Metabase vs Qlik Sense: An In-Depth Comparison
Introduction
Choosing the right business intelligence tool is critical for effective data analysis and reporting. Metabase and Qlik Sense are popular solutions, each with its unique features and user experiences.
Metabase is known for its ease of use and simple setup, appealing to teams seeking a quick start. Qlik Sense, on the other hand, offers robust data manipulation and advanced analytics capabilities, catering to more complex enterprise needs.
While both platforms offer significant benefits, businesses may require a more intuitive and flexible approach. We'll explore how Sourcetable provides a modernized, spreadsheet-like interface that syncs with your data, presenting an alternative for business intelligence tasks like reporting and data analytics.
What is Metabase?
Metabase is an open-source analytics tool designed for ease of use with a user-friendly UX, making data accessible to a broad audience. It enables direct querying from over 20 types of data sources without the need for extracts. The platform supports a range of deployment and pricing options, including a free open-source tier, a pay-as-you-go Pro plan, a fully-hosted plan, and an Enterprise plan tailored for large-scale use.
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Metabase is an open-source analytics tool designed for ease of use with a user-friendly UX, making data accessible to a broad audience. It enables direct querying from over 20 types of data sources without the need for extracts. The platform supports a range of deployment and pricing options, including a free open-source tier, a pay-as-you-go Pro plan, a fully-hosted plan, and an Enterprise plan tailored for large-scale use.
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Features
- Single sign-on for streamlined access.
- Comprehensive permissions and auditing for security.
- Embedded analytics capabilities.
- Full GDPR compliance ensuring data protection.
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Adoption and Compliance
Trusted by over 50,000 companies worldwide, Metabase is a reliable choice for organizations seeking to democratize data analysis. Its GDPR compliance assures users of its commitment to data security.
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Deployment Options
Options include a docker deployment for containerized environments, allowing for flexible and scalable installations.
What is Qlik Sense?
Qlik Sense is a modern data analytics tool that leverages artificial intelligence to provide insights, facilitating fast and intuitive exploration of data. It employs associative analytics, enabling users to uncover insights that query-based BI tools might miss.
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Qlik Sense is a modern data analytics tool that leverages artificial intelligence to provide insights, facilitating fast and intuitive exploration of data. It employs associative analytics, enabling users to uncover insights that query-based BI tools might miss.
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Key Features
- Self-service visualizations for creating interactive dashboards.
- Search and natural language interaction capabilities to converse with data.
- Advanced and predictive analytics for deeper data examination.
- Automated insight generation to highlight relevant findings without manual input.
- Automated data preparation for efficient data usage.
- Integration with hundreds of data sources for comprehensive analysis.
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Accessibility and Integration
- Accessible from anywhere, enabling a flexible work environment.
- Compatibility with any device, ensuring data is at your fingertips regardless of location.
- Possibility to embed within other applications for streamlined workflows.
- Complete set of APIs for customization and extended functionality.
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Reliability and Adoption
Qlik Sense is trusted by over 40,000 customers worldwide, indicating its reliability and effectiveness in the data analytics domain.
