Power BI dominates enterprise analytics with 10x higher market share (35% vs 3.5%), superior DAX modeling, and seamless Microsoft integration, while Metabase excels for teams seeking faster deployment, lower total cost of ownership, and simpler SQL-based analytics without extensive training.
Metabase vs Power BI — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Power BI if your organization has 100+ users, needs advanced DAX modeling, requires deep Microsoft ecosystem integration, and has budget for enterprise licensing—it dominates Fortune 500 analytics with unmatched data connectivity and sophisticated analysis tools. Choose Metabase if you prioritize rapid deployment, lower total cost, team simplicity, or use open-source infrastructure; it's ideal for SMBs, startups, and data-driven teams avoiding vendor lock-in and extensive training.
Open-source SQL-based analytics and dashboarding platform with fast deployment and affordable licensing.
Enterprise analytics platform by Microsoft with advanced DAX modeling, 150+ connectors, and deep Office 365 integration.
Structured comparison data for Metabase vs Power BI with 164 attributes.
Total Cost of Ownership (Year 1, 10 users)
Dashboard Auto-Refresh Speed (Premium tier)
Base Subscription Cost (Annual, 10 Users)
Learning Hours to Intermediate Proficiency
User Interface Complexity (Learning Curve)
Total Cost of Ownership (First Year, 10 Users)
Learning Curve (Days to First Dashboard)
Minimum Infrastructure Requirements (RAM)
Annual Total Cost of Ownership (10 users)
Concurrent User Seats Included in Base Plan
Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) Included
User Learning Curve (1-10 scale, 10=hardest)
Users Can Create Interactive Dashboards Natively
Metabase vs Power BI — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Metabase vs Power BI.
Which is cheaper for a 10-person analytics team?
Metabase costs $6,000-$12,000 annually (open-source core free + $500/user for cloud Pro), while Power BI averages $45,000-$60,000 ($10-20/user/month + implementation). Metabase wins 75-80% cost savings; Power BI's ROI emerges only at 50+ users with complex enterprise data models.
Can I deploy Metabase or Power BI on my own servers?
Yes for Metabase: open-source (MIT license) deploys on Docker, AWS, Azure, or on-premise in 15-30 minutes. No for Power BI: cloud-only SaaS via Microsoft Azure; no self-hosted option exists. Metabase is ideal for data sovereignty or air-gapped environments.
Which has better integration with Microsoft Teams and Office 365?
Power BI wins decisively: native embedding in Teams channels, SharePoint web parts, Outlook alerts, and Power Automate workflows. Metabase integrates via API/webhooks only. Choose Power BI if 80%+ of your team uses Microsoft ecosystem.
Is DAX modeling required to use these tools effectively?
No for Metabase: SQL queries and visual query builders handle 90% of BI needs without programming. Yes for Power BI advanced analytics: DAX (100-200 hours learning) unlocks measures, role-based security, and sophisticated time-series models. Power BI's basic mode requires less DAX, but enterprise use demands it.
Which scales better for 1,000+ user organizations?
Power BI: designed for enterprise; 5+ million concurrent users globally, Gartner Magic Quadrant leader. Licensing models (Premium capacity) support unlimited users. Metabase scales via horizontal clustering but not recommended above 500 concurrent users without architectural optimization; typically capped at mid-market.