Metabase - Detailed Review
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Metabase - Detailed Review Contents
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Metabase - Product Overview
Metabase Overview
Metabase is an open-source business intelligence and analytics tool that simplifies the process of working with data, making it accessible to a wide range of users.Primary Function
Metabase allows users to connect to various data sources, such as popular databases, and ask questions about their data. It displays the answers in intuitive formats like bar charts, tables, and interactive dashboards. This tool is not a data lake; instead, it connects to live data in real time without making a copy of the data.Target Audience
Metabase is designed for businesses of all sizes, particularly appealing to non-technical users who need to analyze data quickly and efficiently. It is popular among companies with 50-200 employees and revenues ranging from $1 million to $50 million, predominantly in the Information Technology and Services, Financial Services, and Internet industries.Key Features
Query and Visualization
Users can ask questions using a visual query builder or SQL queries. The results are displayed in various visual formats, making data analysis more straightforward.Interactive Dashboards
Metabase enables users to build and share interactive dashboards, which can be grouped and shared with the rest of the team.User-Friendly Interface
The tool boasts an intuitive interface that does not require extensive training, making it easy for non-technical users to create dashboards and emails.Open-Source Nature
Being open-source, Metabase allows for customization and integration with other tools and platforms, enhancing its versatility.Basic Actions
Users can perform basic actions like Create, Update, and Delete on database records directly from the interface, which auto-tracks the schema of the source table.Embedding and Sharing
Metabase allows users to embed charts and share questions and dashboards with others, facilitating collaboration and data dissemination.Additional Highlights
Community-Driven
Metabase fosters a strong community through user-generated content, webinars, workshops, and feedback loops, which helps in building a loyal user base and continuously improving the product.Content and SEO
The company leverages high-quality content and SEO strategies to increase brand visibility and attract more users to its platform.Conclusion
Overall, Metabase stands out for its simplicity, ease of use, and the flexibility it offers through its open-source nature, making it a valuable tool for businesses looking to make data-driven decisions. Metabase - User Interface and Experience
Metabase Overview
Metabase is renowned for its user-friendly interface and ease of use, making it an ideal choice for both technical and non-technical users.User-Friendly Interface
Metabase features an intuitive and interactive interface that simplifies the process of data visualization and analysis. Users can create dashboards using a drag-and-drop functionality, which eliminates the need for extensive technical knowledge. This interface allows non-technical users to easily build and customize interactive dashboards with various widgets.Ease of Use for Non-Technical Users
One of the standout features of Metabase is its accessibility to users without a background in data analysis or SQL. The platform provides a visual query builder that handles complex queries, including joins, aggregations, and more, all through a user-friendly UI. This means users can create reports and analyze data without needing to write SQL code.Data Visualization
Metabase offers a variety of data visualization tools, including pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs, and more than 15 other visualization types. These tools help in turning raw data into meaningful insights, presented in clear and simple visualizations. This makes it easier for users to interpret and share data-driven insights.Dashboards and Reporting
Users can create and share interactive dashboards that display multiple datasets in one place. These dashboards are highly customizable and can be shared with team members for collaborative analysis. Additionally, Metabase allows for the creation of automated reports and offers advanced embedding options to share data in various contexts, such as presentations or publications.Cross-Platform Compatibility
Metabase is cross-platform compatible, allowing users to access and analyze data from desktops, tablets, or smartphones. This flexibility ensures that data-driven insights are accessible at all times, enhancing collaboration and informed decision-making across different departments and locations.Database Integration
Metabase integrates seamlessly with various databases and data sources, including the ability to connect directly to production databases or massive data warehouses. This integration enables users to query data immediately without the need for data extracts.Conclusion
Overall, Metabase’s user interface is designed to be intuitive, making data analysis and visualization accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical background. Its ease of use, combined with powerful visualization and reporting capabilities, makes it a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes. Metabase - Key Features and Functionality
Metabase Overview
Metabase is a powerful business intelligence (BI) tool that offers a range of features to simplify data analysis and visualization, with several key functionalities that make it stand out, especially when integrated with AI.User-Friendly Interface
Metabase boasts an intuitive interface that allows non-technical users to create visualization dashboards using drag-and-drop functionality. This makes it easy for users to visualize data without needing extensive technical knowledge.Query Builder
The query builder feature in Metabase enables users to create complex queries without writing SQL. This graphical interface provides smart suggestions to improve query efficiency, making data analysis accessible to a broader range of users.Data Visualization