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Metabase Key Features
Scalability and Self-Service Analytics |
Metabase provides features for organizations to scale and deliver self-service internal or embedded analytics. These include interactive embedding and customization options for dashboards and alerts. |
Authentication Options |
Paid plans offer advanced authentication methods such as SAML and JWT, along with multiple domain authentication through Google Sign-In. |
Data Sandboxing and Permissions |
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Group Management |
Group managers can oversee people and group permissions, facilitating more effective access control. |
Customization and Embedding |
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Notification Controls |
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Content Moderation and Caching |
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Data Export |
Exporting application data is possible for setup in new Metabase instances, facilitating migration and backups. |
Qlik Sense Key Features
Associative Analytics Engine |
The associative analytics engine is a unique feature of Qlik Sense that enables deep exploration of data, revealing hidden insights by allowing users to make selections and calculations in any direction. |
Augmented Analytics |
Qlik Sense integrates AI and ML within its foundation, providing augmented analytics capabilities such as AI-powered insights, automated insight generation, and predictive analytics. |
Interactive Dashboards and Visualizations |
Highly interactive dashboards and visualizations allow users to visualize and explore both large and small data sets, facilitating self-service data visualizations. |
AI and ML Integration |
AI and ML are at the core of Qlik Sense, supporting features like predictive analytics, AI-assisted data prep, and the creation of machine learning models with Qlik AutoML. |
Advanced and Predictive Analytics |
Through Qlik AutoML and integrations with data science platforms, Qlik Sense offers advanced and predictive analytics, enabling immediate and intelligent action. |
Data Integration and Preparation |
Qlik Sense provides a full range of data prep and integration capabilities, including fast data integration and connectivity with a wide array of data sources. |
Automation and Alerting |
With event-driven actions, alerting technology, and application automation, Qlik Sense streamlines processes and alerts users to critical data-driven events. |
Collaboration Tools |
Collaboration is enhanced with features like discussion threads, notes, and a narrative context, allowing teams to work together effectively within the platform. |
Extensibility and Customization |
The platform's open and standard APIs allow for extensive customization, including the development of custom apps, visualizations, and extensions. |
Accessibility and Scalability |
Qlik Sense is accessible on mobile devices, offers a low-code environment for users of all skill levels, and delivers high performance scalability for growing data needs. |
Deployment Flexibility |
Organizations can deploy Qlik Sense on-premises or utilize its cloud analytics capabilities, ensuring flexibility to meet diverse infrastructure requirements. |
Advantages of Using Metabase for Business Intelligence
Granular Permissions
Metabase Pro enhances data governance with advanced permissions. With features like row-level and column-level permissions, businesses can ensure secure access to sensitive information.
Customizable Embedding
Embedded analytics in Metabase Pro enables seamless integration of charts, dashboards, or the entire platform within other applications, promoting informed decision-making across the organization.
Branding and Personalization
White-labeling and customization of look and feel in Metabase Pro provide a tailored user experience that aligns with brand identity, improving user engagement with the analytics platform.
Expert Support
The world-class success team at Metabase offers technical support, as well as assistance with onboarding and offboarding, ensuring smooth operation and adoption of the platform.
Enhanced Analytics Features
Usage analytics, along with the ability to set up subscriptions and alerts, empower businesses to monitor and respond to data insights proactively.
Performance and Scalability
Metabase Pro's content caching capabilities and the option to export configuration as YAML files facilitate performance optimization and scalability of analytics operations.
Efficient Environment Management
With features like syncing multiple environments and creating templates from configuration files, Metabase Pro simplifies maintenance and deployment of business intelligence resources.
Advanced Data Access Control
Role-based permissions on databases using connection impersonation in Metabase Pro ensure that data access is both secure and aligned with organizational roles and responsibilities.
Disadvantages of Using Metabase for Business Intelligence
Complex Queries and Data Linking
Metabase presents difficulties in linking data for complex queries, limiting its effectiveness in in-depth data analytics.
Performance Issues
Performance declines with multiple users, causing slowdowns during critical business analysis tasks. Additionally, Metabase struggles with large data loads, leading to significant delays and latency.
Customization and Integration Limitations
The inability to customize charts and the lack of support for Azure SSO on the free edition restricts integration options. Joining different databases is also suboptimal, affecting comprehensive data analysis.
Scalability and Data Governance
Scalability is hindered by Metabase's slow rendering of data and slow report loading, especially when working with more data. Metabase's limited data governance capabilities pose challenges for maintaining data standards.
Version Control and Updates
Code versioning is not supported, complicating collaboration and tracking changes. The difficulty in updating Metabase can impede keeping the system up-to-date with the latest features and fixes.
Usability Concerns
Creating dashboards is not intuitive, impacting the user experience and the efficiency of report generation and data presentation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Metabase
How can I use the trend widget in Metabase?
You can use the trend widget in Metabase to filter data by date, allowing you to analyze trends over specific time periods.
What should I do if I encounter a 550 5.7.60 SMTP error in Metabase?
If you encounter a 550 5.7.60 SMTP error, it's likely related to the SMTP setup. Check your SMTP configuration settings to resolve the issue.
Can I edit data in Snowflake or Athena using Metabase?
No, Metabase does not allow editing of data in Snowflake and Athena.
Does Metabase support displaying comments on Postgres tables?
