Metabase vs RudderStack
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Metabase
Open-source business intelligence and dashboards
VS
RudderStack
Open-source customer data pipeline platform
| Feature | Metabase | RudderStack |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Clojure | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 48,597 | ★ 4,465 |
| First released | 2015 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Tableau, Looker | Segment |
Why pick each one
Choose Metabase if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 48.6k GitHub stars
- Written in Clojure
Frequently asked questions
Is Metabase or RudderStack better?
Metabase is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider RudderStack if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Metabase and RudderStack free and open-source?
Yes. Metabase is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and RudderStack under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Metabase and RudderStack with Docker?
Metabase: yes. RudderStack: yes.