Metabase offers various types of data visualizations such as pie charts, bar graphs, and line graphs. These visualizations are clear and simple, helping users to turn raw data into meaningful insights. The platform also supports customizable visualizations to meet specific needs.Dashboards
Metabase allows users to create and share interactive dashboards that display multiple datasets in one place. These dashboards can be updated in real-time and are sharable with team members for collaborative analysis. Users can also embed these dashboards in other applications or websites.Database Integration
Metabase integrates seamlessly with various databases and supports custom extensions. This flexibility allows it to connect with existing data sources, ensuring that visualizations and dashboards can be easily shared across organizations.AI Integration
When integrated with AI tools like Beam AI, Metabase can automate many analytics workflows. AI agents can create, read, update, and delete dashboards and reports, reducing manual effort and ensuring that analytics are always up to date. This automation allows teams to focus on deriving insights and making data-driven decisions rather than handling repetitive tasks.Advanced Analytics with Metabase AI
Metabase AI enhances the platform’s capabilities by providing features such as predictive modeling and custom expressions. Users can ask questions in natural language and receive answers in the form of visualizations or reports. The platform also supports usage analytics, tracking how reports and dashboards are used within the organization, and automated insights that highlight trends and anomalies in the data.Alerts and Notifications
Metabase allows users to set up alerts on questions so that they receive notifications when results cross a specified goal line. This can be done via email or Slack, ensuring timely data insights and decision-making.Data Modeling and Caching
Users can create models to clean up raw data and make it easier to query. Additionally, Metabase supports caching mechanisms to speed up loading times by storing the results of questions, making data access faster and more efficient.Embedding and Sharing
Metabase enables the embedding of interactive dashboards into websites using iframes, and it provides various sharing options, including exporting results and dashboards as files (e.g., JSON, CSV, PNG, XLSX) or as PDFs. This facilitates collaboration and the dissemination of insights across the organization.Security and Access Control
Metabase AI includes features like row-level permissions and personalized views, ensuring that users only see relevant data. This enhances security and user experience by controlling access to data at a granular level.Conclusion
In summary, Metabase combines an intuitive interface, powerful query-building capabilities, and advanced data visualization with AI-driven automation to provide a comprehensive BI solution. This makes it an invaluable tool for teams looking to make data-driven decisions efficiently. Metabase - Performance and Accuracy
Performance Factors
Metabase scales both vertically and horizontally, but its performance is heavily influenced by the broader system architecture and usage patterns. Here are some critical factors:Number of Databases and Tables
The more databases and tables connected to Metabase, the greater the potential impact on performance. Each query, especially those in dense dashboards, can lead to multiple simultaneous requests to the data warehouse, which can slow down the system.Data Warehouse Efficiency
The efficiency of your data warehouse is crucial. If a query takes a long time to execute on the database side, it will similarly affect Metabase’s performance. Optimizing database queries through indexing, caching, and reorganizing data can significantly improve performance.Query Optimization
Optimizing SQL queries is essential. Techniques such as indexing frequently used columns, using `EXPLAIN` statements to analyze query plans, and implementing caching can reduce query execution times and improve overall system responsiveness.Accuracy and Data Governance
Sandboxing Limitations
Metabase has limitations in sandboxing, particularly with SQL questions and non-SQL databases. Users with SQL editor access cannot be sandboxed, and SQL questions always reference original tables, bypassing sandbox restrictions. For non-SQL databases like Apache Druid or MongoDB, sandboxing is not supported.Collection Permissions
To manage access to sensitive data, administrators must use collection permissions to restrict access to saved SQL questions. This ensures that even though sandboxing may not be possible, data governance can still be maintained through other means.Query Performance Metrics
To measure and improve query performance, several metrics are key:Execution Time
Monitoring average and 95th percentile execution times helps identify performance outliers.Resource Utilization
Tracking CPU usage and memory consumption during query execution can highlight bottlenecks.Throughput
Measuring queries per second and concurrent queries indicates the system’s capacity.Cache Hit Rate and Index Usage
These metrics show how effectively caching and indexing are improving query performance.Areas for Improvement
Dashboard Optimization
Overloaded dashboards with many questions can slow down the system. Optimizing dashboards by removing unnecessary fields, adding filters, and minimizing joins can improve performance.Database Scaling
As data and usage grow, scaling database resources or upgrading hardware may be necessary to maintain performance.Model Caching
Enabling model caching in Metabase can serve pre-computed data, reducing query times for frequently accessed data.Limitations of Metabase Cloud
