# Alternatives to Sigma

Sigma is a business intelligence and analytics platform that runs directly on cloud data warehouses such as Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, and Redshift, with no data extracts. Users build with a spreadsheet-style interface, SQL, or Python, and Sigma compiles those actions into warehouse-native SQL. It is a fully vendor-hosted SaaS product sold under a usage-based (credit) pricing model.

Sigma ranks #6 of 8 in Business intelligence, with an Alt Score of 78. It is proprietary and available on the web. 12 of 12 checklist rows are verified against a public source.

Source: https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/sigma-computing/
Category: Business intelligence

## Where Sigma stands out

- **SSO (SAML/OIDC)** — 4 of 8 apps with a verified answer have this

## Overview

- **Who it's for**: Organizations already running a cloud data warehouse that want self-service BI, embedded analytics, or AI-driven data apps for analysts, business users, and end customers without moving data out of the warehouse.
- **What you get**: A hosted workspace with spreadsheet-style workbooks, a SQL/Python editor, governed data models with reusable metrics, row- and column-level security, scheduled/conditional exports and alerts, secure and public embedding, and SSO/SCIM administration.
- **How it works**: Users build in a spreadsheet UI, custom SQL, or Python; Sigma compiles these actions into optimized SQL that executes live against the connected warehouse and returns results to the browser, with governance enforced at the warehouse boundary via warehouse roles and OAuth.

## Profile

- **License**: Proprietary (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Pricing model**: Usage-based (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 | [Apache Superset](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/apache-superset.md) | 89 | Apache License 2.0 | Web |
| 3 | [Metabase](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/metabase.md) | 89 | AGPL | Web |
| 4 | [Microsoft Power BI](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/power-bi.md) | 89 | Proprietary | Windows, Web, iOS, Android |
| 5 | [Looker](https://altcatalog.com/alternatives/looker.md) | 78 | Proprietary | Web, iOS, Android |
| 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 | Sigma | Lightdash | Apache Superset | Metabase | Microsoft Power BI | Looker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Usage-based | OSS + paid hosting | Free | OSS + paid hosting | Freemium | Subscription |
| Starts at | ? | $3000/mo | Free | $100/mo | $14/user/mo | ? |
| License | Proprietary | MIT (core); Source Available (enterprise ee/ module) | Apache License 2.0 | AGPL | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Platforms | Web | ? | Web | Web | Windows, Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Self-hostable | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Open source | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 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 | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| Data alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Semantic layer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Git version control | No | Yes | ? | Partial | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML/OIDC) | Yes | Partial | Partial | Partial | Partial | Yes |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |

## Sources

Sources for Sigma. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.

- **License**: Proprietary — <https://www.sigmacomputing.com/legal/msa> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Pricing model**: Usage-based — <https://help.sigmacomputing.com/docs/about-billable-usage-events> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Platforms**: Web — <https://www.sigmacomputing.com/product/architecture> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Status**: active — <https://help.sigmacomputing.com/changelog/2026-07-31> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Self-hostable**: No — <https://www.sigmacomputing.com/legal/security-policy> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Open source**: No — <https://www.sigmacomputing.com/legal/msa> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **SQL editor**: Yes — <https://help.sigmacomputing.com/docs/write-custom-sql> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **No-code query builder**: Yes — <https://www.sigmacomputing.com/product/architecture> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Scheduled report delivery**: Yes — <https://help.sigmacomputing.com/docs/send-or-schedule-workbook-exports> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Embedded analytics**: Yes — <https://help.sigmacomputing.com/docs/intro-to-embedded-analytics> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Row-level security**: Yes — <https://help.sigmacomputing.com/docs/set-up-row-level-security> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Data alerts**: Yes — <https://help.sigmacomputing.com/docs/schedule-a-conditional-export-or-alert> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Semantic layer**: Yes — <https://help.sigmacomputing.com/docs/about-metrics> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Git version control**: No — <https://help.sigmacomputing.com/docs/workbook-versions-and-version-history> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **SSO (SAML/OIDC)**: Yes — <https://help.sigmacomputing.com/docs/single-sign-on-with-saml> (verified 2026-08-03)
- **Free tier**: Yes — <https://help.sigmacomputing.com/docs/sigma-public> (verified 2026-08-03)

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Ranked by verified data, never by who paid. https://altcatalog.com/trust/