Our take
Pick Metabase if you're on a ops / data team who will self-host OSS at $0 (unlimited internal users, no embed SKU) while they ask a first Orders question, or start the Cloud Starter 14-day trial and land on $100/month (5 users included, then $6/user) when they do not want to run the stack. Pick Steep if you're on a ops team who want a metrics home screen, not a SQL workbook. Skip Steep if you're an analyst who live
Best for
Metabase Charts you start at $100 Cloud or OSS $0
Steep A metrics catalog you start with three free seats
Free plan
Metabase $0 · aGPL. Unlimited internal users. No embed SKU. You run it
Steep No free plan
Lowest paid
Metabase Transforms $0.01
Steep Pro $15
Next step up
Metabase AI add-on $3.75
Steep
Runs where
Metabase Local; you host it
Steep
Watch out
Metabase Starter’s $100 includes 5 users
Steep Seat 4 is $15
Last checked
Metabase 2026-10-22 · metabase.com/pricing
Steep 2026-10-28 · steep.app/pricing
ops / data teams who will self-host OSS at $0 (unlimited internal users, no embed SKU) while they ask a first Orders question, or start the Cloud Starter 14-day trial and land on $100/month (5 users included, then $6/user) when they do not want to run the stack.
Read the Metabase pageops teams who want a metrics home screen, not a SQL workbook.
Read the Steep page
