# Alternatives to Apache Superset Apache Superset is an open-source business intelligence web application for data exploration and visualization, developed as an Apache Software Foundation project under the Apache License 2.0. It provides a no-code chart builder, a web-based SQL Editor, and a lightweight semantic layer, and connects to nearly any SQL-speaking database via SQLAlchemy. It is self-hosted (Docker Compose, Kubernetes, or PyPI) and has no vendor pricing page since the ASF does not sell it commercially. Apache Superset ranks #4 of 8 in Business intelligence, with an Alt Score of 89. It is licensed under Apache License 2.0, free from Free and available on the web. 11 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source. Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/apache-superset/ Category: Business intelligence ## Where Apache Superset stands out - **Open source** — 4 of 8 apps with a verified answer have this ## Overview - **Who it's for**: Analysts and business users who explore data, build charts, and create dashboards; administrators who install, configure, and secure deployments; and developers who extend Superset via its REST API and extension framework. - **What you get**: A no-code chart builder, a web-based SQL Editor (SQL Lab), a lightweight semantic layer for custom dimensions and metrics, row-level security filters, an alerts-and-reports system for SQL-condition alerts and scheduled report delivery, and an embedded-dashboard SDK. - **How it works**: Superset is self-hosted via Docker Compose, Kubernetes, or a PyPI install; the Python/Flask backend issues SQL queries against a configured data warehouse (any database with a Python DB-API driver and SQLAlchemy dialect) and renders the results as charts and dashboards in the browser. ## Profile - **License**: Apache License 2.0 (verified 2026-08-03) - **Pricing model**: Free (verified 2026-08-03) - **Starts at**: Free (verified 2026-08-03) - **Platforms**: Web - **Status**: active (verified 2026-08-03) ## Ranked alternatives | # | App | Alt Score | Licence | Platforms | |---|-----|-----------|---------|-----------| | 1 | [Lightdash](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/lightdash.md) | 93 | MIT (core); Source Available (enterprise ee/ module) | ? | | 2 | [Metabase](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/metabase.md) | 89 | AGPL | Web | | 3 | [Microsoft Power BI](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/power-bi.md) | 89 | Proprietary | Windows, Web, iOS, Android | | 4 | [Looker](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/looker.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android | | 5 | [Sigma](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/sigma-computing.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Web | | 6 | [Tableau](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/tableau.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS | | 7 | [Redash](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/redash.md) | 59 | BSD-2-Clause | Web | Alt Score = Verified coverage (90%) + Visibility (10%). See https://altcatalog.com/how-alt-score-works/ ## Feature comparison Legend: Yes / No / Partial / ? (not verified). | Business intelligence checklist | Apache Superset | Lightdash | Metabase | Microsoft Power BI | Looker | Sigma | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Pricing model | Free | OSS + paid hosting | OSS + paid hosting | Freemium | Subscription | Usage-based | | Starts at | Free | $3000/mo | $100/mo | $14/user/mo | ? | ? | | License | Apache License 2.0 | MIT (core); Source Available (enterprise ee/ module) | AGPL | Proprietary | Proprietary | Proprietary | | Platforms | Web | ? | Web | Windows, Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android | Web | | Self-hostable | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | | Open source | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | | SQL editor | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | No-code query builder | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Scheduled report delivery | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Embedded analytics | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Row-level security | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Data alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Semantic layer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | | Git version control | ? | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | No | | SSO (SAML/OIDC) | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Yes | Yes | | Free tier | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ## Sources Sources for Apache Superset. Each alternative is sourced on its own page. - **License**: Apache License 2.0 — (verified 2026-08-03) - **Pricing model**: Free — (verified 2026-08-03) - **Starts at**: Free — (verified 2026-08-03) - **Platforms**: Web — (verified 2026-08-03) - **Status**: active — (verified 2026-08-03) - **Self-hostable**: Yes — (verified 2026-08-03) - **Open source**: Yes — (verified 2026-08-03) - **SQL editor**: Yes — (verified 2026-08-03) - **No-code query builder**: Yes — (verified 2026-08-03) - **Scheduled report delivery**: Yes — (verified 2026-08-03) - **Embedded analytics**: Yes — (verified 2026-08-03) - **Row-level security**: Yes — (verified 2026-08-03) - **Data alerts**: Yes — (verified 2026-08-03) - **Semantic layer**: Yes — (verified 2026-08-03) - **SSO (SAML/OIDC)**: Partial — (verified 2026-08-03) - **Free tier**: Yes — (verified 2026-08-03) --- Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/