Metabase vs Superset
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted web analytics options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Metabase
Open-source business intelligence and dashboards
VS
Superset
Modern data exploration and visualization platform
| Feature | Metabase | Superset |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 99 · Excellent |
| Category | Web Analytics | Web Analytics |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Clojure | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 49,398 | ★ 74,902 |
| First released | 2015 | None |
| Replaces | Tableau, Looker | Tableau, Power BI |
What are Metabase and Superset?
Metabase
Metabase is an open-source business intelligence tool that lets teams ask questions of their data and build dashboards without SQL. It connects to many databases and supports scheduled reports.
- No-SQL question builder
- Interactive dashboards
- Many database connectors
- Scheduled reports
Superset
Apache Superset is a data exploration and visualization platform with a SQL IDE, dozens of chart types and dashboard sharing. It targets analytics teams wanting a self-hosted BI tool. It is deployed via Docker Compose or Helm with a metadata database.
- SQL Lab query IDE
- Dozens of chart types
- Dashboard sharing and permissions
- Connects to most SQL databases
Metabase vs Superset: key differences
Metabase is written in Clojure, while Superset is built with Python. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Metabase versus Apache-2.0 for Superset. Superset is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Metabase. Metabase lists first-class Docker deployment; Superset does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Metabase if…
- No-SQL question builder
- Wide database support
- Easy Docker deploy
Watch out for
- Advanced features paid
- JVM memory hungry
Choose Superset if…
- Rich visualization options
- Powerful SQL exploration
- Scales to large teams
Watch out for
- Setup can be involved
- Needs metadata database
- Resource heavy
Frequently asked questions
Is Metabase or Superset better?
Neither is universally better. Superset has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Metabase and Superset free and open-source?
Yes. Metabase is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Superset under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Metabase and Superset with Docker?
Metabase: yes. Superset: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Metabase or Superset?
Superset has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Metabase. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.