Yes, Metabase can be used to display comments on Postgres tables.
What type of license does Metabase use?
Metabase uses the AGPL license.
Use Cases for Metabase
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Democratizing data within the organization
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Embedding analytics in SaaS platforms
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Creating efficient business reporting systems
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Enabling self-service analytics for customers
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Facilitating data-driven decision-making
Advantages of Qlik Sense for Business Intelligence
User-Friendly Data Visualization
Qlik Sense offers self-service visualization solutions, enabling users to easily create and manage their own reports and analytics without extensive training.
Cost-Effectiveness
With a pricing model of $30 per user per month, Qlik Sense is an affordable option for businesses seeking to implement robust data analytics.
Enhanced Data Literacy
Designed to improve data literacy, Qlik Sense empowers users to understand and leverage data for decision-making.
Device Compatibility and Mobility
Qlik Sense's compatibility with a wide range of devices and its mobility feature allow for access to business intelligence on the go with a responsive design.
Security and Collaboration
Qlik Sense provides comprehensive security features, ensuring data protection, alongside a centralized hub that facilitates collaboration and information sharing.
Flexibility and Customization
The presence of open APIs and the ability to customize analytics solutions and develop custom apps and visualizations make Qlik Sense a flexible tool for tailored business intelligence needs.
Powerful and AI-Powered Analytics
As a powerful, AI-powered data analytics tool, Qlik Sense delivers advanced insights, aiding businesses in navigating complex data landscapes efficiently.
Disadvantages of Qlik Sense for Business Intelligence
Performance Issues with Large Data
Qlik Sense can experience performance degradation when handling large data sets, potentially slowing down data processing and analysis tasks.
Cost Concerns for Teams
For larger teams, Qlik Sense's pricing may be prohibitive, making it a less viable option for companies with budget constraints.
Limited Excel Integration
Not all information can be seamlessly downloaded to Excel from Qlik Sense, which may hinder reporting and data sharing efforts.
Additional Costs for Extensions
Expanding Qlik Sense's functionality with add-ons and plugins incurs extra costs, adding to the total investment in the tool.
Frequently Asked Questions About Qlik Sense
What payment methods are available for Qlik Sense training?
You can pay for training with a credit card, Training Card, or invoice.
How can I find out which Qlik Sense training courses are suitable for my role?
You can take training recommendations to find which courses to take for your role.
Where can I check my registration status for Qlik Sense training?
You can check your registration status on the My Training page.
Can I use a Training Card to pay for Qlik Sense certifications?
Training Cards cannot be used to pay for certifications.
Is there a validity period for the Training Card I purchase for Qlik Sense training?
You have 12 months from the purchase date to use the Training Card.
Use Cases for Qlik Sense
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Improving efficiency and customer service
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Enhancing sales performance
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Creating a company-wide portal for analytics
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Improving operational success
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Reducing cost and effort to convert loan prospects
Why Sourcetable is a Superior Business Intelligence Choice
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Simplified Reporting and Data Analytics
Sourcetable offers a streamlined approach to business intelligence by integrating data across various services into a familiar spreadsheet interface. This eliminates the complexity often associated with traditional BI tools.
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Unified Data Syncing
Unlike Metabase and Qlik Sense, Sourcetable syncs data seamlessly, providing real-time insights without the need for technical expertise in data connectors or database management.
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Intuitive Interface
The spreadsheet-like interface of Sourcetable reduces the learning curve for users, making data exploration and report generation more accessible compared to the more complex interfaces of Metabase and Qlik Sense.
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Accessibility and Collaboration
Sourcetable enhances collaborative efforts with its easy sharing capabilities, which are integral to modern business environments. Users can work together efficiently, without the need for specialized training.
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Cost-Effectiveness
With Sourcetable, businesses can avoid the tiered pricing models of Metabase and Qlik Sense, as it provides a straightforward, cost-effective solution for data analytics needs.
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Metabase vs Qlik Sense: Similarities
Business Intelligence Tools
Both Metabase and Qlik Sense are business intelligence tools used for data analytics and visualization.
User Interface
Metabase and Qlik Sense offer user-friendly interfaces that enable users to explore data and create dashboards with minimal technical expertise.
