kitio.aiMetabase vs Mage AI
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Mage AI has the lower starting price: about $29 a month, against $100 for Metabase.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Visual query builder
- SQL editor
- Metabot AI assistant
- Dashboards and alerts
- Embedded analytics
- System integrations
- Learned business knowledge
- Reusable data models
- Managed orchestration
- AI-assisted operations
- dbt support
| Feature | Metabase | Mage AI |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source BI with a simple query builder and AI help | Data automation platform that learns your business definitions |
| Category | Data & analytics | Data & analytics |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $100/mo | $29/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Metabase | Mage |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Mage AI has the lower starting price: about $29 a month, against $100 for Metabase.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Open Source
Free
- Self-hosted
- Free unlimited users
Starter
$100/mo
- First 5 users, then $6/user
- AI questions and MCP server
- 14-day free trial
Pro
$575/mo
- First 10 users, then $12/user
- Row and column permissions
- SSO, caching, usage analytics
Enterprise
From $20,000/yr
- Dedicated success engineer
- Air gap available
- 1-day support SLA
3 plans
Starter
$29/mo
- 1 developer seat
- 50 AI credits a month
- Plus $0.0167 per execution minute
Team
$100/mo
- Up to 10 developer seats
- 250 shared AI credits
- Lineage and deployments
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Private or hybrid deployment
- Seats by contract
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Metabase
- Free open-source edition
- Easy for non-analysts
- Quick to set up
- Less advanced modeling than enterprise BI
- Some features locked to paid plans
Mage AI
- Open-source roots
- Reuses business logic across projects
- 7-day trial without a card
- Execution minutes billed on top
- Few AI credits on Starter
- Repositioning may confuse old users
Which one should you choose?
Choose Metabase if you want:
- Free open-source edition
- Easy for non-analysts
- Quick to set up
Watch out: less advanced modeling than enterprise bi.
Choose Mage AI if you want:
- Open-source roots
- Reuses business logic across projects
- 7-day trial without a card
Watch out: execution minutes billed on top.
Metabase vs Mage AI FAQ
What is the difference between Metabase and Mage AI?
Metabase: Open-source BI with a simple query builder and AI help. Mage AI: Data automation platform that learns your business definitions. Both are data & analytics tools.
Is Metabase or Mage AI cheaper?
Mage AI has the lower starting price: about $29 a month, against $100 for Metabase.
Do Metabase and Mage AI have free plans?
Metabase: Yes. Mage AI: Yes.
Who makes Metabase?
Metabase is made by Metabase, based in United States.
Who makes Mage AI?
Mage AI is made by Mage, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Metabase or Mage AI?
Choose Metabase if you value free open-source edition and easy for non-analysts. Choose Mage AI if you value open-source roots and reuses business logic across projects.