Exploring Metabase, Qlik Sense & Visivo
Metabase vs. Qlik Sense vs. Visivo
Compare key features, capabilities, and differentiators between Metabase, Qlik Sense, Visivo. This comprehensive analysis will help you make an informed decision for your data visualization needs.
Quick Comparison
Key features and capabilities at a glance
| Feature | Metabase | Qlik Sense | Visivo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deployment Model | Self-host OSS (Java), Metabase Cloud (hosted SaaS), Docker deployment | Client-managed (Windows), Client-managed (Kubernetes), Qlik Cloud (SaaS) | Open-source, Cloud Service, Self-hosted |
| Pricing | Open-source core (AGPL v3); Enterprise features in paid plans | Commercial. Qlik Sense Enterprise is subscription (by user or capacity). Qlik Sense Desktop free for personal use. | Open source (GPL-3.0) |
| Cost | $$ | $$$$ | $ |
| Git Integration | |||
| CI/CD & Testing | |||
| Real-time | |||
| AI Features | |||
| Visual to Code | |||
| DAG-Based |
Target Users & Use-Cases
Each BI tool is designed with specific user personas in mind.
Metabase
Qlik Sense
Visivo
Ease of Development & Deployment
Development experience directly impacts team productivity and time-to-value.
Metabase
Qlik Sense
Visivo
Key Integrations & Ecosystem
A robust ecosystem of integrations is essential for modern BI tools.
Metabase
Qlik Sense
Visivo
Visualization Capabilities
The ability to create compelling visualizations is key to data storytelling.
Metabase
Simplified UI: users can create questions (queries) via a point-and-click interface or SQL editor. Visualizations cover basic needs (bar, line, pie, maps, etc.). Dashboards allow filter widgets to link multiple cards. Customization is basic – focus is on quick insights over polished design.
Qlik Sense
Powerful interactive visuals with unique associative filtering: all charts update with each selection, and show gray 'excluded' values to encourage discovery. Chart types cover most needs, and extension mechanism allows custom charts. Good formatting control but primarily via UI (no raw HTML/CSS editing).
Visivo
Highly custom UI with easy defaults
Detailed Differentiators
Each platform's unique strengths and limitations.
Metabase
Qlik Sense
Visivo
Security & Architecture
Critical considerations for enterprise deployments.
Metabase
DB Access: Yes, Metabase connects directly to each data source to run queries. Virtualization: No intermediate layer – it's live queries (with caching). Push: No (pull-based queries; can cache results in application DB). Other: Supports row-level security with query filters (enterprise). Offers auditing of questions run. Embedding to apps with signed tokens available (with its own permissions).
Qlik Sense
DB Access: Typically Qlik imports data into its engine (so not needed at runtime). The new Direct Query option (in Qlik Cloud) allows leaving data in DB and querying on interaction for huge data sets. Virtualization: Qlik's standard method is not virtualization but in-memory copies. However, with Direct Query it behaves virtually. Push: Data is pushed into Qlik via load scripts (you schedule reloads). Other: Strong security – Section Access to implement row-level security inside Qlik apps, and robust user access control on the server.
Visivo
No db access required. Very strong security features due to the DAG-based access controls and the push based deployment model.
Why Visivo Stands Out
While each platform has its strengths, Visivo offers unique advantages for modern data teams.
Ready to Experience Modern BI?
Try Visivo today and see how it transforms your data analytics workflow.
$ curl -fsSL https://visivo.sh | bash