Self-Service Analytics
They facilitate self-service analytics, allowing users to generate reports and insights without relying heavily on IT departments.
Data Source Connectivity
Both platforms can connect to a variety of data sources, including SQL databases, data warehouses, and more.
Dashboard and Reporting Capabilities
Metabase and Qlik Sense provide robust tools for creating interactive dashboards and reports to share analytics with stakeholders.
Accessibility
Each BI tool is accessible to all users within an organization, enhancing data-driven decision-making across departments.
Security and Compliance
Metabase and Qlik Sense offer security features and comply with data protection regulations to ensure data integrity and privacy.
Embedding Analytics
Both tools allow the embedding of analytics into other applications, extending their functionality and providing integrated data insights.
Metabase vs Qlik Sense
User Interface and Experience
Metabase is known for its user-friendly UX, which is designed for non-technical users to easily create dashboards and reports. It features a visual query builder that allows users to explore data without SQL knowledge. In contrast, Qlik Sense also offers a user-friendly interface but is often seen as more suitable for users with a higher level of data literacy.
Deployment and Accessibility
Metabase can be deployed in 3 minutes and is accessible to all users, with the option for deployment on Metabase Cloud or as open source. Qlik Sense, while offering cloud solutions, typically requires a more complex setup and may not be as quick to deploy.
Data Sources and Integration
Both Metabase and Qlik Sense can connect to multiple data sources. Metabase connects to over 20 data sources, including production databases and data warehouses, without requiring data extracts. Qlik Sense also offers robust data integration capabilities, but the specifics may differ.
Pricing and Plans
Metabase provides a free open-source tier and a pay-as-you-go Pro plan, catering to a wide range of business sizes. Qlik Sense has a different pricing model that may not include a free tier and is typically structured around the number of users or consumption.
Compliance and Security
Metabase complies with SOC 2 Type II and GDPR, offering enterprise-grade security features, while Qlik Sense also provides strong security measures. The level of compliance and security features available may vary based on the plan chosen.
Embedding Capabilities
Metabase allows embedding of charts and dashboards in customer-facing applications easily, with no code required for whitelabeling. Qlik Sense also provides embedding features but may require more technical expertise to implement.
Self-Service Analytics
Metabase is a self-service analytics tool that empowers companies to explore data on their own. Qlik Sense also provides self-service capabilities but may cater to users who are more data-savvy.
Comparison of Metabase, Qlik Sense, and Sourcetable
Metabase
Metabase is an open-source tool for data exploration and dashboarding, supporting data visualization from 20+ sources, including production databases. It is designed for ease of use, allowing non-technical users to create dashboards. Metabase offers a free tier and paid plans, including Pro and Enterprise options. It features a visual query builder, single sign-on, permissions, caching, auditing, and robust security measures. Over 50,000 companies utilize Metabase, which can be self-hosted or used via a hosted plan. Metabase's embeddable analytics are also notable.
Qlik Sense
Qlik Sense is a comprehensive data integration and analytics solution, known for its associative data modeling and AI-enhanced insights. Unlike Metabase, Qlik Sense primarily targets enterprise-scale analytics with advanced interactive dashboards, reporting, and data storytelling features. It has a proprietary in-memory engine and emphasizes self-service visualization, exploration, and collaboration. Qlik Sense offers various deployment options, including on-premise and cloud services.
Sourcetable
Sourcetable is a spreadsheet-oriented tool that combines data from various sources for collaborative analysis and reporting. It is particularly known for its user-friendly interface that mimics traditional spreadsheets, making it accessible for users familiar with tools like Excel. Sourcetable facilitates real-time data syncing and offers features such as automated workflows, which differ from Metabase's focus on dashboarding and Qlik Sense's comprehensive analytics suite.
Distinctive Features
Target Audience
Deployment Options
Conclusion
While Metabase, Qlik Sense, and Sourcetable all facilitate data analysis, they cater to different user needs and offer distinct features. Metabase balances accessibility with powerful dashboarding capabilities, Qlik Sense offers a comprehensive, enterprise-focused analytics suite, and Sourcetable provides a simplified, collaborative spreadsheet environment with data integration tools.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Sourcetable
What is Sourcetable and who typically uses it?
