kitio.aiMicrosoft Power BI vs Metabase
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Microsoft Power BI has the lower starting price: about $14 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
- Power BI Desktop
- Copilot report creation
- DAX measures
- Scheduled refresh
- Microsoft Fabric integration
- Visual query builder
- SQL editor
- Metabot AI assistant
- Dashboards and alerts
- Embedded analytics
| Feature | Microsoft Power BI | Metabase |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Microsoft's BI tool with Copilot for reports and data questions | Open-source BI with a simple query builder and AI help |
| Category | Data & analytics | Data & analytics |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $14/mo | $100/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Microsoft | Metabase |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Microsoft Power BI has the lower starting price: about $14 a month, against $100 for Metabase.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free
Free
- Power BI Desktop
- Personal reports
Pro
$14/mo
- Per user
- Share and collaborate on reports
Premium Per User
$24/mo
- Per user
- Larger models and AI features
- Paginated reports
Fabric capacity
Usage-based
- Organization-wide capacity
- Pay as you go or reserved
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
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
Microsoft Power BI
- Low cost per user
- Deep Microsoft integration
- Free desktop authoring
- Copilot needs higher capacity licenses
- DAX has a learning curve
- Desktop app is Windows only
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
Which one should you choose?
Choose Microsoft Power BI if you want:
- Low cost per user
- Deep Microsoft integration
- Free desktop authoring
Watch out: copilot needs higher capacity licenses.
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.
Microsoft Power BI vs Metabase FAQ
What is the difference between Microsoft Power BI and Metabase?
Microsoft Power BI: Microsoft's BI tool with Copilot for reports and data questions. Metabase: Open-source BI with a simple query builder and AI help. Both are data & analytics tools.
Is Microsoft Power BI or Metabase cheaper?
Microsoft Power BI has the lower starting price: about $14 a month, against $100 for Metabase.
Do Microsoft Power BI and Metabase have free plans?
Microsoft Power BI: Yes. Metabase: Yes.
Who makes Microsoft Power BI?
Microsoft Power BI is made by Microsoft, based in United States.
Who makes Metabase?
Metabase is made by Metabase, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Microsoft Power BI or Metabase?
Choose Microsoft Power BI if you value low cost per user and deep microsoft integration. Choose Metabase if you value free open-source edition and easy for non-analysts.