Tableau vs Metabase
Self-hosted for $4/mo on hetzner CAX11, versus $15-$75/user/mo on Tableau.
Side-by-side
| Tableau | Metabase (self-hosted) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $15-$75/user/mo | $4.13/mo flat (any team size) |
| Hosting | Tableau's servers | Your VPS (hetzner CAX11) |
| Data ownership | Tableau controls the data | Your disk, your encryption |
| Source code | Closed | Open (NOASSERTION) |
| Customization | API + integrations only | Full source access; modify freely |
| Maintenance burden | Zero | Backups + updates (Docker available) |
| Health score (ossreplace) | — | 80 / 100 |
Why teams leave Tableau
- Per-seat pricing makes team rollouts expensive
- Hard cap on Salesforce-only ecosystem
- Server licensing on top of seats for self-managed
Metabase answers this by: Unlimited seats, full SQL access, connect to any database, no vendor lock to Salesforce stack.
The cost math
Assumes 5-person team using Tableau at the midpoint price ($45/user/mo).
| Period | Tableau | Metabase on hetzner | You save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $225 | $4.13 | $220.87 |
| Yearly | $2700 | $49.56 | $2650.44 |
| 3 years | $8,100 | $149 | $7,951 |
Deploy Metabase now
One-click deploys at the cheapest provider for this workload:
Affiliate disclosure — these links may earn ossreplace a commission at no cost to you.
Common questions
Is Metabase a good alternative to Tableau?
Metabase is an open-source, self-hostable alternative to Tableau with an ossreplace health score of 80/100 — a composite of project activity, maturity, community, security, and adoption. It runs on your own hetzner VPS from $4.13/mo with full source access under the NOASSERTION license, versus Tableau's $15–75/user/mo hosted plans.
How much cheaper is Metabase than Tableau?
A 5-person team pays about $225/mo on Tableau. Self-hosting Metabase on hetzner CAX11 costs a flat $4.13/mo regardless of team size — roughly $7,951 less over three years (98% lower).
Is Metabase hard to self-host?
Metabase ships a Docker setup, so deployment is usually a single docker-compose command on a $4.13/mo VPS. You own the backups and updates, and there are no per-seat fees.
Do you keep control of your data with Metabase vs Tableau?
Yes. Because Metabase runs on your own server, the data lives on your disk under your encryption. With Tableau, Tableau controls the hosting, storage, and access.