’ so it is easier to get buy-in from leadership.” For small teams, that’s a huge win.
  
  

• Beginner-Friendly – “I rolled out Metabase to semi-technical product managers… most of them could accomplish what they wanted without any SQL skills at all.”
  
  

• SQL for Power Users – “Metabase’s query builder encourages you to think about your data… but you can always drop into SQL when you need it."
  
  

• Wide Database Support – “We connected it to PostgreSQL and MySQL in minutes, no complex configuration.”
  
  

• Basic Embedding – “You can embed basic dashboards… just know the free version shows ‘Powered by Metabase’.”
  
  

• Fast Setup – “Very straightforward to get set up initially and for new users to create basic items.”

From my perspective, I get why this appeals.

When you’re just starting out, low cost and quick setup are attractive. 

But as you grow, these “pros” can turn into limits if you need deeper customisation, more security, or high-volume performance. 

That’s where a platform like ours (UpsolveAI) focuses from day one.

Key Features Highlighted in Metabase Reviews

Users repeatedly point out certain features that make their day-to-day work easier:

• Visual Query Builder – Lets anyone build reports without coding.
  
  

• Custom SQL – Flexible for analysts who want more control.
  
  

• Dashboard Sharing – Share internally or externally with simple links or email/Slack schedules.
  
  

• Permissions – Basic role-based access to control who sees what.
  
  

• Integrations – Connects to common databases and CRMs.
  
  

• Data Alerts – Get notified when certain conditions are met in the data.

However, these are also “table stakes” features in BI today.

In Upsolve, we take the same basics but add advanced filters, AI-driven query assistance, and embedded analytics that can be deeply branded and customised, something Metabase users often wish they had.

Where Metabase Falls Short: Common Complaints & Limitations

Across Reddit, Capterra, and G2, some recurring pain points stand out:

• Limited Visual Customisation – Charts and dashboards have few formatting options. You can’t fully match your brand look and feel without Pro or Enterprise.
  
  

• Limited for Non-Technical Users: Despite some users finding it easy to use, others believe it can be challenging for non-technical users to create complex visualisations

• Performance Issues – Slow load times for large datasets or complex queries. Long-running queries can time out.
  
  

• Security Concerns in Self-Hosting – Some teams reported vulnerabilities when running Metabase in Docker without careful configuration.
  
  

• Basic Feature Set – Missing advanced analytics like funnels, complex calculated fields, or detailed drill-through compared to tools like Looker or Tableau.
  
  

• Maintenance Overhead – Open-source hosting means your team handles upgrades, backups, and monitoring.
  
  

• Export Limitations – Fewer export formats and customisation options for shared reports.

From a founder’s lens, this is where the gap is obvious.

Metabase does a great job for small teams with light needs, but scaling organisations want:

• Faster performance even with large datasets
  
  

• Advanced permissions without paying $500+/month
  
  

• Deep embedding without vendor branding
  
  

• Minimal engineering involvement in maintenance

That’s the problem space where we’ve designed Upsolve to give teams both the ease of Metabase and the flexibility of an enterprise BI tool, without forcing you to choose between the two.

How to Find the Right Business Intelligence Tool for Embedded and Customer Analytics

Choosing a BI tool for embedded and customer-facing analytics is very different from picking one for internal reporting.

You’re not just thinking about your team; you’re thinking about your customers’ experience inside your product.

From my perspective as a founder, here’s what I’d look for before signing a contract:

• Ease of Embedding – You should be able to drop dashboards into your product without weeks of engineering work. Look for iframe and SDK options.
  
  

• Brand Control – Your customers should feel like the analytics are part of your product, not an add-on. Full white labelling matters.
  
  

• Performance at Scale – Dashboards must load fast, even with millions of rows or complex queries. Slow analytics will frustrate users.
  
  

• Granular Permissions – You need to control exactly what each customer or tenant can see, down to the row and column level.
  
  

• Customisation Options – Filters, layouts, and themes should adapt to different use cases without needing developers for every change.
  
  

• Security & Compliance – SSO, audit logs, SOC2, and GDPR/CCPA readiness are critical if you handle sensitive data.
  
  

• Low Maintenance – The tool should minimise DevOps load  updates, scaling, and monitoring shouldn’t eat up engineering time.

The mistake I see many founders make is picking a BI tool that works well for internal teams but breaks down when embedded into a customer-facing product. In my view, your first filter should be:

"Will this still give my customers a seamless, fast, and branded experience when we have 100X more data and users?"

Is Metabase Worth It in 2025, or Do We Have Better Alternatives?

If you’re only running basic internal reports and have the technical bandwidth to manage an open-source deployment, Metabase can still make sense in 2025.

It’s free, easy to set up, and works fine for light-to-mid-level analytics.

But if your goal is embedded and customer-facing analytics that feel like a natural part of your product, Metabase’s limitations start to show quickly:

• Limited white-labeling unless you’re on the expensive Pro/Enterprise tiers
  
  

• Performance drops with large datasets or heavy usage.
  
  

• Basic visualization options that can’t match your brand’s polish
  
  

• High DevOps load if you self-host
  
  

• No role-based personalisation every customer sees the same dashboard unless you build heavy workarounds

This is exactly the gap Upsolve was built to fill.

Metabase vs. Upsolve AI for Embedded & Customer Analytics

Here’s a quick visual to explain to you which one is better:

If you want an internal BI tool and you have in-house technical resources, Metabase is still a low-cost entry point.

But if you want your customers to love your analytics experience, you need something faster, more branded, and adaptable to each user’s needs. 

That’s why teams like PAXAFE, Fibre AI, and Measurable AI chose Upsolve to go beyond static dashboards and deliver AI-personalised, embedded analytics that drive product stickiness and revenue.

How PAXAFE offer supply chain visibility to its enterprise customers with Upsolve AI dashboard.

Conclusion

Metabase has earned its place as a go-to open-source BI tool; it’s free, quick to deploy, and simple enough for non-technical users. 

But when you need embedded, customer-facing analytics that scale, look professional, and adapt to each user, its limits become clear.

In 2025, the BI landscape is shifting. Customers expect personalised dashboards, fast performance, and seamless product integration. 

That’s exactly where Upsolve AI stands out, giving you hyper-personalised, branded analytics without the DevOps burden.

If you want your analytics to not just exist but actively drive customer value and product adoption, now is the time to consider Upsolve.

📅 Book a free demo call today and see how quickly we can embed a tailored analytics experience into your product.

FAQs

1. Is Metabase really free for business use?

Yes, Metabase’s open-source edition is free; advanced support and cloud hosting require paid subscriptions.

2. How does Upsolve AI handle real-time analytics?

Upsolve AI leverages AI-powered data pipelines for instant updates, keeping dashboards live as soon as data lands.

3. Can dashboards from Metabase be migrated to Upsolve AI/other tools?

You can export data from Metabase and rebuild dashboards in Upsolve AI, supported by Upsolve’s onboarding team.

4. What’s the best BI tool for non-technical SaaS founders?

Upsolve AI offers simple drag-and-drop interfaces and guided setup, making analytics accessible to everyone.

5. Is Upsolve AI secure for fintech/customer data?

Yes, enterprise-grade security: data encryption, granular permissions, and strong compliance support.