For users of Metabase Cloud, there are additional limitations to consider, such as the lack of support for community database drivers and file-based databases like SQLite and H2 due to the absence of file storage. In summary, while Metabase offers powerful tools for data analytics, its performance and accuracy are heavily dependent on the underlying database efficiency, query optimization, and proper management of user permissions and data governance. Addressing these factors and understanding the limitations can help in optimizing the use of Metabase. Metabase - Pricing and Plans
Metabase Pricing Plans
Metabase offers a variety of pricing plans and options to cater to different organizational needs, each with its own set of features and cost structure.Free Plan
Metabase provides a free plan, known as the Open Source Edition, which is free to use and self-host. This plan is ideal for small teams or individual users and includes basic analytics and visualization tools.Metabase Cloud Plans
For users preferring a cloud-hosted solution, Metabase offers the following plans:Startup (Metabase Cloud)
- Cost: $100 per month
- Users: 20 users included, with an additional $5 per user
- Features: Quick setup and basic analytics features.
Business (Metabase Cloud)
- Cost: $300 per month
- Users: 30 users included, with an additional $10 per user
- Features: Dedicated resources and more advanced analytics capabilities compared to the Startup plan.
Enterprise (Metabase Cloud)
- Cost: Custom pricing available on request
- Features: Includes all the advanced features from the Business plan plus additional enterprise-grade capabilities such as enhanced authentication methods, advanced user and group management, audit tools, and more.
Self-Hosting Plans
For organizations that prefer to self-host Metabase:Open Source Edition
- Cost: Free
- Features: Basic analytics and visualization tools. This is suitable for small teams or individual users.
Enterprise (Self-Hosted)
- Cost: $10,000 per year
- Features: Includes all the features from the cloud Enterprise plan but requires self-hosting. This plan is for teams that need more advanced features and control over their hosting environment.
Free Trial
Metabase offers a 14-day free trial for its Pro and Enterprise plans, allowing users to test all the features without a credit card commitment. This trial is available for both cloud and self-hosted options.Additional Costs
- Support and Maintenance: Paid plans include dedicated support, while self-hosting may require in-house or third-party support services.
- Customization and Integration: Customizing Metabase or integrating it with other systems may incur additional development costs.
Metabase - Integration and Compatibility
Integration with Data Sources
Metabase supports a wide range of data sources, allowing users to connect and analyze data from multiple systems within a single interface. This includes official support for databases such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Amazon Redshift, Snowflake, and many more. To integrate Metabase with these databases, users simply need to access the Metabase administration panel, select the “Databases” section, and add the desired database by providing the necessary connection details like hostname, port, username, and password. This process enables real-time data syncing and live analysis of key metrics.Integration with External Tools and Services
Metabase integrates seamlessly with various external tools and services, enhancing its functionality and usability. Here are some key integrations:Data Visualization Tools
Metabase can be integrated with tools like Tableau, Power BI, and Google Data Studio. This allows users to export Metabase queries and visualizations to these platforms for further customization and advanced analytics.Collaboration Tools
Integrations with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Trello facilitate seamless collaboration among team members. Users can share dashboards, discuss findings, and create tasks directly from the Metabase environment.Automation Tools
Metabase can be integrated with automation tools like Zapier, Integromat, or Microsoft Power Automate. This enables users to automate repetitive tasks, trigger actions based on specific events, and optimize their data analysis workflow.Web Analytics and CRM
Integrations with Google Analytics and Salesforce allow users to analyze and visualize data from these platforms within Metabase, providing valuable insights into website traffic, user behavior, and customer data.Cross-Platform Compatibility
Metabase offers cross-platform compatibility, ensuring it operates seamlessly on various devices and operating systems. This makes it suitable for both small and large organizations, as it can scale effectively to meet different data needs.Deployment Options
Users have multiple deployment options for setting up Metabase, including Docker, AWS, and Heroku. Each option comes with detailed documentation to guide users through the installation and configuration process. This flexibility allows Metabase to be deployed on different servers or cloud platforms, making it highly adaptable to various environments.Security and Data Syncing
Metabase emphasizes security when connecting to databases, supporting SSL encryption and SSH tunneling to ensure secure connections. The platform also runs periodic syncing and scanning processes to keep metadata up-to-date, reflecting the latest schema changes and data updates in the connected databases.Sharing and Embedding
Metabase allows users to share dashboards with others, even if they do not have Metabase access. Users can generate public links or embed dashboards in other applications or websites, enabling non-Metabase users to view and interact with the shared dashboards. The interactive embedding feature integrates with permissions and SSO to provide the right level of access. In summary, Metabase’s extensive integration capabilities, broad compatibility, and flexible deployment options make it a versatile and powerful tool for data analysis and visualization across a wide range of platforms and devices. Metabase - Customer Support and Resources
Customer Support Options
Metabase offers several customer support options and additional resources to help users effectively utilize their product.
