
Lightdash
by Lightdash · Open-source, dbt-native BI with unlimited users
46.2 — BenchRank score out of 100
Screenshots of Lightdash
Homepage Pricing page
Overview
Lightdash is an open-source BI platform that builds on an existing dbt project, using its models and metric definitions as the semantic layer. Teams explore data, build charts and dashboards, manage that content as code, and set up scheduled deliveries and alerts. It runs self-hosted or on Lightdash's cloud, with US and EU deployment regions.
- Best for
- Data teams already running dbt who want BI without per-seat pricing.
- Pricing
- Self-hosted open source (the captured page shows no figure for it), Cloud Pro at $3,000/month for unlimited users, and Enterprise on request; embedding is a separate add-on at $0.05 per load after the first 1,000, or $790/month for 100k loads.
- Runs on
- WebSelf-hosted
Strengths and trade-offs
Strengths
- Unlimited users on every plan, with no per-seat pricing
- Open-source tier can be self-hosted on your own infrastructure
- Native dbt integration with an open semantic layer for metrics
- Nine warehouses supported, from BigQuery and Snowflake to DuckDB
Trade-offs
- Requires an existing dbt project; it is stated as a prerequisite
- Cloud Pro is $3,000/month, a high entry point for small teams
- Self-hosted tier has community Slack support and 3-day version history
- Embedding, Data Apps and HIPAA BAA are charged as separate add-ons
Pricing
Published plans from Lightdash’s own pricing page, in USD. Usage charges and add-ons may apply on top.
| Plan | Monthly | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | —per month |
|
| Cloud Pro | $3000per month |
|
| Enterprise | Contact sales |
|
How this score is made up
Each dimension is scored out of 100 and combined into the headline score using fixed weights.
- MCP support
- 0 out of 100
- API quality
- 20 out of 100
- Documentation
- 100 out of 100
- Agent friendliness
- 65 out of 100
- Pricing transparency
- 100 out of 100
- Changelog
- 0 out of 100
- Marketing site structure
- 55 out of 100
- Operational trust
- 40 out of 100
Measured, but not part of the score
Useful to know, but not a mark for or against the product — so these do not affect the ranking.
- Openness
- 85 out of 100
- Maintenance
- 100 out of 100
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