Metabase
Ask your database a question and get a chart back, no SQL required.
What it is
About Metabase
Metabase connects to a company's database or warehouse and lets anyone build charts, tables and dashboards through a simple visual query builder, whilst analysts can use raw SQL for complex questions. It's widely used by startups and mid-size companies as a low-cost, self-hostable alternative to Tableau or Power BI for internal reporting and exploration.
What you can do with it
Capabilities
Build charts and dashboards from a database with a no-code query builder
Write and save native SQL questions for more complex analysis
Set up scheduled email and Slack alerts on metrics
Create drill-down dashboards for non-technical stakeholders
Model and cache queries to speed up frequently-used reports
How to learn it
Learning Resources
Metabase's official documentation and Learn Metabase guides
Metabase's own YouTube channel with feature walkthroughs
Practise by self-hosting the free Docker image against a sample database
Metabase community forum for real-world dashboard patterns
Pro Tip
Build models — saved, cleaned-up base queries — before letting non-technical users loose on the query builder; it stops every dashboard from re-deriving the same joins and business logic differently.
Skills that use this tool
Roles that use this tool