Support Plans
Metabase provides two main support plans: Standard and Priority.
Standard Support
This plan includes unlimited email support, troubleshooting, and a response SLA (Service Level Agreement) where critical issues are addressed within 1 business day, and other issues within 3 business days.
Priority Support
This plan includes all the features of the Standard plan, plus bug prioritization, advisory support, and faster response times for all severity levels (1 business day for all severities).
Support Hours and Channels
Metabase support is available Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm Pacific time, via email. This support is provided by a highly experienced technical team, with many team members having over 15 years of experience and extensive familiarity with Metabase.
Bug Prioritization and Fixing
Metabase works with users to identify and prioritize bugs based on their severity. For business-impacting bugs, the priority is escalated by a half point. The team aims to include fixes for these bugs in upcoming releases.
Additional Resources
Architectural Review
Metabase offers suggestions on how to architect your database schema, deployment infrastructure, and provides best-effort architectural reviews.
Documentation and Guides
Metabase has comprehensive documentation and guides available, including information on setting up alerts, annotating charts, modeling data, and customizing click behavior.
Community Support
For open-source users, support is available through forums where the community and Metabase team members can assist with queries.
Limitations
Custom Development and Training
Metabase does not provide custom development work, configuration of Metabase instances, or training sessions as part of their support contracts. These services are offered separately if needed.
Hosting Environments
While Metabase provides support for issues related to their product, they are not responsible for the maintenance or operation of the hosting provider or underlying resources, including deployment infrastructure and supporting databases.
By leveraging these support options and resources, users can effectively troubleshoot issues, optimize their use of Metabase, and ensure they get the most out of the product.
Metabase - Pros and Cons
Advantages of Metabase
Metabase offers several significant advantages, particularly for smaller teams and startups:User-Friendly Interface
Metabase is known for its user-friendly interface, making it easy for users without extensive analytics or SQL knowledge to create charts, tables, and interactive dashboards. It provides a graphical interface that allows non-technical users to ask questions and explore data.Cost-Effective
Metabase is free and open-source, which is a major advantage for teams on a budget. The starter and pro versions are also affordable, making it accessible to a wide range of users.Data Visualization and Reporting
Metabase allows users to create simple yet effective data visualizations and dashboards. It also supports scheduling and automating reports, which can be emailed or sent via Slack.Integration with Multiple Data Sources
Metabase integrates with various databases and data warehouses, including MongoDB, BigQuery, Spark, Amazon, Snowflake, Redshift, and PostgreSQL. This versatility makes it a valuable tool for data analysis.Advanced Analytics with Metabase AI
The Metabase AI component offers advanced analytics features such as predictive modeling, custom expressions, and automated insights. It also provides real-time data updates and interactive dashboards with customizable components.Data Exploration and Modeling
Metabase allows users to create models to clean and organize raw data, making it easier to query. Users can also upload CSV files for ad hoc data exploration and set up alerts based on specific data conditions.Disadvantages of Metabase
Despite its advantages, Metabase has several limitations:Limited Self-Service Analytics
Metabase has limited capacity for true self-service analytics. Users are often restricted to pre-made SQL queries, which can put pressure on data teams and limit the ability to explore data beyond the basics.Lack of Version Control
Metabase does not have built-in version control, making it difficult to track changes to queries and dashboards. This can lead to inconsistencies and confusion, especially as the team grows.Data Governance Issues
Metabase has limited data governance features, which can be a significant issue. Users often have to use Common Table Expressions (CTEs) with SQL to work around these limitations, leading to additional coding issues.Performance and Stability
Some users have reported issues with Metabase’s performance, including random crashes of graphs, failures to load data, and other stability problems. These issues can hinder project timelines and user experience.Limited Customization and Collaboration
