head to head · open source
Apache Superset vs Metabase
Apache Superset has 75,392 GitHub stars, 18,572 forks, 588 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Metabase has 50,114 stars, 6,968 forks, 4,346 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Apache Superset leads on adoption by 50% (75,392 vs 50,114 stars). Apache Superset is written in Python under Apache-2.0; Metabase is written in Clojure under a custom or non-standard licence. Apache Superset has attracted 25% as many forks as stars, Metabase 14%. Metabase was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 5 topic tags (analytics, bi, business-intelligence, data-analysis), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Apache Superset | Metabase | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 75K | ★ 50K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Python | Clojure |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 19K | ⑂ 7.0K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Apache Superset if
- You weight community size — 75K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Metabase if
- You want the Metabase feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches Clojure
- You evaluated both and Metabase fits your workflow better
About Apache Superset
Superset A modern, enterprise ready business intelligence web application. Documentation User Guide — For analysts and business users. Explore data, build charts, create dashboards, and connect databases. Administrator Guide — Install, configure, and operate Superset. Covers security, scaling, and database drivers. Developer Guide — Contribute to Superset or build on its REST API and extension framework. Why Superset? Supported Databases Release Notes Get Involved Resources Organizations Using Superset Why Superset? Superset is a modern data exploration and data visualization platform. Superset can replace or…
read the full Apache Superset overview →
About Metabase
Metabase Metabase is the easy, open source way for everyone in your company to ask questions and learn from data. Get started The easiest way to get started with Metabase is to sign up for a free trial of Metabase Cloud. You get expert support, backups, upgrades, an SMTP server, SSL certificate, SoC2 Type 2 security auditing, and more (plus your money goes toward improving a major open source project). Check out our quick overview of cloud vs self hosting. If you need to, you can always switch to self hosting Metabase at any time (or vice versa). Key Features Set up in five minutes (we're not kidding), or have…
read the full Metabase overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Apache Superset or Metabase more popular?
Apache Superset has 75,392 GitHub stars and Metabase has 50,114. Apache Superset has the larger community by that measure.
Are Apache Superset and Metabase free?
Both are open source. Apache Superset is licensed under Apache-2.0, and Metabase has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Apache Superset and Metabase?
Apache Superset is written in Python and Metabase in Clojure. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Apache Superset or Metabase?
Choose Apache Superset if you want the larger community (75,392 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Metabase if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.