Sourcetable is a spreadsheet application that allows users to access data from most 3rd party applications, query data, and build live models. It is typically used by growth teams and business operations people.
How does Sourcetable help users who are familiar with Excel or Google Sheets?
Sourcetable replaces workflows that are typically done in Excel, Google Sheets, and Business Intelligence tools, centralizing, analyzing, and modeling data that updates over time without requiring any coding.
How much does Sourcetable cost and is there a free trial?
Sourcetable costs $50 per month on the starter plan and $250 per month on the pro plan, with all plans offering a 14-day free trial.
How often does Sourcetable sync data from applications and databases?
Data integrations update every 15 minutes on the regular plan and every 5 minutes on the pro plan.
Do models in Sourcetable update automatically?
Yes, models update automatically as data updates in Sourcetable.
Metabase Pricing Overview
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Starter Plan
Metabase's Starter plan is priced at $85 per month, inclusive of 5 users. Additional users can be added at a cost of $5 per month each. With annual billing, a 10% discount is available, equating to $918 per year.
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Pro Plan
The Pro plan is available for $500 per month and includes 10 users. Extra users are charged at $10 per month. Annual billing offers a 10% discount, totaling $5400 yearly.
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Enterprise Plan
For Enterprise clients, Metabase offers custom pricing. The starting rate is set at a minimum of $15,000 per year, per user, and the final cost is determined by the number of users and specific enterprise needs.
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Open Source Plan
The Open Source plan by Metabase is freely available, offering basic features without cost.
Qlik Sense Pricing Overview
Qlik Sense offers cloud analytics solutions with an annual billing cycle. The service provides different tiers, including a Premium plan and more extensive Enterprise plans.
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Qlik Sense offers cloud analytics solutions with an annual billing cycle. The service provides different tiers, including a Premium plan and more extensive Enterprise plans.
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Premium Plan
The Premium plan is the starting tier for Qlik Sense cloud analytics, with prices beginning at $2,700 per month.
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Enterprise Plans
Enterprise plans are designed for larger data analytics needs, offering a starting point of 500GB per year for data analysis. These plans encompass all features available in the Premium plan.
User Reviews and Ratings of Metabase
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Overall Satisfaction
Metabase has received an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5, demonstrating high user satisfaction. Reviewers often give Metabase top marks for ease of use, customer service, features, and value for money.
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Usability
Users find Metabase easy to use, particularly for non-technical users, with most reviewers granting a 5.0 rating for ease of use. It’s applauded for its great UI and its suitability for self-service analytics. The ease of setup, deployment, and initiation is frequently highlighted.
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Functionality
As an open-source tool, Metabase is favored for creating custom dashboards and reports, analyzing data, and tracking KPIs. It integrates well with SQL and Google Analytics. However, it does not allow joins between different databases, and it's noted to be not the most advanced analytics tool available.
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Performance
Some users experience issues with performance, noting delays and latency with larger data sets and that Metabase can become slow and buggy when rendering data, especially when multiple users are accessing it simultaneously.
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Reliability and Support
While Metabase is generally praised for its customer service, with a 5.0 rating, there are reports of the application crashing under larger loads and failing to load or download reports at times.
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Cost and Accessibility
Users appreciate Metabase for being inexpensive and offering a free self-hosted version. It is considered to provide good value for money, reinforcing its position as a market leader in analytics.
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Technical Considerations
Metabase is written in CoffeeScript, which some reviewers find difficult to contribute to. Moreover, running in open-source mode requires non-trivial configuration.
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Data Security
Metabase is recognized for excelling in data security and integrity, important factors for users when choosing an analytics tool.
Conclusion
In comparison, Metabase is recognized for its user-friendly interface and ease of setup, while Qlik Sense is often highlighted for its robust data visualization and analytics features.
Both platforms serve distinct business intelligence needs and choosing between them depends on the specific requirements of an organization.
Sourcetable offers a different approach to business intelligence by integrating real-time data across various services into an intuitive spreadsheet interface, simplifying the data analysis process.
Try Sourcetable
Simplify your BI tooling with a spreadsheet that syncs with all your data.
Learn More
Simplify Your BI Tooling
Sourcetable is the AI spreadsheet that lets you analyze your data in one place. Get unlimited access free for 14 days.