Metabase lacks advanced customization options, such as color customization and pixel-perfect report generation. The tool also falls short in terms of collaboration features, with users describing the dashboard functionality as clunky and unintuitive.Limited Advanced Features
Metabase lacks several advanced features that other BI tools offer, including ad hoc reports, natural language generation (NLG), predictive analytics, trend indicators, benchmarking, and performance metrics. The enterprise version, while offering some of these features, is considered expensive given its limitations. In summary, while Metabase is a user-friendly, cost-effective, and versatile tool for data analysis and visualization, it has significant limitations in terms of self-service analytics, version control, data governance, performance, customization, and advanced features. Metabase - Comparison with Competitors
Unique Features of Metabase
- User-Friendly Interface: Metabase stands out with its user-friendly query interface, allowing users to ask questions in natural language and receive answers in the form of visualizations or reports without needing SQL knowledge.
- Interactive Dashboards: Metabase enables the creation and sharing of interactive dashboards that display real-time data, with the ability to drill down for more details. This includes customizable components, real-time data updates, and the ability to connect dashboard filters to columns at any stage of the query.
- Advanced Analytics: It offers predictive modeling, custom expressions for complex metrics, and automated insights to highlight trends and anomalies in data.
- Scalability and Performance: Metabase is scalable, with options for cloud hosting or self-hosting, and features caching mechanisms to improve query performance.
- Security and Permissions: Fine-grained access controls and audit logs ensure data security and compliance.
Comparison with Alternatives
Superset
- Similarities: Both Metabase and Superset are open-source, cloud-native, and self-hosted BI tools. However, Superset is more customizable, especially in terms of design and visualizations.
- Differences: Superset offers more granular security settings and can be more affordable, especially for embedded analytics. Metabase is easier to set up and use, although both can have a steep learning curve for handling complex queries.
Embeddable
- Embedding Method: Unlike Metabase, which uses iframes for embedding, Embeddable uses web components, providing a more performant and native feel within the application.
- Customization: Embeddable is more customizable, allowing engineers to tweak the code, while Metabase has a more opinionated UI and UX when embedded. Embeddable is cloud-hosted and fully white-label, whereas Metabase charges by active users and has a limited, branded free version for self-hosting.
Looker Studio
- Ease of Use: Both Looker Studio and Metabase are easy to use, but they cater to different needs. Looker Studio is more suited for advanced data visualization and reporting, while Metabase is better for internal and simple BI tasks such as analyzing sales trends or social media performance.
Preset
- Customization and Security: Preset is more customizable than Metabase, particularly in design and visualizations. It also offers more granular security settings. However, Metabase is easier to set up and use, making it a better choice for basic reporting capabilities.
Potential Alternatives
- For Customizable and Native Embedding: Embeddable might be a better option if you need fast-loading, fully bespoke, and secure user-facing analytics that integrate seamlessly into your application.
- For Advanced Customization and Security: Preset could be more suitable if you require more control over dashboard design and more granular security settings.
- For Ease of Use and Basic BI: Metabase remains a strong choice for its ease of setup and use, especially for internal and simple BI tasks.
Metabase - Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Ask Questions in Metabase?
In Metabase, you can ask questions using either the graphical query builder or by writing native/SQL queries. The graphical query builder allows you to construct questions without knowing SQL, using features like filters, summaries, custom columns, joins, and sorts. You can start a new question by selecting New > Question and choosing your data source, such as a model, raw data, or a saved question.
What Are Custom Expressions in Metabase?
Custom expressions in Metabase are similar to spreadsheet formulas and allow you to perform complex calculations within the graphical query builder. These expressions can be used to create new columns or to filter data based on custom conditions. This feature helps in asking more complicated questions and analyzing data in a more detailed manner.
