Apache Superset is itself already open source, released under the Apache 2.0 license and maintained as a top-level Apache Software Foundation project. It's a mature, SQL-centric data exploration and visualization platform used at scale by companies like Airbnb and Netflix.
Since Superset is already open, the useful comparison is which open-source BI tool fits your team better. Metabase is an open-source alternative aimed at letting non-technical users build dashboards without writing SQL, which is a different emphasis than Superset's SQL-heavy, engineer-oriented workflow.
FAQ
Is there a free, open-source alternative to Apache Superset?
Apache Superset is already free and open source. If you want a more approachable option for non-technical users, Metabase is also open source and free to self-host.
What's the best open-source alternative to Apache Superset?
Metabase is the better pick if your team wants business users to self-serve dashboards without SQL; Superset itself remains the stronger choice for engineers who want deep SQL-based exploration at scale.
What are the top open-source alternatives to Apache Superset?
Browse all open-source alternatives to Apache Superset above, or explore the full Data & Analytics category for more options.