Best offer on record: Open Source edition (self-hosted, AGPL): free forever. 6 verified findings, checked 2026-10-22.
Offers
Open Source edition (self-hosted, AGPL): free forever high confidence
Free to download and self-host under the AGPL (the input note's Apache-2.0 is wrong). Unlimited users, unlimited questions and dashboards, 20+ data sources, REST API with API keys, MCP server, query builder, SQL editor, dashboards, guest embeds, and Metabot AI using your own model key. Self-hosted transforms are unlimited (no per-run fee). Support is community forums only. The official pricing page lists Open Source as the only free plan; Metabase Learn says Metabase is free forever.
Eligibility
Anyone: students and startups of any size or age, no .edu email, no funding cap, no region limit, no card, no account needed to download.
How to claim
Run: docker run -d -p 3000:3000 --name metabase metabase/metabase, then open http://localhost:3000, create the admin account and connect a database. Without Docker, run the JAR on Java 25. Download page: metabase.com/start/oss (Download and self-host for free).
Expiry
None stated; the AGPL license has no time limit.
Gotchas
Free to download, not free to run: you pay for the server, application database, backups, upgrades and admin time. Pro/Enterprise only: SAML, JWT and OIDC SSO, row- and column-level permissions, usage analytics, serialization, white-labeling. Email subscriptions need your own SMTP server. Metabot AI needs your own model API key (you pay the provider). Guest embeds show a Powered by Metabase banner. Embedding in an app requires AGPL compliance, the Embedding License (keeps the logo) or a Metabase Commercial Software License.
Metabase Cloud 14-day free trial (Starter and Pro); no free Cloud plan medium confidence
Starter and Pro each start with a 14-day free trial: time-limited, with no credit amount or usage quota. Store copy: trials are free, with no obligation to buy, and can be cancelled any time. The Store offers the trial for self-hosted or Metabase Cloud; the embedding article mentions activating a license token from the self-hosted Pro trial. After the trial: Starter $100/mo (5 users included, +$6/user/mo) or $1,080/yr; Pro $575/mo (10 users included, +$12/user/mo) or $6,210/yr. Enterprise has no trial (from $20,000/yr, sales-led). Cloud regions: US East (N. Virginia), EU (Frankfurt), South America (Sao Paulo), APAC (Singapore, Sydney).
Eligibility
Not stated; no student or startup restriction on the Store or pricing pages. Card: the official Learn page (read today) says the 14-day Cloud trial needs an email and a credit card. The Store sign-up step as fetched showed only email and password fields, so the card step may come later (not seen). Card and conversion terms for the self-hosted trial are not verified.
How to claim
On metabase.com click Try Metabase Cloud free (or go to store.metabase.com/checkout), then Start your 14-day free trial. Choose Starter or Pro, self-hosted or Cloud, enter email and password, pick a region and enter payment details (order per Metabase's migration guide).
Expiry
14 days from start. Post-trial billing is not explicitly stated; Store docs list Cancel a subscription or trial, which implies a card-backed trial converts to paid unless cancelled (inference). To cancel: Store, Instances, Settings, Cancel subscription and delete instance.
Gotchas
If not cancelled, expect the $100/mo Starter (or $575/mo Pro) charge after 14 days (inference). Cloud supports only Metabase official databases: SQLite and H2 are excluded, and community drivers and file-based DBs are unsupported. Queries time out after 20 minutes. No access to the application database; email sender cannot be customized. Annual billing saves about 10%, but annual payments are non-refundable (docs). Starter includes 5 users; extra users are prorated daily.
Included Cloud allowances on Starter and Pro: AI tokens, transform runs, storage rows medium confidence
AI service (Metabase-hosted model, Cloud only): first 1M tokens free, then $3.75 per 1M tokens, billed monthly on prior-month usage. Transforms: first 1,000 successful basic runs free on Starter and Pro Cloud, then $0.01 per run. Advanced transforms: 1,000 included runs on Starter and Pro; the page lists $0.02 and $0.01 per run after that (which applies is unclear). Storage (optional Cloud add-on for CSV/spreadsheet uploads and Google Sheets sync): $2 per 1M rows; first 1M stored rows always free. The official pricing page calls these included credits to get you started.