How Do I Filter Data in Metabase Questions?
To filter data in Metabase, you can use the Filter button in the query builder. Here, you can select various options like date ranges or specific values to narrow down your results. This helps in making your queries more precise and relevant to your needs.
Can I Join Data from Multiple Tables in Metabase?
Yes, you can join data from multiple tables in Metabase. Using the Join data option in the query builder, you can combine data from different tables by specifying the join conditions. This feature is useful for combining related data from various sources.
What Are the Different Pricing Plans for Metabase?
- Free Plan: With limited features.
- Startup (Metabase Cloud): $100 per month, includes 20 users, with $5 per additional user.
- Business (Metabase Cloud): $300 per month, includes 30 users, with $10 per additional user.
- Enterprise (Metabase Cloud): Custom pricing.
- Open Source (Host it myself): Free, but you need to host it yourself.
- Enterprise (Host it myself): $10,000 per year.
How Does Billing Work for Metabase?
Metabase billing can be monthly or annual. For monthly billing, there is a flat payment plus a charge for each additional user, prorated for the number of days the account was active. Annual billing offers a 10% discount and also includes prorated charges for additional users. Invoices are sent via email for annual payments, and you have 15 days to pay using ACH, wire transfer, or credit card.
Can I Use SQL in Metabase?
Yes, you can use SQL in Metabase through the native query editor, also known as the SQL editor. This allows you to write native code to query your data source, even if it doesn’t use SQL (like MongoDB). You can also use SQL templates and snippets to reuse and share bits of SQL code.
How Do I Visualize Data in Metabase?
After running a question in Metabase, you can visualize the data by selecting the visualization type. You can switch between the query builder, the query’s result as a chart, and the results as a table at any time. This allows you to see a preview of your results and choose the best visualization to represent your data.
Can I Save and Organize My Questions in Metabase?
Yes, you can save your questions in Metabase for future reference. You can also turn frequently used questions into models for easier access. This helps in keeping your queries organized and makes it easier to reuse them or share them with others.
Does Metabase Offer Any Free Trial or Free Plan?
Yes, Metabase offers a free plan with limited features. Additionally, there is a free trial available for the paid plans, allowing you to test the full features before committing to a subscription.
Metabase - Conclusion and Recommendation
Final Assessment of Metabase
Metabase is a highly versatile and user-friendly business intelligence (BI) tool that stands out in the App Tools AI-driven product category due to its simplicity, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.Key Features
- User-Friendly Interface: Metabase boasts an intuitive drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy for non-technical users to create dashboards, reports, and visualizations without needing to write SQL.
- Open Source: Being open-source, Metabase is free to download and offers customization options, making it highly flexible and adaptable to various business needs. It also has an active community contributing to its development.
- Query Builder: The query-building feature allows users to create complex queries using a visual interface, eliminating the need for SQL knowledge.
- Data Visualization: Metabase offers a variety of data visualization tools such as pie charts, bar graphs, and line graphs, helping users turn raw data into meaningful insights.
- Dashboards and Reports: Users can easily create and share interactive dashboards and reports, which can be integrated with various data sources and other applications.
- Database Integration: Metabase integrates seamlessly with over 20 different data sources, allowing for immediate querying without the need for data extracts.
Benefits
- Accessibility: Metabase is accessible to all users, regardless of their technical background. This makes it an excellent choice for businesses where non-technical team members need to analyze data.
- Cost-Effectiveness: With both free open-source and cost-effective paid plans, Metabase is a budget-friendly option for businesses of all sizes.
- Community-Driven: Metabase fosters a strong community through user-generated content, webinars, and feedback loops, which helps in continuous improvement and user engagement.
- Security: Metabase is SOC2 compliant, ensuring that your business’s data is safe and secure.
Who Would Benefit Most
Metabase is particularly beneficial for:- Small to Medium-Sized Businesses: These organizations can leverage Metabase’s cost-effectiveness and ease of use to make data-driven decisions without the need for extensive technical expertise.
- Non-Technical Users: Teams with limited technical skills can use Metabase to analyze data, create reports, and share insights independently.
- Marketing and Growth Teams: These teams can use Metabase to measure the success of their projects and initiatives without relying on data analysts for every query.