What's the difference between Amplitude and Metabase?

Amplitude is The enterprise product analytics platform, publicly traded (AMPL). Positioned as the alternative to Mixpanel for product teams that need advanced funnels, cohorts, and predictive analytics at scale. Distinctive for its 'North Star' methodology framework that many product-led-growth companies now use as their operating rhythm. Free tier limited; paid custom based on tracked events — Growth typically $50-200/mo entry, enterprise deployments run $48K-100K+/yr. Real cost bloat: tracked event volume compounds fast, while Metabase is Open-source business intelligence tool positioned as the alternative to Tableau and Looker for engineering-led teams. Distinctive for its free self-hosted tier that runs on Docker — the go-to "first BI tool" for startups before they can justify a data team. Cloud version priced from $85/mo. Acquired minority stake by Insight Partners; still open-source. Popular with technical founders who want SQL access to their Postgres/BigQuery data. On price, amplitude is cheaper on the entry tier at $49/mo vs $100/mo for Metabase. Both bill on a similar model, so the tiers below compare directly.

Which costs less, Amplitude or Metabase?

Amplitude is cheaper on the entry tier at $49/mo vs $100/mo for Metabase.

Is Amplitude or Metabase priced per seat or per usage?

Amplitude bills on a fixed plan from $49/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume. Metabase is hybrid: a fixed subscription from $100/mo plus metered usage on top (User seats). Your real bill moves with volume, not seat count.

Does Amplitude have a free plan?

Yes, Amplitude offers a free plan.

Does Metabase have a free plan?

Yes, Metabase offers a free plan.

How does Amplitude pricing compare to Metabase for enterprise use?

Both Amplitude and Metabase offer enterprise pricing on request, typically with custom quotes based on seats, usage, and support.

When were these prices last verified?

Pricing was last checked on October 3, 2026.

Amplitude vs Metabase — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)

TL;DR

Amplitude starts at $49/mo. Metabase starts at $100/mo. Amplitude is $51/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Metabase.

Checked October 3, 2026

See price history: Amplitude · Metabase

How pricing works

These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.

Amplitude (Unknown model) — Amplitude bills on a fixed plan from $49/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
Metabase (Hybrid) — Metabase is hybrid: a fixed subscription from $100/mo plus metered usage on top (User seats). Your real bill moves with volume, not seat count.

Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.

Amplitude

Analytics & Data

Starts at

$49/mo

The enterprise product analytics platform, publicly traded (AMPL). Positioned as the alternative to Mixpanel for product teams that need advanced funnels, cohorts, and predictive analytics at scale. Distinctive for its 'North Star' methodology framework that many product-led-growth companies now use as their operating rhythm. Free tier limited; paid custom based on tracked events — Growth typically $50-200/mo entry, enterprise deployments run $48K-100K+/yr. Real cost bloat: tracked event volume compounds fast.

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Metabase

Analytics & Data

Starts at

$100/mo

Open-source business intelligence tool positioned as the alternative to Tableau and Looker for engineering-led teams. Distinctive for its free self-hosted tier that runs on Docker — the go-to "first BI tool" for startups before they can justify a data team. Cloud version priced from $85/mo. Acquired minority stake by Insight Partners; still open-source. Popular with technical founders who want SQL access to their Postgres/BigQuery data.

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All plans compared

Tier role	Plan	Amplitude monthly	Amplitude annual	Metabase monthly	Metabase annual
Free / starter	Starter / —	Free	Free	—	—
Entry paid	Plus / Starter	$49	$49	$100	$90
Pro / power	— / Pro	—	—	$575	$517.5
Enterprise	Enterprise	Custom	Custom	Custom	Custom

Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.

What each is best for

Amplitude

Amplitude is worth it if… Amplitude is the product analytics tool for product teams that need behavioral cohorts, funnel analysis, and retention charts to guide roadmap decisions. Plus starts usage-based scaling per event; Growth is where enterprise features live.

Metabase

Metabase is worth it if… teams (5-200) that want business intelligence + dashboards + ad-hoc SQL queries — particularly if you value open-source flexibility over Looker/Tableau enterprise sales. Starter covers small teams (self-hosted free); Pro adds Cloud hosting + row-level permissions; Enterprise adds advanced auditing.

Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.

Choose Amplitude over Metabase if…

Choose Amplitude if…

You're comfortable with Amplitude's from $49/mo entry point.
You match the profile Amplitude is built for: the product analytics tool for product teams that need behavioral cohorts, funnel analysis, and retention charts to guide roadmap decisions.
You need a general-purpose analytics & data option rather than a vertical-specific one.

Choose Metabase if…

You're fine with a base subscription plus metered usage on top (from $100/mo).
You match the profile Metabase is built for: teams (5-200) that want business intelligence + dashboards + ad-hoc SQL queries — particularly if you value open-source flexibility over Looker/Tableau enterprise sales.
You need a general-purpose analytics & data option rather than a vertical-specific one.

At a glance

	Amplitude	Metabase
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Entry price	$49/mo	$100/mo
Enterprise available	Yes	Yes
Pricing model	—	Hybrid
Verification	Checked October 3, 2026	Checked October 3, 2026
Full pricing	View full pricing	View full pricing