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Open-source alternatives to Microsoft Power BI

9 genuinely open-source alternatives. The projects are compared by license, workflow, self-hosting, and pricing.

Maxime DERAME's profile

Written by Maxime DERAME

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Why look for a Microsoft Power BI alternative?

Microsoft Power BI connects data sources, models business metrics, builds reports and dashboards, and shares analytics across organizations. People look for alternatives when they want self-hosting, direct SQL access, open-source software, on-premises deployment, embedded analytics, version-controlled workflows, dbt integration, or lower per-user licensing costs.

#1

Apache Superset

Open-source SQL business intelligence and data exploration.

Apache Superset is an Apache-2.0 BI platform connecting SQL databases and warehouses through visual charts, SQL Lab, interactive dashboards, filters, drill-downs, semantic features, and row-level security.

Apache-2.0Self-hosted

Pricing: Free and self-hostable under Apache-2.0.

  • 40+ visualizations
  • SQL Lab and interactive dashboards
  • Strong SQL ecosystem and scalability
  • More technical than Power BI
  • Requires infrastructure administration
  • Desktop data preparation is not its focus
View on GitHub
#2

Grafana

Open-source dashboards for observability and operational analytics.

Grafana is an AGPL-3.0 visualization platform for metrics, logs, traces, SQL data, alerts, variables, plugins, and embedded dashboards. It can also display business data but is not a complete Power BI replacement.

AGPL-3.0Self-hosted

Pricing: Open-source core is self-hostable; enterprise and hosted offerings may be paid.

  • Real-time dashboards
  • Metrics, logs, traces, and alerting
  • Large datasource and plugin ecosystem
  • Primarily observability-focused
  • Less suited to traditional corporate reporting
  • Semantic modeling is less central
View on GitHub
#3

OpenBB

Open-source financial research and analytics platform.

OpenBB is an AGPL-3.0 data and analytics platform for financial research, public and private datasets, notebooks, dashboards, AI agents, and custom applications.

AGPL-3.0Self-hosted

Pricing: Free and self-hostable under AGPL-3.0; data-provider costs may apply.

  • Financial data integrations
  • Investment research and Python ecosystem
  • AI agents and private-cloud deployment
  • Finance-specific
  • Not general-purpose BI
  • Requires financial data sources
View on GitHub
#4

Metabase

Approachable self-service business intelligence.

Metabase is an AGPL-3.0 Community Edition BI platform with a visual query builder, SQL editor, interactive dashboards, alerts, scheduled reports, embedded analytics, and broad database support.

AGPL-3.0 Community EditionSelf-hosted

Pricing: Community Edition is self-hostable; advanced enterprise functionality and hosted plans may be paid.

  • Very approachable
  • Visual query builder and SQL
  • Dashboards, alerts, reports, and embedding
  • Advanced enterprise features are commercial
  • Less powerful semantic modeling
  • Complex analytics may require SQL
View on GitHubRead our full review →
#5

Redash

SQL-first analytics and dashboarding across many databases.

Redash is a BSD-2-Clause SQL analytics platform for querying databases, building visualizations, combining them into dashboards, scheduling refreshes, and sharing results.

BSD-2-ClauseSelf-hosted

Pricing: Free and self-hostable under BSD-2-Clause.

  • SQL-first workflow
  • Many data sources
  • Dashboards, alerts, API, and scheduled queries
  • Requires SQL for most workflows
  • Limited data modeling
  • Smaller visualization toolkit
View on GitHub
#6

Evidence

Version-controlled analytics built with SQL and Markdown.

Evidence is an MIT analytics-as-code framework where developers and analysts create reports and interactive dashboards with SQL, Markdown, charts, tables, filters, maps, and reusable components.

MITSelf-hosted

Pricing: Free and open source under MIT; hosted deployment may be offered separately.

  • SQL and Markdown
  • Git and version control
  • Interactive charts, filters, maps, and reusable components
  • Code-oriented
  • Not ideal for non-technical teams
  • No Power BI-style desktop authoring
View on GitHub
#7

Lightdash

dbt-native open-source business intelligence.

Lightdash is an MIT-core BI platform that turns dbt models into an explorable semantic layer with governed metrics, dimensions, dashboards, Git integration, preview environments, and CI/CD.

MIT coreSelf-hosted

Pricing: MIT core is self-hostable; enterprise functionality may be separately licensed.

  • Native dbt integration
  • Governed metrics and semantic layer
  • Git, preview environments, and self-service exploration
  • Best suited to dbt users
  • Requires a modern analytics stack
  • Enterprise functionality is separate
View on GitHub
#8

Chartbrew

Simple self-hosted dashboard builder for databases and APIs.

Chartbrew is an MIT dashboard and reporting platform connecting databases and APIs with visual chart building, dashboards, sharing, embedding, scheduled reports, and AI-assisted workflows.

MITSelf-hosted

Pricing: Free and self-hostable under MIT; hosted services may be offered separately.

  • Databases and APIs
  • Visual query builder
  • Embeddable charts and scheduled reports
  • Smaller ecosystem
  • Less semantic modeling
  • Fewer enterprise features
View on GitHub
#9

Frappe Insights

Open-source BI with visual queries and Frappe integration.

Frappe Insights is an AGPL-3.0 BI platform with multiple data sources, visual queries, joins, transformations, filters, charts, dashboards, and close ERPNext/Frappe integration.

AGPL-3.0Self-hosted

Pricing: Free and self-hostable under AGPL-3.0.

  • Visual query builder
  • Joins and transformations
  • Strong Frappe and ERPNext integration
  • Smaller ecosystem
  • Particularly attractive inside Frappe
  • Fewer third-party integrations
View on GitHub

Compare Microsoft Power BI alternatives

ToolStarsLicenseSelf-hostedPricing
Apache Superset—Apache-2.0YesFree and self-hostable under Apache-2.0.
Grafana—AGPL-3.0YesOpen-source core is self-hostable; enterprise and hosted offerings may be paid.
OpenBB—AGPL-3.0YesFree and self-hostable under AGPL-3.0; data-provider costs may apply.
Metabase—AGPL-3.0 Community EditionYesCommunity Edition is self-hostable; advanced enterprise functionality and hosted plans may be paid.
Redash—BSD-2-ClauseYesFree and self-hostable under BSD-2-Clause.
Evidence—MITYesFree and open source under MIT; hosted deployment may be offered separately.
Lightdash—MIT coreYesMIT core is self-hostable; enterprise functionality may be separately licensed.
Chartbrew—MITYesFree and self-hostable under MIT; hosted services may be offered separately.
Frappe Insights—AGPL-3.0YesFree and self-hostable under AGPL-3.0.

Which one should you choose?

Want the closest general-purpose open-source BI platform

Superset provides SQL connectivity, visual exploration, interactive dashboards, semantic features, security, and scalable self-hosting.

Apache Superset

Want self-service BI for business users

Metabase combines a visual query builder with SQL, dashboards, filters, alerts, scheduled reports, and embedded analytics.

Metabase

Want a modern dbt-native analytics stack

Lightdash turns dbt models into governed metrics, dimensions, and self-service dashboards with Git and CI workflows.

Lightdash

Want SQL-first analytics

Redash provides a direct SQL-to-visualization-to-dashboard workflow across many databases.

Redash

Want analytics as code

Evidence builds reports with SQL and Markdown so analytics can live in Git and deploy like software.

Evidence

Want operational dashboards

Grafana is strongest for real-time metrics, logs, traces, alerts, and operational data.

Grafana

Want financial research analytics

OpenBB focuses on market data, investment research, quantitative analysis, and financial AI workflows.

OpenBB
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