Eligibility
Requires a paid Cloud subscription (Starter $100/mo or Pro $575/mo); not a standalone free tier. The AI service and Storage are Cloud-only; self-hosted users bring their own AI key and have no Storage add-on.
How to claim
No separate sign-up: the allowances come with a Starter or Pro Cloud subscription. On Cloud, choose Metabase's AI service instead of your own API key. Storage is an optional Cloud add-on (enable steps not verified).
Expiry
Reset period not stated. The first 1M tokens and first 1,000 runs may be one-time rather than monthly; 'always free' for storage suggests an ongoing allowance. Confirm in the Store before relying on it.
Gotchas
Allowances sit inside a paid plan, so the $100/mo minimum applies. Self-hosted transforms are unlimited (pricing page). A third-party tracker says Metabot AI on Cloud Pro/Enterprise was free for a limited time when introduced around Oct 2025; end date unverified. An official June 9, 2026 blog post (as quoted by WebFetch) says Metabase does not charge an add-on for AI, while the pricing page still lists a $3.75/1M-token AI service; check in the Store.
Guest embeds: free on every edition (Powered by Metabase banner on Open Source and Starter) high confidence
Guest embeds (server-signed JWT, locked parameters, anonymous viewers) are free on Open Source and every paid plan. Viewers need no Metabase account and do not count as users. Open Source and Starter show a Powered by Metabase banner; Pro and Enterprise remove it and add white-labeling, custom colors and fonts. SSO embeds (JWT or SAML), the React SDK and full-app embedding are Pro/Enterprise.
Eligibility
Anyone running Open Source, Starter, Pro or Enterprise.
How to claim
Have your server sign a JWT with locked parameters for each dashboard or question, per the embedding article. No purchase needed on Open Source.
Expiry
None stated.
Gotchas
Licensing decides compliance: the license page gives three routes for embedding in an app: abide by the AGPL, abide by the Embedding License (which keeps the Powered by Metabase logo), or buy a Metabase Commercial Software License. A legacy Premium Embedding License also exists for logo removal. Removing the logo requires Pro/Enterprise or one of these licenses.
Meetrix Metabase image on Google Cloud Marketplace: 5-day trial, up to USD 50 licence credit (third party) low confidence
Meetrix, a third-party reseller of the open-source Metabase build, lists Free trial: 5 days, up to USD 50 licence credit for its Google Cloud Marketplace image (e2-medium, 20 GB disk, deploys with Terraform or gcloud CLI). The page does not say what the credit covers, eligibility, expiry, or whether Google Cloud compute is included. Its FAQ separates its software fee from server cost, so the credit probably covers only that fee (inference).
Eligibility
Not stated. A Google Cloud billing account and project are needed to deploy (inference).
How to claim
Subscribe to the Meetrix listing on Google Cloud Marketplace, pick a region and machine size, and deploy (about 5 to 10 minutes). Point a DNS A record at the server, then run the setup wizard.
Expiry
5 days (stated); the USD 50 is a cap, not a guaranteed amount.
Gotchas
Not Metabase-operated. Server and disk charges likely bill to your GCP account. No terms beyond the listing. Third-party AWS AMI listings also charge software fees (one listing shows $0.014/hour per instance type), so third-party images are not free by default.
AWS Marketplace listing sold by Metabase: Try free for 14 days (terms not stated) low confidence
SaaS listing sold by Metabase says Try free for 14 days. Its pricing table shows a Platform Fee of $20,000.00 per 12-month contract plus $210.00 per additional user. Trial price, card requirement, eligibility and post-trial billing are not stated. The listing says to contact Metabase for custom pricing, EULA or a private contract.
Eligibility
Not stated; an AWS account is needed to subscribe.
How to claim
Subscribe through the AWS Marketplace listing; further steps not verified.
Expiry
14 days (stated). The listing states all fees are non-cancellable and non-refundable except as required by law.
Gotchas
Enterprise-scale price ($20,000 per 12 months), not a student or startup route. Metabase install docs say the company does not currently distribute Metabase on AWS Marketplace or Azure Marketplace, which conflicts with this listing; treat the listing as unverified. Whether startup cloud credits can pay for it is unverified.